ESPN Posted May 10, 2006 Report Posted May 10, 2006 Titans show progress, possibilities What did the Lufkin Panthers, West Brook Bruins, Humble Wildcats and Westfield Mustangs all have in common last football season besides winning seasons capped by trips to the playoffs? Outstanding quarterbacks and good hands and wheels at the receiver and running back positions in their four-wide receiver shotgun offenses. The Memorial Titans debuted their take on that arrangement at Tuesday afternoon's spring game at the school's auxiliary stadium and while they didn't ring up points like the latest X-box game, they showed potential. Quarterback Davon Lewis completed 10 of 22 passes for 133 yards and one touchdown and varsity running backs Patterson Clay and Michael Haines had their moments. Ditto for junior varsity running back Chad Filer, who had touchdown runs of 65 and 20 yards against the JV defense and finished with 100 yards on just five carries. "We accomplished our goals," new Memorial head coach Ron Thompson said. "Nobody got hurt and everybody played. "And everybody played hard. The defense played especially hard." Defensive tackle Charles Jacobs, linebacker Jonathan Brooks and defensive backs Todd Gardner and Zack Gallow topped the defenders, according to defensive coaches T.K. Harrison and Curtis Viola. And during a series pitting the No. 2 offense against the No. 2 defense, defensive back Sam Bordelon intercepted a pass by quarterback Harry Brown that was tipped by receiver Rashaud Brown and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown. Playing against a No. 1 defense that became very familiar with Memorial's new offense during 20 spring workouts undoubtedly hindered Lewis and his offensive mates. And the quick whistle that blew every time the quarterback took off to run prevented the keeping of totally accurate statistics, but Lewis, who missed his junior season with a knee injury, seemed plenty quick to man a position that calls for a quarterback to be equal part runner and passer. He was credited with 12 carries for 37 yards, a total that included a pair of sacks for minus-10. The entire offense, obviously, needs more work, which will come in part in this summer's 7-on-7 competition, then August's preseason drills. Lewis had a pair of passes dropped and a couple of other times, he threw one way and the receiver cut the other. Byron Martin, a senior-to-be, was Lewis' go-to receiver. He caught four passes for 34 yards. "Byron Martin had a good scrimmage," said offensive coach Kenny Harrison. "He's made the most progress of anyone from an offensive standpoint." Clay showcased his pass-catching skills out of the backfield, snaring three passes and taking them 34 yards. He gained 28 yards rushing on seven carries and scored the only touchdown notched by the No. 1 offense during the "game conditions" part of the scrimmage, a 10-yard swing pass from Lewis. That capped a nine-play, 70-yard drive the fourth time the No. 1 offense had the ball. The No. 1 offense was 2 for 2 on third-down conversions on that drive and 5 for 10 overall. Haines played with both the No. 1 and No. 2 offense and rushed for a combined 46 yards on nine carries, including three for 30 yards and two touchdowns during a goal-line drill that ended the 90-minute wrapup to Memorial's spring practice. Behind Lewis, the No. 1 offense gained 223 yards and 10 first downs on 45 plays. The No. 2 offense gained 66 yards on 19 plays. Quarterback Harry Brown was 2 for 6 for 14 yards passing, with two drops and the interception. Alonzo Revuelta was 1 for 3 for seven yards. In addition to Morton and Clay, the No. 1 offense included two pass catches by Glenn Windom for 45 yards and one by Ronald Ward for 20 yards. Besides the runs by Filer, the JV offense was highlighted by quarterback Jarrell Alexander, who had a 45-yard scoring pass to Sharrod Narcisse.
Recommended Posts