JACKSON
-- With expectations at an all-time high and the
2006 senior class raising the bar with an unscathed conference
championship, the defending SCAC football champions have
their eyes set on another prestigious title and berth into
the playoffs, completing their eighth practice of the spring
on Harper Davis Field Wednesday afternoon.
With eight practices remaining on the 16
day, NCAA Divsion III regulated schedule, the Majors
are well ahead of schedule from last spring as
they
enter
the
final two weeks of spring drills without any pads, protective
gear or dummy sleds.
"I think the players are more familiar with the system
and have a complete understanding of where they're supposed
to be," third-year offensive lineman coach Jack Wright
said. "If we do make changes, we don't have to start over
from
scratch as opposed to last season, we just pick up in the
same spot."
With a new avenue of recruits on the horizon from the incoming
freshman class, the Majors will have a handful of spots
up for grabs and a few position players fighting to maintain
their starting spots.
"One thing that coach (Mike) DuBose stresses a lot is that
no job is safe," Wright said. "We will always play the
best players regardless of position."
Thus far, the Majors have spent a majority of their time
rotating players on offense, defense and special teams,
throwing
in different schemes while experimenting
with different formations. This has allowed several different
players to see practice time who wouldn't normally play
those positions, giving the coaching
staff the opportunity to watch and evaluate the best players
for
the different packages.
"Our philosophy is to put a player at the position they
want," DuBose said. "Sometimes we'll need a player to play
a position they're not used to, and nine times out
of 10 they want to stay in the spot they're most comfortable
with."
The most noticeable things through the first eight practices
have been the players attitudes and confident swagger.
It is evident that the players and staff have a better
understanding of the entire system and are up to the challenge
of defending a conference championship.
"When I first got here, people weren't expecting us to
win," third-year defensive secondary coach Marcus Woodson
said. "We are looking to have an even better season
than last year, and begin a trend of successful football
here at Millsaps."
The defensive line is in the best shape as far as returning
players are concerned, not graduating any players and returning
three All-SCAC seniors in Casey Younger, Cedric Lawrence
and
Denarold
Anderson,
along with a ton of depth. There are also some talented
young guys who are coming up and a battling for a spot and
are definitely going to be used in different situations.
"The commitment is better and there is more excitement,"
second-year defensive line/special teams coach Aaron Pelch
said. "They are progressing a lot faster and they
understand the system more because it's the second time
through. We
are focusing mainly on basic fundamentals, allignment and
assignments right now."
SCAC newcomers Colorado College and Birmingham-Southern
enter the conference in 2007, expanding the regularly
scheduled six SCAC games to eight with the Majors hitting
the road to face off with
Austin, DePauw, Sewanee and Colorado College.
"You must win on the road to win championships," DuBose said. "Last
year we won three big SCAC games on the road that could have gone either way
in the fourth quarter. This year, there will probably be two or three teams with
one loss or less, so we have to approach each conference game like it's do or
die."
The Majors will conclude the week with two-hour practices
on Friday and Saturday.
