ROCKINGHAM — After wrapping up the second day of spring practice Tuesday, coach Bryan Till said he’s “encouraged” by the amount of energy and the level of participation that he’s seen.
The Richmond Senior football team has been working hard on the school’s practice fields despite the rising temperatures. Players have been spread out across the fields, trying to perfect whatever technique their respective position coaches are teaching at the moment.
And Till says he’s proud that.
“I think the reason I’m so impressed with the enthusiasm is because it’s hard, sometimes, in this sport to be excited when you don’t get to do the things you love to do — like hitting and pursuing the ball the way you would like,” Till explained. “But the kids are flying around, talking and just glad to be out there.
“The seniors have been answering the bell and the coaches have done a tremendous job of getting out there and being on top of their positions. It’s going really smooth,” he continued. “If everything else goes like this, we’ll be just fine.”
Quarterback candidates could be seen working on their dropback motions and throwing accuracy. The running backs paid special attention to their blocking techniques Tuesday afternoon, while the wide receiving core focused on running routes correctly and bringing the ball into their bodies after making a catch.
The offensive linemen continued to learn how to have their feet and hands ready after the snap.
As for the defense, its main focus has formation recognition. The team’s defensive unit has learned one front call and one coverage call in the first two days and has been making adjustments when necessary. Till hopes by the end of the week, things will pick up a little bit and he can add a second call.
“We’re doing a lot of individual work. We’re specifically trying to get better at our craft by position,” he said.
Although they’re not allowed to tackle during spring practice, the Raiders will put on pads for the first time Wednesday afternoon. The plan is to teach the players how to tackle correctly.
“I think it’s extremly important early on to go through the fundamentals of tackling — the body positioning and those type of things,” Till said. “Whenever we move forward during the course of the summer, even without contact, we have to get our bodies in a position that’ll be safe for us to finish with. That’s going to be a huge focus the rest of the week.”
Reach sports editor Leon Hargrove Jr. at 910-817-2673 and follow the sports section on Twitter @RCDailySports.
Richmond Senior’s Bobby Terry catches a pass from coach Bryan Hinson during Tuesday’s practice.