CHADRON, Neb. — March 31, 2020 — The world definitely has much bigger problems created by the Coronavirus than the fact the Chadron State football team wont be able to have spring practice. Its a minuscule matter in the grand scheme of things. Many lives are in jeopardy, health care facilities and services are overwhelmed and the economy reportedly is sinking fast.
Even on the Chadron State campus no spring football is not a catastrophic matter. Face-to-face classes have been cancelled, forcing most students, including football players, to go home and finish the semester through on-line courses. Refunds are having to be made to students who were living in the dorms, major events have been cancelled, some student jobs have disappeared and adjustments must to be made in some areas so seniors can complete their degrees.
Even on the athletic front, others at CSC have it just as bad or worse. Two indoor track and field athletes and three wrestlers who had qualified for national competition had those events cancelled just a few hours before they were to compete.
Also, therell be no outdoor track season, meaning sophomore sensation Brodie Roden, who was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conferences Outstanding Male Track Athlete during the indoor season, wont get to compete outdoors because that schedule has been erased. And the softball and golf teams had the remainder of their schedules obliterated just as they seemed to have things rolling.
But, the football coaches and players are still perplexed. Theres always been spring football in one form or another for at least 50 years. Its the way things are done to prepare for next season.
On the other hand, all the opponents are in the same boat, unless theyd held spring practice before the horrible malady reared its ugly head in mid-March. Most teams, like the Eagles, space out their 15 practices from late March through the third week of April.
“We have more questions than answers,” CSC Head Coach Jay Long said. “The way things stand, we coaches cant be involved in any workouts or even allow the players to use the weight rooms or the gyms on campus until at least May 1. We can contact them and encourage them in their academics, which weve been doing, but we cant talk to them about football.”
That doesnt mean the coaches have been hibernating since the restrictions were made. Long said he and his staff have been developing the playbook for the 2020 season, are preparing for the camps they annually host for high school teams in June and are looking ahead to recruiting 2021 high school seniors and junior college players.
Long said coaches can contact prospects now, but campus visits are not allowed.
The coaches also have been involved in professional development like sharing drills and techniques on-line with other coaching staffs. This week, Long is slated to use Skype or similar electronic systems to explain how he coaches the CSC offensive lineman to members of the South Dakota Coaches Association who want to join in.
Since football is a complicated game, spring practice is highly regarded at the college level. It allows coaches to find the players to replace last falls seniors, perhaps make some position changes, develop depth by helping young players get ready to take the field, install some new schemes, etc.
Since former CSC standout Micah Smith is the Eagles new offensive coordinator, the latter was high on the plans for this spring. Now, he will have to wait until August to introduce his ideas on the field.
Smith will be the Eagles only new coach this fall, while five RMAC teams–Black Hills State, Colorado Mesa, Fort Lewis, New Mexico Highlands and South Dakota Mines–have completely new coaching staffs that likely will be at a disadvantage with no spring drills at their disposal.
The Eagles graduated 18 players from last years 6-5 team. The spring roster on the CSC website lists 71 names of players who were on last years team, headed by about 20 who were starters or primary alternates.
Nearly a dozen others transferred to CSC at the start of the second semester in January and were looking forward to strutting their stuff this spring so they could earn playing time in the fall. The coaches also were hoping to size up the newcomers get them integrated into the Eagles system.
Long said the fact the Eagles return all-star quarterback Dalton Holst gives them a big advantage over teams that will be breaking in new signal callers and wont have spring practice to get them familiar with their schemes.
The CSC offense also returns inside receiver Cole Thurness, the teams MVP the past two years; 1,000-yard rusher Elijah Miles; tight end Colt Foster; and all the starters in the line except Jared Maciejczak. However, the Eagles need a pair of outside receivers to replace seniors Tevon Wright and Brandon Fullerton. The latter was slated to be a primary point of emphasis this spring.
On the defensive side, the Eagles will miss end Calder Forcella, linebacker Tyler Lewis, cornerback DeAndre Barthwell and safety Tyree Fryar, who have concluded their eligibility. But the defense returns line mainstays such as Brandon Hopkins and Joel Carpenter, inside linebacker Travis Wilson, who was the teams leading tackler last fall, outside backer Noah Kerchal and several safeties who saw considerable action.
“Well be all right if the players stay away from this nasty disease and come back in shape,” CSC defensive coordinator Craig Jersild said. “They dont learn nearly as well if theyre not in shape and are tired during practice.”
Both Long and Jersild said their main emphasis while contacting the players is the need to take the time to keep up with their studies this spring.
“Im telling them to put their phones down, forget about playing video games and turn off the TV,” Jersild said. “They need to make sure they are keeping up with their studies. That and staying in shape are their main jobs.” Jersild said.
The veteran coach added “its scary” for him and his cohorts, who after classroom sessions were cancelled, wont have face-to-face contact with the players for 21 weeks unless the gridders remain in Chadron or return during the summer after the coronavirus subsides.
Long said about half the Eagles veterans had jobs lined up and planned to remain in Chadron so they could work out with teammates this summer. Only time will tell how that plays out.
