CHS Lions to scrimmage at Bethel

The CHS Football Lions scrimmaged at Humboldt last Friday & have another scrimmage planned against Covington at Bethel College in McKenzie this Friday, August 15th.

Talking with Head Football Coach Kevin Ward after Monday’s practice about the teams’ preseason work & the Humboldt scrimmage format:

“Humboldt was a very athletic team. We worked on special teams early and worked on punting and punt block teams. It was good to work at full speed. For about 20 minutes, we swapped out with them & had some success; I thought we did a good job. It is good to have it on film & let our players see what they did wrong or right, at this time of the year. We followed with offense & defense in a little different scrimmage format. We alternated offense & defense in a 10-play series, but the 1st team started the series with the first 6 plays, then the 2nd team ran 4 plays against their number two’s…it really worked out well. We were able to prevent any injuries that occur due to fatigue during what turned out to be a 3-hour scrimmage. It also allowed us to see what we looked like at full go against their starters & then look at our 2nd team while we rested our starters in the heat.”

What were your thoughts on the teams’ performance?

“We were pretty successful, overall, we struggled some on our offensive reads a little bit more than I expected. The stunt package they had gave us some problems and we can work on that the next couple weeks. Everyone was able to see themselves on tape in a game situation for the first time & right now, that is very important - - for the coaches and the players. We were physical, ran to the ball well sometimes, overall, a good night. We had to use some freshmen on our #2’s & they struggled, but it was the first time they have been in a game at this level and they gave up some big plays. Our #1 team held their first team to very little yards, but Humboldt did break one for a score. It was a good test for us, we know we have to get a lot better in the next couple weeks if we are going to be successful & win our Region. It was a good start for us, but we are still looking for some players to fill in some spots.”

How did the Humboldt scrimmage come about?

“We had set the scrimmage up with last year’s head coach, Jerry Hayes, but he left to coach Jackson Southside. I knew their new coach, Coach Bland, from when he followed Coach Tucker at Milan. We just found out a couple weeks ago that Union City had dropped us, so we were kind of scrambling around trying to get another scrimmage! We were very glad to get one scheduled against a team & staff of this quality. You know going in that their staff will be out there trying to coach up their players as well, it will be organized, and you won’t get into a fighting match! We appreciate the Quarterback Club feeding us on the way back, plus Steve & Teresa King had sandwiches & drinks for all of us, it was very nice & is appreciated.”

Were their any concerns before the scrimmage?

“We felt like we were running behind a little bit, a lot of teams already had two scrimmages behind them, I just didn’t want to rush one in the first week. We needed the time to get our entire package in, get mentally and physically ready. As it turned out, we were ready & it worked out well.

How did we end up with a scrimmage against Covington At Bethel?

“Well, it’s scheduled for this Wednesday against Covington & will be played at Bethel’s field about 6 PM. They have a new artificial turf that Coach Beaubien at Covington wanted to scrimmage on in order to prep for their regular season opener, plus it will save them a little drive time. He was a long time assistant at DCA & I met him when I was at Westview. I coached with him on the State All-Star team & got to know him a lot better. When the Covington job came open before last year, he called & let me know he was going to take it & has coached there a year. They have a jamboree game this Friday & it really was gracious to schedule a scrimmage that close.

Coach Dino Kaklis was very kind to offer the use of their facilities at Bethel, and I guess it is a “win-win” situation for him. If there are any players on either team that can play on the next level, it gives him an opportunity to show off the facilities as a recruiting tool. We are very fortunate to be able to play on their new surface, “Field Turf”. It’s made out of recycled tires & other materials, and it is a very good surface to play on. It is about as close to natural grass as you can get. It will also help us for the week #6 game against Westview that will be played at UTM on their artificial turf. It’s supposed to reduce injuries but this surface is also very hot in the middle of the day because of the crushed tire content. They may water it down before the scrimmage in order to cool it some. It will be a good scrimmage for us; hopefully we can get thru it without any injuries & get some questions answered at a couple positions.”

How has the school year started at CHS?

“There were some concerns because of the new dress code, but it has gone extremely well. Those few that aren’t up to the code when they get to school have been able to either fix it with a phone call bringing different clothes, or make adjustments here. Talking with Ms. Phelps & overall it has worked out well. Some other schools have had to send students home & have had a lot of problems, but we have not had any issues like that. Our students have been great & I hope they will continue to handle it very maturely.”

What is coming up for the CHS Lions?

“Meet the Lions Tuesday Aug 19th, not sure of the time, but we hope our fans, parents, & the community will come out, meet and support our team. The jamboree is Friday, August 29th at Huntingdon High School & we will be playing Bruceton in the 3rd quarter. The game starts at 7 PM. Tickets are on sale at the school & also by all the members of the team & coaching staff. They sell for $5 in advance, and CHS retains all of that money, so we hope everyone will buy their tickets here.”

GO LIONS!