Coaches say camp a success for Pioneers
The Pioneer football team returned home late Friday night from what coaches judged a successful week at Camp Tanisi in Westmoreland.
After their scrimmage with Lebanon on Wednesday, the Pioneers got back on the practice field Thursday morning and worked out a few kinks in their system before traveling to Portland Friday for an afternoon scrimmage with the Panthers.
“We made some big improvements in the Portland scrimmage,” said assistant coach John Dryden. “The coaches and the team sat down Thursday morning and looked at the film from the Lebanon game. It really helped the offensive line, and it gave them a chance to see the little things we had to correct.
“Our defense made some big improvements against Portland. We got to the ball better and squared up and made the tackle.”
As a whole, Dryden said head coach Gerald Tidwell and the rest of the staff agreed the team’s stay at Tanisi was beneficial.
“I think we accomplished most everything we wanted to,” Dryden said. “Our main goal was to get these kids away from home, and let them understand what it means to come together as a team.
“As a coaching staff we worked on the fundamentals and wanted to see how hard these kids were willing to work, and by Thursday night and Friday it showed how these kids gelled as a team. We still have many things to work on, but we’re working on those things as a team.”
The Pioneers open their regular season Aug. 23, with a road matchup against Centennial.