No matter how late you start, getting the pads on for spring football is a necessity for the Reeltown football team.
Coming off the school’s fourth state title, the Rebels head into this offseason with notable holes to fill. They will have to replace four starters on the offensive line, practically the entirety of the front seven and lose one of the best to ever put on the uniform in Tae Martin at both safety and wide receiver.
Reeltown has been hard at work this offseason, attacking the weight room and setting new school records. However, coach Matt Johnson knows he won’t get a true evaluation of his team without a chance to put the pads on.
“They've had an off season under their belt,” Johnson said. “They look different there. They carry a different amount of weight. So we want to see how well they move with pads on, and how physical they're going to be in that new body.”
One of the main priorities of getting spring practice in now, rather than later, is to evaluate where some of the younger guys can slip in and play. Johnson plans to try players out in different roles to see where they can fit best and what will provide them with the most success on the field.
“We want to see what these young guys can do,” Johnson said. “We want to see if some older guys can play multiple positions. And we got to find some offensive linemen, that's the key. Now, I think we've got two to three, they can step right in right now and be ready to play. They got a lot of reps last year, but we've got to find the right mix and the right positions up front for how they can jell and do the best.”
One thing Johnson has not had to worry about is his team’s mentality, with Reeltown’s brand of football — physicality a must. However, in addition to filling holes left by notable seniors, he is interested in seeing who steps up in leadership roles. He’s noticed some kids step up in the weight room, but wants to see if that translates to the field.
“With the losses of some strong leadership last year from our seniors, who's gonna be that guy who's gonna do the little things and lead the team? So that's another huge question mark,” Johnson said. “You see glimpses of that in the offseason, in the weight room, but in the weight room, everybody's going against the same thing, everybody's competing against the bar. There's some adversity with yourself, but we want to see you know what leaders are going to step up when you need the guy next to you to do his job in order for you to be successful.”
Even if the practices are short, or even not for a prolonged period, Johnson knows this chance to see his team is significant.
“It's huge because everybody practices all summer, but you're in shorts and helmets,” Johnson said. “For example, we've got to replace four linebackers. You take an inside linebacker, you put them in shorts and a helmet. He's just reading the guard, and he may look good all summer long, but fits start to change when you put pads on.”
Reeltown kicked off spring practices on Wednesday, with the expectation of a small scrimmage to cap things off.