COLDSPRING — The scoreboard was dark. There were no officials throwing flags, no penalties being marked off and no game clock ticking away the seconds. But the football was very real.
Thursday afternoon, Little Cypress-Mauriceville and the Coldspring Trojans took the field for a preseason scrimmage, giving both programs one more opportunity to test their athletes, evaluate positions and work through the details before the lights come on and the games begin to count.
The coaches controlled the action, calling out penalties rather than having officials on the field. No yardage was marked off; no score was kept and there was no play clock. Each team was given a set number of offensive plays before the other took its turn. At times, coaches stopped the action completely to explain assignments, correct mistakes and make sure their players understood exactly what was expected.
For Coldspring, however, there was something new taking shape on the field. The Trojans are transitioning to a spread offense under new Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Chad Allen, and Thursday provided another glimpse of what the new system could look like. The spread offense requires timing, speed and discipline from all 11 players. The quarterback must have time to read the defense, receivers must run precise routes and running backs must find the openings created by the offensive line.
While the offense is still coming together, Allen likes what he sees from his defense.
“The defense is flying around fearless with a lot of energy, and those guys are really starting to play with confidence. Offensively, we’re starting to find our rhythm and sharpen things up. We still have plenty to clean up, but I really like where this team is headed. Looking forward to a great season for the Trojans!”
Thursday's scrimmage was not about winning or losing. It was about preparation — and for a Coldspring program entering a new era, every snap is another piece of the puzzle.
The Pirates traveled to Trinity on Thursday for the second of two scrimmages, making final adjustments to the playbook and the players’ positions.
Head Coach Miles Robison said this scrimmage, as well as the previous week’s tilt against Orangefield, provided them with a wealth of information.
“The scrimmages taught us a lot about where we are at,” he said. “I thought we played really well against Orangefield and not as well against Trinity. We still have a lot of work to do, creating some depth on both sides of the ball.”
