Red’Dogs Showcase Skills

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• By Nathan Allen
• 11:57PM on August 20th, 2010

Springdale High gave its fans plenty to watch Friday night during the annual Springdale Showcase at Jarrell Williams Bulldog Stadium. In only 10 plays, the offense scored four touchdowns, including a 34-yard strike from senior quarterback Joseph Calcagni to receiver Henry Hernandez in the corner of the north endzone.

Perhaps the two players that stood out the most were running backs Rahmon Taylor and Lentonio Jenner. Although both are pseudo unknowns in the 7A-West Conference, my guess is they won’t be for long. Both can cut away from defenders with ease and run faster than mostly anyone on the field. Springdale first-year coach Shane Patrick said the potential of both those players is something the Red’Dog coaching staff is very excited about this season.

Defensively, it’s been a work in progress for the inexperienced group. Under first-year defensive coordinator Eric Middleton, the defense has grown tremendously. They’ve tried to perfect their multiple 4-3 scheme while maintaining an understanding of the “multiple” aspect, meaning being able to go with the flow and change something at the last minute.

After the 30-minute scrimmage was over, Patrick met with his players in the Willard Walker Fieldhouse, and told them he was proud of their efforts and that he liked their “explosive” skills on the field. It’s something he wants to see more of as the season gets near.

So what did the Red’Dogs get as a reward for such a successful night in front of their fans? Yep, you guessed it — a Saturday practice from 7-9 a.m. Because Springdale missed two practices last week because of excessive heat, Patrick said his team is going to work on special teams, something they desperately needed.