Shawnee to host Tecumseh in Friday scrimmage

At this preseason juncture, football players are ready to mix it up with someone other than teammates.
That will be the case Friday night when Shawnee scrimmages Tecumseh at Jim Thorpe Stadium.
“We want to play against someone besides ourself,” Shawnee head coach Billy Brown said.
The junior-varsity and freshmen will scrimmage at 6:30 with the varsity scrimmage slated sometime between 7:15 and 7:30.
Shawnee’s varsity conducted an intrasquad scrimmage last Friday night and Brown was particularly pleased with the defensive effort. “Our defense looked good and that has been our main concern,” Brown said. “We are using multiple fronts — trying to utilize our speed.”
The Wolves’ 2007 defense was bludgeoned on several occasions, prompting Brown and defensive coordinator Scott Dawson to put in a package that was heavier on blitzes.
“Everyone played pretty good on defense at our intrasquad scrimmage, but Kerry Brannon, at linebacker, played really well. He was very aggressive,” Brown said.
Brannon, a move-in, started last year at Del City High School.
In last Friday’s intrasquad, sophomore quarterback Brayley Brown, son of Billy Brown, produced the two touchdowns via passes to Jordan Robbins.
“Our first-team run defense was very good against our first-team run offense,” Brown said.
Since Monday, Shawnee has worked toward Friday’s T-Town scrimmage.
“We have been preparing for the fronts we will face,” Brown said. “We’re pretty familiar with Tecumseh because they were with us at the UCO camp this summer.”
Of Tecumseh, Brown said, “Coach (Greg) George does a good job with his squad. He gets everything out of them he can. I know they always play us very tough.”
Brown said Wednesday’s practice consisted of an hour’s wok on offense, an hour’s work on defense, a 30-minute special teams’ drill and 15 minutes of conditioning.
“Defensively, we are further along than we’ve been in a long time,” Brown said. “Offensively, we are about where we were last year.”
Shawnee is led by two-way starter Brett Davis. The senior, a wide receiver and safety, has already committed collegiately to Tulsa.
Shawnee’s second scrimmage will be Aug. 28 at McAlester. The Wolves will launch he 2008 season Sept. 5 at Chickasha. Shawnee’s home opener is Sept. 12 versus Deer Creek.
Notes: The annual photo session is scheduled tonight — beginning at 6 at Jim Thorpe Stadium. Group photos are set for 6 p.m. with parents allowed to take photos beginning at 6:45.... Fans are asked to bring either a towel or shampoo — or both — to Friday night’s scrimmage.