The DeKalb County High School Football Tigers were on the field last week, not for a regular game, but you wouldn’t be able to tell by the number of fans in the stands. The team was in Smith County, taking on the Gordonsville Tigers and getting some needed on-the-field game time reps.

There was a considerable crowd on both sides of the field as case after case of football fever sweeps the land. The crowds were there, catching a glimpse of what many believe will be two good teams this season. Though the scores didn’t matter, the playing time for some of the younger players was priceless.

"It went like we expected it to," Coach Steve Trapp told the Review. "We went down there knowing our top guys wouldn’t be in the game a lot. The format of the scrimmage was down and distance. Our whole one offense might have been together eight or nine plays, and we still had a few guys out that were injured as well."

"We had a plan going into the game to give some of our young guys and backups some reps," he continued. "We pretty much know what our top guys can do, so we got them some reps, then let some of younger guys come in and get some experience this preseason."

There were some key players that were not suited up for the scrimmage, concerning some of the Tiger faithful. Not to worry said Coach Trapp. The team is looking to have everyone healthy for the regular season.

"It’s nothing too major," Trapp said. "Luke Boss has a slight sprain in his shoulder. We’ll keep it easy on him, rehab it, and keep him working. He’ll be going through everything as usual, without the contact on that shoulder."

Another playmaker for the Tigers, who was out with a leg injury last year, looks to be on the field this season. "Lance Ball was actually cleared to scrimmage last Friday," Trapp explained. "He hadn’t had any practice up to that point. He had the screws taken out of his ankle back in the spring, so he’s still going through some rehab. He’s done some of the seven on seven, but kind of had a setback with some of the scar tissue and stuff. He got some treatment on his ankle, and got released [by the doctors], but since he hadn’t practiced with us, we didn’t feel the need to really push him. We told him to start back at the beginning of the week. Barring any setbacks, we’ll have him going forward for us."

Another name not seen on the field last Friday was Jonathon Munoz. "Munoz banged his knee up last year, and he hyperextended it at practice the other day. If it was fall and it was a real game, I think he would have played, but we already know what those guys can do, and we just wanted him to get 100 percent healthy and be ready for when the games really count."

"Eli Cross broke his hand early last week," Trapp said. "Hopefully everything will pan out, where the doctor can put something on it where he can get back out there for us. We’re still waiting to see how that will go."

"Ethan Thomason is pretty much out for the year with his ACL in his knee, and Jordan Whitehead, who started at running back for us at the scrimmage, ended up breaking his hand. It looks like he may be out for a month with that."

"We’ve also got some younger guys that provide some depth, that are trying to get back healthy as well."

Coach Trapp said the scrimmage was more important for the young, inexperienced players on the team. With the Tigers plagued by injuries at the end of last season, getting some experience under some of the young player’s belts is important. "It’s preseason. We had the plan to go down there and get some good quality reps with our ones, but mostly let our young guys come in and get some experience. Last year we really needed those backups to come in and play well, so we’re just trying to get them some experience on the front end if that situation happens again."

The preseason is just beginning, and fans will have another chance to see their time this Friday evening. A planned scrimmage for Tuesday evening had to be cancelled, but a scrimmage, set for Friday against Friendship Christian in Lebanon, will now be a three-way battle with Pearl Cohn now included in the practice. "We kind of had some conflict in the schedule, so now we’re doing a three-way scrimmage with Friendship and Pearl Cohn. Again, we’ll bring in our ones, then put in our young guys."

Coach Trapp said the scrimmage will give the Tigers some tough competition, which may be a sign of things to come. "We played them [Pearl Cohn] for four or five years when I first started, and depending on how the district gets broken up next year, it could be a team we face during the season in the future. It will be a quality scrimmage. I know they’ve got a tailback that’s got a lot of big time college offers, and they’ve got a huge offensive line. It just going to be a good quality opponent for us to get some reps against.

The scrimmage will be at Friendship Christian High School in Lebanon on Friday at 6:30 pm.