FDA set to face Morgan in scrimmage

Published 7:54 am Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The last time Fort Dale stared across the sidelines of a football field at another team the Eagles were four quarters away from a 49-21 win against top-ranked Monroe that earned the school its first-ever state championship in football.

Today, the Eagles will be back on the gridiron staring across the field at Morgan as the two teams take part in a controlled scrimmage that will close out the Fort Dale’s spring workouts.

“We’re doing it this way because we aren’t to the point right now that we could get out there and make adjustments on the fly,” Fort Dale head coach James “Speed” Sampley said. “By doing it this way we can be out in the huddle with them and help out. It’s a chance for us to work with them and help make the adjustments and hopefully make the game a little more competitive and something people will want to come and watch.”

The scrimmage format will feature 10 plays on offense by each team’s first-string, followed by 10 plays on offense by each team’s second-string.

Following first-team matchups, the scrimmage will also feature first-string offenses against second-team defenses.

The Eagles’ spring matchup with the Senators will give Sampley and his staff a chance to evaluate his team in a more game-like situation.

“We’ve got a lot of replacements to find,” Sampley, who is entering his 12th year as Fort Dale’s head coach, said. “We lost 12 seniors from last year’s team. We had 5,300 yards of offense last year and 4,700 of those yards are gone. So, we have some work to do, but this is what we do. We lose 12 to 15 seniors each year. We have to start over every year. We’re used to it and these guys know what’s expected of them.”

Sampley is primarily looking for two things from today’s scrimmage.

“I’d like to see us be solid on defense,” Sampley said. “I want us see do the things we need to do to be successful on defense this year. We’re also looking for some playmakers on offense. I hope we’re able to throw the ball effectively. We’ve been able to the last couple of years, and we want to see if these guys that are competing at quarterback can be effective and make plays for us.”

Today’s scrimmage is set for 4:45 p.m. at Fort Dale.