Junior Mustangs season opens with revamped offense, defense, coaching staff
Forrest City Junior Mustangs coach Chris Siler will work his team through the final day of the first week of summer practices today.
One week into official summer drills Siler with his 25 player roster and his revamped coaching staff are just now beginning to get things going.
"Little by little, we are putting in our adjusted offensive and defensive schemes,” Siler said. "Making sure we are repping a lot, that is important for us right now."
Siler said the Junior Mustangs will run the same offensive and defensive formats as the varsity Mustangs will under first year coach Teli White.
"We will run the same formations as Coach White will be running,” Siler added. "There will be a few wrinkles here and there. You know me, I always throw something in the mix that may be a little different, but most of what we run will be what the senior high runs."
With just nine days remaining before the Junior Mustangs make the short trip to Palestine-Wheatley for a preseason scrimmage game on Aug. 19, Siler and his staff still have a long way to go
It will be the first time since Siler, a Palestine-Wheatley Patriot and graduate, has stepped on the Patriot football field since the 2001 season, Siler's senior year under then head coach Terry Farmer.
"I know that the minute I step onto the field, it is going to bring back some old memories,” Siler added. "But we have to concentrate on the scrimmage game. I know the P-W junior high has some good athletes and they will come ready to play and ready to win."
Siler is not throwing in the scrimmage towel without even playing a down, however.
"A lot of the kids we had last year, as eighth graders, got a lot of playing time with the ninth graders,” Siler said. "We have about eight or nine kids who got a lot of reps playing up last season. That being said, I hope we can benefit from that in the scrimmage game and as we get into the season schedule. I think we have some kids with high football IQ's. They learned from being on the field last year."
Besides revamping both the offense and defense this season, the Junior Mustangs will also put a revamped coaching staff on the field this year with Kevin Mosley and Chris McManners moving down from the varsity Mustangs as assistant coaches and Donnie Willis Jr. returning for his second season.
"Coach Mosley and McManners have a solid football background and bring a lot of knowledge with them,” Siler added. "They both have been part of the high school staff and Mosley has been a head coach at the high school level. And that makes my job as head coach a lot easier. That makes it easier for us, as a coaching staff to bounce things off each other and see what works and what may not work. Willis played for the Mustangs and also played at the college level so his knowledge of the game and players will also be beneficial."
Siler hopes the "50-50 run/pass” plan will benefit his Junior Mustangs this season.
"We can't be one-sided, we have to be able to execute both and hopefully that will make us successful,” Siler noted.
Following the Aug. 19 scrimmage game, the Junior Mustangs, coming off a 2-7 season a year go, will open the season on Aug. 26, by hosting Jonesboro MacArthur in the first of three nonconference games.