By Steve McCasland
Sports editor
Thursday, June 12, 2008 |
New Bandon High School head football coach Motts Thomas is enthusiastic about the Tigers’ future after working with the players for the past couple of weeks during spring drills.
“Our numbers have been pretty good and I think the kids are happy,” Thomas said this week. “We’re working them real hard, but they seem to be having fun.”
Although the squad will have a couple of familiar plays in its book, it won’t rely on the double-wing offense like a successful former coach did.
“Now that we’ve seen the players, we’ll mold our offense around them,” Thomas said. “We’ve got a couple of guys who can run, and a couple who are really smart. That intelligence will allow us to expand our offense and defense once we start practice in August.
“We do have some double-wing plays, but we’re not using Don Markham’s offense. We’re going to be a ball-control, option-oriented offense.”
One of the focuses during spring drills was on preventing what Thomas calls “administrative errors.”
“These are mistakes you make when the clock is stopped that result in offsides or illegal procedure calls,” he explained. “We’re trying to challenge them to avoid those mistakes. During one nearly two-hour drill last week, they only had one administrative error, despite the pressure on them. Mentally, they were focused. I was pleased.”
In addition to error-avoidance workouts and weight training during the spring session, the Tigers learned the core of their new offense.
“We’re going to tweak that once practice begins, now that I know the capability of our players,” Thomas said. “But, really, the goal of having 10 days of spring practice is to develop a rapport and a trust. I think we’ve done that, and now we’re going to build on that through our time in the weight room.”
The weight room is open beginning at 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays through the start of daily-doubles on Aug. 12. Each player will have an individual weight-training program, and all weight room activities will be supervised by the coaching staff.
“We also will make the weight room available at other times in order to accommodate players with work- or family-related conflicts,” Thomas said. “I think it’s necessary to show them the importance of lifting weights and also my willingness to be flexible when it comes to reaching our goals. They’ve got to learn that there is a way to make it work.”
He added that the coaches and players will have more on their minds in the weight room than just physical improvement.
“It’s not just about lifting weights. It’s also about me rubbing shoulders with them and talking with them. They’ve got to see me as something more than a coach, and I have to see them as something more than a player. You’d be surprised how they open up to you in the weight room.”
The coaching staff also is developing plans for a Bandon football camp, tentatively to be scheduled in mid- to late-July.
“I want to start our own camp on our own field, rather than going to Camp Rilea as some of our players have in years past,” said Thomas. “That way, we can include every kid that’s involved in Bandon football. I think that teaching them our style of football right here will do a lot for morale, as well as helping to give the program back to the community.”
More information on the local camp will be available when details are finalized.
“The players are excited about football, and that’s refreshing to me,” the coach added. “I think we’re well on the way with our key guys.”
Opener is Aug. 30The Tigers are scheduled to open the fall campaign on the road at Valley Catholic (Beaverton) at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30. Bandon then has a bye before hosting Yoncalla in the Cranberry Bowl at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13.
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