Camp activity: Stop standout

By Mike Kays
Phoenix Sports Editor

June 28, 2009 12:15 am

— Known to blow out a few hip-hop tunes when football is in session, the public address system at Indian Bowl on Saturday gave its own tribute to the late Michael Jackson.
That might have taken minds off the relentless triple-digit heat of the weekend and if so, left plenty of room to focus on one of the primary assignments of the day for three of the Green Country Team Camp squads present on Saturday.
That task: Contending with Tulsa Central quarterback DeMarco Cobbs, projected by several recruiting services as the state’s top recruit in 2010.
Some handled it better than others.
“I thought we shut them down,” Muskogee coach Matt Hennesy said after his team won a game-simulated scrimmage, one of three the Roughers claimed on the day, 28-11. “He’s not going to outrun us like he will some of the guys but were able to get enough people there to corral him.”
For Sequoyah and coach Brent Scott, it was a different result. The Indians struggled to contend with the elusiveness of Cobbs, who on one recruiting list is ranked as the No. 3 receiver in the country but is playing quarterback for the Braves, as they lost 32-22. Sequoyah got a double-dose of speed, losing to Muskogee 49-20.
Scrimmages were set up to game-simulating standards of 20-minute halves. Each team began drives on the opponent’s 40-yard line and got points for scoring, defensive stops and turnovers.
“We don’t see that kind of speed in our district so I’m not that worried about it,” Scott said of Cobbs. “He can take a busted play and break it 40 yards on us. It was fun watching him.”
It was more fun for Hennesy, who said he was especially pleased with the play from a defense that returns just four starters from last year’s 7-4 squad.
“I thought we played well all day,” he said. “Nobody really did much to us.”
Defensive coordinator David Heath concurred.
“When we needed a big play, a stop or a turnover, they were right there,” he said.
Back on defense are linebacker Eddie Venters, who will start at an inside linebacker slot. Venters played in an outside spot last season. Also returning are Brenton Bogar and Victor Williams in the secondary. Ryan Lester returns on what will be a smallish defensive front.
“We’re going to utilize our athleticism in the back to make things happen,” Heath said. “We’ll do more blitzing because we have the cats who can play man to man.”
Kyler Harris, the son of MHS offensive coordinator Rusty Harris, had an interception against Central. Ruben Gaines, a cornerback, had a fumble recovery in that contest.

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