18 Faith Academy football players make all-district
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
MARBLE FALLS — Eighteen players from the Faith Academy football team were named to the all-Division III, District 3 teams.
The teams were voted on by football coaches in the district.
“I definitely was happy,” Flames head coach Russ Roberts said. “I thought our district coaches were very complimentary of our athletes and season. I thought they really were receptive on giving our athletes what they deserve.”
Of the 18 players, eight were named to both the offensive and the defensive teams.
“You have to play on a big level on both sides,” Roberts said. “That’s something we don’t ask a lot of our athletes to do a whole lot of. In the private schools, we can do that more. Athletes really want to go both ways. It’s not necessarily by design but by necessity.”
He said athletes have to be in great shape to be able to have the energy to stay on the field the majority of the game.
Roberts doesn’t make his athletes run a lot of sprints during practice to get into condition. They participate in a drill called speed ball in which one player has the ball and looks for a teammate to whom to throw. When the next player catches the ball, he becomes the quarterback and looks for another open teammate. The Flames use all 100 yards of the field to play.
What Roberts enjoys most about speed ball is his players are getting in condition in addition to practicing their skills.
“I think sprints are effective, but they don’t do a whole lot for morale,” he said. “With speed ball, it requires more time to condition. It sharpens skills, eyes and movement, and it’s a good competitive drill. There are a lot of kids involved, and they get to present themselves out there.”
jfierro@thepicayune.com
[tabs style=”default”] [tab title=”ON OFFENSE”]
First team – quarterback: Austin Ellis; running backs: Royale Brown, Jacob Metcalf; tight end: Hanner Shipley; linemen: Mitch Earwood, Jake Fereday. Second team – running back: Dalton Mayberry; receiver: Matt Manley; tight end: Asa Ortiz; linemen: Clay Cozby; kicker: Jonathan Reyes.
[/tab] [tab title=”ON DEFENSE”]
First team – linebackers: Heston Hand, Mayberry; defensive backs: Brown, Metcalf. Second team – linemen: Cole Madigan, Earwood, Shipley, Manley; linebacker: Reyes; defensive back: Zach Haydon; punter: Ellis.
[/tab] [tab title=”HONORABLE MENTIONS”]
Offensive linemen: Joey Barclay, Tommy Pelham; defensive line: Daniel Penner; defensive back: Luke Hering
[/tab] [/tabs]