You give Cedar Cliff coach Jim Cantafio an experienced FBS recruit at quarterback and a wealth of talent at the wide receiver position and the veteran skipper becomes a kid in a candy store.
Much like last season the Colts’ offense, fueled by Virginia Tech recruit Andrew Ford at quarterback, will be high octane again in 2013.
Defense and line play will be the questions that need answered, but the pure football entertainment value should once again be through the roof for the Colts.
If nothing else, Cedar Cliff will be fun to watch.
What I saw: The sun rise over the trees at West Shore Stadium Wednesday morning. In my 20 years of covering high school football, I have never been on a field to watch the sun come up. The Colts were in full swing by 6:15 a.m.
Cedar Cliff didn’t do a whole lot of hitting, but they were in full pads. This breakfast practice session was all offense so the pace of practice was through the roof. And, naturally, there was a lot of passing.
I don’t know the number, but my best guess is each quarterback has to throw at least 200 balls in a two-hour session. I asked Cantafio if he had an idea of the number and all he said was “it’s a lot.”
Sights and sounds: Right from the first snaps at 6:15, the Colts’ first and second team offense went up and down the field in two-minute drill fashion. It was intense and impressive to see this complicated offense operate so smoothly.
Sorry, but when coach Cantafio sees a player make a miscue based on lack of concentration, it’s great to hear his voice go to a higher pitch as he takes “corrective action” with that particular individual.
This practice was all offense. The Colts work all defense in their second session of the day – starting at 10:45 a.m. This week during two-a-day practices, Cedar Cliff is done by 1:30 p.m.
Long sleeve shirts and sweatshirts was the order of the day. It felt more like early October instead of mid-August with the temperature below 60 degrees at the start.
But those cooler temperatures gave the Colts a sharp focus during the 120-plus minutes on the field. Wednesday is normally tough sledding for the players during this first-week grind. But because it wasn’t hot, Cantafio said his club had an “excellent practice helped out by the weather.”
Takeaways: Ford is in complete command of this offense. In addition to being physically gifted, Ford is sneaky football smart. He sets the tempo and the rest of the team follows his lead.
Cedar Cliff will not have a go-to receiver in 2013. There’s so many choice in terms of wideouts, the Colts will be best served if five or six guys register catches in each half.
This defense still worries me. Cedar Cliff averaged 41.4 points a game during the regular season and finished 5-5. It’s no secret this side of the ball holds the key to more victories.
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