Scrimmage report: John Marshall vs. Bridge Creek

 As for the football, both teams looked better than I expected. I thought John Marshall would be in for some growing pains with 12 new starters in the lineup. Sure, they had their moments when they looked a little lost, and the coaches were working hard after every play teaching better technique, better positioning, better reading of the situations. But overall, the Bears were farther along than I thought they’d be.

And I thought Bridge Creek’s offensive timing would be a little off, because QB Ryan Spangler had so much going on in the summer between football and basketball camps, AAU tournaments and recruiting. But from the outsider view, he looked sharp. He was intercepted by Alandis Bell and Emmanuel Denson on two throws that were more bad decisions than bad execution.

But Spangler and WR Caden Locke kept hooking up all night, including the three big scoring plays. Spangler was also moving outside the pocket well. RB Blake Henderson is a hard runner who produced a few big gains, but overall, I think John Marshall should be pleased with its run containment.

Of course, that’s going to be the strength of the Bears defeense, with guys like Dejon Brison and Denzelle Johnson in the front seven. Johnson is a big, strong athlete who will help out the offense in some running and receiving situations as well.

Here’s the three-piece roundup from Friday’s paper: 

Big pass plays for Bears, Bobcats

All the four touchdowns scored by the first-team offenses in Thursday’s Bridge Creek-John Marshall scrimmage covered at least 30 yards, topped by a 65-yard hook-up between Bridge Creek quarterback Ryan Spangler and receiver Caden Locke.

Spangler and Locke connected for three TD passes for the Bobcats and John Marshall answered with one, but the Bears came away pleased with the performance in the first scrimmage of the season at Taft Stadium.

“I thought we competed well,” coach Bruce Troxell said.

A four-receiver spread offense like Bridge Creek runs requires some game-planning, but no one’s doing that right now.