Phantom Stang
08-13-2007, 06:46 PM
This article came out last week
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Many questions as Mustangs open practice
Written by Jay Langley
With 16 players returning from last year’s team and two-a-days just underway, the final makeup of the 2007 Sweetwater team is uncertain.
“It’s so early it’s hard to tell what we’ve got,” Sweetwater coach Kent Jackson said. “What’s obvious right now is that the learning curve is short. They’re further along right now than they were at this time last year.” The short learning curve, Jacson said, can be attributed to the 16 returning players.“The varsity group’s retention level is very good,” he said. “They’ve got a couple of years in their background and they really have a lot of carryover from last year and that’s a very positive thing.”The Mustangs return three players on offense and six on defense from the 2006 squad that finished 9-3. But despite questions about the team’s depth, Jackson is happy with the players he has coming back.
“The reality is that we don’t have a lot of depth,” Jackson said. “We have a lot more guys with experience on defense. So we hope those guys on defense can rally around each other and carry our team while our offense finds their way.”
On offense the Mustangs must replace arguably their two most skilled players in Duone Cunnings and Joseph Banyard. Senior safety Thomas Holsey moves to the offensive side of the ball to replace Cunnings and take over at quarterback.
“Thomas has a unique gift for making plays and we saw that out of him as a sophomore,” Jackson said. “In any other year and in any other place he probably would have started last year.”
Holsey said he welcomes the challenge of taking the reigns at quarterback.
“I’m really excited,” Holsey said. “It’s something I haven’t done in two years. There are some big shoes to fill with Duone leaving. We’ve got a few new plays this year that might be hard to learn But it will be a good learning process for me.”
Holsey was an all-district safety in 2006 with 52 tackles and three interceptions.
“He’ll continue to play some defense,” Jackson said of Holsey. “Hopefully we can do what we need to do and get a playoff berth and as we get further into the season his role on defense will increase even more. He’s going to have to be ready to play both sides of the ball.”
The brunt of the running game will fall on the shoulders of Auston Davis. In 2006 Davis rushed for 550 yards on 98 carries and two touchdowns.
“The burden will fall on him especially early because he is the guy with the most rushing experience,” Jackson said.
On defense, conerback J.J. McCoy will join Holsey in the defensive back field. McCoy could also see his role increase in the return game.
“J.J. has always had a huge role leadership wise for us,” Jackson said. “He creates a lot of energy. He’s got a very high motor and he only knows one gear and that rubs off on everybody.”
Jackson said once the coaching staff looks at all the players the final varsity roster should have between 30 and 35 players.
“We’re really trying to get a good look at some of the sophomores right now and give them as many reps as we can,” he said. “By the time we get to our second scrimmage we should have a real good idea of who those varsity players will be.”
www.sweetwaterreporter.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14136&Itemid=99999999
___________________________________
Many questions as Mustangs open practice
Written by Jay Langley
With 16 players returning from last year’s team and two-a-days just underway, the final makeup of the 2007 Sweetwater team is uncertain.
“It’s so early it’s hard to tell what we’ve got,” Sweetwater coach Kent Jackson said. “What’s obvious right now is that the learning curve is short. They’re further along right now than they were at this time last year.” The short learning curve, Jacson said, can be attributed to the 16 returning players.“The varsity group’s retention level is very good,” he said. “They’ve got a couple of years in their background and they really have a lot of carryover from last year and that’s a very positive thing.”The Mustangs return three players on offense and six on defense from the 2006 squad that finished 9-3. But despite questions about the team’s depth, Jackson is happy with the players he has coming back.
“The reality is that we don’t have a lot of depth,” Jackson said. “We have a lot more guys with experience on defense. So we hope those guys on defense can rally around each other and carry our team while our offense finds their way.”
On offense the Mustangs must replace arguably their two most skilled players in Duone Cunnings and Joseph Banyard. Senior safety Thomas Holsey moves to the offensive side of the ball to replace Cunnings and take over at quarterback.
“Thomas has a unique gift for making plays and we saw that out of him as a sophomore,” Jackson said. “In any other year and in any other place he probably would have started last year.”
Holsey said he welcomes the challenge of taking the reigns at quarterback.
“I’m really excited,” Holsey said. “It’s something I haven’t done in two years. There are some big shoes to fill with Duone leaving. We’ve got a few new plays this year that might be hard to learn But it will be a good learning process for me.”
Holsey was an all-district safety in 2006 with 52 tackles and three interceptions.
“He’ll continue to play some defense,” Jackson said of Holsey. “Hopefully we can do what we need to do and get a playoff berth and as we get further into the season his role on defense will increase even more. He’s going to have to be ready to play both sides of the ball.”
The brunt of the running game will fall on the shoulders of Auston Davis. In 2006 Davis rushed for 550 yards on 98 carries and two touchdowns.
“The burden will fall on him especially early because he is the guy with the most rushing experience,” Jackson said.
On defense, conerback J.J. McCoy will join Holsey in the defensive back field. McCoy could also see his role increase in the return game.
“J.J. has always had a huge role leadership wise for us,” Jackson said. “He creates a lot of energy. He’s got a very high motor and he only knows one gear and that rubs off on everybody.”
Jackson said once the coaching staff looks at all the players the final varsity roster should have between 30 and 35 players.
“We’re really trying to get a good look at some of the sophomores right now and give them as many reps as we can,” he said. “By the time we get to our second scrimmage we should have a real good idea of who those varsity players will be.”
www.sweetwaterreporter.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14136&Itemid=99999999