Sports

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Sports

From the Thursday, May 15, 2008 edition

Spring football begins

The Monroe County High School Tiger football team took the field Thursday for a Blue-White scrimmage game.

Co-Head Coach Nathan Black said the exhibition was successful because they achieved their one goal – improving up front.

“We set out to do one thing,” Black said, “and that was to get our interior lines better. We were really pleased with the way both offenses ran the ball and the way our lines improved.”

Black said working on his linemen’s strength and conditioning was an important move in the spring because the Tigers will move up to 5A next season. But he admits there is a lot of hard work in the weight room and on the field ahead.

“We still have a way to go,” Black said. “It’s going to be tough moving up to 5A, but we have a good team and they’re going to work hard and not quit.”

Both the White and Blue teams were able to establish running games and ball control will play into the Tigers’ strategy next season, Black said.

“We’re going to use our speed to run options and traps in the fall,” Black said, “and that was something we worked on leading up to the scrimmage.”

In the end, the White – coached by assistant coaches Marshall Presley, Marty Hanks and Curtis Hixon – pounded the Blue 27-7. Black, Co-Head Coach Maurice Woody and Assistant Coach Bill Harris called the shots for the Blue team.