Jackets focus on better tackling, run game in Granbury scrimmage

Granbury scrimmage preview feature — Stephenville scrimmages at Granbury Friday with the varsity teams to take the field at 7 p.m. or shortly after. || TheFlashToday.com photo by RUSSELL HUFFMAN

By BRAD KEITH
TheFlashToday.com

STEPHENVILLE (August 19, 2016) — It’s no secret what head coach Greg Winder hopes to see from his Yellow Jacket football team Friday evening in Granbury – more of the same effort and enthusiasm, with improved tackling – especially against the run – and run blocking along the way.

Stephenville and Granbury scrimmage starting with freshman teams at 5 p.m. today. Junior varsity action begins around 6 p.m. with the varsity to start about 7, possibly 7:15, Winder said.

The Yellow Jackets had their moments despite being outscored 5-3 by 5A White Settlement Brewer a week ago. Stephenville beat the Bears 2-1 in the live quarter simulation that ended the event, and the Yellow Jackets passed the ball successfully throughout the evening.

“I saw a lot of good things last week, and of course, we want those to continue. Especially the effort and enthusiasm, those were good and hopefully we can maintain that,” said Winder. “Defensively, we need to tackle better and create some turnovers. We only created one last week. Offensively, the line played pretty well in pass protection, now we want to see our run game improve a little bit.”

The Jackets did break off one long run, a burst down the visiting sideline by Krece Nowak for about 50 yards to set up a short Cameron Frazier touchdown run. That followed a quarterback keeper by Easton Jones for a 6-yard TD that began the live-quarter scoring and capped Stephenville’s most impressive drive of the scrimmage. The Jackets’ other score was a 68-yard bomb from Jones to Holden Haile on the second play of the event.

Winder says the Granbury scrimmage will go off a clock, not a set number of plays.

“Instead of 10 or 12 plays for each unit, we’ll go seven minutes with each, and we can go fast, slow, however we want,” Winder said. “Then we’ll look at the time, but the plan is to try and do two 15-minute live quarters with a running clock.”

It’s all in preparation to begin the regular season next Friday. The Jackets visit Cleburne in their opener at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 26. Their home opener is a week later against Springtown.