Closer look at Bi-City football teams following spring practice

This is the second on two reports on high school football teams in the Bi-City. Go to this story at ledger-enquirer.com/sports and find a link to the first report.

It’s the time of year when football coaches and their teams have boundless hopes and expectations for the coming season. Spring practices are in the books, and most takeaways are positive as they transition into the summer months.

Teams also get a first look at their challenges, though. From losing key players to breaking in new systems or coaches, each team is trying to iron out the kinks early so that it will be nothing but refinement near the start of the season.

Here’s a look at a handful of teams around the area:

Carver

No. of participants: 50

You need to know: Carver entered spring with a new head coach in Dre’Mail King, who is taking over after three seasons with Joe Kegler. King is instilling new offensive and defensive schemes, so the objective of spring practice was to see how the players would adjust. He said he was happy with the organization and discipline of the players and that he wants to build on that as they move toward the fall, where they hope they can improve after back-to-back first-round exits in the playoffs.

Central

No. of participants: N/A

You need to know: Central is coming off a semifinals appearance in 2015, and the expectations will be high once again as it goes into its third season with Jamey DuBose at the helm. Last year, the team had success despite losing quarterback Zion Webb to an early-season knee injury. In the playoffs, they were hit again by the injury bug as wide receiver Justyn Ross suffered a knee injury. Ross reinjured the knee in basketball, suffering a torn ACL, and is on the road to recovery. He did not participate in the spring, but is making enough progress for DuBose to expect him back by the start of the season. Webb was cleared to return to practice in time for the spring.

Spencer

No. of participants: 80

You need to know: After a remarkable 2015 season, Pierre Coffey’s first as head coach, Spencer is trying to build on the success. They did not have a normal spring practice, instead focused on organized team activities and conditioning. Coffey said standouts from the spring workouts have been junior linebacker Devonte Webster, senior offensive lineman Yemajesty Sanders and senior running back Jaleel Grimes.

Jordan

No. of participants: 40

You need to know: Like Carver and Russell County, Jordan is also featuring a new head coach in Justin Newman. They did not feature a normal spring football schedule, electing instead to focus on an offseason weight training program that Newman said has had a lot of participation from the players. The biggest battle that is already beginning in workouts is who will replace quarterback Romello Kimbrough, who transfered to Carver. Newman said that battle will likely come down to Lorzie Meadows and Daren Lewis.

Columbus

No. of participants: 51

You need to know: After an impressive 2015 season that produced a playoff berth, Columbus is trying to improve again in 2016. It lost a number of key pieces, and coach Phil Marino said it showed in spring. There was some rust from everyone, including returning players, but Marino added that there are a couple of young players that showed a lot of promise during spring practice.

Russell County

No. of participants: 55

You need to know: Russell County is entering a new era with former Harris County coach Dwight Jones returning to the school. Jones said he tried to limit how much he threw at his players in the spring, as he is installing new offensive and defensive schemes, but that he could tell how committed his players are to turning things around going forward. Russell County has lost 22 games in a row dating back to 2013, and Jones said he was impressed by the attitude of the players, who are tired of losing.

Kendrick

No. of participants: 42

You need to know: The Cherokees won three games in Cedric Ware’s first season at the helm last year, and are hoping to improve on that in the fall. Ware said they had a total of 42 participants at the spring practice this year. In the spring scrimmage, quarterbacks Swann Tarver and Terry Dawson both threw touchdowns. Wide receiver Jemarious Holloway had a rushing and receiving touchdown, running back Kayleem Bonds rushed for a touchdown and wide receiver Cincere Sellers caught a touchdown. Defensively, linebackers Javier Turner and Levandrew Hawthorne were the leading tacklers.

Manchester

No. of participants: 60

You need to know: Manchester is entering its second season under coach Evan Hochstetler, who led the team to the second round of the playoffs in his first year. This year, there was a strong turnout at spring practice, and plenty of competition on the field. The spring scrimmage came down to a failed two-point conversion at the end of the game. Standouts on offense were running backs Tra Gamble and Ashton Bell, quarterback Garrett Brown, and offensive linemen Danny Marshall and Jacquavious Stargell. On defense, linebacker Jontavious Ferguson, defensive linemen Darius Jackson and Jakevien Waller, and defensive back Khalil Brawner led the way.

This story was originally published June 4, 2016 at 5:25 PM with the headline "Closer look at Bi-City football teams following spring practice."