Key Takeaways From TCHS Spring Scrimmage As Winegarden Era Begins

NORTHPORT, AL — The community got its first glimpse on Wednesday of the Tuscaloosa County High Wildcats and its new football coach Adam Winegarden, as spring football practice wraps up.

Wildcat Stadium saw its home bleachers fill with fans and students for the sunny 84° afternoon spring scrimmage, along with the TCHS band and cheerleaders to complete the game day atmosphere. The format of the game was loosely organized, with younger players rotating in during different series in an effort to get everyone some on-field work.

Here are some of the biggest takeaways going into the summer

Overall: Excitement has been building after Winegarden was hired away from Auburn High School earlier this year, with expectations already on the rise for the Wildcats as they compete in Class 7A, Region 3. On the offensive side of the ball, jitters and nerves were evident early on, especially in the passing game, before the Wildcats settled in and managed to score on the ground on two different series.

Quotable

"We just wanted the kids to have fun and any time you get in front of your study body and fans, it takes a little while to calm down and play. But we're really proud of the kids. I thought they had a really productive spring and are better than where they were in the beginning."

- TCHS football coach Adam Winegarden

Patch Game Ball

There were several notable individual performances for the Wildcats on Wednesday, but none got the fans out of their seats like a long run by upcoming junior running back Kam Hall. Hall made the move to the backfield from defensive back in the spring and had several tough carries before finding daylight to run untouched over 50 yards to the end zone for the longest run of the game. For that, Hall is our Patch Player of the Game.

Offensive Notebook

- The Wildcats scored on two separate series, running an obviously vanilla look more focused on fundamentals and execution.

- The points came from the long touchdown run by Hall and a score on the ground by quarterback Brax Garrison, who showed off his speed and long stride by breaking loose from the pocket and taking it a little over 20 yards for the score.

- While the Wildcats also showed hard-nosed running by its backs, Garrison sharpened up in the pocket as he settled in and displayed heart by completing several tight passes and rallying back after throwing an interception on a pass deep down field early in the game.

Defensive Notebook

- Defensive line play, especially with the pass rush, should receive a high marks in the film room, as quarterbacks were pressured often when dropping back to throw.

- Good hands in the secondary saw two separate passes intercepted, and man-to-man play was also impressive by Wildcat defensive backs.

- County High fans have plenty to be excited about on the defensive side of the football, as the TCHS community was even more energized with the hire of defensive coordinator Antonio Ford, a former head coach at Sipsey Valley High School with a strong local reputation.

Winegarden's main takeaway:

"The obvious thing, as a team, we want to learn how to play with greater effort as a group and I think there’s obviously some guys who made some good plays, so we’re learning how to play as a unit right now."

The Wildcats will now have 22 workout dates over the summer months as the team gears up for its 2021 season opener on the road against crosstown rival Paul W. Bryant High School on Aug. 20.

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