By John R. Schirmer
Leader staff
Coach Mike Volarvich put his first Scrapper team on the field Friday night before more than 1,000 fans at the Orange and Black Back-to-School Bash and said that, overall, he liked what he saw.
“I’m happy with the Bash,” Volarvich said. “We did some good things on both sides of the ball” during the intra-squad scrimmage.
Offensively, “We had a couple of big plays. Defensively, we had a couple of plays for negative yardage. I told the team that you never want the offense or defense to dominate in a scrimmage like this. You want to have success on both sides of the ball.”
The Scrapper offense “came out and did well early. They scored two touchdowns on the first three plays. They started pretty fast, then the defense answered with a couple of stops,” Volarvich said.
The scrimmage included 21 plays with the starters and 24 with the second team, according to Volarvich. Each unit played about a quarter of football.
The sophomores also scrimmaged the ninth graders from the junior high Scrappers.
“Our young guys executed well when they scrimmaged the ninth graders,” Volarvich said. “I liked their execution. I liked the tempo they played at. I liked the fact that they knew their assignments well. These are things we emphasize. Take care of the things you can take care of.”
The sophomores ran 14 offensive plays for 208 yards and scored three times, Volarvich said. “I’m happy with the young guys.”
The defense gave up one big play. “Junior high has some talented kids.”
The Scrappers watched film from the Bash Monday afternoon during practice. They made corrections, and coaches pointed out the good things from the scrimmage.
The season opener is Friday, Sept. 4, against Hope. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Scrapper Stadium.
More than 1,000 attend ‘Bash’
“Best Bash ever!”
That’s how Gaye Graham of the Scrapper Booster Club described Friday night’s Orange and Black Back-to-School Bash at Scrapper Stadium.
More than 1,000 fans paid $2 each to attend the event, which grossed more than $7,500 for the Booster Club, Graham said.
Those attending purchased Scrapper T-shirts and other merchandise, Scrapper Snocones, and countless burgers, hot dogs and drinks from the concession stand.
“We were very busy,” Graham said of the volunteers which worked the Bash.
For new head coach Mike Volarvich, Friday night was his first time to attend the Bash.
“It was great to see that much support,” Volarvich said. “The community rallies behind the team.”
“This was great for the Booster Club. It’s a big fund-raiser,” Volarvich said.
Nashville faculty and staff members were encouraged to go to the Bash. They responded with attendance rate of at least 95 percent, according to Volarvich.
Following the introductions of football players, band members and cheerleaders from junior high and high school, Volarvich spoke to the crowd. He thanked those who attended, noting that they chose to spend their Friday night at the stadium.
“The more people we put in the stands, the better,” he said.
The Scrappers are “their team. Those kids rally around the crowd at the game,” Volarvich said Monday morning.
With the Bash completed, Graham said the Booster Club is turning its attention to the season opener Sept. 4 when Hope visits Scrapper Stadium. “It will be a huge crowd,” she said.
The game will begin at 7:30 p.m.
The Leader’s football preview will be printed Wednesday, Sept. 4.