By Sam Waller,
Herald Democrat, Posted Aug 25, 2017 at 9:08 PM Updated Aug 25, 2017 at 9:59 PM Sherman
Herald Democrat
The Sherman Bearcats got their first taste of outside competition Friday in their preseason scrimmage against the Kennedale Wildcats. Nothing a little seasoning won?t help. {{more: Read more …}}
The Bearcats showed flashes of good play, but also encountered problems that proved costly in their lone tuneup before next week?s season opener against Sulphur Springs.
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| This was the first and only scrimmage
for Sherman before they start the season next week (photo Staci Otts) |
Kennedale outscored Sherman 27-3 through three quarters of modified game conditions at Bearcat Stadium before Wildcats coach Richard Barrett called an end to the proceedings.
?Last year, after the end of three, I was the one that went over and said we?re done,? Sherman coach J.D. Martinez said. ?It was 45-0. This year, they have a great team. We were still ready to go another quarter, but (Barrett?s) a first-class guy. It was late and he still had to get his kids all the way back to Fort Worth.?
Martinez said it was easy to see that Class 4A Kennedale, which started practice a week earlier than Sherman and already scrimmaged last week, was a bit ahead of the Bearcats. Sherman did not begin preseason practice until Aug. 14 after having spring drills.
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| Another successful scrimmage for the
Cats as they enter their bye week before opening play at Terrell in two weeks (photo: Staci Otts) |
?They?re a week up on us,? Martinez said. ?The biggest deal for them is Coach Barrett. He?s fantastic. First-class program, first-class guy. I?d like to not like him, but he is so great. He?s so classy. I could learn a lot from that guy on how to run a program. He?s instilled a championship program there at Kennedale that we?re striving to do here in Sherman.?
The Bearcats managed 103 total yards on six offensive possessions, moving inside the Kennedale 10-yard line on their first two drives. The two possessions yielded only a 22-yard field goal by Joel Nandin as Sherman struggled in short-yardage situations.
Kennedale finished with 294 total yards, all but 27 of it on the ground. Running back D.J. Kirven paced the Wildcats? Wing-T attack with 114 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries. He also caught a pass for 13 yards. Braelin Brown added 43 yards rushing on seven carries, while quarterback Evan Jones ran three times for 42 yards and was 3 of 5 passing for 27 yards. Wingback David Roper rushed for 35 yards on three carries and caught a pass for 7 yards.
Martinez said Kennedale?s offense is something the Bearcats won?t see again except for Frisco Liberty in the second game of the season.
