SPRING SCRIMMAGE VS SIEGEL

By Josh Peterson

Sports Editor The Manchester Times

            For the past five years spring football practice has been the same at Coffee County Central High School.

            But this year is different.

            Or the head coach is different anyways.

For the first time since 2002 the Red Raider football program is under the direction of a coach not named Bill Price. Eddie Nunley now has the reigns of the Red Raider football program and he got his first taste of action as a head coach Friday when Siegel came to Manchester for the first of what will be two Red Raider scrimmages this spring.

Coffee County lost to the Stars four touchdowns to two, but Nunley was extremely pleased with his teams’ performance.

 “I thought we looked like we have had three days of practice,” said Nunley after the scrimmage. “The older kids, the more experienced kids, did well. We had some younger kids … some inexperienced kids out there and it showed at times. But I am very proud of our kids.”

One glaring hole coming into spring practice was the offensive line. The Raiders are trying to replace all five starters up front and several players got an opportunity to battle in the trenches.

The running game was sloppy in the early goings but cleaned up about halfway through. Returning 1,000 yard rusher Justin Kanjanabout began to find some holes and put together some tough runs.

            Kanjanabout took matters into his own hands and had a pair of 4-yard rushes on fourth down to convert and avoid a turnover-on-downs.

            It was Coffee County’s eighth possession of the game when the offense put together its best drive of the game. Kanjanabout had a pair of first down carries that produced better than seven yards before breaking loose for a 40-yard touchdown burst.

            “We started executing better as we went along,” added Nunley. “We have to get repetitions. Once we start getting reps we will be okay.”

            Defensively, the Raiders were vulnerable to a few big plays, especially through the air, but settled down as things progressed.

            Soon to be senior Brian Anderson took the majority of the snaps at quarterback for the Raiders. The left-hander connected on a few big plays through the sky.

            Anderson hooked up with Ethan Henley for a 78-yard pass to the two-yard line that led to a Kanjanabout touchdown plunge for the first score of the day for CHS.

            Anderson also connected with Ethan Myers on a 40 yard pass and Nathan Jones for 43-yards on a pump-and-go. He threw one interception. Tyler Hickerson also took snaps at quarterback.

            “We have made progress in the three days we were able to practice before this scrimmage,” said Nunley. “I thought we whipped them up front. They hit a few big plays but we will fix that. I am very proud of the boys.”