With three weeks to go before the season opener, Jeff Monken said his Army football team is right where he expected them to be.
The players donned the full pads just a few days ago and Saturday was an opportunity for a first organized scrimmage on a warm August afternoon under nearly perfect skies.
The Black Knights utilized four quarterbacks over nearly two-and-a-half hours of simulated game conditions, though there was some restrictions on tackling players to the ground.
“Overall, we’ve got a ton of improvements to make at (quarterback) and every other position,’’ Monken said. “(I was) anticipating there was probably some missed assignments and some blunders and there were. Hopefully we will get those corrected by Monday and look a little better.’’
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Monken was most pleased with the run defense, with the younger players giving up the longer runs. Kanye Udoh and Hayden Reed ran well, and freshman Brennan Fisher busted off a 60-yard gain.
Freshman Ethan Washington – up from the prep school – showed some real promise, although Monken doesn’t believe he’s really in the quarterback mix just yet. He completed a nice pass on a wheel route but he threw behind a couple receivers and threw one interception to Larry Pickett Jr. on a forced play that Monken said he should have thrown away or tucked it for a run.
“Ethan has a lot of ability,’’ Monken said. “The game will slow down for him as he gains a better understanding of the offense. … I’m anxious to watch him grow and develop.’’
As for the freshman safety Pickett, Monken said he’s “very excited’’ about him.
“Larry’s very talented, a very long player,’’ the coach said of the 6-foot-1 back. “I’m excited about his development.’’
Monken was praiseworthy of sophomore quarterback Cale Hellums, who did not play last year but passed for 8,021 yards during his scholastic career as an all-state pick in Texas. Hellums saw his first considerable action with the first-team players during the scrimmage.
“He’s a tough runner,’’ Monken said. “He’s got a really good arm – he did miss a couple throws, but I thought he did a good job. … He’s matured, he’s grown. He’s improved a lot, even from the spring … you can see that. He’s playing more like a veteran player should.’’
Junior Anderson Britton showed some good leg on kickoffs as Army tries to find a replacement for graduate Cole Talley.
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On the negative side, Monken was “disappointed” with the handful of pre-snap penalties on offense and he wants to see the offensive line move the line of scrimmage more often. Monken said he expected the younger players to miss some assignments but he has a hard time with the veterans making some of those mistakes as well.
Monken said the emphasis for the upcoming days of preseason camp will focus more on the players who are earning their spots on the two-deep roster.
“At some point we’ve got to separate (from the younger guys) and really get the guys that we know are going to have a chance to play an opportunity to prepare,’’ Monken said.
The scrimmage was also a first look for many at the wide-open space on one half of the field – the East stands at Michie Stadium were demolished in the spring, the start of a multi-year project to build taller stands, suites and a new facility for offices and hosting events.
“It kind of feels like a center field in those Major League ballparks, that have really high walls out there,’’ said Monken, a passionate Cubs fan.
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Army will scrimmage again on Saturday. The season opener is Friday, Aug. 30, against Lehigh in a night contest.
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This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Army conducts first football scrimmage of preseason
