Moore in control as Faulkner readies for opener
Quarterback Philip Moore finds receiver Luther Burton down field for a big gain
August 14, 2008
As Faulkner continues to get ready for its season opener in a couple of weeks, one personnel decision head coach Jim Nichols won't be struggling with is who'll be the Eagles' starting quarterback. Sophomore Phillip Moore, who starred at Wetumpka's Edgewood Academy, has continued to impress in full contact drills.
"Phillip had a great practice today,'' said Nichols, who put his Eagles through a mini-scrimmage Thursday to open the two-hour workout. "He led the offense down the length of the field and scored both times he was in during the scrimmage. He's become a real leader and the guys are starting to gather around him. It's encouraging to see that consistency in your quarterback and the team coming around him.''
Luther Burton catches Moore's pass for a big first down
Nichols and his staff are concentrating on finding Moore's backup. It'll be either Nick Garrett or David Jones, according to the second-year head coach.
"Right now they are neck and neck,'' Nichols said. "They'll play a lot in the scrimmage this weekend, much more than Phillip because we want to see how our number two guy's going to be.''
The Eagles defense puts a premature end to the run Thursday evening
Nichols wasn't happy with what he called a "sluggish'' Wednesday practice, but was much more pleased with Thursday's results.
"We surprised them today with the little scrimmage,'' he said. "We let 'em hit and go live, and it really picked things up. To win we obviously have to be in shape, and going live like that lets them see where they are condition-wise and how much work we still have to do to get them ready for the opener.
Outside linebacker Jason Evans looks for the running back during Thursday's scrimmage
Faulkner opens its season in Birmingham on Sept. 6 against Samford. The Eagles will follow a normal practice day on Friday with a full day of work on Saturday, which will include a morning practice at Cramton Bowl and an evening full scrimmage at Jeff Davis High School.
"Saturday's scrimmage is going to be important for us,'' Nichols said. "It's going to probably be between 100-120 plays. We're going to have referees and a clock. We're going to take all this work and put it in more of a game setting so they can get a feel mentally for the clock, time management, getting on and off the filed, getting set, breaking the huddle and so on. We want them to start seeing things from more of a game perspective.''