IR football readies for preseason play

The football preseason is well under way, from the pros down to the high schools. The weeks leading up to the season’s opening kickoff not only offer coaching staffs a glimpse at the bevy of new talent coming together alongside returning stars, they provide players with the chance to work off the rust, fix the kinks and shake the cobwebs that develop over months away from the gridiron. Such is the case for Indian River head coach Jim Bunting, who said he is pleased to see plenty of young talent stepping up, as well as some familiar faces returning with maturity and leadership.

“This year,” said Bunting, “we’ve tried to work real hard on the mental aspect of the game. It’s a team effort. You’re not going to have one kid carry the weight if the program is going to be successful. Your quarterback needs a protective line. Your backs need good blockers. Everyone has to work together, and I think these guys understand that.”

Last year rounded out with a 5-5 record, denying the Indians any postseason play, but for Bunting, it’s a new year, and players who had traditionally been followers are now becoming leaders.

“What we saw over the last three years,” he said, “is the younger players almost didn’t feel right speaking up. They thought leadership was something you got from seniority.”

In the past, Bunting had his squad help vote in the captains of the upcoming season, but doing so did not allow for the guidance Bunting and his staff were looking for.

“It quickly became a popularity contest,” he continued, “but this year, we’ve cleaned the slate. This year, we’ve got guys leading by example, showing up to all the practices and working on that résumé. It’s the same thing I’m telling the kids coming up from Selbyville Middle. Everyone’s equal. We’re looking for whoever it is that’s doing the little things to make the program better.”

While fresh faces are filling in the gaps, Bunting still has some recognizable names returning to help the team gel together. At the helm is Jamie Jarmon, returning for his third consecutive season as the Indians’ starting quarterback. The junior, who has already lettered in three varsity sports, returns with an arm and some help on the flanks, but don’t be surprised when he puts on a show with his scramble, once again. The versatile QB is already showing promise for this season, as his leadership has already trickled down to other players.

Fullback Devon Showell is one of them.

“Devon’s really stepped out of his cocoon,” noted Bunting. “He doesn’t speak much, but he’s already shown us that he can help lead this team. That’s something he wasn’t exactly comfortable saying last year.”

Fellow senior Timmy Bokinsky returns with a sound focus on the game, too. And juniors De’Andre Holland and Tyler Dean will look to maintain the pace of the game, as well, Bunting said.

“These guys are fearless now,” he said. “You can tell by the way the control the game and interact with each other. I have a good feeling about this year’s team. It’s a good ball club. They listen to advice from our coaching staff, and they don’t give you a shrug of the shoulder or attitude. That’s exactly what we were missing last year. They’re pushing one another, and that’s what we need.”

Preseason practices began two weeks ago, and scrimmages are helping the team see where the weak spots are.

“We’re anxious for the season,” Bunting admitted, “but we don’t want it starting tomorrow. There are still some things we have to work on. We don’t have a ton of seniors in our front line. A lot of the guys who are out there now were playing junior varsity last year. Some of them got thrown into the ‘Friday night lights’ with some of the injuries we saw, but it’s really a mixed bag of returning faces and young, raw talent.”

Last week’s scrimmage against Caesar Rodney allowed Bunting to pay attention to his defense, an aspect of the game that still needs to be developed.

“We’re working in phases right now,” Bunting noted. “The first phase of offense is in, and we’re pleased with that. We want to run the spread and the gun triple option and really bring that power game. Defensively, we still have some things to do. Caesar Rodney ran a wing-T, and we’re trying to get our guys acclimated with how that offense runs.”

The Indians will have the opportunity to touch up their defensive package this Friday, as they host a scrimmage with Parkside, before traveling to Milford next week for a play day.

Indian River opens up this year’s schedule against Cape Henlopen on Friday, Sept. 10, a rivalry game that has become a tradition as the season’s debut. They will follow up in the second week with a road game at Caravel Academy.

“We’ve got a heck of a schedule this year,” said Bunting. “Our practices have been all about reps, reps and more reps. If we’re going into the Cape or Caravel games with a ‘no big deal’ attitude, we’re not going to get those important early season wins.”

Week 3 pits the Indians against Dover, a mid-state powerhouse that will likely be seeing some postseason play. By October, IR will see six straight weeks of conference rivalry, which will likely prove to be challenging and crucial.

“The strength of the South this year is tough,” Bunting said. “You slip up in one game in this conference and you’re digging yourself out of a hole. Delmar’s a favorite in the division. Laurel’s always going to be up there, and Lake is a strong opponent.

“Teams can get into the playoffs with a 7-3 record, due to the toughness of the schedule. As long as we come to play each time, we can get there. Our team just has to come out of the blocks playing hard. That postseason is what we’re playing for. We want to get up to the house at Del State.”