After thinking about his team’s spring game and the overall spring practice session for a couple of days, Winder-Barrow High School football coach Ben Corley said he likes the direction his team is going.
The Bulldoggs held their spring scrimmage last Friday at W. Clair Harris Stadium culminating spring drills for 2009.
“I was real pleased with our defensive effort,” the second-year head coach said. “We had a high level of intensity.”
There were also bright spots on the offensive side of the football. Corley said the team looked good up front. This had been an area of concern after 2008.
“We were able to get some push off the football and we did an above average job of protecting the passer,” Corley said. “We reached some landmarks we had set.”
While the number of players who finish spring did not equal the number who started — something that is usually the case in high school football — Corley said the numbers at this point are still better than he thought they would be.
“We had some players trying out for the first time,” the coach said. “They hung in there and had some success. We hope they will stay with us.”
The players will now have the next two weeks off as the school year concludes.
Players will be allowed to concentrate solely on school work and final exams, Corley said.
“As soon as school is out we will be back to business with our running, throwing and lifting,” Corley said.
WBHS players will also compete in a passing league this summer.
“It seems like a long time between now and game one, but we have to be prepared,” the coach said. “This is the type of work it takes to get to that point.”
The Bulldoggs emerged from spring with no major injuries something Corley said he felt “very fortunate” about. Players suffered only the normal bumps and bruises associated with returning to the practice field. A couple of players did suffer pulled muscles.
With fall practice just a couple of months away, Corley likes the progress his team has made since the final game of the 2008 season.
“We have shown marked improvement physically, mentally and scheme-wise,” the coach said. “Of course, you are never satifisfied and you always feel you can be further along. However, we have some benchmarks set for this summer and I feel good that our players will be able to reach those goals just as they have to this point in the offseason.”
