The spring practice period is drawing to a close for the Georgia Military College football team.
The Bulldogs will take to Davenport Field for their annual spring scrimmage Saturday afternoon as the program looks to create a little momentum heading into the upcoming 2018 campaign. The scrimmage is scheduled to begin at approximately 1 p.m. and the public is invited to come out and enjoy some warm weather football as admission is free.
“I really want to see an intense level of play and more consistent execution on both sides of the ball,” GMC head coach Bert Williams said of his expectations for Saturday’s scrimmage. “We also want to keep everybody healthy. We don’t want to lose anybody.”
The Bulldogs finished the 2017 season with an 8-2 record and were ranked at No. 18 in the NJCAA. As is the case many years for a junior college program there are many holes and roles to fill if GMC wants to enjoy that level of success or beyond in 2018. One position group where the Bulldogs seem to be set is at running back where three of last year’s main contributors are returning.
“Kendall Cross and Reggie Davenport were both playing really well for us last year before getting a broken ankle and a broken foot that sidelined them for the end of the season,” Williams said. “Ty Elam was playing a bunch at the end of the season, so all three of those guys have been very consistent and done a good job protecting the football. They’ve made some big plays for us, so that’s a group we feel really good about.”
Cross had 1,000-yard season in his sights before sustaining his injury, having accumulated more than 750 yards in seven games. Elam and Davenport both finished with just over 250 yards apiece and both reached the end zone four times as freshmen. Handing the ball off to the solid stable of backs will likely be sophomore quarterback Jaylen Nelson who got a fair amount of playing time as a freshman himself though it was mostly due to his ability to run. Nelson actually finished second on the team in rushing with 300 yards on the ground, but was only asked to throw the ball 15 times. The GMC head coach likes the strides the quarterback from Camden, South Carolina has made this spring.
“He’s gotten more consistent in the passing game and is doing better running the offense,” Williams said of Nelson. “I feel more confident in him than I did at the start of the spring.”
The Bulldog coaching staff has done some shuffling to create a viable offensive front in the special practice period. A transfer from Mississippi Delta and a defensive lineman turned offensive lineman will be featured in Saturday’s scrimmage. More help is on the way in the form of a few signees coming out of high school, but Williams seems comfortable with the talent that’s in place right now.
“I feel like we’ve got a solid five anyway. I feel pretty good about those guys with what they’ve shown us.”
Entering last season depth and inexperience were not a problem at all for the GMC defense under coordinator Rob Manchester. The pendulum has predictably swung the other way as the Bulldogs really need some guys to step up on that side of the ball after losing their leader in tackles, sacks, and tackles for loss.
“We don’t have a solid group of returners across the board really anywhere on defense, but we’ve had some guys really looking good out there,” Williams said. “D.J. Daniel at corner is getting a bunch of offers and there are probably more to follow. We’ve got some guys that have shown the ability to help us as we move forward.”
Daniel, a sophomore from Griffin, has received offers from Marshall University, the University of Kentucky, the University of South Carolina, East Carolina University, and others already. He finished his freshman season tied for the team lead in interceptions with three and was among the top tacklers in the Bulldog secondary.
Saturday’s scrimmage is set to begin around 1 p.m., and will be preceded by the GMC alumni flag football game that is scheduled for noon.
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