Practice Notes for Today

By: LONNY DEMAREE



Head coach Joker Phillips has a big decision to make in his choice under center. “I think we’ve got to take a look at this thing and be fair to everybody involved,” a careful Phillips reiterated. He said sometime they are out there with the naked eye and can’t properly evaluate the Joker Phillips said that the offense has got to get the ball in the end zone and in doing so they had to have a long sustained drive, 98-yards, and 14-plays. Now the ‘yeahbut’ is that, the defense didn’t get themselves off the field like Rick Minter would’ve liked. “We’ve got to go and watch the film.” It’s been our experience that when a head coach or offensive brain trust is in a quandary about a decision to name a quarterback, they are not really sure who they want to put out there for the opening game.

Given the number of unobtrusive observers present at the scrimmage there are going to be varying opinions on what they saw. Phillips sent out e-mails to some former players for today’s scrimmage. Approximately seventy alums were present, most of which I knew.

Often times and especially today with trained eyes present comments are made about what took place inside those gates. When unsolicited comments are made and so many are about the same individual, it’s like E. F. Hutton, you listen. As a first comment from about four people in reference to freshman quarterback Jalen Whitlow and couple that with what yours truly saw on fan night, you tend to listen. I was on the way to my car and was flagged down by former Cat running back Steve Campassi. He, like the others said ‘Lonny that number thirteen is a ----- (expletive deleted). He was willing to say just what he saw, again unsolicited and it was about Max Smith. ‘ Lonny, his ball wobbles too often.’ Looking all the way back to the spring game, we have often had private conversations with our football friends and the conversation consisted of that very subject.

There are many more facets of being a starting quarterback than, just how well you throw the football but throwing is where it begins. Joker feels a decision is emminent because it’s now cut down day. Coaches continuously emphasis getting the best twenty-two players on the field and given that philosophy, he's got a tough decision to make. This writer predicts with Whitlow’s arm and his wheels, a “Wildcat Package” will be put together for him to help the starter and perhaps fifty-percent of the plays will be run out of the Wildcat.