By T. Scott Boatright
Lincoln Preparatory School coach Glen Hall’s squad put on pads for the first time this preseason this morning as they’re slated to work out in shells (helmets and shoulder pads).
But Hall said he’s already seen something he hadn’t seen before as the Panthers’ head coach.
“I’m impressed over the first three days,” Hall said. “This is as many seniors as I’ve ever had since I’ve been here. I’ve got 13 seniors. I’ve got more skill guys than I’ve ever had. I’m talking about real skill guys. I’ve always depended on two or three guys, but now with all of these guys, I have more to depend on and that will allow the team to do more things than we’ve done in the past.”
One of those skill guys is senior quarterback Bralyn Mayfield.
“This guy has the ability to be a D-I quarterback,” Hall said. “He’s almost 6-3 and can throw the ball a mile. He’s an athlete. He’s played a lot of receiver for us in the past along with playing a little at quarterback last year. He can run the ball. He does it all.
“But while he can run, he’s really more of a pocket passer. He’s better as a pocket passer. Ever since I’ve been here I’ve had a running quarterback. So he gives us the opportunity to do some different things. We’ll do more screens and quick passes. And we’ll run the ball just because he can throw so well and the defenses will recognize that. I know I’m putting a lot on him, but he can be that good.”
Hall also has a little dash and smash, or boom and zoom, to handle the bulk of rushing chores for the Panthers.
Senior Chauncy Harper will provide the dash and zoom while senior Jamarius Buggs will add the smash and boom for the Panthers while also potentially lining up as a tight-end/H-back in some situations.
“Jamarion Buggs is a big, fullback-type of rushing who runs hard and likes to hit,” Hall said. “He can block and he can run through tackles.
“Chancy Harper is my fifth-year guy — he’s been playing with us — and contributing — since he was in the eighth grade.”
Hall said Harper’s experience is something that can be of big benefit for the Panthers.
“He’s the kind of athlete that when he sets his mind to do it, he’s going to do something big,” Hall said. “He’s big on defense (as a defensive back). He seems to get an interception or fumble recovery every game. He’s big on offense and turns the corner and breaks a run every game.
“It’s all about how consistent he wants to be. That’s left up to him. But he has all kinds of ability to add to that important experience he brings.”
Hall said conditioning and individual skills have been the focuses during the first three days of workouts for his Panthers, who didn’t start preseason practice until Monday.
“We’ve been alternating between offensive-ended and defensive-ended practices,” Hall said. “Then we’ll run some plays — both offensive and defensive — toward the end of practice. And of course, we’ve been working on conditioning.
Hall said the intensity will turn itself up some today as the Panthers don shells.
“I’m going to put everybody in our ‘Big Cat’ drill,” Hall said. “We call it, ‘Two men enter, one man leaves.’ So we’ll put two of them in there, and the best guy is going to win. It’s all upper-body contact somewhat like wrestling – just a ‘mano a mano’ wrestling match.”
The Panthers will also go to Shreveport’s Booker T. Washington High School (Aug. 17) next Thursday to scrimmage the Panthers.
“That will be the first real test,” Hall said. “With our kind of numbers, it makes it harder to go up against each other in practices with a gamelike intensity. But playing someone else — a different team wearing different jerseys — changes everything.
“When that happens, the players just turn things up. They’re not fighting against their teammates and friends anymore. They’re fighting against the enemy. That’s when we’ll get the first good look at how preseason practice is going.”
