With next Friday’s season-opening kickoff at Victory Christian looming, Sumiton Christian head coach David Powell said practice has gone well during the preseason, with he and his coaching staff evaluating players and ensuring a solid learning of the play calls.
With several starters returning from last year’s squad that went 6-5 overall and earned the Eagles’ first postseason berth since 2016, Powell stated while there’s still ample room for growth before the trip to Victory Christian, he’s been pleased with his team’s hard work.
“Our guys are working hard to learn all the plays and schemes, in turn, we’re working to find who is the best at each position. At this point, it’s about getting our football mentality and mindset right,” Powell said, who is entering his third year at the helm of the program. “We’re also trying to get in shape where we can play hard and physical for four quarters. I’m glad we’ve got some time left.”
Other notes from Monday’s preseason brief:
— Powell singled out the work of lineman Jake McDonald, quarterback Jordon Robertson, athlete Eli Moon and runningback/inside lnebacker Tyler Ingle. “Jake’s had an outstanding summer and has worked extremely hard. We’re looking for him to anchor both sides of the line,” Powell said. “We’ve got a strong nucleus of guys that are back with us who we feel very good about and are showing leadership — we’ve just got to stay hungry, stay focused on getting better and overcoming adversity.”
— On Thursday night, Sumiton Christian will host “Meet the Eagles” at 7 p.m. at Campbell Field, where the 2021 squad will meet fans and scrimmage. “It’s a very big night for our team and our band, where we can enjoy time with the community. It’s going to be a fun night — we have very supportive and great fans and we hope they come out to get a good look at their Eagles. Hopefully they will like what they see. It’s like a practice for the team, but we want to go game speed with a different feel under the lights and our fans in the stands.”
