The Lake Belton Broncos will get the opportunity to hit someone else on Friday at Merrill Green Stadium in Bryan, as they take on New Caney Porter in the first scrimmage of the season.
Lake Belton will have the advantage of having an extra week of preparation under their belts, as the Spartans began practice on August 9th, due to 5A/6A programs starting a week later than 1A-4A schools.
One thing the Broncos’ staff will be focusing on in this initial scrimmage is how their depth stacks up against a 5A program like Porter.
Establishing depth is something that the Broncos will need to focus on this season, as the roster is now made up of freshmen through juniors.
Head Coach Brian Cope is looking at this season as their first varsity season as a program for Lake Belton.
Having another class of kids this season is very beneficial and gives some younger guys an opportunity to step up and become key contributors.
“Last season we played with about 35 kids and we can’t play that this year. We have to get into that 45-50 range this season,” said Cope. “We have to find those kids that can help on special teams and be quality backups.”
Offensively, the Broncos are loaded with playmakers, but they will be tested against a stout Porter defense.
Lake Belton Offensive Coordinator Matt Uzzell, knows how important it is for his unit to adapt to the speed of the game in this scrimmage.
“The speed of the game ramps up tremendously between Thursday afternoons and Friday nights,” said Uzell. “We need to see how we handle that jump in the first two scrimmages.”
Defensively, Lake Belton is talented as well, and Defensive Coordinator Randy Hooton has been impressed with their development during the offseason.
Entering the first scrimmage with Porter, Hooton is focused on the speed of the game and confidence.
“In the first scrimmage, I want to make sure our kids are lining up with confidence in our base scheme,” said Hooton. “I think the biggest takeaway will be learning the speed of a varsity game. Everything moves a little faster on Friday night, so rising up to that challenge is key.”
The scrimmage will get underway at 4:30 with the Freshmen, followed by the JV at 5:30, and the Varsity at 6:30pm.
