Scoop27
09-11-2015, 12:02 PM
By JOEL LUNA joel.luna@thefacts.com | 0 comments
WEST COLUMBIA
With two wins to start the 2015 season, the Columbia Roughnecks are undefeated, but still a work in progress.
Columbia (2-0) will host Houston Austin (1-1) at 7:30 p.m. today at Griggs Field for its homecoming game.
There were several question marks for Columbia on offense and defense prior to the season starting, and head coach Randy Lynch said some of those have been answered.
“We’ve made some good progress along the way, but I’ve been very pleased offensively with the offensive line and running backs and even our quarterback,” Lynch said.
“Josh (Jimenez) has really stepped in and done a good job (at quarterback). But it is always a work in progress, defensively we are still trying to find some answers up front as well as in our secondary. But it is always that way and the injury bug has got us right now, we played two very physical teams the first two weeks, and we’ve got three starters out this week and we will be looking at some young ones. But that is just part of football.”
Jimenez, a junior, and senior Hunter Grayson started out the year in a battle for the quarterback position, but Grayson suffered an injury in the first game against Hallettsville.
“Josh has done a good job and Hunter Grayson was out last week. He’s still limited on some of the things he does, but we may get him in a series or two just to get him back in the fold,” Lynch said. “There are some packages we work with him (Grayson), hopefully he will get to full recovery and we get him involved as well on the offense.”
As for Jimenez, he’s thrown for 230 yards on 9-for-14 passing with two touchdowns.
“He’s thrown the ball real well and has grasped the offense pretty well,” Lynch said. “He’s done a good job throwing the ball and running the offense. Each week we put in a different package against different opponents and he’s picked those up pretty well.”
Lynch also enjoyed watching his team play with more control in its second game of the season against Liberty. Penalties were down significantly from the Hallettsville game.
“That usually happens, that first week, you can have all of the scrimmages you want, bring officials out to practice, but again, you go from 14 penalties to four, that was good to see,” Lynch said. “Again, the game happens so fast and one of our kids was called for trying to go after a fumble. Instead, he was called for grabbing a guy. And as I’ve (said), there is a punishment for penalties in practice. It isn’t like we don’t try to limit those, because to me, they are like turnovers.”
Dakarius Bell (42-239 yards, 5.69 per carry, six TDs) continues to lead the Roughnecks’ run game with Saylaion Dunlap (14-122 yards) and Keithan Taylor (11-122 yards) also getting some carries.
The Mustangs are coming off a 26-20 victory against Houston Washington, where they came from behind to win with a score in the third quarter.
Running back Trevion Rodriguez scored with 9:31 remaining in the third on a 45-yard jaunt. The Mustang defense held the rest of the way to secure the win.
As it turned out, Rodriguez proved to be the entire offense for Austin, as he ran the ball 38 times for 295 yards and four scores. The Mustangs totaled 322 offensive yards for the game.
Quarterbacks Emmanuel Fisher (5-for-8, 16 passing yards) and Marquise Jones (7-20, 33 yards) so far have shared the duties under center. Jones has thrown five interceptions.
“Robin Kirk, the coach there, was a long-time coach at St. Pius, and this is a much better football team than a year ago,” Lynch said. “Their numbers are up, according to Kirk, and now they are able to field three teams. But they are young, with a big offensive line and defensively, they are sound and they will not get beat deep. They go to the ball well.”
Offensive lineman Matthew Martinez started 10 games last season and defensive lineman Kenny Washington (6-foot-2, 260) will also see action on the offensive line.
This is only the second meeting between these two programs with the Roughnecks shutting out the Mustangs 69-0 last year.
WEST COLUMBIA
With two wins to start the 2015 season, the Columbia Roughnecks are undefeated, but still a work in progress.
Columbia (2-0) will host Houston Austin (1-1) at 7:30 p.m. today at Griggs Field for its homecoming game.
There were several question marks for Columbia on offense and defense prior to the season starting, and head coach Randy Lynch said some of those have been answered.
“We’ve made some good progress along the way, but I’ve been very pleased offensively with the offensive line and running backs and even our quarterback,” Lynch said.
“Josh (Jimenez) has really stepped in and done a good job (at quarterback). But it is always a work in progress, defensively we are still trying to find some answers up front as well as in our secondary. But it is always that way and the injury bug has got us right now, we played two very physical teams the first two weeks, and we’ve got three starters out this week and we will be looking at some young ones. But that is just part of football.”
Jimenez, a junior, and senior Hunter Grayson started out the year in a battle for the quarterback position, but Grayson suffered an injury in the first game against Hallettsville.
“Josh has done a good job and Hunter Grayson was out last week. He’s still limited on some of the things he does, but we may get him in a series or two just to get him back in the fold,” Lynch said. “There are some packages we work with him (Grayson), hopefully he will get to full recovery and we get him involved as well on the offense.”
As for Jimenez, he’s thrown for 230 yards on 9-for-14 passing with two touchdowns.
“He’s thrown the ball real well and has grasped the offense pretty well,” Lynch said. “He’s done a good job throwing the ball and running the offense. Each week we put in a different package against different opponents and he’s picked those up pretty well.”
Lynch also enjoyed watching his team play with more control in its second game of the season against Liberty. Penalties were down significantly from the Hallettsville game.
“That usually happens, that first week, you can have all of the scrimmages you want, bring officials out to practice, but again, you go from 14 penalties to four, that was good to see,” Lynch said. “Again, the game happens so fast and one of our kids was called for trying to go after a fumble. Instead, he was called for grabbing a guy. And as I’ve (said), there is a punishment for penalties in practice. It isn’t like we don’t try to limit those, because to me, they are like turnovers.”
Dakarius Bell (42-239 yards, 5.69 per carry, six TDs) continues to lead the Roughnecks’ run game with Saylaion Dunlap (14-122 yards) and Keithan Taylor (11-122 yards) also getting some carries.
The Mustangs are coming off a 26-20 victory against Houston Washington, where they came from behind to win with a score in the third quarter.
Running back Trevion Rodriguez scored with 9:31 remaining in the third on a 45-yard jaunt. The Mustang defense held the rest of the way to secure the win.
As it turned out, Rodriguez proved to be the entire offense for Austin, as he ran the ball 38 times for 295 yards and four scores. The Mustangs totaled 322 offensive yards for the game.
Quarterbacks Emmanuel Fisher (5-for-8, 16 passing yards) and Marquise Jones (7-20, 33 yards) so far have shared the duties under center. Jones has thrown five interceptions.
“Robin Kirk, the coach there, was a long-time coach at St. Pius, and this is a much better football team than a year ago,” Lynch said. “Their numbers are up, according to Kirk, and now they are able to field three teams. But they are young, with a big offensive line and defensively, they are sound and they will not get beat deep. They go to the ball well.”
Offensive lineman Matthew Martinez started 10 games last season and defensive lineman Kenny Washington (6-foot-2, 260) will also see action on the offensive line.
This is only the second meeting between these two programs with the Roughnecks shutting out the Mustangs 69-0 last year.