​Numbers boom for Eagles football mini camp

by Michael Smith


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The way Grain Valley head football coach David Allie explains his current situation, “It’s a good problem to have.”
He’s speaking of the turnout at his football mini camp at Grain Valley High School this week, which has seen more than 130 players participate. It’s the highest number of participants that he’s seen in his nine-year tenure with the Eagles.
“We had a large group a couple of years ago,” Allie said. “We had about 120. But this is the largest group we’ve ever had come through.
“Football is a game of attrition. We try to have at least 50 freshmen play. The number usually dwindles in half by the time they graduate because of kids moving or focusing on other sports.”
Because of the high numbers, the coaching staff has had to make some adjustments to the workouts and drills to accommodate the numbers.
“Our group is so big we had to change from eight to 12 captains,” senior Stylz Blackmon said.
During the mini camp, players participate in drills and run plays they would during the regular season without any contact. The players wear just helmets with no pads. The team is divided into groups and work on skills based on the position they play or what class each player is.
For the freshman and sophomores, Allie noted that he likes to have that group work on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
“That gives them the most opportunities to get on the field and play,” Allie said. “If you like offense better than defense or vice versa, you know what the other is trying to do to you when you play the position you love.
“We want all the young guys to play both ways.”
For lineman like Blackmon, the mini camp is beneficial for younger players and himself to go over blocking schemes and techniques.
“A lot of it is technique but it’s also about the lineup and assignments,” Blackmon said. “It’s not only for lineman but for running backs, wide receivers, and (defensive backs).”
For running backs, the focus has been on conditioning, ball security, and going over schemes on offense.
“We have to hang on to the rock at all times and work on speed and agility,” Grain Valley senior Ty Williams said. “We have to get that burst, too. Running backs have to be well-rounded so we have to work on all sorts of things.”
Part of the reason for the mini camp is to prepare for the Pittsburg State University camp that will begin Sunday and last three days. The Eagles will scrimmage against teams from Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and others. Players will wear just shoulder pads and helmets and there will be no tackling, just wrap ups and bumps.
Allie said it will be a challenge because the other teams at the camp play during the spring, whereas Missouri squads do not play at that time.
 “They have already had 14 or whatever their state allows for spring practices,” Allie said of teams from other states. “Before the camp, we will have had about four. In the spring, we brought some of the guys in one day a week to install chalk talk and go over what we will be doing in this camp.”
“When we get to Pittsburg State on Sunday, there will be teams that have a lot more experience than we do. One of the reasons we like this camp is we get a lot of reps and all the coaches do a good job of understanding this is summertime. We don’t want anyone getting hurt.”
Added Blackmon: “We have to catch up to the pace they are going. We got to get pads on as soon as we can.”
The mini camp is just the beginning of the preparation for the 2023 season that will begin with the season opener against Fort Osage on Aug. 25.
“I was counting down the days until summer started,” Williams said. “It’s a fun time out here. It gets tiring but you look to your left and your right and you have your friends doing it with you. It’s an exciting time.”
 

Grain Valley senior Stylz Blackmon, right, works on his blocking technique during a drill at the Grain Valley football team's mini camp Thursday at Moody Murray Memorial Field. 
​Photo credit: Michael Smith