Did spring football agree with Virginia?
Almost all coaches liked playing this time of year
Columnist Larry Rubama finds out what local high school coaches thought about the shift of seasons.
Virginia’s first high school spring football season ended last weekend with two Hampton Roads teams — Oscar Smith and Lafayette — winning state championships.
The fall football season didn’t kick off because of COVID-19, and the spring season got off to a rough start as many games were postponed throughout Hampton Roads, and several teams placed under quarantine for safety concerns.
But all in all, it was a good season, and most importantly — especially for seniors — there was a season.
For years, I’ve heard high school football coaches wish for spring football in Virginia, and they finally got a taste of that.
Nearly 20 other states offer a full-fledged, full-pad spring practice, making high school football a year-round commitment. Some states allow as many as 20 days for spring practice.
Most schools use the first part of spring to focus on conditioning before bringing out the pads for May’s spring practices and games, some of which can draw thousands of fans.
Coaches use spring ball to develop a team’s depth, build mental toughness and teach proper blocking and tackling techniques.
Former Oscar Smith coach Richard Morgan, who coaches Marietta High in Georgia, loves it. This month, his team will get 10 days of practice and cap it with a spring game.
Morgan said spring football allows him to get a jump-start on the fall season.
“You get to work with the kids who are coming back. You get to play a game against another team. And you get film to evaluate,” said Morgan, who led Oscar Smith to state titles in 2008 and 2011 and guided Marietta to a state crown in 2019. “So it’s a great time to evaluate, get your depth chart set, get film on the kids and work on things you want to add to the program. To me, it’s a valuable tool. ... Virginia will get a chance to see that.”
Oscar Smith, which won the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 title, returns nearly 50 players, including quarterback Ethan Vasko, defensive back Sherrod Covil, defensive lineman Caleb Jones, running back Kevon King and wide receiver Amonte Jones.
Tigers coach Chris Scott said he liked the spring season because it gave his coaching staff a chance to look at the next tier of players coming up.
“I definitely think it’s something that’s positive because it’s keeping our guys together and involved in something,” he said. “And we’re developing them at what they love to do, which allows for another evaluation process.”
Amonte Jones, a junior, said he enjoyed the spring season.
“I always wished football was a year-round sport. It keeps me conditioned. There’s no time to get out of shape,” said Jones, who had 13 receptions for 259 yards and three touchdowns during the
postseason. “Plus, I want to try to win two rings in one year.”
Lafayette, which won the Class 3 state title, will return more than 30 players, including quarterback Luke Hanson, wide receiver/ defensive back Donald Gatling and linebacker/defensive back Sam Boyer.
But Rams coach Andy Linn isn’t totally sold on spring football because he’s not a fan of full contact. The Rams had several players get injured, including two who won’t be able to play next season.
Linn, however, said spring football will help the Rams toward next season.
“(For) preparation and installation, it’s great,” he said. “It does help in many ways.”
Lake Taylor coach Hank Sawyer, whose team lost in the Class 4 state title game, will return more than 31 players, including linemen Isaiah Thompson and Jake Carney and running backs Chuck Fisher and Tarrion Washington-Jacobs.
Sawyer sees why other states love spring football.
“You got to see how your team is going to be in a couple of months,” he said. “So, even teams that weren’t in the playoffs, they got an idea of what they need to work on and what they need to do to be
successful next season. When we get back in August, we’re going to be in pretty good shape. It’s really a good thing.”
Maury coach Dyrri McCain has always wanted Virginia to adopt spring football. After a chance to play this spring, he wants it even more.
McCain said the Commodores, who lost to Highland Springs in a Class 5 state semifinal, benefited from the spring season.
“We went into the spring season obviously trying to win it,” he said. “But the spring football season gave us a lot of experience. We feel pretty good about where we’re at. We’re not happy with the results, but the fact that 90% of the guys are coming back, we’ll be fine.
“We’ll give the guys a couple of weeks off so they don’t burn out,” McCain said. “We want to make sure they get proper rest because when we get back at it, we will be getting back at it.”
Scott said the Tigers will be back on the field before you know it.
“We always say there’s never an offseason,” he said. “Now literally, there’s not an offseason in 2021. It will be interesting; it will be challenging.”