Area football teams use spring practice to implement new strategies

Spring football practice is a rorschach test for local programs: Whatever a team sees it as is what it is. No wrong answers, only different perspectives.

For Lakewood Ranch High, spring represents a rebirth. New coach Rashad West is working to change the program’s culture. That work begins here, and evidence of change can be seen — or, rather, heard — from the practice field parking lot. The Mustangs have music pumping from a set of speakers, something not done under previous coaches Chris Culton or Mick Koczersut. West said the selections, mostly hip-hop and rap, are played from a member of the staff’s Pandora account. It is something he has done at every school he coaches.

“It brings some energy,” West said. “It gets them pumped up, hopping around a little bit. These kids are always walking around with music in their ears, anyway.”

The tunes did not affect the team’s ability to listen. The Mustangs practiced in 16 segments, working in positional groups before coming together for 11-on-11 drills, and then back to groups. West said he is not worried about installing his offense at this stage. He is still trying to learn names and put them with faces, and West’s spread offense is “so different” than the triple option ran under Culton he knows it will take time to digest.

Still, West believes things are going as well as they can at this stage.

“The kids have been pretty receptive,” West said. “It is important for them to learn the basics of the scheme and what we are asking them to do. It is not fair of us to throw a lot of things at them. We have been going slow. We have the training wheels on right now.”

Five miles west, Braden River High is having some fun of its own. On April 26, the Pirates ended practice with a soccer shootout, coaches against players. (Pirates coach Curt Bradley would not give away the results.) The day before, they had a handful of linemen try their hand at catching punts. It is part of the program’s plan to have players competing but still having fun during what can be a grueling month of training.

While Bradley remains the head coach of the Pirates, as he has since 2012, Braden River is also going through changes. The program lost 33 seniors from last year’s team, which reached the second round of the playoffs before losing 28-21 to Venice High.

“We have some new guys we need to get caught up to speed,” Bradley said. “We are looking a little different this year. There is going to be a transition. We have a great group of experienced core players. We need some younger guys to learn the system so they can be that next group that blends in with the (junior running back) Brian Batties and (junior tight end) Travis Tobeys of the world —guys that have been here and played a lot of varsity football.”

Bradley said the program is putting more of an emphasis on small details and discipline than in years past. One question surrounding the program — of who would succeed quarterback Bryan Gagg, now at East Carolina — can be answered, Bradley said. Shawqi Itraish, a sophomore who stands 6-foot-3, will be “QB one” for the Pirates entering the fall. Itraish completed 12-of-17 passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns, with zero interceptions, in limited action last season.

The Out-of-Door Academy is also in the midst of spring practice. The Thunder reached the second round of the playoffs under first-year head coach Chris Kempton before losing 21-3 to Mount Dora Christian. The Thunder return sophomore quarterback Tyler Beasley and breakout junior running back Colin Castro among other starters, giving them experience headed into the 2019 season.

A spring game jamboree with Holy Trinity Lutheran, Indian Rocks Christian and Keswick Christian will provide the Thunder with experience playing a variety of schemes.