New-Look Leps Hold Their Own in El Campo Scrimmage
With a host of new coaches – and a new playbook – the La Grange football team is a work-in-progress.
But the new-look Leps showed off plenty to be excited about Thursday in the team’s first scrimmage of 2023.
Against an El Campo team that went 9-3 last season, and returned about half their starters, the Leps started slow but ended strong.
La Grange lost the controlled back-and-forth portion of the scrimmage three touchdowns to two, but then in a live quarter of action the Leps tied the Ricebirds 7-7.
And La Grange nearly won it, driving to the El Campo four-yard-line before time expired.
“We got better as the scrimmage went on, and this time of year that’s what it’s about, getting better day to day, week to week,” said new La Grange head coach Kyle Cooper. “There’s a reason we run tempo, it wears on opponents and I think the kids felt that as we went ... There’s a lot of places we need to get better, including me. I botched the finish there, could have called it better there.”
La Grange used both varsity quarterbacks Bennett Barber and Clayton Cooper about the same amount of time, and both had success running the Leps’ new four-wide receiver, no-huddle offense.
“I thought they both played really well,” Kyle Cooper said. “Both have things they need to work on. Both completed some deep balls, both scrambled, showed some ability to be elusive and make things happen.”
Early in the scrimmage Clayton Cooper threw a 63yard touchdown to sophomore Jeffrey Cabrera and then a 60-yard score to Thai Scott. Barber threw a 50-yard pass to Cole Collier.
In the live quarter of action La Grange’s touchdown came on a 35-yard touchdown from Cooper to Julian Sherman.
Barber later hooked up with Sherman on a 55-yard pass.
“This is what we’ve been working on in practice,” Sherman said. “It will wear other teams out.”
“Julian’s a good one,” Kyle Cooper said of the varsity newcomer. “He went to regionals in the 110 hurdles last year in track. Speed kills and he’s fearless.”
La Grange senior Nate Scott caught more passes than anyone Thursday. Meanwhile on the ground Le’Kayvion Broussard and Cody Krupala both had several strong runs.
“Success builds confidence and confidence builds success,” Kyle Cooper said. “You feel the tempo work through a scrimmage and guys continue to buy in ... They grasp that we are trying to play fast, but it’s not instinctive at this point.”
Defensively the Leps gave up lots of rushing yardage early, but tightened up as the night wore on.
La Grange travels to Yoakum Thursday for their final preseason scrimmage before opening the season August 25 at Bellville.
“I thought we did well tonight,” senior Austin Roe said. “We were hustling everywhere – on both sides of the ball.”