Golden Tigers look to start new era

Russellville coach Michael Jackson talks with Wesley Bohannon during Friday’s scrimmage.

The past few months the Russellville football program has had to deal with several losses, but fortunately for the Golden Tigers none of them counted in the standings.

Russellville, which has made two trips to the state championship game won a region title the past three seasons, lost Brent Calloway — a top recruit coveted by many of the best college programs in the nation — and almost the entire starting defense, including a pair of players in Darrian Graham and Robert Terrell who signed Division I scholarships.

If that weren’t enough, the Golden Tigers also lost head coach Doug Goodwin.

Nobody could have blamed Russellville fans if they had low expectations heading into the spring, especially since the Golden Tigers held only eight practices before Friday’s spring scrimmage.

New head coach Michael Jackson said although the time has been limited, his squad is learning quickly and thinks the Golden Tigers can be a factor in the race for the region title in 2011.

“I’m very excited about the effort,” Jackson said. “I’m excited about the seniors and the leadership they showed.”

The effort showed during the scrimmage as the top offensive unit put together several scoring drives and was effective both on the ground and through the air.

Running back Tyler Boyd had touchdown runs of 65 yards, 1 yard and 71 yards while quarterback Devan Parker hit Logan Ezzell for a 4-yard touchdown pass.

“With the first group I liked us taking care of the ball and the passing game,” Jackson said. “It’s coming along and is explosive.”

Jackson said the senior leadership is a big part of the offense’s success. He said it is easier to take over a program where the seniors are used to winning and are competitive because those factors make them motivated.

Boyd, who broke his C-1 vertebrae during the Deshler game last season, had an outstanding scrimmage and was glad to be back on the field. He likes Russellville’s chances this season.

“We’re doing good,” Boyd said. “We just have to get better and get stronger.”

Parker said although the team has had only eight practices, the offense is learning quickly. He said he likes the methods the coaches are using to implement the offense because it is easier to grasp and everybody knows what they are doing and what is expected of them.

“For the little amount of time we’ve had, we know about half of the offense,” Parker said.

Offensive lineman Andrew Wallace likes the changes, saying the system is less complicated and remembering the plays is simpler. He also said this team has a different attitude from previous Golden Tiger football teams.

“The attitude is better. Everybody is working harder,” Wallace said. “I think we can be better than the last couple of years, we just have to keep working hard.”

The other offensive units also showed promise during the scrimmage as Daniel Betancourt hit Josh Cummings for an 11-yard touchdown pass, Ryan Pike for a 15-yard touchdown pass and broke lose for a 10-yard scoring run.

Jackson is pleased with what the offenses did, but admits the defense needs work. He said losing 10 starters makes the transition difficult, but expects the defense to improve and become more technically sound before the season begins.

He also said there is much work to be done by the entire team if the Golden Tigers want to keep the program’s high standard of success going in 2011.

“If I had to give us a grade it would be a B-,” Jackson said following the scrimmage. “This group is going to be very competitive. They have the potential to be competitive in the region. The next two months will determine how far we go.”