Blue Devils trying to turn the tables in ’20 – The News Herald

Dustin Kent|The News Herald

Holmes County finished with its second straight losing season in 2019, finishing 5-6. Among those defeats were close, competitive losses at the hands of Freeport, Chipley, and Sneads, and Blue Devils coach Jeff Lee hopes a more experienced squad will be able to the tables in those close contests and get back on the winning track.

"Playing those close games, that's what we've worked on," Lee said. "One play here and there, we're not 5-6, we're 8-3 or 7-4, and two wins in those games makes a huge difference. We're hoping we've closed the gap on those things. We hope those things will go our way this year."

The Blue Devils return a large portion of last year's core featuring starting quarterback Colby Jones, their top two rushers Jeremy Martinez and Ethan Marsh, four returning starters on the offensive line, and four of their top six tacklers from a year ago.

That extra experience is particularly useful for Holmes County on the offensive line where tackles Tyson Shores and AndrewSwartz, guard Brock Bowen, and center Dakota Thomas return along with tight end Waylon King.

"That was a struggle for us last year. We had no starters up front last year coming into the season," Lee said. "Those guys now, we've got eight of them that are playing that I can rotate in and feel comfrortable playing. They got a lot of reps last year and now, fastforward to this year,hopefully it pays off."

Having so many players familiar with Lee's system and terminology is especially helpful given the abbreviated off-season due to the COVID-19 pandemic that canceled spring football practice for teams throughout the state.

"We do a nine-day installation on offense/defense,three days and then repeat it three times," Lee said. "When you get to that ninth day, you want to have your base offense and defense in. Last year, we struggled getting that in.

"When we got to day nine (this year), we felt like we can play a game with our terminology and knowledge. Now going out and playing a game is a different deal, but that's how we felt. We feel like we're ahead of the game right now based on kids having that experience last year."

Jones comes into this season as the clear-cut No. 1 guy at quarterback after splitting time with Kalen Evans in 2019.

Lee said the junior signal-caller has made impressive strides since last year that will make it possible for the Blue Devils to be a little more aggressive offensively this season.

"Colby is having a heck of an off-season. That kid has grown tremendously," Lee said. "He has developed more as a leader, he understands the offense, he wants to win, he's very competitive, and he's made a big improvement in his game.

"Last year it was a different thing. We had a bunch of young ones and we were trying to use every bit of that 40-second (play) clock to our advantage to stay in games. Now we've picked up several guys that did not play last year that are athletic and very fast, so we've gotten better not just with Colby throwing it but adding those guys who can stretch the field a little better.

"We'll establish what it takes, run or pass, to win a game, but we feel confident in our ability to go out and throw to win. That's been a big positive for us in the preseason."

Among those additions are Vernon transfer receiver Riley Edwards and basketball player BB Richards, both of whom Lee said have picked things up quickly and will be able to make plays for the Blue Devils on the outside.

While the run game will still be the centerpiece of Holmes County's offense, Lee said he believes this group can be among the more balanced attacks he's had.

"We have the capability of throwing it. We feel confident in throwing it," he said. "The run will be a big part of our game. But if we had to (throw) last year, we would have a hard time coming from behind in a situation where we could'nt have more than two receivers out. Now we can put four guys out there. Picking up those guys has helped."

Defensively, Holmes County returns starters at linebacker in Martinez, safety in Nathan Wilkerson, cornerback in Marsh, and defensive end in King, with linebackers John Miller, Aidan Mulins, Chandler Majors, and Cody Pate also bringing back a lot ofexperience.

It's on the that side of the ball where Lee said improvement was needed most after the Blue Devils allowed over 26 points per game last season in their six losses.

"Defense is the key for us," he said. "We have to prevent the big play on defense. Preventing the big play is what keeps us in the game. On offense, I feel like we've got some weapons to make it even better than last year, but if we do not allow the big play, I think we've got a shot at everyone on the schedule."

Holmes County opens the regular season Friday on the road against Freeport. The Blue Devils stay on the road in Week 2 against Sneads before making their home debut Sept. 18 against Graceville.

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Blue Devils trying to turn the tables in '20 - The News Herald