Ichabod football wraps up spring with spirited intrasquad game

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Washburn University's football team wrapped up what coach Craig Schurig termed an extremely productive spring with Saturday morning's spring game at Yager Stadium.

The Ichabod coaching staff went to great lengths to make sure Saturday's Team Navy-Team White was as evenly-matched as possible and it was just that, with the Navy holding on for a 21-17 victory.

Washburn All-American receiver/returner JJ Letcher (13) watches the action while taking a break during Saturday's spring game. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

"The position coaches kind of broke it down so the players didn't have to do it and then the players drafted by position group,'' Schurig said of the process used to determine the teams. "So we got captains and they just took it like, 'Hey, I'll take that O-line group.' 

"The key is up front it's got to match up. You can't have a terrible matchup up front or it's a terrible game. For the most it worked out well. It was fun.''

Obviously wanting to avoid injuries, Washburn avoided full contact for the first three quarters before going full bore the final quarter.

"As a coach you're like, 'Well, we should just go live,' but then you're going, 'Well, it doesn't really do us any good and if somebody gets hurt you're like, 'Well, that was stupid,' so we ran it so probably three quarters of it was wrap/release so that the older guys could be in it. We did a lot of that all spring and the guys handled it well.''

Schurig, whose Ichabods are coming off a 9-3 season and an NCAA Division II playoff appearance, said he's been very pleased with how the spring went.

"I felt real good,'' he said. "It's rare that we can hold two-huddle practices for the whole time. A lot of our practices we had two groups going. It's like we were running two practices and I loved it and guys got better so it was fun.''

Quarterback, where the Ichabods will have to replace All-MIAA first-teamer Mitch Schurig, is one of the position groups that Craig Schurig thought shined in the spring, but he was pleased across the board.

"To be honest I felt all the groups did (get better) and we increased our competitiveness,'' Schurig said. "The quarterbacks really did a good job. Kellen (Simoncic) took the majority of the (No.) 1 reps and did a really good job with it and as the spring went on he showed that he can really play.

"And our backup situation looks good there. That was one of the goals of spring, to see how the quarterback situation was going to be, and I thought that was really good. At receiver we should be in great shape and our line of scrimmage, which you have to have a great line of scrimmage in this conference, we have depth so the guys got a lot of work and they went against each other really well.''

Here's a few takeaways from Saturday's game:

• Simoncic, a sophomore out of Smithville, Mo., was one of five quarterbacks that saw action for either the Navy or White. Also seeing time were senior transfer Jared Taylor, sophomores C.J. Callaghan and Jackson Kavanaugh and redshirt freshman Grayson Sprouse.

Mitch Schurig, is on the Ichabod staff as a graduate assistant.

Junior running back Taylon Peters finds a hole during Washburn's spring game on Saturday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

• Junior Taylon Peters and sophomore Tyler Bowden both had a series of big gainers Saturday, while senior Hunter Browning (Washburn Rural) and junior Percy Mitchell also broke big plays.

Former Hayden standout Trey Pivarnik hauls in a pass for the White team in Saturday's Washburn University spring football game. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]

• City products Jack Hamilton (Washburn Rural) and Tre Pivarnik (Hayden) both saw extensive time at tight end and appear to figure prominently in the Ichabods' plans this coming fall.

• Ichabod star JJ Letcher didn't play a ton Saturday but flashed the form that made him an All-American receiver and returner a year ago. The Ichabods should also benefit from the return of senior Collin Wilson (Washburn Rural), who was a starter two years ago. WU aso returns Peter Afful, a key to the Ichabods' success last season, who came up with an highlight-reel TD catch Saturday.

• The Ichabods showed Saturday that defensive back could be one of their deepest positions, with seniors Kevin Neal Jr., Channon Ross and Christian Clark (Shawnee Heights) among the leaders.