Scrimmage Notes: Green Hill-NCS-Upperman
Preseason action continued on Friday night where the Green Hill Hawks hosted both Nashville Christian and Upperman high schools for a scrimmage showcase that was beneficial for everybody involved.
Each team played each other for 30 minute periods with full contact, referees and players and parents cheering from the sidelines and stands. The atmosphere was strong and it was great building for all three programs as they inch closer to the Fall football season.
Green Hill is Growing!
Before we even talk about the actual work on the football field, it must be stated that the Hawks have an outstanding home setup and the potential to become a powerful program somewhere down the road. Green Hill has a nice stadium and field along with a beautiful landscape surrounding them. They have the potential for growth and a strong coaching staff to help the program develop in the right ways.
Now onto the action! Things cranked up with Green Hill taking on Nashville Christian and immediately you could tell it was the preseason when the Eagles of NCS took the field, however the Hawks looked prepared to play.
Green Hill handled the Eagles with ease, looking crisp on offense with a defense playing fast and aggressive. Hawks senior (QB) Clayton Nordstrom ran his offense well and even scored on a tough, hard fought run that he definitely earned.
Rising sophomore running back Niko Duffie Niko Duffie 6'0" | 190 lbs | ATH Green Hill | 2024 TN immediately flashed for me against the Eagles, stringing together multiple strong runs, showing off his size, power and speed. He continued his excellent running later in the night when the Hawks took on the Bees of Upperman.
A few other Hawk players who stood include center Tyson King Tyson King 6'3" | 280 lbs | OL Green Hill | 2022 State TN , rising junior (TE) Braiden Staten Braiden Staten 6'6" | 225 lbs | TE Green Hill | 2023 State TN and junior two way talent Kaleb Carver.
The Hawks led by head coach Jeremy Crouch, had a harder time against Upperman compared to the Eagles as the Bees have a solid offensive line and veterans spread out all throughout their roster.
The biggest thing that stood out about the Green Hill team was their attention to detail and desire to play the game for their fellow teammates. The Hawks competed hard and played like a well coached team.
It may take some time before Green Hill reaches the level and status of football that they are working towards but they are off to a great start and have the right people there to make it work.
Struggles Occur for Nashville Christian
Good thing we are still in preseason work because the Eagles of NCS need more time to figure out who they are and what they need to do to get better. It was a struggle for NCS on Friday night as they had a hard time moving the ball or stopping anybody.
For head coach Jeff Brothers and the rest of his Eagles coaching staff, they have to continue working with their squad as they showed struggles in a variety of ways, none more so than the line of scrimmage where it should be a strength for them.
The Eagles have two massive young men in senior O-lineman Jacob Bates Jacob Bates 6'6" | 295 lbs | OL Nashville Christian | 2022 State TN and rising two way junior Kevin Bradley Kevin Bradley 6'4" | 280 lbs | DL Nashville Christian | 2023 TN that should have been pushing people back with ease but they along with the rest of the offensive and defensive line struggled to get off blocks or generate any push.
It wasn’t just the line that had a hard time on Friday night but it was the entire team as a whole. Neither side of the ball helped each other too much and nobody seemed to be on the same page the entire night.
It is of course preseason action and there is a lot of time to keep working and improve but the Eagles must get to it because Week 1 is right around the corner.
One bright spot for the Eagles on Friday night was the evident playmaking by senior receiver, defensive back Jaelyn Marsh Jaelyn Marsh 5'11" | 180 lbs | WR Nash. Christian | 2022 State TN . The senior playmaker flashed early and continued to play strong throughout the night.
Marsh is a big time athlete with dynamic playmaking abilities that can be used on either side of the ball. He has strong upside for both offense or defense, so it would be in the best interest of college coaches to get on this guy soon because Marsh could be one of the more underrated in-state talents for the 2022 class.
Upperman is a Sleeper State Title Team
We have a long way to go and last night was just a scrimmage but Upperman might be a team to watch for this season as a possible sleeper to make it to Cookeville.
Playing out of Class 4A, the Bees made a strong impression last night against both Green Hill and Nashville Christian with veterans on both sides of the ball, an athletic quarterback and a line of scrimmage that has size and a collection of guys that play with a certain mean attitude.
The star of the show last night for the Bees was senior quarterback Ty Dutchess. The 6’1 athletic playmaker was a problem for both team defenses as he was able to maneuver his way down the field with both his arm and his legs and he did all this on a consistent basis.
Dutchess is the player that makes this Bees team a possible state title contender because he has pieces around him that compliment him well and an overall veteran laden team that can make a strong push for Cookeville.
Helping Dutchess on offense last night was junior running back/linebacker Terrance Dedmon Terrance Dedmon 5'11" | 190 lbs | ATH Upperman | 2023 State TN and two-way underrated talent Daniel Metzgar Daniel Metzgar 6'0" | 170 lbs | WR Upperman | 2022 State TN . Both these guys flashed multiple times on both sides of the ball. Metzgar is a guy that college coaches should really start taking a deeper look at as he has the size and skills to play on Saturday’s.
The main name many people may know from the Bee’s is senior defensive end Jyron McClellan Jyron McClellan 6'4" | 240 lbs | DL Upperman | 2022 State TN . The 6’4 FCS offered prospect had a solid night in Mt. Juliet but you could also see where it is still early and McClellan is working his way back into playing condition.
The Bee’s star defender was moved around the defensive line last night to take advantage of matchups but mainly lined up outside on the edge where he picked a sack on the night.
McClellan did seem to be a bit winded at times and had some struggles firing off the ball but the guy has legit size and traits that translate very well to the college football level.
Last night was a nice step in the right direction for this Bee’s team. It was good work for them against two solid teams and it gave their staff an idea about who they are and where they need to go to improve this team and continue it’s march towards a hopeful 2021 state championship.