Saturday, April 30, 2011

Update #1 - 2011 Arkansas Football Camp and 7-on-7 Tournament Schedule

We have been looking high and low for team camps, individual camps, and 7-on-7 events scheduled for this summer.  Here is our best guess at the schedule for Arkansas High School Football (7-on-7, Team Camps, and Individual Camps) in 2011.  We are pretty sure that we have missed a couple of events. So, if you know of one that is left out, please let us know.

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May 2011
June 2011
Arkansas Activities Association Dead Period for 2011
  • June 19-July 3
July 2011
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That's what we have for now.  We will try to get you participants and results of these events as soon as they are available.
Posted by Arkansas Football Bloggers at 7:00 AM 0 comments
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Wednesday, April 27, 2011

2011 Ouachita Baptist University Football Camps

The Ouachita Baptist University football coaching staff will be hosting 3 different football camps this summer in June.  The camps will take place on the OBU campus in Arkadelphia and will feature workouts in their football athletic facilities.

The first camp is scheduled for June 8-10 and is called the 24th Annual Tiger Football Team Camp. The camp will include athletes in Junior and Senior High School. There will be team instruction by Todd Knight (OBU head football coach) as well as a 7-on-7 competition during the camp.

The next camp on the OBU campus is the Tiger Football Individual Skills Camp on June 12-14.  Players entering grades 9-12 are eligible to attend. This camp is hosted by Coach Todd Knight and will feature combine-style testing and skills competitions.

The final camp on the OBU campus this summer is intended for both boys and girls entering grades K-7. The Tiger Cub Football Camp will be held in the mornings of June 15-17. Campers will get instruction on football fundamentals and discussions of the importance of sportsmanship and honesty.

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For information on any of the camps, follow the links above or visit the OBU Athletic Department's Football website. The OBU Tigers will compete in the newly formed Great American Conference in the 2011 season.
Posted by Arkansas Football Bloggers at 7:00 AM 0 comments
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Sunday, April 24, 2011

*Cover 2 Pass Defense in 7-on-7 Football

A cover 2 scheme can be very effective for a defense because it allows more defenders to stay in the shorter passing lanes or pressure the passer. However, most high school defensive coordinators get into that cover 2 the same way every time: Simply dropping the free and strong safeties into a coverage that divides the deep "halves." This scheme is a textbook rotation into a cover 2 and is one of the more simple reads for a spread passing QB. Most offensive coaches will tell you that you will have a very long night on defense if you continue to show the same look and rotate into a coverage the same way. This is especially true for the pass only offenses that you see during a 7-on-7 tournament or camp.

So, as a defensive coach, how can you vary the coverage rotation so that you keep as many defenders as possible in the short zones while still playing a fundamentally sound cover 2 scheme? This article is intended to give a defensive coordinator some different ideas to confuse and frustrate a passing attack that usually feasts on cover 2.

In the video below, we first show a cover 2 base defense versus a "Doubles" formation. We then show different ways to rotate into that coverage beginning with a cover 3 base. Here is the order of the slides in the video.

1. Base Cover 2

2. Dropping the SS back to halves and rotating FS and LB's accordingly. As stated above, this is the most popular method to roll into cover 2.

3 & 4. Shift the LB's out to cover for a CB that will drop into deep halves. #3 is the same as #2, just going the opposite way.

5. Pull the FS down and drop the SS and OLB into deep halves.

6. This is not roll as much as a variation of cover 2. Cover 2 Buc (or Tampa 2) which is actually a hybrid cover 3 of sorts as the MLB drops into the deep middle while the two safeties can cover further outside the hash. This keeps teams from exploiting the deep middle -- the weakness of the cover 2 defense.



By no means is this an exhaustive list, but hopefully this will give you some ideas to work from. The reason this can be effective is that, when you are facing good teams where the quarterback is making pre-snap reads and the receivers are adjusting routes based on coverage, it can confuse either or both. This confusion will lead to positive plays for your 7-on-7 defense.

