y Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com
Spring brings new life each year and recently hired Hopkins County Central football coach Zach Hibbs will get his first crack to help the Storm program grow when the team begins workouts on March 23.
Hibbs, who was hired Feb. 27, and his staff will have 15 school days to use for 10 individual days of practice and although it's his first shot at a head job, the spring period won't be utilized for drastic change, but rather refinement.
As an assistant under former coach Rick Snodgrass, Hibbs helped conduct the spring sessions and witnessed their success.
"Coach Snod had a pretty good spring ball system," Hibbs said. "What we would do is come in and do a lot of strategy work, a lot of work against the defense and putting in a lot screens and plays like that we use a lot throughout the season.
"Also, to get the underclassmen, who didn't get as many reps last year, get them a chance running the positions where we lost a lot of seniors."
For the 2009 season, the Storm will have to replace 14 seniors including starting quarterback Jake Powell, leading rusher Troydale Rorer, leading receiver Kelsey Bowman and dual threats Keith and Kevin Couch. Defensively, Central will need to replace the likes of Denzel Arrington, Dustin Grant, Travis Watts and company.
Still, Hibbs said he's confident the team will not suffer a drop off because Central had successful freshman and junior varsity seasons last year.
Hibbs, who was hired Feb. 27, and his staff will have 15 school days to use for 10 individual days of practice and although it's his first shot at a head job, the spring period won't be utilized for drastic change, but rather refinement.
As an assistant under former coach Rick Snodgrass, Hibbs helped conduct the spring sessions and witnessed their success.
"Coach Snod had a pretty good spring ball system," Hibbs said. "What we would do is come in and do a lot of strategy work, a lot of work against the defense and putting in a lot screens and plays like that we use a lot throughout the season.
"Also, to get the underclassmen, who didn't get as many reps last year, get them a chance running the positions where we lost a lot of seniors."
For the 2009 season, the Storm will have to replace 14 seniors including starting quarterback Jake Powell, leading rusher Troydale Rorer, leading receiver Kelsey Bowman and dual threats Keith and Kevin Couch. Defensively, Central will need to replace the likes of Denzel Arrington, Dustin Grant, Travis Watts and company.
Still, Hibbs said he's confident the team will not suffer a drop off because Central had successful freshman and junior varsity seasons last year.
Sometimes during a coaching transition new defensive and offensive systems and schemes will be introduced, but Hibbs said the terminology will remain the same.
"We don't have to change much of anything, we just need to improve on it and refresh a lot of it in their minds," he said. "We have a lot of kids who had a lot of reps at varsity still even though we did lose a lot of seniors."
Re-establishing a sense of familiarity with the playbook will be just one area of focus during the practices though.
"I think the goal for spring ball would be a team concept, that we build around each other for this," Hibbs said. "We have a lot of team players coming up and I feel that's going to be our strength next year on varsity."
Central's spring break will interrupt the team's workout schedule, but when the team reconvenes, the Storm will end spring ball with a full-contact scrimmage at 5 p.m. on April 17. Then, players will begin conditioning programs meeting three days a week for two hours after school each time.
Individuals will also be on their own to take part in line and skill camps, Hibbs said.
"We don't have to change much of anything, we just need to improve on it and refresh a lot of it in their minds," he said. "We have a lot of kids who had a lot of reps at varsity still even though we did lose a lot of seniors."
Re-establishing a sense of familiarity with the playbook will be just one area of focus during the practices though.
"I think the goal for spring ball would be a team concept, that we build around each other for this," Hibbs said. "We have a lot of team players coming up and I feel that's going to be our strength next year on varsity."
Central's spring break will interrupt the team's workout schedule, but when the team reconvenes, the Storm will end spring ball with a full-contact scrimmage at 5 p.m. on April 17. Then, players will begin conditioning programs meeting three days a week for two hours after school each time.
Individuals will also be on their own to take part in line and skill camps, Hibbs said.
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