Scoop27
08-06-2015, 11:18 PM
By JOEL LUNA joel.luna@thefacts.com | 0 comments
FREEPORT
Going into his fourth season at Brazosport High School, head coach Ben Rudolph continues to see positive progress as the Ships opened training camp Monday.
Each season since he’s been at the helm, the number of participating football players has grown. On Monday, it made a big leap for one class.
“Today we had the best freshman numbers since I’ve been here, which is a huge credit to our junior high staff, our feeder programs and youth football leagues,” Rudolph said. “So having that many freshmen, we were at 46, is an outstanding number for us. Four years ago it was 19.”
And with not much of a turnover on his coaching staff, Rudolph is on track to make this the best season the Exporters have had in quite some time.
“We have a lot of good men on this staff, some have come from Brazosport and some from the area and others from farther away, but they are a group that gets it,” Rudolph said. “And I love them.”
Brazosport is coming off a 2-8 season in which they won one ball game in District 28-4A. But they were in some close games, including a 17-10 loss to Stafford and a 35-28 loss at the hands of Needville.
There are some returners in skill positions for the Ships, but there are also some holes they will need to fill by the time Aug. 28 comes around.
“We have some obvious holes on the offensive line. We had two kids who signed college scholarships and we lost another two with depth,” Rudolph said. “So we will be looking to fill up front, and I think as a football program you are only as good as your front line plays, both offense and defensive lines.
“If we can get both of those positions solidified, we should be OK, but we do have some skill coming back with experience. But that is the biggest question mark we have, our lines up front.”
For those upperclassmen who are returning, especially on the offensive side of the ball, Rudolph was pleased with what he saw after Monday’s work.
“The stuff we did with them in May during seventh period, they picked up quickly on it today,” he said. “So they retained some knowledge during the summer.”
Brazosport will continue the 4 to 7 p.m. workout schedule throughout the week and a weightlifting session. Though it is quite early in the almost month-long camp, expectations are high this season.
“I want them to gain as much knowledge of what we do,” Rudolph said. “We’ve worked hard over the past year to pare down on what we do, so we have focused in on things we are good at and things we can control. I just want them to get better on both sides of the ball, especially in shorts and T-shirts.”
Battles will be going on for key positions like the quarterback slot, where Navontae Darthard returns and will face some competition from Jarvis Davis, who is just a sophomore.
Jeremiah Credit, who was all over the field last year and on special teams, is back. With Credit and sophomore Ameer King, the Ships have a couple of speed-burners, who, if given some daylight, will take off for long yardage.
After three hours of practice on the field, the Exporters finished with a tough weight-lifting session.
“That was more mental than physical,” Rudolph said. “I guarantee that there have been workouts that have been tougher, but if you throw in the added element, ‘Hey, it is football. Hey, I’ve got a helmet on,’ it does change the whole ball game. We want to challenge them more mentally more than physically.”
The first four practices will be without pads, but Friday the Exporters will strap on the pads and start the second phase of camp. They will also practice Saturday.
Fort Bend Willowridge is first on the nondistrict schedule for Brazosport at Hopper Field on Aug. 28.
“It is going to come fast,” Rudolph said. “I am not ready tonight, but we will be by the 28th.”
FREEPORT
Going into his fourth season at Brazosport High School, head coach Ben Rudolph continues to see positive progress as the Ships opened training camp Monday.
Each season since he’s been at the helm, the number of participating football players has grown. On Monday, it made a big leap for one class.
“Today we had the best freshman numbers since I’ve been here, which is a huge credit to our junior high staff, our feeder programs and youth football leagues,” Rudolph said. “So having that many freshmen, we were at 46, is an outstanding number for us. Four years ago it was 19.”
And with not much of a turnover on his coaching staff, Rudolph is on track to make this the best season the Exporters have had in quite some time.
“We have a lot of good men on this staff, some have come from Brazosport and some from the area and others from farther away, but they are a group that gets it,” Rudolph said. “And I love them.”
Brazosport is coming off a 2-8 season in which they won one ball game in District 28-4A. But they were in some close games, including a 17-10 loss to Stafford and a 35-28 loss at the hands of Needville.
There are some returners in skill positions for the Ships, but there are also some holes they will need to fill by the time Aug. 28 comes around.
“We have some obvious holes on the offensive line. We had two kids who signed college scholarships and we lost another two with depth,” Rudolph said. “So we will be looking to fill up front, and I think as a football program you are only as good as your front line plays, both offense and defensive lines.
“If we can get both of those positions solidified, we should be OK, but we do have some skill coming back with experience. But that is the biggest question mark we have, our lines up front.”
For those upperclassmen who are returning, especially on the offensive side of the ball, Rudolph was pleased with what he saw after Monday’s work.
“The stuff we did with them in May during seventh period, they picked up quickly on it today,” he said. “So they retained some knowledge during the summer.”
Brazosport will continue the 4 to 7 p.m. workout schedule throughout the week and a weightlifting session. Though it is quite early in the almost month-long camp, expectations are high this season.
“I want them to gain as much knowledge of what we do,” Rudolph said. “We’ve worked hard over the past year to pare down on what we do, so we have focused in on things we are good at and things we can control. I just want them to get better on both sides of the ball, especially in shorts and T-shirts.”
Battles will be going on for key positions like the quarterback slot, where Navontae Darthard returns and will face some competition from Jarvis Davis, who is just a sophomore.
Jeremiah Credit, who was all over the field last year and on special teams, is back. With Credit and sophomore Ameer King, the Ships have a couple of speed-burners, who, if given some daylight, will take off for long yardage.
After three hours of practice on the field, the Exporters finished with a tough weight-lifting session.
“That was more mental than physical,” Rudolph said. “I guarantee that there have been workouts that have been tougher, but if you throw in the added element, ‘Hey, it is football. Hey, I’ve got a helmet on,’ it does change the whole ball game. We want to challenge them more mentally more than physically.”
The first four practices will be without pads, but Friday the Exporters will strap on the pads and start the second phase of camp. They will also practice Saturday.
Fort Bend Willowridge is first on the nondistrict schedule for Brazosport at Hopper Field on Aug. 28.
“It is going to come fast,” Rudolph said. “I am not ready tonight, but we will be by the 28th.”