By CINDY CROSBY
Cindyc4@yahoo.com
The Colleton County Cougars will kick off the regular season on the road this week against Bluffton High School in the first Region VII-AAAA matchup. Over the last week, the Cougars were able to gain some valuable experience in a scrimmage against Region VIII-AAAAA Ashley Ridge High School and a modified game against Goose Creek in the Berkeley Jamboree which ended in a 14-14 tie.
“We had a good start to the season in our two scrimmage situations,” said Coach Coby Peeler. “We had some explosive plays from the running back, quarterback and wide receiver positions.
“Nayrone Holmes continues to grow as a quarterback and showed good decision-making to go along with a live arm and great speed,” said Peeler. “Jackie White proves to be a bruiser at running back and wide receivers Jorryn Simmons and JaTodd Allen both showed explosive capability on the outside with their speed.
“Against Ashley Ridge, we had a few guys banged up, so this led to several guys playing both ways,” said Peeler. “It definitely showed me that we have to continue to get into shape. Defensively, we played okay, but must eliminate giving up chunk plays from being undisciplined in our responsibilities. Overall, it was a good first time out.
“In the scrimmage against Goose Creek, I felt like we improved against the run defensively, despite a poor first drive,” said Peeler.
“Offensively, I thought we were very physical and explosive, but way too reckless with our technique, leading to far too many penalties. We had several touchdowns called back due to this. If we clean that type of thing up, I think we have a chance to be pretty special on offense.
“I did feel like we played with a lot more intensity and were less winded than on Monday,” he added. “Despite the score, I really felt like we controlled the line of scrimmage, especially offensively. That is a good sign, against a really good team, that played for the lower state championship last year.”
Heading into Friday’s first region game against the Bobcats, Peeler knows his team will face a challenge. “We are excited for the matchup this week with Bluffton,” he said. “They are big, fast, and athletic. It will be a great challenge for our guys. I am excited to see if we are going to rise to the occasion and continue to improve. We stress to our guys that who we play is irrelevant — that we must hold ourselves to our own standard and get better each week. If we do that, we will give ourselves a great opportunity for success.”
