By Gary Lloyd
PINSON — Pinson Valley will travel to Mortimer Jordan on Friday for its spring football game.
The freshmen will play at 5:30 p.m. The varsity will play a half at 7 p.m. and the junior varsity will play another half.
The only live special teams play will be on punts and punt returns.
Indians head coach Matt Glover said this spring game is important because Pinson Valley will not play a jamboree game in August, a result of ascending to Class 6A and scheduling changes.
Pinson Valley rising senior running back Tyree Watson looks for running room in a jamboree game at Hewitt-Trussville last year.
file photo by Ron Burkett
The focus so far this spring has been on the trenches. Pinson Valley lost all its contributing defensive linemen and three of its five starters on the offensive line from last season. The team is also changing schemes.
“That’s been a learning curve,” Glover said.
Glover said the team is going through a “trial” with players trying different spots to develop some depth in the trenches. Glover said Pinson Valley doesn’t have Class 6A depth right now, though the skill level is solid.
“We’re trying to overcome that by getting the right kids in the right spots,” Glover said. “That’s your job as a coach during spring training is to make sure you get your kids in the right spots to give them a chance to be successful. That’s what we’re really focusing on trying to do right now.”
Rising junior Errius Collins is the starting quarterback heading into the spring game. It’s “wide open” behind him with Liallen Dailey, Jackie Matthews, Justin Hogan and Zac Moore, Glover said.
The top returning player for Pinson Valley is rising senior running back Nick Gibson, one of the state’s top players. Other returning contributors should be linebacker Nathan Cunningham, wide receiver Trey Underwood, cornerback Juray Smith, wide receiver Desmond Williams, running back Tyree Watson and safety Keenan Toney.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.
