For the first time in 2018, the Iota High School football team had an opportunity to share the field with another team.
On Thursday, they traveled to Abbeville to practice and scrimmage against the Vermilion Catholic Eagles.
There were plenty of moments when the Bulldogs, who return 13 starters from last year’s 9-3 squad, showed why they are being predicted by some to make a return trip to the playoffs. There were also several moments that reminded Iota fans that there was still much work to do before the season begins.
“We still have a lot of work to do,” said Iota Head Coach Josh Andrus. “We made a lot of mistakes that we will need to get cleaned up before the season starts.”
Thursday’s session was delayed for about an hour as thunderstorms moved through the area.
Both teams used the practice session to work on their special teams and situational passing situations.
Returning punter/cornerback Mitchell Lege had some nice kicks as he placed one inside the five yard line.
During passing drills, both returning starters Chaynery Johnson and Charlot made some nice catches. After one play, Vermilion Catholic Coach Kevin Fourqier got on his defense after overpursuing Johnson following a short catch, that would have resulted in a touchdown in a live game.
Both Andrus and defensive coordinator Aucion got on their defense after Vermilion Catholic receivers caught wide open balls across the middle of the field. Linebacker Dakota Breaux had a nice pass breakup as he appeared to be getting more comfortable in his new position.(He was a defensive lineman in 2017).
After lightning sent both teams indoors again for a short break, the teams lined up for a full-contact scrimmage.
Among the things Iota fans can take from Thursday’s competition:
- Iota’s passing game should be improved from last year with all their skill positions returning.
Returning starter Trey Rambin looks as though he’s gained some weight since and threw several impressive passes. Receivers Johnson, Charlot, Renfro and Ashby each had some nice catches with Charlot on the receiving end of a beautiful 35-yard touchdown pass.
However, there were several dropped balls as well as some mental breakdowns that will have to be cleaned up before the Bulldogs take the field against Basile in Week 1.
- Both the offensive and defensive lines appear to be stout but need to stay healthy.
When the starters were on the field, the team moved the ball fairly well. However, the second and third teams seemed to have problems with defenders breaking free in the backfield. Coach Andrus has already mentioned depth on his offensive line being a concern heading into this season. Also, both lines appear to be larger than they were last season though they will still be outsized when they play district opponents such as Crowley, Church Point and Northwest. Two of those teams defeated last year’s Bulldog squad in competitive games.
- Though the Bulldogs will surely miss All-Everything running back Kaleb Guillory (2,426 yards, 36 touchdowns), another Guillory and a St. Edmunds transfer should have fans excited about this years running game.
Kollin Guillory, Kaleb’s younger brother, is set to move into his brother’s position from last year. By all accounts, he is the faster Guillory and, if his 25-yard touchdown Thursday is any indication, he appears to be running the ball with a bit more discipline than last season. During that run, he seemed to patiently follow his blockers as he weaved through the Eagles’ secondary.
The addition of Luke Doucet, who transferred to Iota after running for 1,600 yards at St. Edmonds last year, looks to be a nice shot in the arm to the Bulldogs’ backfield as the physical runner appears to seek out contact. He had some really nice bursts up the middle on Thursday, including one in which he ran over the North Vermilion middle linebacker and continued moving forward until three defensive backs finally brought him down. His angry running style will surely keep his teammates fired up on the sidelines as well.
- The Bulldog secondary should be a strength, however, they gave up some wide open passes after Mitchell Lege went down with a pulled groin. (He shouldn’t miss any extended time.) Nick Gravot had a couple of nice pass breakups and Kam Aucoin delivered a really nice hit in run support during the scrimmage.