Offensive set changes
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With two sub-par performances in scrimmages, and the sense of urgency that the ever-approaching season opener with Centennial brings, Tidwell decided to alter the team?s primary offensive set to an ?I? formation.
?The coaches were meeting Sunday, and right off the bat one of them mentioned that next Sunday, we?ll be game-planning for real,? Tidwell said. ?The two scrimmages we?ve had, there has been a lot more negative than positive. There are just too many things we?re doing incorrectly, so to try and be successful early, we?ve had to go back and make things even simpler than what we thought we had them.?
Noting most the changes will occur on the offensive side of the ball, Tidwell said while the formation is altered, the Pioneers will use the same core set of plays.
?We?re going to keep the wing stuff,? he said.
?What?s changing is the formations, not the system. The same plays are run out of the I-formation.?
In the new formation, T.J. Jarvis, who had been slated as the team?s starting fullback, will move to tailback along with Preston Smith. At fullback, the Pioneers will employ juniors Ramsey Black and Mario Pezzimenti.
?We moved T.J. to fullback, and he was running the ball more like a tailback,? Tidwell explained.
?Preston has stepped up, and he?s shown us he can play tailback.
?Ramsey is not being used enough in the position we have him in, so he and Mario can be the top two fullbacks, and we think we have the linemen that can block an I-formation offense, and still run options.
?We?ll rotate as many guys as can get it done into the ballgame, and keep them as fresh as we can, because we don?t have a lot of depth.?
On the other side of the ball, Tidwell said he is also attempting to simplify a defense that has been disappointing during its recent scrimmages.
?The defense isn?t going to plan, because our kids aren?t doing what they?re taught to do,? he said. ?This is a very disciplined defense, and the kids just aren?t reading and reacting the way they?re supposed to be doing.
?So what we have done is, instead of going to two or three coverages, we?re going to one simple coverage, and learn that and play it well before we move on.?
The Pioneers were scheduled to take on Mt. Juliet on the road in their final preseason scrimmage Tuesday. The 2002 regular season opens Aug. 23, at Centennial High School in Williamson County.