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*Since older posts are sometimes hard to find, we are re-posting this.  We hope this helps in developing a successful scheme for your 7-on-7 football defense.
Posted by Arkansas Football Bloggers at 7:00 AM 0 comments
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Friday, April 22, 2011

2011 Southern Arkansas University Football Camps

The coaching staff at Southern Arkansas University will be conducting several camps this summer. The coaches are looking to provide opportunities for campers to improve on the fundamentals and gain confidence in their skill set.

The initial camp this summer is the LIL' Mulerider Camp (intended for grades 1-6). This camp will take place in the mornings on June 13-15. Campers will need workout clothes, cleats, and bottled water when they show up for camp each day.

Two overnight camps (SAU Offensive/Defensive Lineman Camp and SAU Skill Camp) will be conducted June 15-17. These camps are intended for players entering grades 7-12. Campers will need to bring a helmet, shoulder pads, workout clothes (for 6 practices), and supplies for the overnight stays.

The final camp of the summer is the SAU Senior Camp and is open only to players entering their senior year of high school. The camp is a one day camp that will take place on July 23. This camp will include an on the field practice session, meetings with the coaching staff, agility testing, a campus tour and an academics session. Campers should bring workout clothes, cleats, and running shoes.

The SAU Muleriders will be part of the newly formed Great American Conference in the 2011 football season.
Posted by Arkansas Football Bloggers at 7:01 AM 0 comments
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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

"Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis" Book Review*

Since we are an "All Things Football Related" type of blog, we felt that a book review dealing with a hot topic in high school, college, and pro football might be a good idea. I finished this book a little over a year and a half ago. The conclusions and story stay with me to this day.

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  • Title:  "Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis"
  • Author:  Christopher Nowinski
  • Synopsis:  This book is a mixture of many things: autobiography, lessons learned, advocacy, etc.  Nowinski tells the story of his battle with multiple concussions and warns football players, families, and coaches of the danger of not taking concussions seriously.
  • Impression of the book: I was impressed with Nowinski (Harvard football player turned professional wrestler) and his ability to tell a really sad story that continues to wreak havoc in his life.  I closed the book feeling both sad for him and fortunate that  I walked away from football mostly unscathed.
Nowinski tells a story that is perhaps familiar to many that have played high school and/or college football. He has multiple instances of getting dinged, having his bell rung, etc.  What football players, coaches, and professional wrestlers don't realize is that each of those cultural phases for going loopy after hit are basically the recognition of the symptoms of a concussion (without actually saying concussion).  I had ONE pretty serious concussion as a high football player, but thinking back on my career, it is likely that I had multiple "minor" concussions that never took me out of the action.

Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis from the NFL to Youth Leagues
This book caused me a lot of consternation, but it also confirmed a lot of my beliefs about youth football. I am one that believes that tackle football at ages less than middle school/junior high is counterproductive.  First, there is such a great disparity in body size at young ages that there is an inherent problem of the smaller players quitting (or never starting) because of the size mismatch with larger kids.  Second, there is nothing that is taught or learned at those young ages that is neglected in higher levels of football.  Finally and probably most importantly, the coaches of these Pop Warner or Pee Wee leagues don't have the training to recognize the signs of head injury.  For that matter, neither do some high school or college coaches if we are to believer the reports from Texas Tech last season.

I think that every youth, junior high, and high school football coach should read this book.  I think that coaches care about their players. Living with the fact that they could have prevented an injury (or death) of a player would be extremely difficult.  I also recommend this book to anyone involved with high school athletics.  Finally, I would recommend that high school coaches associations around the country bring in neurologists or other doctors to train/inform coaches on the dangers of head injuries for adolescents.  Emphasizing the dangers might reign back some of the cavalier attitude toward head injuries that can be seen on almost any Friday night during football season.

