Recap of ALAMANCE CO. 2011 HS FOOTBALL JAMBOREE
August 13, 2011
By Cavalier Dave Forrester of Hugh M Cummings High SchoolSneak previews
Jamboree offers glimpse of area teams
By Stephen Schramm Times-News
sschramm@thetimesnews.com
Minutes after it completed its first scrimmage in Friday night’s Alamance County Football Jamboree, Western Alamance’s football team broke into a handful of huddles according to their position groups. Each cluster had the same look: a dozen or so players, their collective gaze fixed on an assistant coach in the midst of a fiery lesson.
For the first time in the preseason, the game began to look real on Friday night.
And so did the intensity.
“We’ve been doing all this teaching during practice and now you’re hitting someone else so you’re getting a feel for what our guys are really thinking,” Western Alamance coach Jeff Snuffer said. “You can teach and you can talk. But now when it’s someone else, are they really listening? Do they really get it?”
Seven teams took part in jamborees at Cummings andWilliams on Friday night, offering each a chance to gauge their readiness for next week’s season openers and sort out position battles.
Of the five Alamance County teams that took part, each came away with a helpful progress report.
Graham, North Forsyth and Western Alamance squared off with host Cummings in a fourteam jamboree at Cummings.
Graham coach Mike McCauley said he was encouraged by the team’s running game and play on the lines. However, shakiness in some defensive details was a concern.
“I thought the effort was good,” McCauley said. “… When all of a sudden what’s across from you isn’t wearing red or black, things change a little bit. So we had to get some comfort, get a feel for it.”
For Western Alamance, which opens the season Friday against Reidsville, Snuffer said the Warriors’ young lines got a workout. He also said the skill players will need to be crisper.
“There are some things we need to get fixed,” Snuffer said. “Hopefully we can get them fixed before Reidsville.”
Cummings meanwhile got a good look at new quarterback Keith McAdoo, who looked sharp during an early session against the Red Devils. Cummings coach Steve Johnson said it also helped that the Cavaliers’ receivers and offensive line had a solid outing.
“I thought he had a good command of the offense,” Cummings coach Steve Johnson said. “One of the things that our offensive coaches have done is to devise some things to make him feel comfortable back there at quarterback. … He was moving the team and that’s all we ask of our quarterback.”
Eastern Alamance, Greensboro Dudley and host Williams took part in a three-team series of scrimmages at Burlington Memorial Stadium.
Eastern Alamance coach John Kirby said he was happy with the defense’s pursuit and the team’s overall hustle. The play of quarterback’s Josh Long and Robbie Lanier were also positives. But a string of turnovers left him puzzled.
“Especially in the early games, the team that turns the ball over the least is usually the team that wins the game,” Kirby said. “For us to be successful next week and the following weeks, we’ve got to protect the football and challenge the other team not to protect it.”
Williams coach David Green said he didn’t play his starting units for much more than a series in each scrimmage. Instead the first-year Bulldogs coach opted to mix-and-match personnel in order to better gauge his team’s depth.
“We were trying to play a lot of kids and get a look at kids that we weren’t sure about,” Green said. “We were trying to find some depth on both sides of the ball. And that’s kind of what we did. A lot of times it was kind of ugly, but you’re going to get that when that’s what you’re trying to do.”
Scott Muthersbaugh / Times-News
Graham’s Khalil Cole runs away from Cummings’ Juwaan Leath during Friday night’s jamboree.
Scott Muthersbaugh / Times-News
Western Alamance running back Micah Miller races past North Forsyth defenders during Friday night’s Alamance County Football Jamboree at Cummings High School.
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