A player’s take on the Generals
2012 Training Camp
by Micah
Fleet, ‘15
This football season started off, as
so many others have, with uncertainty. How is new head coach Scott Abell going
improve upon a team that went 8-2 last year, could defensive coordinator
Brendan O’Brien bring a renewed sense of energy and excitements to the Generals
Defense, and who in the world was going to coach defensive line? Those
questions were answered; Abell has said that the team is
further along at this point in camp than they have ever been. Coach O’Brien has
installed a new scheme that has the veterans saying they feel more comfortable
and that guy coaching defensive line, Eric Deustch, has his bunch more fired up
than ever.
The Blue and White game to us, the
players, is an opportunity to showcase our talent. The average scrimmage is the
starting defense and second team offense versus the first team offense and the
second defense, but Coach Abell threw a wrench in all of that. Coaches
separated as a staff on either the Blue or White teams and held a draft to
determine what players played for each team. If you thought the players were
amped to compete before, the excitement doubled. Starting offensive linemen
were talking to their running backs about how they were going to get destroyed
by their team’s defense. Coaches were teasing one another about their player
pickups based on performance in the practices leading up to the scrimmage. It
lent itself to a relaxed competitive atmosphere, but all the jokes stopped when
the pads came on.
Blue beat White with a score of
21-13 when the White offense failed to convert on 4th down, but
everyone thought the scrimmage was a huge success. Players could now see their
weak areas and coaches could see what needed to be emphasized more. If
anything, that is the biggest change in this year’s camp, the emphasis on the
little things. Offensively, we could run up and down the field and coaches
would be upset with our pad level, or steps, something as little as one step
off line could ruin the timing of the option. Defensively, communication is
key. A group that was once timid is now loud, making checks and identifying
formations in order to put themselves in the best position possible. Successful
plays are rewarded with praise from coaches and failure is met with additional
coaching and occasionally pushups. As Coach Abell often says, he’ll be the
first one to let you know when you did something wrong, but he’ll brag on you
when you do it right.
Washington and Lee athletics have
often been a serious undertaking, but the football team is elevating that to a
new level. Attention to detail has led to a five yard gain for the offense, or
2 yard loss for the defense, regarded as subpar. No longer is an ODAC
championship the only goal; it is expected for this team and every team after
it to compete for the title. The ultimate goal is to play on Thanksgiving
Weekend, which means a berth in the Division III NCAA tournament.
New coaches and a brand new
philosophy have led to a culture shock on the W&L football team, winning is
expected but excellence is the goal. We host Ferrum College at Wilson Field on
the 23rd, an important step for this team as it prepares to make a
run that this team believes will be one of the most special in Washington and
Lee’s storied history. Championship level play is becoming expected, a liberal
arts school from a small town wants to be one of the final 16 teams left
competing in D-III football, there is no question that the mentality of the
Generals is changing, the only question is when everyone else will jump on
board.
