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'Hounds preparing for Texas trip
FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- About 100 athletes reported to when Fort Scott Community College Aug. 7 to prepare for the upcoming football season. Practice began Aug. 9 and will continue through Aug. 28. After that, the Greyhounds make the long trek to Kilgore, Texas, to take on the defending champion of the Southwest Junior College Football Conference, Kilgore College, on Aug. 30.
Interestingly, while Butler and Blinn (Texas) open the season Aug. 28 in Wichita, Kan., in a battle between the last two national champions (Butler is the defending national co-champion while Blinn won it in 2006) and they are ranked No.1 and 2, respectively, the NJCAA/jcfootball.com pre-season poll, Kilgore was voted the favorite to win the SWJFC in its coaches' poll.
Fort Scott, 9-3 last season, is No. 18 in the pre-season poll while Kilgore (8-4) is No. 14.
"The weather's been very cool," FSCC head coach Jeff Sims, who begins his second season here, said just before sending his players to a watermelon feed after Friday's practice. "So we've been able to do more without any problems from the heat. We have some returning receivers, so they know our passing game. And we have some defensive players who were here in the spring."
With the opening game in Texas, however, it's best to prepare for the worst weather. Even though kickoff is at 7 p.m., it could still be 100 degrees at game time.
"We want to get in game shape," Sims said. "Can our guys be fast in the first game?"
The Greyhounds are looking to fill several holes, including ones on the defensive line and in the linebacking corps, where several players earned their way to Division I scholarships. But the most pressing needs are at quarterback and tailback.
Greg Cross, now at the University of Pittsburgh, was Fort Scott's starter under center the last two seasons, which were two of the best for the Greyhounds since the early 1990's. Rodney Lovett, a 1,000-yard rusher, has moved on to Louisiana-Monroe, although that didn't prevent someone at the NJCAA from voting him a pre-season second team All-American (Had Lovett stayed, he would have been a redshirt sophomore).
Lovett was the winner of a pre-season battle for the tailback position last year while there was no doubt Cross was going to be one of the top junior college quarterbacks in the nation. This year, the tailback battle is just as intense as last year while the fight for the quarterback position may come down to the last moments.
"Last year we had a great quarterback," Sims said, "but only one quarterback. This year, we have three guys competing and they're all doing a great job. We have three guys at running back who are all doing great. The other two men at both positions both still deserve a lot of respect.
"In a sense, this is like the NFL a bit. You can't always keep all the great guys."
With only 12 spots available to out-of-state players on a Jayhawk Conference roster, the plan is to keep just one out-of-state quarterback and one out-of-state tailback.
NOTES -- Sims said there were still 97 players in camp Friday....
The Greyhounds are teaming up with the Fort Scott Fire Department for a canned food drive at the home opener against Coffeyville on Sept. 13. The food that is donated will be given to The Beacon....
As was the case last season, all FSCC home games will begin at 1 p.m. The 'Hounds will also be at home on Sept. 20 vs. Garden City, Oct. 4 vs. Independence, and Oct. 25 vs. Air Force Prep....