Bears gearing up for 2009 season
Last Updated on 3/16/2010
Published on 5/13/2009
By R.G. Greene
rgreene@gtowntimes.com
In each of the last three seasons, the Carvers Bay High football team has played for the Class A Division I state championship.
With spring practice underway, Bears coach Nate Thompson and his staff are blending the returning players and newcomers, beginning the search for the right chemistry and combinations that he hopes will lead to more success in 2009.
The Bears must find replacements for the likes of defensive tackle Kwame Geathers - who signed with Georgia - linebacker Keshawn Frasier, the Bears leading tackler in '08, and quarterback Arlington Scott.
Junior Desmond Grate is one of the players being looked at to take over at quarterback and returning starters Tevin Greene (6-foot-0, 335) and Terrance Jenerette (6-foot-1, 260) are expected to anchor the offensive and defensive lines.
Though pads and limited contact workouts are permitted for players after their third day of practice, Thompson said the spring sessions are more about teaching fundamentals and technique as opposed to hitting.
"We'll do some hitting, but spring practice is not going to be the time where that is our (only) focus," Thompson said. "It's more about teaching than anything else, especially where the new players are concerned...We know what our (returning) starters can do. We want to work on building depth and find out what the new players we have are capable of doing."
The Bears won 11 of 14 games last year, led by a bruising ground game that averaged more than 230 rushing yards per game.
Junior running backs Clayton Geathers (6-foot-2, 185) and Davious Chestnut (6-foot-2, 180) combined for more than 2,000 yards on the ground last season and will be counted on again to lead the offense.
"You don't want a new quarterback to feel like the game is on his shoulders," Thompson said. "Having running backs like Clayton and Davious removes that pressure. A good (ground) game is a quarterback's best friend, and both Clayton and Davious are versatile enough that we can use them at other positions as well."
When Scott was at quarterback, the Bears operated mostly out of the shotgun spread. When he was lost for the season due to injury, they switched to primarily a three-back set.
With Dameon Franklin taking over as offensive coordinator, the Bears will return to the shotgun.
"We'll use more shotgun and more I-formation than we did toward the end of last season," Thompson said. "We feel like that is the best fit for the athletes we have."
The Bears defense has allowed under eight points per game the last two seasons, thanks to a sizeable and athletic front five that has been able to control the line of scrimmage.
Jenerette is the lone returning starter up front, meaning defensive backs like Geathers and Chestnut and linebackers such as Josh Altman and Tyquell Goss will have to take on more responsibilities at the point of attack.
"The defensive backs and linebackers are going to have to lead us until we get the new starters on the defensive line to where they need to be," Thompson said.
"We like the talent we have in the secondary. We have a strong core of players there and that will help our defense."
