This is the 21st of The Athlete's Connection's 30 football previews in 30 days leading up to the season-opening games Aug. 28. Today, Dave Purpura visits Strake Jesuit's preseason practice.

JoJo Williams has made his name at Strake Jesuit as an offensive guard, and that’s where he expects to be slotted starting next year at the University of Connecticut.

But for this year, Williams was moved across the line to defensive tackle after phenom David King graduated to the University of Oklahoma.

“It’s not that much different (than offense). I’m pretty much adjusted,” said Williams, a 6-foot-2, 275-pound senior who committed to U-Conn in July. “I practiced defense one day a week last year just to learn the plays in case someone got injured.”

That situation isn’t so unusual.

That it carries over to gamenights as thoroughly as it does makes Strake Jesuit, which stands out as one of a handful of private schools competing in the UIL, that much more different from most of its opponents.

Head coach Ron Counter estimated Monday that at least six Crusaders, maybe a few more, will go both ways in Friday night’s scrimmage against Katy at Rhodes Stadium. Though the number likely will decrease, that also will be the case in the regular season, which begins Aug. 30 against St. Thomas at Butler Stadium.

Among others, starting defensive end Wes Williams may see time at tight end and projected starting quarterback James Scott – a free safety all of last year – will practice defense one day a week in the event he may return there, however temporarily.

“I think we have 22 guys (talented enough) that we won’t have to go both ways but if somebody goes down then it’s a ripple effect,” Counter said. “We have a lot of kids who are used to not only playing both sides of the ball but different positions.”

JoJo Williams played defensive tackle his freshman and sophomore years, then started at offensive guard the entire 2007 season. Though he was marketed to recruiters as an offensive lineman, it was something of a no-brainer to slide him over once King’s 46 tackles and seven sacks left.

He plans to practice offense one day a week – the reverse situation of that facing Scott.

Scott started at free safety last year and moved back to quarterback, where he played for seven years into high school, upon Jeff McVaney’s graduation. Last year, McVaney practiced one day a week as a linebacker though he didn’t played a down there the whole year.

“I’m not exactly sure (what this year’s plan is for him on defense),” Scott said. ”It’s good to go back. I had fun on defense, too. You have some fun on either side of the ball. On defense, you can make a big play by stopping the big play (rather than) creating it.”

As for the benefits of offense …

“You get to score touchdowns,” Scott said, laughing.

Counter conceded that conditioning is critical for two-way players, especially early in the season.

“Sometimes it can catch up with you by the fourth quarter,” he said. “When we came into 5A, we knew that most of the time the other time wouldn’t have guys going both ways, and sometimes the other team will have more guys on the sideline than we do. But when it comes down to it, they have 11 guys (on the field) and we have 11. …

“I’m kind of an old-fashioned guy. It doesn’t make any sense to me to have one of our best players standing on the sideline when the other team is going to score or we need to score, depending on the side of the ball. In that case, you have to have your best 11 out there.”

STRAKE JESUIT 2008 SCHEDULE
Aug. 30: St. Thomas, 6 p.m. (at Butler Stadium)
Sept. 5: at Clear Lake, 7 p.m. (at Clear Creek ISD stadium)
Sept. 13: Clear Brook, 6 p.m.
+Sept. 26: Memorial, 7 p.m.
+Oct. 4: at Northbrook, 6 p.m. (at Tully Stadium)
*+Oct. 10: Elsik, 7 p.m.
+Oct. 17: at Alief Taylor, 7 p.m. (at Crump Stadium)
+Oct. 24: Hastings, 7 p.m.
+Oct. 31: at Spring Woods, 7 p.m. (at Tully Stadium)
+Nov. 7: Stratford, 7 p.m.

* Homecoming
+ District 18-5A game

Subscribe to this comment's feed