Generals prepared to play

Item File Photo Thomas Sumter's Harrison Cardone (6) will be back at wide receiver and defensive back for the Generals when they open their season today with a home game against W.W. King.

By TREVOR ZION BAUKNIGHT
Item Sports Writer

DALZELL — Thomas Sumter Academy varsity football head coach Troy Kessinger wasn’t entirely displeased with his team’s 17-12 loss to Laurence Manning in last Friday’s LMA Jamboree, particularly since it didn’t count toward his team’s goals.

“It wasn’t bad. We competed,” Kessinger said on Wednesday. “We really treat that as a preseason, and we’re trying to people in certain spots. We’re replacing a lot of starters from last year, and we feel like we have the people to do it, but we’re just trying to get them in the right spots.

“I think the last three weeks has been good for kind of narrowing down where to put people in the best spots,” he added. “We want to get the best 11 on defense no matter if they’ve got to move spots a little bit, so that’s kind of what we’re doing.”

The preseason ends today, however, when the Generals host W.W. King at 7:30 p.m. at General Field.

“(King is) big, and they’re strong up front for being a 1A school, so we’ve got to be prepared for that and bow up a little bit on them,” Kessinger said. “We’re planning on having fun, because it’s been camp so far.

“With our kids, that’s what we’ve talked about. It’s been three weeks of camp, and now it’s time to have some fun and be enthusiastic — there’s nothing like Friday night football,” he said. “Our kids are excited about it, and I think they’ll come out and be thrilled and ready to go.”

Kessinger will be looking for an improved defensive performance. He said Laurence Manning was able to move the ball against his team much too easily.

“Hopefully we’ve got that shored up and we’ll get to the ball a little bit better,” he said. “It’s a process.”

Offensively, Kessinger is excited about his four primary playmakers, quarterback Blake Stengel, fullback Michael Fitzgerald, tight end Ricky Mello and the multi-talented Harrison Cardone.

“Those four have just got to get touches,” Kessinger said. “We’ve got some other kids that can do some things with the ball, but those four have to get their opportunities. That’s important.

“We need to mix the ball up on offense, probably the whole season, and we’ve got the players to do that,” he added. “We’ve got some playmakers that we haven’t been getting the ball to in the preseason, and we need to make sure we get them touches.”

Kessinger said he likes his team’s attitude heading into the season opener coming off a pair of outstanding seasons, the most recent culminating in an appearance in the SCISA 2A state championship game.

“This week has been by far our sharpest week,” he said. “It’s just hard in the summertime because it’s so hot, and this week the kids have worked through that heat and have practiced at their best. We lift weights twice a week on a circuit, and they just went crazy on it both times this week, so I think we’re mentally overcoming all this and are preparing themselves.

“I think they’re prepared to play,” he said. “When the lights come on Friday night and the stands are full of people, we’ll see. I think last year, we were a little more sure that “this is what we have for sure” but this year it’s going to be exciting to see what comes.”