The Camden Fairview Cardinals concluded a busy season spring training last Friday with the Red vs White scrimmage game.
The Cardinals used the spring to evaluate the team and find out what areas the team needs to focus on and fix throughout the remainder of the offseason.
There were questions for the team going into the scrimmage game on both sides of the ball. They were not all immediately addressed, but some positions and team needs are already in better shape.
Cardinals find multiple reliable receivers
Among the Cardinals' biggest offensive needs this spring was finding a reliable set of wide receivers. The Cardinals are looking to put less pressure on their leading receiver in slot receiver Trent Haygood this upcoming season. The other returning starter at receiver is senior Jaylen Goodwin, who had a productive spring training. In the spring scrimmage game, Goodwin caught four receptions for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
Senior Ta'Korey McCoy shined the brightest during the spring scrimmage. McCoy caught three receptions for 37 yards and he was also a designated run-blocker during screen passing plays. McCoy showed his dynamic playmaking abilities and his ability to run after the catch.
Junior wide receiver Dayson Connelly has been a surprise this spring as he was another receiver to step up and produce in the scrimmage game. Connelly caught three receptions for 46 yards.
Senior starting safety Jabaruee Lockhart and junior William Henton are two other players that made big contributions to the offense before the scrimmage. Both of them proved they can be efficient weapons for the Cardinals moving forward, if called upon. With the inclusion of Haygood, Goodwin, McCoy, Lockhart, Connelly, Henton and senior tight end Caleb Tate, junior Darrell "Juney" Atkins could have an easy transition as the new starting quarterback for the Cardinals.
The offense revitalize their rushing offense
The rushing offense for the Cardinals took a big hit this offseason with the lower body injury to junior running back Kenneth Lanford. This spring was about securing a valuable running back in case Lanford misses a portion of the season.
Sophomore running back Jaden Porchia has been impressing the offensive coaching staff going into spring. From the start of spring training to the Red and White game, Porchia showed he can take the handoff and go for an explosive run. In the limited reps that featured a lot of rotations, Porchia rushed for 85 yards on eight carries. His longest came on a 51-yard run on the outside. He is going to be a tenacious back in traditional packages for the offenses.
Porchia was not the only player for the Cardinals that has been efficient in rushing this spring. A few key players emerged to showcase their reliability for the Cardinals' rushing game. Sophomore Pureon Howell was originally set to play more at slot receiver, but his dynamic playmaking abilities have made him an elusive ballcarrier. Howell rushed for 54 yards and a touchdown on four carries with the second-team offense.
Both players will have the support of a solid offensive line that returns all of their starters from last season. After a solid spring, the coaching staff will have plenty to work with to turn these runners into key playmakers to take the pressure from the passing offense.
Two new high-valued pass rushers step up
It is not surprising for a high school program to have to replace their high-volume pass rushers year in and year out. The Cardinals had to replace not one starting defensive end, but two this offseason. Coaches felt confident that senior Xzavyion Morris was going to have a solid transition to becoming a starter. The key for the Cardinals' defense was to find another valuable player at the edge.
Throughout the spring, Morris has shown he can take over the defense with his motor, explosive get off and his tenacity to get into the backfield. Morris accounted for two sacks against the first-team offense in the mini-scrimmage earlier in the spring. He accounted for another sack and a non-contact sack on the quarterback in the scrimmage.
The Cardinals saw another player step up in the scrimmage in junior defensive end Terrell Wilson, who had a monster performance at the opposite side of the defensive line. Wilson accounted for two tackles for loss and a sack as most of the offense's plays were run towards his side of the field. He showed the ability to not be pushed at the line of scrimmage, the ability to spot the ballcarrier and shed off blocks to make the play. With Wilson emerging as a key impact player for the Cardinals, the coaching staff can focus their attention on developing positions that still have holes on their team.