Why is McNairy football not playing preseason scrimmages?

MARTIN – McNairy Central competed in the 7-on-7 camp at UT Martin on July 15.

The Bobcat players seemed as if they were doing their best to get everything they could out of the experience and compete as well as they could.

“That’s what they need to be doing,” said head coach Brian Franks.

They needed to be doing that for a couple reasons. The first one being they needed to get better before the season starts on Aug. 18. The other reason is it would be a few weeks before the team will get more work in against another squad.

“We’re playing it safe this year,” Franks said. “I’m not leaving anything to chance.”

Once that 7-on-7 was completed, McNairy was done with working against other teams until the jamboree on Aug. 11 at Hardin County.

Each of the past two seasons, the Bobcats have suffered severe hits to their roster during scrimmages.

It was in 2015 when the Bobcats, then coached by Chad Hodge, saw their starting running back and biggest player on defense get hurt with broken legs. Both were seniors.

Then it happened again last year when running back Kylin Wynn tore his ACL during a scrimmage against Riverside in the weeks leading up to Franks’ first season as the head coach. Wynn is a junior and is back this year, and he looked ready to go in Martin during the 7-on-7.

“The preseason is tough enough as it is as you’re getting the guys ready for the season and dealing with the heat and everything else that goes along with preseason work,” Franks said. “But when we had those injuries – and we had a couple other players hurt last year too – it just puts a damper on the whole team.

“It may not be something a lot of other teams are doing, but I think it’s best – this year at least – to make decisions that keeps us healthy for the season.”

Teams are allowed a maximum of four scrimmages against other teams between this week and the start of the season. That total includes the jamboree. Not many teams do more than three as they typically play another team each of the next two Fridays leading up to the jamboree.

“We’re just doing one, and I think that’ll be enough for us because we’re still working and getting better,” Franks said. “We’re just doing that with our own players and no one else’s.”

Reach Brandon Shields at bjshields@jacksonsun.com or at 731-425-9751. Follow him on Twitter @JSEditorBrandon or on Instagram at jacksonsunsports.