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*This review was originally posted on my "general" blog:  The Minimum Publishable Unit (MPU).
Posted by Russ at 7:00 AM 2 comments
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Monday, April 18, 2011

2011 SEArk Shootout Date

The date for the 2011 SEArk Shootout has been set for Tuesday, July 12, 2011. Last year, this event was known as the Hustlin' Hermit Shootout. The event will take place at the Warren Baseball/Softball Complex, in Warren, Arkansas.

The tournament organizers are looking for 8-10 teams to complete the field. The format for the shootout is pool play (2 pools) with the results of the pool used to seed a single elimination tournament.

The start time be 2:00 PM on Tuesday.  The event will have certified officials on each field.  A full concession stand will be available all day.  You can register your team online at searkshootout.weebly.com.  The contact information for the tournament staff can be found here.

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Thanks go out to Coach Chris Norton for the great information.
Posted by Arkansas Football Bloggers at 7:00 AM 0 comments
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Saturday, April 16, 2011

ArkansasVarsity.com All-State Football Combine

ArkansasVarsity.com is sponsoring the 2011 Arkansas All-State Football combine presented by Mobile Radiology Services.  This is the 2nd Annual edition of this combine and it will take place on May 7, 2011 at Jonesboro High School. The event will begin at 9:30 AM, so you will need to be at the field by 8:00 AM for check in. The combine is open to anyone entering grades 8-12.

If you plan to participate, bring the following items:
  • Workout gear, shorts and/or sweats (You will be provided a shirt at registration)
  • Cross Training shoes and Football Cleats
  • Game or Highlight Tape (optional)
  • Snacks and water/Gatorade (highly encouraged)
The combine will feature the following events:
  • 40 Yard Dash 
    • Each athlete will run two, timed 40's and the fastest time will be kept. 
  • Vertical Jump 
    • Each athlete will have two attempts. Best jump will be kept.
  • Bench Press 
    • 8th-10th grade Max reps at 135 lbs. 
    • 10th-12th grade Max reps at 185 lbs. 
    • NOTE: Seniors have option to bench Max reps at 225.  
  • 20-Yard Shuttle (Pro Agility) 
    • Two runs, fastest time kept 
The cost of the combine is $50 for the entire event. The price will include a ArkansasVarsity.com All-State Football Combine Shirt, a recruiting picture, testing numbers, a recruiting seminar, a chance for statewide notoriety, as well as a chance to be recognized by local and national college coaches. Lastly, all combine results will be sent out to college coaches.
    Posted by Arkansas Football Bloggers at 12:00 PM 0 comments
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    Friday, April 15, 2011

    Battle of the Trenches Lineman Camp

    While this website is mainly concerned with the passing game and 7-on-7 defense, we have been alerted to a camp that makes the passing (and running) game go during the regular season. The Battle of the Trenches Lineman Camp will take place at Nettleton High School in Jonesboro on June 9-10, 2011. The camp will be open to rising freshmen to seniors in high school. The camp is sanctioned by the Mississippi High School Activities Association.

    During the camp offensive lineman will be instructed on these items: Pass sets, Zone blocking, Cutoffs, Scoops, Pulls, Hand to Hand, Base Blocking, Speed rush, Cross face, and Twist.  The defensive lineman will work to learn and improve these areas: Ball get-off, Base block and double teams, Evasive pass rush moves, Stretch and Zone, Blow delivery progression, Pass rush angles, Stunt angles, Dip and lean, Counter moves, and Hoop drills.

    Coaches interested in getting a team discount should contact (205) 617-9877 to discuss this with Taurus Felton (camp director).

    Posted by Arkansas Football Bloggers at 7:30 AM 0 comments
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    Wednesday, April 13, 2011

    Initial 2011 Arkansas Football Camp and 7-on-7 Tournament Schedule

    We have been looking high and low for team camps, individual camps, and 7-on-7 events scheduled for this summer.  Here is our best guess at the schedule for Arkansas High School Football (7-on-7, Team Camps, and Individual Camps) in 2011.  We are pretty sure that we have missed a couple of events. So, if you know of one that is left out, please let us know.

