Bob Jones wraps up spring drills with ton of confidence
Miles Strickland (1) runs through the Russellville defense (Contributed/Tammie Stephenson)
MADISON- Just about everything went right for the Bob Jones football team during recently completed spring drills. First, the weather cooperated and no practice time was lost. Next, Russellville requested the spring game be moved to Tuesday night, May 12 to accomodate their baseball team playing in the state championship. So Bob Jones obliged and came away with a 38-0 victory.
Coach Kevin Rose said that by playing the game on Tuesday it left him three days to practice his 7 on 7 teams to get ready for the summer.
Bob Jones will play in two 7 on 7 camps in June, on the 12th at Georgia and on the 20th at Auburn. They will again go to the National Elite 7 on 7 in Bierne, SC on July 11 and 12.
So far this spring “our defense is a lot better,” Rose said. “Offensively our offensive line will be big and improved and we have two or tree good backs. Our quarterback is back which is big.”
One position Rose is confident about is quarterback. Brady Polson is a rising junior and gained valuable experience last year starting at quarterback the final six games including a playoff game. After a summer of working with his receivers and playing in 7 on 7 tournaments a lot is expected of him next season.
“He has played very good this spring,” Rose said. “He has matured and he is a good leader and the players really respect him. He got elected team captain. We will find out really quick where we stack up at the 7 on 7 camps.”
Also in the mix at quarterback is rising senior Collins Hess who had a big spring game going 6 for 6 passing with two touchdowns.
Collins Hess throws a touchdown pass in spring game (Contributed)
Rose must replace three starters on the offensive line; tackles J.D. Sims and Shamrio Ross and center Blake Polson. But he returns Tucker Walters at guard who is already getting recruited by college football coaches.
“We lost some very good receivers who will be tough to replace. Mikay Stewart is a good prospect and Jonathon Moss will have to step up. Derek Marion is a team captain. We need to find two or three more,” Rose said.
The defense took some abuse last season but most of the players are back.
Freshman Kade Koler ended up starting at linebacker and Rose predicts he will be a Division one prospect. A.J. Harris at safety already has offers from Florida State and after he camps at Tennessee this summer he expects to get more. Demarcus Clark and Brandon Alexander will be major contributors. Clark is big at 6-foot-3 235 pounds and already has offers.
“Defensively, we will have a good football team,” Rose said.
