SFA Taking Football Scrimmage to Longview
3/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
SFA Bringing Football Scrimmage To Lobo Stadium
By Hayden Henry
Longview News-Journal
Stephen F. Austin head football coach Clint Conque has seen a lot of work and competition so far this spring as the Lumberjacks take to the field for spring drills.
Competition and work that area fans, alumni and prospective recruits and students will get to see first hand as Conque and company load up for Lobo Stadium on Saturday for the first scrimmage of the spring slate.
The scrimmage, which is free to the public, will begin at 4 p.m.
"At this time of the year there's so many different spring sports going on, both on the high school and collegiate level and it's an opportunity for us to get into East Texas," Conque said of Saturday's scrimmage, which is the second year of hosting a travelling scrimmage. "It's an opportunity for us to brand our program and to market SFA to not just prospective athletes but to prospective students.
"Obviously, the Longview-Tyler-Kilgore area has been good to us on many fronts in terms of students and athletes."
The Lumberjacks will make the trip north from Nacogdoches with momentum on their side, having come off an eight-win season and the program's seventh FCS playoff appearance, and first since 2010, in 2014, the first year with Conque at the helm.
"We're coming off an eight-win season, a big turnaround season for us, so there's a lot of momentum," Conque said. "What we're really pleased with is the carry over of our returning players."
While it is a chance to spread Lumberjack football in East Texas, there's work to be done on the field as well.
Conque said that five starters on the offensive front and six of the Lumberjacks' top seven return on the defensive side return, both bolstered by red-shirt freshman, transfers and this years' signing class. Also returning is starting quarterback and Conque's son, Zach Conque, who was named the 2014 Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore, throwing for 2,733 yards on a 64.7 completion mark, both top-ten numbers in Lumberjack history.
An area of competition there has been through seven spring practices is the perimeter on both sides of the ball at wide receiver and in the secondary, again, an area where there's battles to see who will claim the starting role.
"We return Aaron Thomas, our second-leading receiver from last year, who has a chance to finish with a productive year and in the top five all-time in receiving," Conque said. "We do have some competition and question marks at receiver and in the secondary but we like the talent level at those positions and the competition that's ensuing.
"There's no void of talent there and we know that help is coming. We signed a significant number of defensive backs and receivers in this class that will be here this summer."
A big area to fill for the Lumberjacks will be in the backfield with the graduation of Gilmer native Gus Johnson, who left Nacogdoches as SFA's all-time leading rusher as well as the 2014 Southland Conference Player of the Year. Johnson was invited to the NFL Combine, held in February in Indianapolis.
"Then you replace one of the all-time players in your program in Gus Johnson and that has been a void that we're trying to fill," Conque said. "Josh West will be a junior next year and he's had a very productive two years here and has kind of been in the shadow of Johnson. He's had an outstanding spring and offseason. We've signed several running backs, including Marcalas Johnson (Arp). We know that there's competition and depth coming at that position as well."
All areas that football fans will get a snapshot of on Saturday as the Lumberjacks take over Lobo Stadium.
"John King, who I've known for a long time since my days at Louisiana Tech, has been a tremendous ambassador for this and a gracious host. There's some benefit in this for Longview High School as well with a Division I football team being on campus and I think that says a lot about what Coach King is doing there, the facility that they have there and the importance of football in the Longview area."
Conque said that Saturday's scrimmage will be an open format with some situational aspects as well with the Lumberjacks aiming for 80-100 plays.
Release courtesy of the Longview News-Journal
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