Winona Christian football coach Junior Graham got to see exactly what he needed to see last week in a controlled scrimmage against Sylva Bay.
The Stars made the long trip to Bay Springs to take on the Saints in what will be their only action against an opposing team in preseason play.
For Graham, he got what he wanted out of the scrimmage.
“We were real pleased. We got out healthy, that’s the first thing. And we played a bunch of kids in different positions. We feel like that’s going to happen during the season,” Graham said. “I thought our kids competed like Winona Christian kids do. On Friday, there was a lot of stuff we could fix but more stuff we were happy about than dissatisfied with.”
Graham said there were several things he liked from the scrimmage.
“I thought that with the musical chairs we played and the like, I thought that group played well in all three contests,” Graham said. “I thought the quarterbacks we played were effective in both the run and pass games. On defense, I thought our box played better than we anticipated against the run. We had a couple of busted assignments in the secondary, but those things are going to happen at this point in the season. At least we have some video we can show the kids.”
While there were positives, Graham said there was plenty to work on this week.
“On defense, our first step has to be better and our fits have to be better. We have to be more aggressive with our fits. I thought the linebackers took a lot of false steps but that comes from not playing. On offense, we have to find our identity. We went through a lot of different things on offense,” Graham said. “We have to find an identity over real quick and build on that. I thought our jet sweep scheme was good and the power game was effective. Our bootlegs and flood routes left something to be desired. On defense as we move forward, we are going to have to blitz and bring pressure. That’s going to be a big part of our defense.”
The Stars will not play in a jamboree this week but will prepare for the season opener on Aug. 20 against rival Carroll Academy, a former district rival that moved up to 4A this season and one that is considered a favorite their class this season.
