Colonels get closer look at key slots in 2-a-days

Head coaches normally expect the first week of practice to be a bit sloppy, just not the field.

Mother Nature proved to be Nicholls State’s toughest opponent during its start of preseason practice.

After nearly seven days of rain, the AstroTurf in John L. Guidry Stadium saved the team’s schedule.

“We had to adjust the schedule somewhat with the rain, but I’d rather deal with the rain than the heat and humidity,” head football coach Jay Thomas said. “Typical south Louisiana weather. We are used to doing it so we just have to adapt and overcome. We’ve already had a tropical storm show up about the time camp started. It’s something we have to deal with every year.”

As for practice itself, the Colonels were able to get their share in last week, hitting the field in spurts. The team had its first full practice in pads last Wednesday and started two-a-days Thursday. They hit the practice fields twice on Saturday and took some time off on Sunday to allow the players living on campus time to move in. The team also held what Thomas called a “much needed” function that night as well.

“One of our quarterbacks was in here and I asked him who was his roommate, and he didn’t know,” Thomas said. “All he could tell me was that it was a sophomore offensive lineman. They’ve been so busy with practice, workouts and meetings that by the time they get back to their dorm, one of them is sleeping, so they don’t really talk to each other. The team function is definitely something we needed.”

The Colonels returned to practice Monday and will follow a two-one, two-one-two pattern for the remainder of this week’s practice. Since last week was the first week of drills, Thomas and his staff weren’t really eyeing any position battles. This week, however, is a different story.

Two of the key spots Thomas is watching are quarterback and running back, where the team has a number of guys competing for playing time.

Senior Chris Bunch handled all of the quarterback reps at spring practice while last year’s starter, Vince Montgomery, nursed an ankle injury he suffered in the final week of last season.

Montgomery worked on a limited basis last week, but Thomas expects to turn him loose this week to see how he does.

“It’s a healthy competition, but both guys really have command of the other players,” he said. “They handle themselves very well and it’s a competitive battle. The biggest thing for Vince right now is we put in a new passing game, so he’s having to learn what to do and how to throw the ball.”

“(Vince) wants to be the man and he wants to be out there because it’s his senior year,” the coach added. “They’re both key contributors to this team and will both see action in practice and on the field.”

In the meantime, Thomas said he is evaluating his other quarterbacks, especially freshmen Jacob Witt and Damon Whitaker and junior Jose Avina.

A spring trip to Georgia Tech helped the Colonels get a firsthand look at different offensive and defensive setups, as the Yellow Jackets and Colonels playbooks closely mirror each other. The staff plans on testing those looks in the coming weeks, and expects to start going through their game plan in a little over a week.

“The offense is similar and (former Nicholls defensive coordinator) coach (Charles) Kelly is coaching the defensive backs (at Georgia Tech), so the defense is very similar in philosophies,” Thomas said of the trip to the Atlantic Coast Conference university. “We got a lot of good ideas.”

Perhaps the most intriguing battles entering this week of camp are the battles at the running back position where junior A.J. Williams and seniors Demarco Hutchinson, Isa Hines and Jerald Watson are all expected to get playing time.

It’s too early to tell which one will be the favorite come the season opener against New Mexico State on Sept. 4, but it’s a position the coaches started monitoring this week.

“We’re a different looking offense now,” Thomas explained. “We’re not the big power backs. We’re smaller, quicker, speed type guys. We didn’t have much of that in the past.”

The Colonels wrap up the second week of practice this week with a scrimmage at 9 a.m. on Saturday. After, the players will receive their dog tags at 11:30 a.m.