Published: August 22, 2008 09:44 pm            

Kilgore to test Navarro’s defense in scrimmage

Navarro’s new 4-3 defense will get an early test today when the Bulldogs travel to Kilgore for a scrimmage against the defending regular season champions.

After a decade of playing in a 4-2-5 set, Navarro recruited with the intent of moving to a traditional 4-3. So far, so good, says first-year coach Nick Bobeck.

“It’s been an easy transition,” he said. “Instead of having a box safety out there, we’ve got linebackers who play in space. We haven’t had any difficulty at all in transitioning to the 4-3.”

Perhaps the one position that has been tested the most during two-a-days has been the defensive line, which has been going up against a veteran offensive line spiked with Division 1 prospects.

Freshmen defensive tackles Ray Kibbles and Justin Williams and ends Blake Chavis and Lawrence Rumph are quickly making their mark on the Navarro practice field.

“The defensive line has been holding its own,” Bobeck said. “They’ve done a heck of a job in workouts so far. We’re going to be pretty darn good up front.”

Navarro’s defense will be tested by a Kilgore team that returns 1,200-yard rusher Cornelius Shackleford and All-American tight end Woody McClendon.

The teams will work in one-on-one and seven-on-seven drills before scrimmaging for two 15-minute quarters.

The offense has been progressing well, according to Bobeck, who praised the quarterback trio of Andre Bevil, Eric Humphrey and Milton Howell and a fleet group of receivers.

“We’re throwing the ball better at this point in the year than we were a year ago and we’re also running the zone read play better,” Bobeck said. “We’re never going to be as far along as I’d like us to be, but we’ve really been coming along well in the last few days.”

        

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