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BlueJays break spring with questionsThe quarterback job is wide open, but Jays look strong in the trenches for 2009
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By: Chris Evans Posted May 26, 2009 |
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The 2009 Guthrie BlueJay football spring practice has concluded after five days of work and questions remain going into summer work-outs and the upcoming fall.
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"We always should be in the mix to make the play-offs," head coach Rafe Watkins said as he prepares for his 9th season in Guthrie. "I will be extremely disappointed if we don’t make the playoffs. I just know the heart of this team and the way they will work."
Perhaps gone are the 60 point wins, eight shut-outs, scoreless quarter streaks, and arguably the best offenses in the state's history, but a win is a win regardless of the score.
"We are going to try to be ball control and are going to have to drive it with 10-12 plays and that is fine," Watkins said. "We may have 14-0, or 14-7 type games that we win and we better be excited about it. It’s still a win."
The backbone for the Jays will be on the defensive side with eight returning starters for defensive coordinator and associate head coach Kelly Beeby.
"In spring you determine depth, strength, and weakness, and there are no big surprises for us yet to a negative. A couple of positives are that our defensive line is strength," Beeby said. "We’ve got players. They are just going to be playing a new position, or inexperienced at the position they are at and so the task will be given them reps."
Guthrie returns Blaine Smedley, Martell Oates, Cody Doyle, Felix Scott, Kentrell Brothers, Jaden Chappell, Landry Chappell, and Brady Blanchard on the front seven. Marcus Ware, Dennis Murphy, and Curtis Anthony, an Edmond North transfer, could fill in the rotation come fall.
"We will be in our returning front. All those guys were baptized by fire last year as sophomore's and juniors," Beeby said.
Beeby says the defense will revolve around Jaden Chappell and says there is "no way" around it that he must be a leader for the defense. Jaden will take over the drop in spot that has seen players such as Michael Harmon, Ben Davis, and Skyler Smith man the position.
Beeby was also pleased with another Chappell this spring. Landry Chappell.
"Guys like that make a good coach out of you (Chappell's). They are tough and smart kids and understand what we are trying to do. They give you everything they got and that’s all you can ask for," Beeby concluded.
The biggest concern for the Guthrie defensive coaches will be developing depth at the safety spot and the secondary.
D.J. Hughes proved to be one of the best shut down corners in
the state, but has graduated and will have to be replaced.
Luke Davis and Dustin Bohanan got valuable playing time toward the end of the year as freshmen and sophomore. Devin Williams, who was at Stillwater High last year, but has lived in Guthrie almost his entire life, Ben Schwartz, and Marcus Ware are front runners to land in the Jays secondary.
"We will not be able to build as much scheme as I have built in the past with a Josh King type player, but the basics of what we do is stop the run and force the pass. The best pass defense is your offense on the field," Beeby said.
Though the defense may not have too many questions to fill, the same can not be said for the Guthrie offense as the Jays must replace three positions that were commanded by some of the best that the school as ever had at quarterback, receiver, and running back.
The quarterback job is wide open with Christian Lamb, Kentrell Brothers, and Hayden Seifert battling for the starting nod, although freshmen Bryan Dutton will have his opportunity as well.
Brothers brings athletic ability to the quarterback spot, while Lamb has taken more snaps and knows the position, and Seifert combines the characteristics of Brothers and Lamb according to Watkins.
"Kentrell is more athletic than the three. If things were to break down he is bigger, stronger and faster than the other two. But, Christian knows the offense better, and Hayden is in between and can do a little bit of running and he's not a bad thrower and is still learning," Watkins said.
"The Dutton kid is certainly not out of the mix either. If he can prove to me that he can handle the pressure I will play a freshman. I don’t care. We are going to get the best players out on the field," Watkins continued.
Watkins is not opposed to using a two quarterback system as he has proven in the past with the Michael Hayes-DeMarko Jones duo, the Bryce Gates-Kye Staley combination, and Kye Stayley-Keaton Callins rotating quarterback roll.
"Right now it is wide open. We graded this week of practice, and we are going to grade the passing league. This may sound crazy but these two scrimmages will be as big for us at quarterback as it has been since my first year when we had Michael Hayes and DeMarko Jones," Watkins said.
J.P. Bruner holds down the running back spot and
"JP is clearly ahead in the running back race. Luke Davis can come over, and Dennis (Murphey) had some good runs as well. Kolt (Rinehart) also did some good things in there. Derek Kelly currently has a hernia and will have a chance to give us some depth if he can get healthy," Watkins finished.
The wide receiver spots may have the biggest questions marks beside their names as they are trying to fill the vacant spot that saw Donte Foster lead 5A in receiving yards. Tae McCulley and Hank Hudson will have their opportunities. Brothers is the top returning receiver, but may be needed at the quarterback spot.
"I thought our offensive line was way ahead of where it was last year. They have a long way to go because they are raw, but I have been pleased ‘cause they held their own against our defensive front."
The line will have to replace the staple of last years group in Stanton Stevenson at left tackle. Sophomore Blake Belcher looks to fill that role despite playing freshmen football a year ago. Zach Brown, another sophomore, is leading the charge to join Belcher on the left side at left guard.
Senior Dustin Bowman will be the only linemen looking to stay at the same spot (center) that he played a year ago. Ricky Ware and Bryce Sullivan are stacked on the right side heading into summer work-outs.
Watkins agreed that the offense currently does not have an identity, or a leader, but he is hoping someone will fill that spot quickly.
"We may not be the most talented team on the field but I think we will win a game or two this year for two reasons. One, they believe they are going to win, and winning is contagious. Two, they believe they are the toughest team on the field anytime they step onto it and they play that way," Watkins said of his troops.
"We will never be able to say that we are not getting the most that we can out of our kids. That is one thing I can say about these kids at Guthrie," Watkins finished.
Guthrie will conduct their Junior Jays camp, Tuesday through Thursday, before hitting the summer pride work-outs, better known as M.T.X.E., before the first day of practice on August 11th.
Guthrie will travel to
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The Jays open the 2009 season, on the road, at Bishop
McGuinness and Keaton Callins, Donte' Foster, Clayton Smith, Josh King, or
Skyler Smith will not be on the roster. Although Guthrie was hit hard with
graduation, the expectations didn’t leave with the departing seniors. 
The anchor of the BlueJay offense may prove to be on the
offensive line, something that may never have been echoed before in recent
memory.
