Calvary opens tonight; numbers up for FC Colts

PREP FOOTBALL
Published: August 22, 2008
Fred Conley, T-H Sports Editor


The Calvary Eagles are already 2-0 for the season in eight-man football.


Tonight, the team will play their first game, when they take on Pleasant View in Nashville, Tenn.


The Eagles have been the recipients of two forfeit victories already. Little Rock’s Southwest Christian Academy and Hot Springs Crossgate Christian Academy each forfeited their games to the Eagles.


Those two forfeit wins already assure the Eagles of a better season than last year, their first in eight-man football, in which they failed to win a game.


“I think we are much better than last year,” said Calvary coach Greg Mills. “We have a few more bodies this time, and we returned some experienced players. Last year, everyone was basically learning the basics of the game. This year, they know the basics and we have been able to work on other areas of our game.”


Mills singled out the defensive unit, which basically played a vanilla defense a year ago.


“This season, we will use different looks, a 4-3-1 or a 4-2-2 and we will shoot the gaps and do a lot of shifting,” Mills added. “On offense, we will start Jeremy Barnett at quarterback and we will put Cody Jackson at tailback and Josh Jackson at wingback.”


The Eagles will run from the Single Wing offensive set this season.


“I think we can score a lot of points, I’m just not sure how good we’ll be at stopping our opponents.” Mills said. “If we can keep the scores in the 30s, instead of the 70s like last year, I like our chances. We will have a much better idea of where we stand after tonight’s game.”


The Forrest City seventh grade Colts had 32 players on the practice field Thursday, as the team continues to prepare for the season opener on Tuesday, Sept. 9.


The seventh grade football program was rerouted this year, moving practice from first period every day, to an after school practice.


The seventh and eighth grade teams will host Wynne for the opening game.


The Colts are being coached this season by Allen Perry, Jacky England and Phillip Campbell.

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Times-Herald of Forrest City, Arkansas
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