Pioneers’ supporting cast bigger, stronger
Posted on Sunday, May 18, 2008
GENTRY - Junior quarterback Caleb Ramsey may not have to account for 90 percent of Gentry's offense this fall, after all.
Especially if the first week of spring football practices here are any indication.
"You can see there's a difference this year from last year," second-year head coach Brian Little said late last week. "That's a natural progression going on. The kids in the system - their grasp, their knowledge of it - it's showing."
Little arrived here a year ago from Rogers. He took over a football program that was - to be kind - on the ropes. Ramsey arrived with Little and Ramsey's father and assistant Gentry coach Daniel Ramsey. Caleb, knowing more than others how to operate Little's full-throttle game, threw for 2, 044 yards and 17 touchdowns. He rushed for 839 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Ramsey was then named to the 1-4 A All-Conference squad and named The Benton County Daily Record's Sophomore of the Year.
"He's gotten stronger and put on some weight," Little said of the quarterback (6- 1, 170 ). "The thing I'm excited about is what 10 games of experience will do for him this year.
"He will be more efficient in the decision-making process, a little quicker on the field. I expect his arm to be a little stronger."
And so, too, is Ramsey's supporting cast.
"Caleb accounted for 85-90 percent of our offense last year," Little said. "We didn't necessarily want that. So, personnel-wise we are going to be in a position where we can take a little of that pressure off him in the backfield with two or three different kids.
"I have a good problem in that we can personnel package some things in the backfield to utilize several different kids."
Translation: Gentry's got depth.
The Pioneers, 3-7 last season, are bigger and stronger this year, Little said.
"It's going as planned," he said. "That was one of our priorities, the weight room, getting our kids stronger so we can put a better product on the field."
He said even his players notice the difference.
"We asked them the first couple of days if they could tell whether that 450-pound squat was translating to the football field, or that 250-pound bench (press )," Little said. "Absolutely, they could tell. That's good for their confidence."
Little said Gentry has some players who coaches have watched develop physically over the winter. He mentioned juniors Kyle Miller (RB / S ) and Nick Weeks (OLB / DE )
"I hate to mention only two because they all have developed in their own respect," Little said. "But those two guys have shown some good increases. They look the part.
"You can tell they've put on some weight and have some definition."
Two offensive linemen who are also bigger and stronger are junior Austin Duncan and Connor Willett, one of 11 seniors on the team. There are 17 juniors and 25 sophomores.
"When you look at the paper (chart showing their progress ), you can definitely tell," Little said of the impact of the weight room.
Gentry is set to finish spring football with a 7-9 p.m. scrimmage Thursday.
The Pioneers went in full pads three of the first five days.
Little said Gentry's 6 p.m. preseason scrimmage at West Fork has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 26.
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