The JV Horses run the ball during the Navarro scrimmage. They will take on Pleasanton this Thursday out of town.
JV Horses ready for Pleasanton
Jerel Beaty
Staff Writer
Devine JV Offensive Coordinator Lon Cozby knew his team was going against a good, physical Navarro squad in last Thursday’s scrimmage at Warhorse Stadium.
After initially being timid to begin the glorified practice, the Horses finished strong and took away some valuable lessons as they enter game one of the season versus the Eagles in Pleasanton this Thursday. Kickoff is set for 5:00pm.
“Navarro had a physical team,” Cozby said to begin his post-scrimmage analysis. “It took us the whole first series to get used to their fast, intense pace. This was a really good team for us to play this early. We had some good plays but we never could get all 11 players synced up. We were always one block away from breaking a big play.”
Navarro is a difficult team to play early in the season as their offensive schemes demand opposing teams be on station and ready to read every snap. The good thing about scrimmaging the Panthers is that the Warhorses are more than ready to face the Eagles.
Cozby had plenty of praise to go around, saying, “Ryan Weinkam and Rowdy Esparza ran the ball well out of the backfield. Alejandro Ramirez had some good plays at quarterback. Shawn Lowe had a nice catch late in the game. Camillo Agurrie also caught one in traffic. Andres Hernandez had one of his better games at center. Our two guards, Christian San Miguel and Adam Guerrero blocked great all night. Nate Martinez did good things at tackle as well.”
In spite of not “winning” the scrimmage, Cozby is excited about the coming season knowing his players will continue to improve with more practices and real games under their belt.
“We are going to use this game as a learning tool. Afterwards everyone, players and coaches, was frustrated. We had a good talk and the kids are eager to get back to practice and fine tune for a good Pleasanton team.”
JV Defensive Coordinator Coach Bart Oropeza was more than pleased with what he saw from his unit, saying, “I think our JV played well defensively against Navarro. Aidan Salazar made some good plays at the middle backer position. Adam Guerrero and Ethan Appling did really well at the defensive end position. We are going to continue to work hard and continue to improve.”
Lending a hand
Devine varsity Defensive Coordinator Evan Eads extended a well-deserved “Thanks” to the JV team for their role in what the varsity is able to accomplish throughout its week prepping for their one-level up opponent.
“The coaches want to thank the JV for getting us ready for our scrimmage. They had to prepare for their scrimmage while learning a different offense to give the varsity a good look. We appreciate the dedication and teamwork the JV provides for our season. They are an integral part of our success.”
Even in practices, it is often that freshmen and other JV players have to battle against the varsity members to give the team a decent look. This is common practice in small schools, and one that benefits everyone in the long run.
Up next
Devine plays their first of ten games Thursday in Pleasanton. There is one JV game beginning at 5:00pm.