DAPHNE—Bayside Academy and Daphne High held inter-squad scrimmages last Friday with officials from the Alabama High School Athletic Association getting a few practice reps in of their own blowing whistles and throwing flags.

“This is a chance to get a feel for game conditions,” said DAPHNE HIGH SCHOOL head coach Glenn Vickery. “Under the lights with officials, real officials calling penalties and us having no coaches on the field. It’s really a good opportunity for us to look at ourselves in game-like situations. So it’s very helpful to us as coaches and for the players as well as the officials.”

At Bayside, first-year head coach Phil Lazenby and his staff hosted a crew of officials-in-training from the Dothan Area and a group of official instructors from all over the state.

“It was good for us to have officials watching the plays, calling penalties, letting us know when we made a mistake,” he said. “It’s always good to catch mistakes early. Overall, it was very helpful for us. I certainly wasn’t displeased. But we need to work on some things, too.”

Lazenby used the opportunity to focus on the kicking game first before running plays from scrimmage.

“We ran the ball well. Cade McMurray made a couple of really good catches. I guess our offense looked a little bit better than our defense, but they’re all learning new systems on both sides of the ball,” he said. “And, as you know, we have a lot of guys who have to play both ways for us and we’ve been emphasizing offense, spending more time on it as far as first-team offense, first-team defense goes. And offense tends to be a little more complicated. But I think our defense will be ready. It’s progressing well.”

At Trojans Field, the officials worked in shifts, while the DAPHNE HIGH SCHOOL offense and defense shuttled between varsity and junior varsity teams.

“We need to get better in every phase of the game,” Vickery said. “I thought we kicked well tonight and that’s always important.”

The Trojans will host Theodore’s Bobcats Friday in the newly revamped stadium on Lawson Road with a 7 p.m. kick-off slated. New concession stands, visitors’ dressing room and additional seating have been finished since last season.

The Admirals will not take part in a preseason game this year. “We are going to use that time to get ready for the season,” Lazenby said. “I want us to focus on the game that counts, not spend that time getting ready for a jamboree opponent right now.”

The Admirals open on the road at Millry in a non-area matchup. MILLRY HIGH SCHOOL is returning 10 starters, Lazenby said.

Bayside’s first 2A Area 1 game will also be on the road at Georgianna Sept. 7. and they’re home opener is set for Sept. 14 against Flomaton’s Hurricanes.