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    May 2011
    June 2011
    • June 4: Sonic Air Raid 
      • Harding Academy in Searcy
    • June 4:  Fenter Physical Therapy Air Devil 7-on-7 Tournament
      • West Memphis High School
    • June 9-10:  Battle of the Trenches Lineman Camp
      • Nettleton High School in Jonesboro
    • June 10-11:  Harding University 7-on-7 Team Camp
      • Harding University in Searcy
    • June 12: Clint Conque Junior/Senior High School Camp (#1)
      • University of Central Arkansas
    • June 13-15: Southern Arkansas University LIL' Mulerider Camp
      • SAU in Magnolia
    • June 13: Clint Conque Team Camp (#1)
      • University of Central Arkansas
    • June 15: Clint Conque Team Camp (#2)
      • University of Central Arkansas
    • June 15-17: Southern Arkansas University Skill Camp
      • SAU in Magnolia
    • June 15-17: Southern Arkansas University Offensive/Defensive Lineman Camp
      • SAU in Magnolia
    • June 17-18:  Shootout of the South
      • Mighty Bluebird Complex in Little Rock
    • June 20-21: Clint Conque Youth Camp (Grades 3-8)
      • University of Central Arkansas
    Arkansas Activities Association Dead Period for 2011
    • June 19-July 3
    July 2011
    • July 8-9:  Southwest Elite 7-on-7 Showcase
      • Shiloh Christian School in Springdale
    • July 12:  SEArk Shootout (Announcement posted soon)
      • Warren Baseball/Softball Complex - Warren, AR
    • July 16:  Henderson State University 7-on-7 Tournament
      • HSU in Arkadelphia
    • July 21:  Midsouth 7-on-7 Shootout
      • Arkansas State University in Jonesboro
    • July 23: Southern Arkansas University Senior Camp
      • SAU in Magnolia
    • July 23: Henderson State University Senior/Junior Camp (#2)
      • HSU in Arkadelphia
    • July 24: Clint Conque Junior/Senior High School Camp (#2)
      • University of Central Arkansas
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    That's what we have for now.  We will try to get you participants and results of these events as soon as they are available.
    Posted by Arkansas Football Bloggers at 7:30 AM 0 comments
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    Monday, April 11, 2011

    4th Annual East Texas Baptist University Tournament Date

    East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, TX will be holding the 4th annual East Texas Baptist University 7-on-7 Tournament on May 28, 2011.  We encourage any teams interested in getting a jump on the Arkansas schedule to contact Coach Zac Bryant.

    Coach Bryant is hoping to build on the tremendous success that they have seen in the past three years. ETBU is building another top notch field this year.  ETBU is looking to bring schools of different classifications from all over East Texas, Western Louisiana, and Arkansas together to compete and prepare for their respective 7-on-7 State Qualifying Tournaments (SQT) and the 2011 season. For the Texas teams attending the tournament, it will be a good warm-up prior to the State Qualifying Tournaments (SQT's) in in Tyler, Lufkin, Dallas Area, and Ft. Bend. 

    Thanks to Coach Bryant for the information on this tournament.  Coaches please contact him for a spot in this tournament with our neighbors.
    Posted by Arkansas Football Bloggers at 10:30 PM 0 comments
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    Friday, April 1, 2011

    2011 Henderson State University Senior/Junior Camps

    Coach Scott Maxfield's staff at Henderson State University will be conducting two different camps for rising juniors and seniors on the HSU campus. The one day camps will be conducted on May 28 and on July 23.

    The camps will be held at the Formby Athletic Center and football fields. The HSU facilities include two practice fields and a game field, weight room, and indoor gymnasium in case of inclement weather.

    Enrollment in the camp will be limited, so register early (using this form) to insure a spot.

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    The HSU Reddies were the 2010 Gulf South Conference Co-Champions and were among the leaders in the GSC in most offensive categories. The Reddies are scheduled to become part of the newly formed Great American Conference in the 2011-2012 season.
    Posted by Arkansas Football Bloggers at 7:30 AM 0 comments
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