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State
Champions preparing for summer
The 2008 spring practice session is now over for the Guthrie BlueJay football team, and while many fans next season will need to purchase a media guide for name recognition, the BlueJay coaching staff remains confident for the '08 season.
When the Bluejays meet up with McGuinness, on September 5th, there will be plenty of new faces donning the BlueJay "G" helmet as the Jays face the difficult chore of replacing 16 seniors from the state championship team a year ago. Although 15 of the 16 graduating seniors were starters, Guthrie still has a strong nucleus of players returning to defend the title.
Gone are standouts such as blue chip recruit and Oklahoma offensive player of the year Kye Staley, all-staters Jon Washington and Jack Dumas, and maybe most importantly six of the seven men up front on defense. But, don’t feel too sorry for the Bluejays, as plenty of fire power returns, and is still left in the arsenal. Quarterback Keaton Callins looks to be the man for the first time, and the talents and playmaking abilities of Josh King, Clayton Smith, and Donte' Foster speaks for itself.
"It’s a lot what we expected," head coach Rafe Watkins said as he gets set for his 8th season of work on the Guthrie sidelines. "We have been throwing a lot of stuff at them. Its going to be a learning process as it is every spring."
"Right now there is no way we can get any continuity on either side of the ball with as many people we’ve had to replace. So, we want to get it stuck in the kids minds of where were at now, where we want to be, and that we want to defend that state title. We got a big bullseye on our back and everyone is going to want a piece of us," Watkins concluded.
On offense, the Jays will spend a lot of time rebuilding the offensive line with only one returning starter, Stanton Stevenson, and he will be playing a new position. Stevenson will move from left guard to left tackle and will have big shoes to fill, those of Jonathan Washington, who anchored the spot for three seasons. Kaleb Dixon, Dustin Bowman, J Benson, Mason Metcalf, Ricky Ware, Reece Hand, and Bryce Sullivan will all work for the four remaining spots in the trenches. Offensive coordinator and O-line coach Scott Mick says don't look for a whole lot of change with the new personnel.
"If I had hair I would be pulling it out right now, but we always find five kids that are just tough and want to play. We are still going to do things we like to do and run the football and play action pass. We are not going to sell out on what we are going to do," Mick said.
"Our philosophy on the offensive line is just get a hat on people and occupy them ‘cause if you have difference makers in the back field a lot of things can happen for you."
The Bluejays, no question, have their share of difference makers, including running back Clayton Smith, returning after a stellar junior year and Josh King, maybe the most explosive athlete on the team. King looks to have an expanded role in the offense for the 2008 campaign, and Smith comes off a 1,000 yard rushing season to go along with his 26 rushing touchdowns.
Perhaps, an unknown offensive weapon that will be released in the upcoming season is King. Oh my! King had just six carries last season and ran two of those to the house to go along with 121-yards for a shabby 20-yards per carry. King was not needed offensively with Staley, Callins, Smith, and Ashton Morgan holding up nicely for the Jays, but King will need to help Smith if the Jays want to be a multi-threat running the football.
Guthrie brings back stand-out wide receiver Foster, who had 11 scores, to the receiver position, but will have to replace Kent McDonald and Israel Escoe.
The center of the offense that averaged 397-yards and 54.57 points a game last season will be Callins who will figuratively will be under center, but realistically will be in the shotgun. Callins split time with Staley and was a weapon when it came down to passing situations. Callins attempted 106 passes and had only one picked off in a season in which he threw for nearly 1200-yards.
Callins appears to be the every down quarterback and while teams will prepare for the Jays passing game, Callins has shown he can run and pitch the ball very well.
Watkins said that Callins ran the veer option better then Staley did and says people are surprised when they hear Callins ran for over 5-yards a carry.
"We may have to be in punt formation for our passing formation so we will have plenty of time," a joking Watkins said. "We have been pleased with our pass protection. We may throw the ball a little more, but Keaton runs very efficiency."
The offense will be as good as the offensive line will allow them to be. Whether it is allowing Callins to have time to throw the ball, or occupying their man long enough for Smith and King to find a hole to explode through, the revamped unit will have to mesh on the run.
"We are basically having to teach the entire offense to these guys (offensive line). We are throwing a bunch of things at them in a short period of time," Mick said.
Maybe the best offense the Bluejays had last season was their dominating defense. The BlueJay D allowed just 6-points a game and produced eight shut-outs in 14 games. All three linebackers are gone and so are there 373 tackles, and incredible leadership. Also gone are three defensive linemen, and when you add up the numbers, the product is that six of the members of last years front seven are gone.
Returning, however, will be senior Skylar Smith. Skylar according to the coaches can play anywhere in the box and is having a tremendous spring.
"I thought Skylar Smith really looked good at Mike (middle line backer) backer. He is still doing it on raw ability. He is a beast in there and we cant touch him and that will be a good thing come fall, but its not a good thing now cause we cant touch him, but he's got a lot to learn," Watkins said.
Working for starting positions at the line backing spot with Skylar Smith will be William Bohannon, Blake Pruett, Brady Blanchard. Of course, Clayton Smith can come over from the offense and be a force at linebacker for the Bluejay defense.
Up front Guthrie will have Blaine Smedley, Cody Doyle, Mikey Johns, Michael Oakes, Kentrell Brothers, Felix Scott, and Ty Nichols working on the defensive front. Stanton Stevenson could come over and help out on 10-12 plays if needed. Nichols inherits the Tango (defensive end) position and it is his to lose according to defensive coordinator Kelly Beeby.
"We have to replace six of our front seven, but we have seen some bright spots. It's still May and we are just trying to see who can move and who can grasp concepts. On defense it is who will stick their nose up in there and we got several that are willing to do that," Beeby said.
"Anytime you have kids willing to be physical you have a chance to make players out of them," Beeby concluded.
The most stable portion of the BlueJay defense and maybe the entire team is the secondary with Jaden Chappell, DJ Hughes, and King returning.
Beeby understands the new personnel will have to take time.
"We are going back to square one and talking about gaps, flow, squeeze, option responsibility, and just starting over by crawling before we walk and walking before we run. There is a lot more parody as far as between the individual players. There is a lot of competition for spots and you get some good healthy rivalries between players who are fighting for a particular spot. And, as a coach you are also teacher and right now we definitely have plenty of empty vessels of knowledge to fill."
Remember the junior varsity a year ago was undefeated and had shut-outs in five of their seven games.
So, Coach Watkins what are your thoughts on spring practice?
"It’s a lot what we expected. We have been throwing a lot of stuff at them and it's going to be a learning process as it is every spring. The effort is there, and that is the thing I like, but we have some work ahead of us. We flew around the ball and a lot of times it was in the wrong places, but we were still playing hard and that is what we were looking for.
Surely, you have an 'ol coaching cliché for us?
"We did not expect to look in mid-season form in spring ball."
I knew you would.
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