Winder likes defensive improvements, hoping for better effort, stronger passing

22 SHS GR Scrmmage 2017 — Defense was where Stephenville was the sharpest in Glen Rose last week, and Yellow Jacket head coach Greg Winder wants to see more of the same good tackling, flying to the ball and creating of turnovers when Granbury visits Memorial Stadiumfor each club's final scrimmage. || Photo by RUSSELL HUFFMAN/TheFlashToday.com

By BRAD KEITH
TheFlashToday.com

STEPHENVILLE (August 24, 2017) — Stephenville is facing off with Granbury in its final scrimmage Friay at Memorial Stadium where the team will be on the new CoolPlay field turf for the first time.

The varsity teams take the new turf at approximately 7 p.m. Festivities begin with ninth graders at 5 p.m., with the junior varsity teams in between at 6 p.m.

The Yellow Jackets got their feet wet against Gatesville and host Glen Rose last Friday at Tiger Stadium, and as with any competition, head Yellow Jacket Greg Winder saw some things he liked and some he didn’t and hopes to see improve this Friday.

I caught up with Coach Winder Thursday, and it took just a couple quick questions understand exactly what he hopes to get out of the final dress rehearsal the September 1 season openener against Cleburne.

BK: If you could peg one thing and say, man it was good to see this last Friday and I hope we see it again, what would that be?
GW: The way we tackled and played overall defensively. I think we are tremendously improved on that side of the ball. We tackled well, we were getting to the ball well and we were getting takeaways. Continuing all those things, obviously, would be huge for us.

BK: Okay, and what were some things that you perhaps were not so impressed with and want most to see improve this Friday?
GW: I need to see better effort. Honesty, I thought we got tired there in Glen Rose, and I know some of it was guys going against somebody else at the varsity level for the fist time, but it just seemed like it took us a while to get going. We just need to get after it a little more. That, and offensively, I know we can be better than we were last week on the offensive line, so I’m hoping to see that, and we have to be better passing the football, that’s the biggest thing we can do to improve right now.

*NOTE: Don’t forget to pack a bit of extra cash for supper at the scrimamges. The Stephenville Athletic Booster Club will be holding its annual hamburger supper with cheese, all the trimmings, drinks and more for sale and all proceeds helping the booster clubin its continued support of junior high and high school athletics.