Day 7: South County Gets Defensive
One area of offense that shouldn't pose too of a concern is the offensive line. Not only does the unit return three starters but are all very agile for their size...
Photo By: Derek LeComte/ Gameday Magazine
LORTON, VA -- It may be fairly safe to assume that no one looks at South County as the new kids on the block anymore. True, they are just in their fourth year of existence, but after last year's playoff appearance, this team and program seems destined for bigger and better things.
But last year's playoff run and rise to power for South County had a lot to do with the play of quarterback Chris Mitchell and running back Titus Pennington, both of whom have graduated.
So at the Stallions' training camp, it's no wonder to see head coach Pete Bendorf and staff out on the lookout for some new playmakers. On offense, they were inserting in and out a whole variety of players in order to find a combination that looked right.
The most mixing and matching that was going on was at the quarterback position where three different players were getting reps with the first team. Bendorf indicated that Aaron Andrews has the upper hand on the job, who is in fact better suited to run South County's spread-option attack because of his speed. Andrews does have plenty of experience from last year as he started several games before the coaching staff made the decision to move Mitchell from running back to quarterback.
While Andrews may be the one to start against Westfield on opening night for the Stallions, don't count out sophomore Evan Beal. He has a very bright future ahead of him as he looks capable enough right now to lead this offense. His best asset right now is his arm as he throws a nice ball and can put great touch on it as well. The more he fills into his frame, then the more dangerous he'll become. Certainly keep your eye out for him in the near future. Remember, his older brother Jesse was drafted in the 13th round in the MLB draft this past summer as a pitcher, so he certainly has the bloodlines to become a good quarterback.
The other big question mark South County needs answered is their running back situation. Eric Dorsey looks to be the strongest of the bunch, but he was a bit banged up for today, so we never got to see him at 100%. He's a bit undersized, but is tough in the middle and looks comfortable in the spread-option. Derek Stein had a decent showing as well, who is a player more suited to run in the open field than anything else.
At least where there aren't any concerns on offense for South County is the offensive line. They return three starters and they all looked big and agile in camp. They're the type of linemen who look perfectly suited to run a spread-option attack as none of them looked incapable of getting up and down the field.
Bendorf had been impressed specifically with how Mike Bromley was performing, but he was another player out with injury for the Stallions. Chris Kichinko, who at 6-foot-2 235 pounds, looks to be another mainstay and force along the line as well.
Surely while the offense has a few holes to fill in camp, the defense looks completely set. They're easily the strength of this South County team and have playmakers lined up at just about every spot on the field.
Making the biggest impression in camp was linebacker Charles Meyers, who with his speed and size could easily develop into one of the district's better defensive players. He has a certain knack for the ball, but what separates him from the rest is his athleticism. The more refined he gets, then he'll be quite a scary player to face.
Also of note and great importance was the talent lined up in South County's secondary. Seeing as they will need to get around West Springfield for a district title, it was clear they do have the talent to stop their passing attack. After all, they were the only Patriot team to beat the Spartans last year, and a big reason may have been because of who they have in their secondary.
Led by Andre Simmons and Karlos Morgan, they combine for a fast, physical and very versatile defensive backfield. Much like Meyers, they are natural athletes, but are more refined in their talent, which will help them out tremendously.
Darrius Colburn, a rangy 6-foot-2 lineman, also stood out in camp today. His strongest suit is his athleticism and while he may appear a bit small for the position, he showed on the day he is in fact a very strong player. His physical assets alone will cause a lot of mismatches for slower offensive lineman.
To test out the Stallion defense, they will be hosting the Oakton Cougars this Friday. Oakton returns a whole host of offensive talent, so needless to say, this will be a great measuring stick for South County at this point.
The main focus with this team right now still is in replacing Mitchell and Pennington. A slow start last year really hampered this team, and they'll need to avoid a repeat of that at all costs. Yet by looking at how this team's defense performed at camp, they have the power to single-handily carry them throughout the season.
