Every year, around the state, some grumbling is heard about eliminating spring football.
Some say it’s too hot to don pads, others don’t like the overlap of the seasons for winter sports and spring sports and still others wonder why there can be more than a month of school without a single spring sport conducting a game or a meet. That’s too much idle time for potential teen mischief.
Kevin Pettis, who will begin his second season as the head football coach at Sebastian River High School this fall, loves spring football.
“The goals in the spring are about finding out who your tough kids are,” said Pettis, who replaced longtime coach Randy Bethel last spring. “We spend time in contact drills to find the strikers. The spring is about rebuilding yourself and starting over. That’s why I love the sport. You can change yourself.”
The Sharks struggled to a 2-8 record during Pettis’ first year at the school. Despite the poor record, Sebastian River remained in playoff contention until its penultimate game in Class 7A, District 12. A victory against Eau Gallie at home could have triggered a three-way tie for second place. The game against the Commodores was not decided until late in the fourth quarter, and the Sharks eventually fell to 1-3 in the district after a road loss to Melbourne the following week.
“We want to identify the problems we had in the fall and address those issues,” Pettis said. “There are no statistics (in the spring). Everything is positive and everything is up for grabs in the spring.”
Sloan Drummonds, who will be a senior this fall, and Jensley Oscar, who will be a sophomore in August, will battle for the starting role at quarterback. Drummonds dislocated his shoulder late in the season and missed the pivotal district games against Eau Gallie and Melbourne.
“It’s going to be a great quarterback competition,” Pettis said. “Jensley was our junior varsity quarterback last year. It’s definitely Sloan’s job to lose, but Jensley is very capable. They’re No. 1 and 1B. Every day, we’ll see who’s the best one. I hope one guy really steps up a level. That would be for the best.”
Nick Cooper, who will graduate this spring, rushed for more than 1,000 yards this past fall. He didn’t break away for long gains, but Cooper’s gritty runs moved the chains consistently for first downs and enabled the Sharks to whittle time off the clock against better opponents. Sebastian River also had to adjust its strategy when Matt Jones sustained a shoulder injury, which limited his ability to carry the ball and made him primarily a defensive back.
This year, the duo of Emmanuel Red and Chris Harper in the offensive backfield should make the Sharks more explosive. Reed is a transfer from Crestview, and Harper played safety for the Sharks last season.
“Emmanuel gives us a power guy who does all the things right,” Pettis said. “He’s one of the strongest kids on the football team and he runs 4.4 for the 40 (-yard dash). He’s a big back and a one-cut guy. He makes the cut and he flies through the defense. Last year, we didn’t have any runs of more than 25 yards. Chris Harper will give us a changeup; he’s a scat back. Both of the guys can catch the ball out of the backfield.”
Marcus Norman, who is being highly recruited by several Division I colleges, returns at left tackle. Cody Spaulding and Garrett Stambaugh also will start on the offensive line.
“We need to find two other offensive linemen,” Pettis said. “We’ve got plenty of big bodies. You’re always looking for offensive linemen. And, defensive linemen and defensive backs. If you don’t have both, that can set you back and you can fall behind early in games.”
After the allowable 20 days of spring practice, Sebastian River will host Treasure Coast at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 22, in a spring football game.
“Spring football is so essential to success,” Pettis said. “There’s a difference between being in shape and being in contact shape. You want to see if your body can take the pounding. It’s also a great evaluation tool for the college coaches who come around. There’s a lot to be said for having spring football. The enthusiasm has been great. We try to recruit the hallways for players every day, it seems. The numbers are good.”
Tough practices and a good spring game could lead to consistent numbers of players working out in the weight room all summer. Pettis said the weight room should be open nearly every day during the summer from morning until evening to accommodate work schedules and family commitments.
“I feel good, but I know we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Pettis said. “We have to get the kids molded the way we want, and it helps that we’ve got the same staff with no changes. It’s hot out there, but we’ll have a five-minute break for water for every 30 minutes of work. For every six periods, there will be one period of water.”
In August, Sebastian River will travel to Jensen Beach for a 7 p.m. Kickoff Classic on Aug. 22. The regular season will begin a week later with the annual game on the road against Vero Beach. That will be the first of seven consecutive weeks of regular-season games. Two district games – at Viera on Sept. 19 and at home against Martin County on Oct. 3 – will be played during that span.
After a bye week on Oct. 17, Sebastian River will conclude its district schedule with an away game against Eau Gallie on Oct. 24 and a home game against Melbourne on Oct. 31. The Sharks will conclude the regular season with a home game against John Carroll on Nov. 7. All games will begin at 7 p.m.
