GRAVETTE — A soggy practice field served a dual purpose for Gravette’s football team during its Saturday morning scrimmage session.
The conditions, caused by the amount of rain received the night before, served as a reprieve from the sweltering temperatures through the early part of the offseason, and it gave the Lions a chance to try out their game in sloppy conditions.
“It was something we really needed to do,” Gravette coach Bill Harrelson said. “We needed to work some in wet weather because we didn’t work very well in it last year. It gave us a good experience.
“We all got a little muddy, and everybody was able to get in and get some snaps and compete. We’ll see what everything looks like on film.”
The Lions offense came to life during the final series after strugglingthrough most of the scrimmage. Quarterback Clayton Alexander connected on a pair of deep passes, and the running backs turned in a number of long runs.
This came after the defense turned in three interceptions in the previous series - two of them on consecutive plays. Two of them would have been returned for touchdowns hadn’t coaches blown early whistles to stop the play.
“I thought the defense looked good, running to the ball and making some big hits,” Harrelson said. “Offensively, we were real inconsistent. We have to get better at that, and I think they will.”
With school in session Monday, Gravette will continue its preseason workouts with afternoon practice sessions. The Lions will have another short scrimmage Friday as part of the Lion Pride Night ceremonies.
Sports, Pages 10 on 08/17/2011