Faith Academy football getting familiar with new offensive scheme this spring
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
MARBLE FALLS — The Faith Academy football team began spring football April 21 with a second practice two days later.
In all, the Flames will have nine total practices.
Head coach Russ Roberts believes this spring is crucial for several reasons. The first is because he is installing the spread offense, which is mostly a passing scheme, as opposed to the single wing-T, which utilizes misdirection in a mostly running scheme.
“It’s all new,” he said. “We have a lot of new kids in a new system. They’re a little bit lost. We have new kids doing new stuff. I thought they showed good effort.”
Junior Magnum Burcham takes over at quarterback, while sophomore Asa Ortiz is the starting fullback.
Roberts said he feels most comfortable with those positions filled because of Burcham’s intelligence, strong arm, ability to extend plays with his legs and 6-foot-3-inch, 200-pound frame, and Ortiz’s strength, speed and vision.
“The quarterback has to shoulder a huge responsibility,” the coach said. “Magnum has all the physical characteristics we need. He has the capability.”
Freshman quarterback Rich Coleman gives Roberts added comfort with the position because of his physical qualities.
“He has a lot of quickness and is very athletic,” he said.
Freshmen Braden McBryde and Dalton Mayberry also will continue to learn the position.
As for what is more important to Roberts for a quarterback: handling the physical demands or the mental pressures?
“The mental is more important,” he said. “He has to understand the mentality. If he has the physical but can’t handle the mental, then all of his physical is wasted. I will make every effort to simplify the offense to the point the mental aspect is as little of a problem as I can make it. We’ll try to keep the offense itself simple.”
Ortiz returns to the same duties he performed last season: blocking, rushing and catching passes out of the backfield.
Sophomore Jonathan Reyes has the ability to play in several different positions, so Roberts looks forward to using him in a variety of ways, he said.
“Jonathan is a great receiver,” the coach said. “The more I can keep him in at receiver, the more I feel very confident.”
The players who don’t start at quarterback will get plenty of playing time because they’ll line up at receiver, Roberts said, which is a philosophy he learned while he was a student at Southwest Texas State, now Texas State University, in San Marcos.
The group that will get the most work is the offensive line. Roberts acknowledged the previous offensive scheme allowed the linemen to shine. But this year, they’ll have to learn a new way of doing things.
The anchors of the line are sophomore center Clay Cozby, who returns at starter, and sophomore Tommy Pelham, also starting.
“Tommy played as much as any nonstarter (last season),” Roberts said. “I have a lot of confidence in Tommy.”
The other three spots are up for grabs, though the coach said it’s possible he’ll move junior tight end Tristan Wilson to the line and sophomore Nathan Klick has a chance at starting.
Roberts will teach the shotgun snap and line splits during the spring
“There’s more margin of error on the snap itself,” he said.”Everything else will be harder.”
The Flames will have no more than five practices in pads. Because of that and the total number of practice days, the Flames will not work on defense this spring.
When the Flames line up in the fall, Roberts said the formations will be familiar.
“When fans look out on the field, they’ll recognize the spread,” he said. “They’ll feel comfortable. Unfortunately, so will the defense.”
jfierro@thepicayune.com