Sort of.
DHS head football coach Chad Rogers admits that he is hopeful that this week's scrimmage against the Raiders turns out to be like the proverbial killing of two birds with one stone.
"We are very fortunate that Rider and (Frisco) Centennial are very similar, so we prepare for both," said Rogers at midweek.
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| DHS Coach Chad Rogers wants to see players staying with their blocks as the Jackets scrimmage Wichita Falls Rider this Friday at Memorial Stadium. |
By no means does that indicate that the Jackets aren't concerned about facing the Raiders this week.
With Rider coming off of a 12-3 run to the 2012 Class 4A Division II state semi-finals last fall, Rogers and his coaching staff are looking forward to seeing how the Jackets measure up against the recent Class 4A power.
Picked by Dave Campbell's Texas Football to once again finish as the District 5-4A runner-up (behind defending 4A Division I state champ Denton Guyer), coach Jim Garfield's senior heavy Rider squad brings back six returning offensive and six returning defensive starters along with 32 lettermen.
Offensively, the Raiders are led by quarterback Chase London (6-0, 250 pounds) who was 73-127-6 passing last year for 1,127 yards and 10 touchdowns. Those numbers came in an abbreviated season that saw London take over for the injured J.T. Barrett (the QB that Denison saw in its scrimmage against Rider last August).
The other side of the Raiders two-pronged attack on the offensive side of the ball is running back Carlos Fleeks (5-8, 165) who rushed for 814 yards and 13 touchdowns a year ago. Sophomore quarterback Tariq Vasher (6-4, 170) is also expected to be a contributor this year for the Raiders and could be in the mix on Friday.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Raiders are led by inside linebacker Bradley Goldstein (5-10, 185) who returns as the team leader in tackles after notching 177 of them a year ago. Outside linebacker Sam Scribner (6-1, 220) and defensive back Sam Giordano (6-0, 180) are other Rider defensive players to watch.
While Rogers acknowledges that Rider brings a wealth of talent to the table, he is also most concerned about seeing how his own players respond to getting squeezed by a 4A power. Especially with the 2013 season opener looming next week against powerful Frisco Centennial.
So far, Rogers likes what he is seeing from his team this week as the settle into somewhat of a routine in what is the third week of workouts for the Jackets.
He should like what he is seeing. After attending the Tuesday afternoon practice, I thought that the squad was spirited and gave great effort, that the execution was crisp, and that the Jackets looked sharp on both sides of the ball.
"Practice is going real well (this week)," said Rogers. "Our young men are preparing well. Right now we are working on our technique and what we need to do The entire defense is almost in."
When asked what his goals were for Friday's scrimmage against Rider, Rogers was quick to respond.
"Our goals are just to get better," he said. "I want to see us run to the ball, to make tackles, and to stay on our blocks."
The Friday scrimmage at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls will begin when the Jackets freshmen teams hit the field at 10 a.m. Both the DHS black and gold frosh squads will see action with the first and second teams getting two sessions of plays each.
That will be followed up by the JV scrimmage approximately an hour later. Both the Denison first and second team units will get offensive and defensive work against the Raiders.
Finally, sometime after the 12 noon mark, the Jackets' varsity squad will hit the turf to see how it fares against Rider. The first team offensive and defensive squads will get two sessions (15 plays and 10 plays) while the second team units will also get two sessions (15 plays and 10 plays).
In an effort to make the scrimmage more game like - and to prepare both teams for their season openers - this week's scrimmage will feature penalties being marked off by officials; field goal and extra point attempts (with no rush); punting work (with no rush); kick-offs and kick-off returns with no contact; a 16-minute live quarter (that could be made longer if the coaches so desire); an overtime period; and a requirement for all coaches to remain on the sidelines.
For fans traveling to Wichita Falls to watch, Memorial Stadium is located approximately 130 miles to the west of Denison. To get there, travel west on U.S. Hwy. 82 to Wichita Falls. Take the Henry S. Grace Fwy. (281) exit to the south. Exit onto Southwest Parkway and travel west through the southern part of town. The stadium complex sits on the southwest side of town at 4709 Barnett Road.
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