Questions mark the arrival of spring football
Brayden Allen, Staff Writer
The month of March has reached its peak which means that spring practice is officially underway for the North Greenville football team.
This marks the first time the Crusaders have returned to the practice field since finishing the 2021 season with a 5-6 record. The season saw much improvement as the team picked up key wins over in-state foes Limestone, Newberry and Erskine as well as conference opponents Delta State and Shorter.
Many questions have developed going into the Spring as North Greenville looks to fill many starting roles. While the Crusaders return many of their starters from 2021, the team lost many at the conclusion of the season.
The focus begins with the offense as North Greenville loses five of its biggest contributors led by quarterback Kaelan Riley. The starting role is now open to Senior veteran Bryce Fields.
As the second string quarterback, Fields played in five games with one start coming against Erksine. In that game he went 16 for 26, passing for 136 yards, scoring two total touchdowns as he led the Crusaders to the 38-7 victory over the Flying Fleet.
To Fields the spring is crucial as he looks to fill the new role and help his team improve.
“The spring is great because it allows so many guys to get reps, which translates directly into experience for the fall season,” Fields said. “I’m looking forward to seeing us improve on the chemistry of the team, with some guys stepping into new roles. It’s been nice spending time with the team and continuing to grow closer with my teammates so far this spring.”
North Greenville also looks to fill open roles at the tight end and wide receiver positions after losing four key contributors in senior veterans Logan Byrd, Matthew Martin, Christian Bruce and Josh Edwards.
On the offensive line, the team returns all but one of their starting five after losing senior tackle Elyjah Lipscomb.
The Crusaders get back their top three scorers at running back in sophmore Dre Williams, and juniors Semaj Lakin and EJ Humphrey. In addition, newcomer Nathan Storch adds his name to the list after coming over from The Citadel.
The focus then shifts to defense as North Greenville once again looks to fill open starting positions. Key losses come at all positions while many starters from 2021 will look to take on leadership roles.
At the defensive line position the Crusaders lose three in seniors Zeke Stringer, Mike Norman and Jacob Stone.
At linebacker, the team lost two seniors, Eddie Martin and Caleb Bynum. Redshirt freshman De’iveon Donald will be tasked to take on a leadership role along with junior Dantavian Byrd, senior Chris Evans and sophomore Cory Croteau.
The key loss comes at the defensive back position. North Greenville loses their team leader in senior cornerback Aaron Watson. Many young players look to fight for starting jobs coming into the spring.
Freshman Bryce McIntosh is one of those fighting for a contributing role at the cornerback position. The spring is an important time for him to make an impact.
“It’s been going good. I like how things are going fast and up to speed,” McIntosh said. “The Spring prepares us for the fall because everyone is getting quality reps. My position is one of the hardest positions on the field and in the spring we can improve on technique and tackling and building that confidence to where when anybody steps on that island, they’re going to remember my name.
North Greenville continues to improve and get better as the team continues with spring practice in the month of March and going into April. The annual spring football game is set for April 7 as many questions will be answered.
