DALEVILLE, Ala. – The Daleville Warhawks will travel to Pleasant Home this Friday, May 21, for a unique three-way spring game against the Pleasant Home Eagles and JU Blacksher Bulldogs.
New Daleville coach Will Garner said that he’s happy with his team’s sustained energy and health so far during spring practices.
“Practices were good (last week),” Garner said. “We’re slowly but surely getting better. We have this week and then we play this Friday.
“We luckily have stayed healthy through the first two weeks and the guys are excited and still enthusiastic about what we have going on. We just have a long way to go until we put that final product on the field.”
Garner pointed to sophomore quarterback Omarion Pinckney, junior defensive end Jeremiah Moore and sophomore offensive guard/nose tackle Zacorey Culver as players that have stood out so far during spring practices.
Pinckney led the JV squad at quarterback last season as an eighth grader and was also thrown into action on the varsity team, as well. He played some at quarterback but also tallied 17 tackles on defense. Pinckney is heading into his freshman season as the frontrunner for the starting quarterback job.
“Omarion Pinckney is going to be our starting quarterback going into this (spring) game,” Garner said. “He is one of the most intelligent, hard-working kids I have ever been around and he has definitely been a bright spot for what we have going on.”
Moore was a dominant force on the defensive line at times as a sophomore totaling 31 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, three fumble recoveries and 11 quarterback hurries.
Moore, who played on the offensive line as well, is moving around on both sides of the ball during spring practices and the 6-foot-3-inch, 250-pound junior will even get to see the football on offense some this fall.
“We changed positions with him and he’s even going to play a little fullback,” Garner said of Moore. “He’s been a bright spot carrying the ball (during spring) for us.
“He’s a large young man but he’s slimmed up a little bit. He’ll play some MIKE (middle) linebacker and some at defensive end (on defense). We’re going to move him around a let him make plays.”
Culver got a chance to get varsity reps as a freshman last season and Garner said he’s beginning to blossom on both sides of the line.
“Zacorey Culver is growing like crazy,” Garner said. “He’s about 5-foot-11-inches and 300 pounds. He’s playing (offensive) guard and nose (tackle). He’s slimmed up some and is getting stronger in the weight room. He has been our best lineman up front and he’ll be a load up front for us to run behind in the fall.”
In the spring game, Daleville will play a quarter of JV action against JU Blacksher to start off and then a half of varsity action against JU Blacksher. In the second half, Daleville and Pleasant Home’s JV squads will play another quarter and then the Daleville and Pleasant Home varsity teams will play a half.
Garner said effort is the main thing he is looking for this Friday.
“I want to see effort and execution,” Garner said. “We want to be able to line up and execute but I know in a spring game the execution won’t be as great as it will be in the fall.
“The main thing is effort, though. Line up, have fun, fly around and try to help us take one step further into the summer heading into the fall.”
The spring game begins at 7 p.m. at Pleasant Home on May 21.
