Prep football guide to first day in full pads
MURFREESBORO – It’s that time of year. The slate is clean. All teams have their sights set on a gold ball. High school football practice in full pads begins Monday across the state.
Here is what you need to know as players take the field.
5 STORYLINES FOR THE PRESEASON
Can Riverdale build depth on the offensive and defensive line?
It’s the biggest question on Riverdale’s roster. The Warriors are full at the skilled positions. However, there is plenty of room to build depth in the trenches. Riverdale has a good base with returning linemen Sam Glasgow, Seth Black and Nick Boykin. After that, though, things begin to get interesting.
How will a drop to 5A help La Vergne, Stewarts Creek?
La Vergne and Stewarts Creek will have a change of scenery the next two seasons, dropping from 6A to 5A. La Vergne is coming off a year where the Wolverines advanced to the second round of the playoffs and should be a contender to win Region 5-5A.
Stewarts Creek is entering Year 3 of the program and has made strides. A drop down in classification should put the Red Hawks in a spot to be much more competitive and possibly earn their first playoff berth.
Who wins Oakland’s quarterback battle?
It’s been the most interesting position to date with Cody Miller and Brendan Matthews alternating snaps in all four 7-on-7 tournaments the Patriots participated in this summer.
Neither has been a starting quarterback. Miller was a backup at Oakland. Matthews was a backup at Independence last year.
Who replaces Blackman’s secondary?
The biggest graduation loss for the Blaze defense occurred in the secondary, with all four defensive backs graduating.
Amauri Burks, Taeler Dowdy, Jeremiah Wade and Cory Rankins will be in the rotation at cornerback. Dowdy gives the Blaze a big corner at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds. Darius Simple, Blake Taylor and Ibrahim Qadir will fill the void left at safety.
Can Siegel rebound after a 3-7 season?
Siegel’s 2014 schedule was brutal, playing non-district foes Beech, Ooltewah, McCallie and Science Hill. The schedule is more manageable in 2015. And quarterback Jordan Middleton and running back Greedy Howse return as starters.
5 NEWCOMERS TO TRACK IN 2015
•Brandon Bea, Riverdale, Sr.: The transfer from Vancouver, Wash., is a 6-foot-3, 220-pound quarterback taking over the starting role from Cortland Owens.
•Ethan Cobb, Eagleville, Fr.: He may be a freshman, but at 6-1, 180 pounds, Cobb will replace A.J. Garza as the Eagles’ signal caller to allow Garza to go to running back.
•Dre Litaker, Oakland, So.: The Patriots’ 6-3, 285-pounder will have a presence on the line as either a tight end or tackle.
•Joseph Sewell, Blackman, Jr.: Sewell, a 6-3, 265-pounder, got a small taste a year ago at tight end. He could be the best receiving tight end in the county this season.
•Blake Watkins, Smyrna, Fr.: The former Rock Springs standout will see playing time at running back and possibly in the secondary.
FEELING THE HEAT
High school football coaches and athletic trainers will monitor the heat index at practices and scrimmages the next few weeks. Here is the TSSAA’s heat index policy:
105 degrees or higher: Stop all outdoor activity. Re-check after 30 minutes.
100-104: Provide ample water. Water should be unlimited to athletes. Mandatory water breaks every 30 minutes lasting 10 minutes. Iced towels should be available. Alter uniforms by removing layers if possible. Remove helmets, equipment when in non-contact drills. Postpone practice if possible. Re-check after 30 minutes.
95-99: Provide ample water. Water should be unlimited to athletes. Mandatory water breaks every 30 minutes lasting 10 minutes. Iced towels should be available. Postpone practice if possible. Re-check after 30 minutes.
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Today: First day teams can practice in full pads.
Thursday: Oakland is at Ravenwood, the 2014 6A state runner-up, for a work session on the first day teams can practice with or scrimmage with other teams. But both teams must have three days of practice in full pads.
Friday: First big day for scrimmages. Siegel hosts 2014 Division II-AA state champion MBA at 9 a.m. in the biggest scrimmage of the day.
Aug. 5: Once district rivals, La Vergne plays at Blackman in a scrimmage.
Aug. 14: Stewarts Creek is holding the fourth annual Rutherford County Football Jamboree at 6 p.m.
Aug. 20: Siegel plays at Ravenwood to kick off the high school season for Rutherford County teams.
Aug. 21: Smyrna plays at La Vergne on television on first Friday night of the high school season.
Aug. 22: The inaugural Middle Tennessee Kickoff Classic presented by Venture Express will be held at MTSU. Blackman plays Clay-Chalkville (Ala.) at 4 p.m. and Oakland plays Hoover (Ala.) at 7 p.m.
KEY NUMBERS
0: Wins in six games against Maryville since 2009.
1: Starter (Matthew Leifheit) returning on offense for Blackman off last year’s 11-2 team.
3: New head coaches in Rutherford County. They are David Watson at Blackman, Shawn Bell at Lancaster Christian Academy and Kevin Creasy at Oakland.
4: Regions that will include Rutherford County teams. They include 6-6A, 5-5A, 4-2A and 5-1A.
7: Years since Oakland was the most recent Rutherford County team to win a state championship.
32: Teams in the new Class 6A. And all are automatically in the playoffs.
815: Receiving yards for Riverdale’s Marquise Cantrell, who is the county’s returning receiving leader.
980: Rushing yards for Siegel’s Greedy Howse, who is the county’s returning rushing leader.
1,382: Passing yards for Siegel’s Jordan Middleton, who is the county’s returning passing leader.
NEW PRACTICE REGULATIONS
• Practice time must not exceed three hours for a single practice.
• If there are multiple practices in a day, only one should have full contact.
• Total practice time in pads a day should not exceed five hours, with practices separated by at least three hours of rest in a cool area.
• No athlete should have multiple practices in pads on consecutive days. Helmets can be worn at any time. A practice would be considered in pads if shoulder pads and/or football pants with or without pads are worn.
NEW PRACTICE LIMITATIONS IN-SEASON
• Full contact allowed in no more than three practices a week.
• Full contact in practice no more than 30 minutes per day per group.
• Full contact not permitted on three consecutive days.
• No player can participate in more than eight quarters in one week, on the offensive or defensive side. Special teams participation does not count toward those limitations.
(Full contact is contact which meets the parameters of live action or “thud.” Live action is contact at game speed where players execute full tackles at a competitive pace, taking players to the ground. Thud is defined as competitive tempo with no predetermined winner of a drill with the players not tackling to the ground.)
SIGNIFICANT NFHS RULE CHANGES
Dead-ball penalty enforcement modified: The distance penalties for unsportsmanlike, non-player or dead-ball personal fouls committed by teams can offset. Equal numbers of 15-yard penalties by both teams will cancel and remaining penalties may be enforced.
The rule will matter most when close to the goal line where officials now won’t count off half the distance to the goal line on one side and a full 15 yards the opposite direction.
Free-kick formations revised: Teams must have at least four players on each side of the kicker when the ball is kicked.
Prior to the rule, teams were forced to have at least four players on each side prior to the kick. This could allow more players moving around on kickoffs.