Columbia looks to reload with bright future ahead

LAKE CITY – Reload is very much the key word here for the Columbia Tigers heading into the 2014 season.

The Tigers, which held its first organized scrimmage season since losing the Bartram Trail Bears back in the second round of the Class 6A playoffs in November, was a welcome changed for the team.

It was also a welcomed change for head coach Brian Allen, which saw a defensive battle in Friday night’s Purple and Gold game at Lake’s City’s historic Memorial Stadium.

THE BRIGHT SPOTS NOW

“The defense had a really good night in our Purple and Gold game. First time we have had an organized scrimmage with officials out. The defense came out and had an outstanding job,” Allen said.

Defense, indeed it was.

The defense, which was one of the strong points last season, looked even better, keeping the offense from doing much for most of the game.  This is has been one area that has drawn praise from the fans and coaches alike.

However, the offense did have its moments, especially when it came to 2015 RB Lonnie Underwood, who is already holding several Division I offers. But despite missing a couple of  games due to a hip injury last season, things are looking bright for Underwood.

“As we continue to grow and get better with our interior guys on the offensive line, so will Lonnie’s offense. He has an outstanding spring,” Allen said.

Allen thinks though if things improve overall for the offense, as execution was an area of concern, that Underwood could be poised for another big season.

However, everything is not about Underwood here when it comes to talent for the Tigers. Names like Roger Cray and Zedric Woods are also standing out and drawing in attention for the team.

“Our main guys, four guys that have been offer kids, three of them come from the defensive side of the ball, Zedric Woods, Malachi Jean, Roger Cray. Those are guys that we are gone to expect to go out there this year and play big and has helped sustain to win football games with their abilities,” Allen said.

THE FUTURE IS HERE NOW

The incoming freshmen for next year, the Class of 2018, is already starting to show what could be some bright years ahead for the Columbia program.

That tomorrow started at the middle school feeder programs that feed into Columbia High School.

Taking the current playbook employed by the Tigers, the system is then applied to the teams at both Lake City and Richardson middle schools in Lake City. In this approach, by the time the athletes reach the point of becoming freshmen at Columbia, they know what to expect from the playbook as a team.

As such, this approach has worked so for Columbia, according to Allen.

“One thing we are trying to do is get our systems implemented. Both of our feeder programs are here at the middle schools. Richardson [Middle School] and LCMS [Lake City Middle School] starting to introduce what we are doing, as far as the scheme offensively and defensively. Those kids are able to come into the high school and have a general understanding of what we do. That is only going to benefit us down the road,” Allen said.

This approach though is not new in the North Florida region.

One of the best examples of having the schemes getting ed at a younger age is found at Madison County. In this case though, the learning of the schemes start at a lower level, usually starting at the Pop Warner level and then carried all the way up to the high school level. This approach has been one of the biggest reasons, why Madison County has been successful over the last two decades.

ALLEN SHIFTING ROLES

One of the biggest changes anyone will see is who is calling the playoffs on offense.

Allen, who has been a defensive guy (as a player and coach) for a long time, is transitioning into running the offense as the offensive coordinator along with his head coaching duties. This change is something he felt was in need of a change after some issues last season.

“Its a matter of learning and learning fast. One thing that is good and that has been good for the kids, that it has been completely competitive in every day in practice,” Allen said.

However, he said players have to adapt quickly, especially if they have moved from the defensive side of the ball to the offensive side of the ball. It is something he wants to in grain into the kids is for them to understand that there is no let up coming from the defensive side of the ball.

Overall, he wants the offense prepared for anything that comes from the competitive teams his Tigers will face during the season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Columbia is no stranger when it comes to having decent talent on the field and expect at least three to four, possibly even more kids come away from the next several classes as Division I signees out of the Tigers program.

Here are just some of the names to keep an eye from Columbia for this season

RB Lonnie Underwood – 2015
LB Zedric Woods – 2015
QB Caleb Carswell – 2015
OT Kody Mixon – 2015
OT Malachi Jean – 2015
QB Jake Thomas – 2016
CB Roger Cray – 2016
WR Dallon Washington – 2016
RB Kamario Bell – 2017

Columbia will be hosting Fort White on Saturday, May 24. Admission is $5.00 and everything will kickoff at 7:00 PM. Do note the game will NOT be played at the school’s on campus stadium. The game will take place at Memorial Stadium in downtown Lake City. Memorial Stadium is located off West Duval Street (US 90) at the corner of NW Lake Jeffery Road and NW Washington Street.