(Editor’s note: Carroll College Athletics release)
HELENA — The Carroll College football team closes spring practice with its annual scrimmage on Saturday beginning at 9:30 a.m.
New Saints coach Troy Purcell will run his team through a variety of scenarios, seeing just how quickly his team can run his stuff. The format will implement a running clock and officials to simulate situations on Saturdays.
“Play fast, compete, that’s the main thing,” Purcell said. “We’ll see what they’ve learned. We’ll get the coaches off the field and see what they know. We’ll see who wants to step up and who wants to start leading without the coaches being out there. It will be a good indicator.”
As the Saints’ coaching staff continues to evaluate players at each position, they’ll specifically watch how players understand calls and who can keep a good tempo on Saturday.
The scrimmage will either end after a time limit or a play count, at coach Purcell’s discretion.
“Once we get to so many plays in and I feel good about it, we’ll call it,” he said. “It might be in the third quarter or it might be in the fourth quarter.”
All three phases of the game — offense, defense and special teams — will have their chances on Saturday, though the scrimmage will not follow the same flow as a normal football game.
Afterward, the Saints invite the public to a barbeque in Nelson Stadium.
“Anybody who wants to come in there is more than welcome to come in and meet some of the players,” Purcell said. “We’ll have 2019 recruits in there. Their families will be able to intermix.”
