Busy summer ahead for Bob Jones football
Quarterback Jeremy Frye eludes Jeffrey Benton as Coach Rose watches in spring scrimmage
(RECORD PHOTO/LINDSAY VAUGHT)
MADISON- Coming off their fifth straight region championship and a school-record 11 wins, the Bob Jones football players have a lot to live up to. But they also have a lot of challenges to overcome as they began preparations for the 2014 season.
Gone are 34 seniors, 10 of whom signed football scholarships of some form. The new season brings a new classification as Bob Jones moves to Class 7A along with most of their familiar opponents.
The returning players got down to business during three weeks of recently completed spring practice. The team held a scrimmage at their practice field on May 15. Bob Jones was scheduled to go to Hewitt-Trussville to play in a spring game to complete a two year contract but didn’t have to go because the new football coach at Hewitt-Trussville decided not to play the game.
On the field, Bob Jones will have to restock a defense that lost 8 starters.
Offensively, quarterback Jeremy Frye returns as does most of his receivers and running back Miles Strickland.
“It was really good, I was really confident,” Frye said of his spring work. “It felt really good to get back in pads and throw the ball around to my teammates. I had a lot of fun.
The young guys have taken over. Some of them have moved around to new positions. We played well today and we’re ready to take it to the next level.”
Frye will lead Bob Jones 7-on-7 team this summer that will culminate with the National Select 7 on 7 Tournament in Byrne, South Carolina. He also will attend a camp at University of Louisville with teammates Jonathon Rice and Jarrek Taylor. Frye will go to quarterback camps at Kentucky, Tennessee, and Auburn.
Bob Jones head coach Kevin Rose will also have a busy summer. Rose, who enters his sixth season in 2014, will start off the summer with his annual Bob Jones Youth Football Camp, June 3-5.
One change to the usual summer activities is that Bob Jones will not host their North Alabama Elite 7 on 7 Tournament. One reason is the extensive renovations at the school which includes work on the track, gymnasium, and football building.
The team will attend a 7 on 7 tournament at UNA on June 19 and the Byrne, SC National Elite Tournament is on July 11 and 12. Daily off-season workouts start June 3 and the team is off June 27- July 4.
Rose said the team goes into the summer with a lot of momentum from a great spring practice. The team stretched their work over 3 weeks and got in all 10 allowed practices.
“It was the best spring we’ve had since I have been here,” Rose said. “It went outstanding. We got a lot of work in and are getting better every day. We didn’t have any distractions, no severe weather. The game being cancelled with Hewitt was a blessing because we got to focus on our kids, we played 137 players today.”
Rose said not going to Hewitt saved his program $4,000 from not having to charter two busses and other expenses.
“We’ve got a lot of new people on defense and they have worked extremely hard in the weight-room. We have had 40 college coaches come through here this spring recruiting and their first comment was how good our kids looked in the weight room.”
Rose said that Frye looked outstanding at quarterback and will get some attention from Division 1 colleges.
Among the returning players being counted on is receiver Torrey Hunter. Hunter moves to H back in the offense.
“Jeremy looks really good, we are all connecting and have good chemistry,” Hunter said.
“Miles and I in the backfield together are really quick. We can make a lot of plays with out feet.”
Among the new faces on the coaching staff is Brad Jefferson who has coached at DiscoveryMiddle School for the last nine years. Jefferson played college football at Alabama A&M and played and coached professionally with the Vipers.
