Bison getting better during practice

The 2014 Carlisle Bison senior players. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

CARLISLE — New Carlisle coach Jack Keith said his team has been practicing well during the first two weeks of fall camp. 

"We've been able to polish up our base stuff and we've been able to install some of our newer stuff and they are able to pick it up real well," Keith said. "They are doing a real good job of flying around. They are practicing real hard and getting some quality reps. 

"They are getting better every rep they take."

The Bison were able to start practicing in full pads last Monday. 

"They were chomping at the bit last week when we couldn't do much contact," Keith said of his team finally getting to have full contact. "They did a great job of turning it on."

Keith said the roster is holding steady at 30 players. 

The Bison will host a benefit scrimmage jamboree Aug. 26 at Fred C. Hardke Field. Teams participating include Dumas, Rison and Stuttgart. Junior high will start at 5:30 p.m.; senior high will start at 7 p.m.

Carlisle opens the season Friday, Sept. 5, at home against England. The 2A-6 conference opener is Sept. 19 at Augusta. 

Jackrabbits gear up as full contact begins

The Lonoke Jackrabbits warm up before a practice last week. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo 

Staff Writer

Lonoke — On Thursday, Lonoke coach Doug Bost said his team "started from square one" on tackling as full contact was allowed this week.

"We're been trying to refresh good, proper tackling techniques," said Bost, who is entering his sixth season as head coach. "We've been live all week. It's been good. Practice has been good. Temperatures have been good. It makes practice better when it's not 100 degrees."

Bost said his players, which are numbering around 40, were ready to hit this week.

"They knew that last week, there was really no contact," he said. "They were ready to get out there and get after it this week."

During the first week of practice last week, Bost said the coaching staff "reinstalled" the offense and defense.

"We've been doing special teams for two solid weeks," he said. "It's just been refining what we're doing."

The Jackrabbits will scrimmage the Maumelle Hornets in Maumelle on Monday, Aug. 25. Lonoke will open the 2014 season Friday, Sept. 5, at home against the Star City Bulldogs.

Junior Bison working hard in preseason practice

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

CARLISLE — Numbers have been a little low as the Carlisle Junior Bison are getting ready for the 2014 season.

New head coach Jack Keith said he has 18 players in the eighth and ninth grade. 

"We've had some good practices with them," Keith said. "We've had some seventh graders come out with them and gotten some really good repetitions. We're just lean in the junior high right now."

A year ago, the Junior Bison started the season 0-4 but won their last five games to end the season at 5-4. Keith said there were about nine players who got to play some a year ago.

"They've worked real hard and gotten better every day," Keith said. "They've got a good understanding of the offense and we've been able to put in a few new things with them.

"Defensively, they've been flying around a little more. It's starting to click a little bit for them."
Carlisle opens the season Sept. 4 against McCrory.

Jr. Jackrabbits getting ready for season

Lonoke Junior Jackrabbit coach Darrick Lowery (in hat) and assistant coach Phillip King talk to their players during practice last week. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

LONOKE — Lonoke Junior Jackrabbits coach Darrick Lowery said his team has averaged about 45 players during summer and fall workouts.

"We have 53 on the roster," Lowery said Wednesday night. "We will pick the rest up when school starts. We've got a pretty good mix of eighth- and ninth-graders. It's pretty well split, half and half."

Lowery said there are about six to 10 players who saw significant playing time a year ago when the Junior Jackrabbits finished 7-2 a year ago, finishing in a tie with Heber Springs for the 4A-2 conference title.

"It's just going to make us that much better this year," Lowery said. 

This summer, Lowery said his team participated in team camps and 7-on-7 passing nights.

"For three weeks, on Monday nights, we were going to Cabot for 7-on-7," Lowery said. "On Tuesdays, we were here, going to Carlisle or Maumelle. On Thursdays, we went to Conway."

The Junior Jackrabbits played in two team camps at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia and Conway.

Lonoke opens the season Thursday, Sept. 4, against Beebe at James B. Abraham Stadium. 

Jackrabbits practice Thursday morning

Add captionLonoke's Chandler Elmore [13] and Dylan Goforth make a stop during Jackrabbits practice Thursday morning. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

Jackrabbits open practice at War Memorial Stadium

Lonoke assistant coach Bret Watson talks to Dylan Goforth during spring practice in late May. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

LITTLE ROCK — War Memorial Stadium is the ultimate destination for every high school football team in Arkansas. The Lonoke Jackrabbits got a chance to "start" the 2014 season there Monday.

Lonoke opened fall practice at the venerable old lady Monday as football practice started around the state.

"We had a parent rent out War Memorial Stadium for us so we practiced there from 9 until 12," Lonoke coach Doug Bost said. "We fed the kids hamburgers and they got to tour the stadium and press box. 

"I felt really good about practice. The kids were moving around and had a lot of energy. I was really pleased with the first day."

Bost said the coaching staff told the players that War Memorial Stadium is where any team wants to end its season, playing for a state championship.

"It's a great goal to have in mind," he said. "Some of those kids have probably never been there or definitely not been on the playing surface. It added a little something to practice. I was really pleased."

The Jackrabbits had 40 players for the beginning of fall drills.

However, Monday was not the first day Bost and his staff have been with the players. Lonoke participated in several team camps and 7-on-7 events. 

"We had a real busy summer with all that, lifting weights and running," Bost said. "The kids have a great understanding of the offense and defense. This time of year, you want to get those backup kids ready to play. And you start working your special teams because we really didn't do that during the summer. We put in kickoff and kickoff return today. 

"You've got plenty of time to slow it down and get everybody on the same page."

The Jackrabbits will scrimmage at Maumelle on Monday, Aug. 25. They open the season Friday, Sept. 5, at home against the Star City Bulldogs. 

Bison open fall camp Monday

Bison quarterback Chase Brazeal runs a play during spring practice. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

CARLISLE — On Monday, the Carlisle Bison opened fall practice with 27 players according to first-year coach Jack Keith. 

"I think we worked real well," Keith said Monday night. "We're just trying to polish what we already know and make sure we've got that down 100 percent before we start adding to it, putting my spin on things."

Keith was hired to replace Brandon Barbaree, who left Carlisle to become principal at Pangburn Middle School after one season as head coach. Keith said the Bison will continue to base their offense out of the double wing, which was introduced by former Bison coach Scott Waymire in 2006.

"I want to make sure we can do our base stuff before we try to add to much to it," Keith said. 

The Bison participated in team camps and 7-on-7 passing nights during the summer. Keith said those events helped his team get ready for the start of fall practice. 

"We had a good idea of where we were before we came in to today," he said. "We didn't come in to it blind. We had a couple of teams camps and had one of them filmed. We were able to look back at that film and get a good idea of what we were doing right and what we were doing wrong and having an idea of what we are needing to fix before we got out there.

"We weren't jumping in there blind. It helped a tremendous amount, having all the stuff this summer."

The Bison will host a benefit scrimmage jamboree Aug. 26 at Fred C. Hardke Field. Teams participating include Dumas, Rison and Stuttgart. Junior high will start at 5:30 p.m.; senior high will start at 7 p.m.

Carlisle opens the season Friday, Sept. 5, at home against England. The 2A-6 conference opener is Sept. 19 at Augusta.