Sparkman seniors embrace new football coach
Sparkman's Blake Chapman
After successive 2-8 seasons, the seniors on Sparkman’s football team began to doubt themselves and their coaches. When they saw former teammates leaving the program they began to have doubts about the direction the program was headed.
Those days are now behind them as the 25 seniors prepare for their final year under a new head coach. Tim Gillespie is the new head coach and now that practice has begun in earnest, the players are beginning to see the difference. And they like it.
“The new coaching staff brings a new confidence to our team,” said senior Blake Chapman. “He does a really good job of being a players coach. He can be serious but he makes it fun. But this is a serious business and he knows what he’s talking about and he knows how to motivate kids,” Chapman said of Gillespie.
There are some obvious changes at Sparkman this season. At practice, a boom box blares upbeat music to liven the mood among the players. This is a result of new coach Gillespie listening to his players.
After a summer filled with 7-on-7 passing camps the defense was ready for the pads to go on and action to go full speed.
“The defense is ready to hit,” said starting linebacker and senior Josh Cross. “Our defense has to read run first. You don’t do that in passing drills. We make our most progress in the days after we put the pads on. We got some attitudes on defense.”
The defense had their share of victories after one day in pads.
After the first full pads practice, head coach Gillespie said, “I like the intensity and the enthusiasm.”
“We know we have got a tremendous challenge ahead of us starting with that first game against Huntsville but we’re just trying to see how much we can improve between now and that first game,” said Gillespie who will also be a teacher at Sparkman High School. He is a graduate of theUniversity of North Alabama where he earned a double major in Biology and Physical Education and a Masters Degree in Education.
Gillespie will be depending on Chapman to make plays in the passing game from his wide receiver position.
Chapman just hopes he can stay at wide receiver this season. Last year, injuries to Grant Banks forced Chapman into duty at quarterback. Chapman started two games at quarterback and had 3 touchdown passes on the season but all in a losing cause. It was as a kickoff returner that he made the biggest impression. Against Cullman he had an 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
The next week against Grissom he went 99 yards on a kickoff for a touchdown. That play seemed to light a fire in the Sparkman players who went on to defeat Grissom 38-17.
Sparkman should have plenty of depth at quarterback as Gillespie is rotating three underclassmen quarterbacks in practice. He also picked up a transfer from Johnson High School, Danny Johnson, who has experience at quarterback. He will begin practicing with the team in the coming weeks.
“We’re still looking for an identity on offense,” Gillespie said. “Blake Chapman was a great player last year and he has the ability to play several positions. He will be a key factor for us in the running and passing game. He would be a good player on offense for the fans to keep an eye on.”
Sparkman’s first game against Huntsville has been moved to Thursday night, August 30 at Milton Frank Stadium.
