RISON - Rison Wildcat football fans will have their first chance to see the ‘Cats under the direction of new Head Coach Chris Vereen as they conclude spring practice with a scrimmage at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 23, at George Walker Field of Champions.Vereen takes over for Caleb Carmikle, who left Rison after one year to become head coach at his alma mater, Class 4A Heber Springs. Vereen has spent the past six seasons leading the Class 4A Star City Bulldogs.This Thursday’s scrimmage will wrap up two weeks of spring camp as the Wildcats learn a new offense for the second year in a row. Rison used the spread under Carmikle last year while Vereen will be using the flexbone.Vereen said he felt the players were doing a good job of picking up the flexbone over the first week of practice, but when they returned to practice on Monday, he said it seems like they had forgotten a lot of what they had learned the first week.The Wildcats will be looking for a new trigger man to operate that offense after last season’s starting quarterback, Owen Morrison, graduated. Vereen said rising sophomores Kyson Walker and Ethan Saeler have been getting work at quarterback as well as rising senior Austin Ellis.Meanwhile, junior-to-be Jeremiah Marshall and seniorsto- be Keyshawn Heard, Chandler Reaves and Aaron Tilley have been getting snaps at the running back positions.Vereen said this week’s scrimmage will consist of 20 plays featuring the first-team offense against the “best of the rest” on defense. Once that is completed, Vereen said he will switch it around to have the first-team defense go for 20 plays.Vereen said their will be a “meet and greet” with the players and fans following the scrimmage.While Vereern said he is technically calling it a first-team offense and defense for now, there will be several rotations during the scrimmage. “We don’t have any first teamers,” he said. “That could change day to da...
To access content, please login or purchase a subscription.