PDA

View Full Version : Playing tough Abilene prepares Dawgs



dawglover
August 20th, 2011, 4:55 PM
Playing tough Abilene prepares Dawgs (NOTE the LAST LINE OF ThE ARtILCE)

COPPERAS COVE — There's a method behind the madness. It's common sense.

To get better, teams have to face better competition. That's exactly how Copperas Cove head coach Jack Welch and Abilene head coach Steve Warren see it.

"We have talked about playing a regular-season game but we get more out of this scrimmage," Welch said.

Added Warren: "This gets us ready to open our season up. (Cove's) well-coached, they have good speed, they have schemes that we need to see and they'll come off and hit you. We point right back to this scrimmage every single year knowing that it made us better to start the year."

And that's why the Bulldawgs and Eagles went at it again Friday, scrimmaging one another for the 10th time.

The two perennial playoff teams returned to Bulldawg Stadium, starting Friday with sets of plays during a controlled portion before going live for a 12-minute quarter. It ended early, with the teams lining up to shake hands with 4:11 left on the clock.

Abilene scored the only touchdown during the eight minutes of live action, capping the portion's opening drive with 14-yard scoring run.

Cove followed by moving down to the field to Abilene's 20-yard line before a botched, third-down snap sent the offense back to its own 37. Bulldawg kicker Eli Kuhns lined up for a field goal attempt from 54 yards out, but the kick sailed left.

Of course, for Cove, it's not about the score.

"We're not worried about it — we could care less," Welch said. "We broke out with several runs for touchdowns in the early part and we blew the whistle ... The things that we did hurt them and some of the things they did hurt us."

Said Warren: "Neither team was real, real polished, but at the same time, I thought there were some really good plays on both sides of the football. That quarterback of theirs (Orlando Thomas) is going to be special."

CenTexDave
August 21st, 2011, 8:55 AM
Gee, I thought he already was special.