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Patriots conclude spring drills By BARRY BURLESON
Editor  | Photo by Barry Burleson
Air attack
The MA offense works on the passing game during spring practice. |
Coach Keith Wicker said he was very pleased with spring football practice at Marshall Academy. “I
thought it went well,” said Wicker, who will enter his fourth season as
head coach of the Patriots. “We got a lot of offense in and a little
defense. “We lost some good kids to graduation, but we’ve got a good nucleus coming back.” MA lost in the quarter-finals of the state playoffs last year and finished 10-2. Wicker had as many as 23 Patriots in spring practice, and he expects around 25 on next year’s squad. “We have a good group of kids – plenty of speed but not very big. “We will probably throw the ball a lot more. “And we will probably go with a different philosophy on defense because of our lack of size.” He said is looking at a possible four-man front on defense with a lot more blitzing. The
Patriots will participate in seven-on-seven competition this summer in
Oxford, including a tournament July 9-10 versus 1A, 2A and 3A schools. “That should be good for us, since we’re going to be throwing the ball more,” Coach Wicker said. He
also announced the football schedule for the 2010 season – August 20,
Rossville (Tenn.), home; August 27, Magnolia Heights, away; September
3, Falkner, home; September 10, Tunica, home; September 17, Lee
(Clarksdale), away; September 24, North Delta, away; October 1, open
date; October 8, Kirk, home; October 15, Indianola, home; October 22,
Oak Hill, away; October 29, West Memphis, away.  | Photo by Barry Burleson
Instructions
Head coach Keith Wicker gives instructions to some of his Patriots during a spring pactice. |
In
Wicker’s three years at the helm of the MA football program, the
Patriots are 28-9. They have been to the playoffs all three seasons.
They came up just short in the state championship game in Wicker’s
first season as Marshall’s head coach (2007). He will be assisted in the 2010 football season by Keith Owens, Bart Jenkins, Clifford Brown and Ricky Hickman. |
