USAAB West First Session Practice Report

SAN ANTONIO – It was all business for the West squad during a sun-splashed morning at Comalander Stadium as some America’s finest prep gridiron standouts took the field for the first practice in preparation for Saturday’s 2008 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Despite not being in full game attire for the opening session (players wore thigh pads and short instead of pants) there was plenty of action going on throughout the two hour workout.

Having mainly gone through stretches, individual position drills, and some alignment on special teams, the action really started to heat when the offensive and defensive linemen began one-on-one drills.

Among the standouts on the defensive side of the ball was Keller (Texas) Fossil Ridge pass rush extraordinaire R.J. Washington as the Oklahoma commit showed the he is just as strong and physical at the point of attack as he is explosive. Offensively it was another Sooner commit, Stephen Good, who stood out as Good is one of five offensive linemen on the West squad hailing from the state of Texas.

The skill position players got to show off their skills during 7-on-7 drills and inside hull with Arizona bound Robert Golden stealing the show. The Fresno (California) Edison star had two spectacular interceptions, one on a fade route in the end zone with the other theft coming after he jumped a slant route.

The session ended with team drills that saw Golden come up with another big play as he swatted away a deep ball that was intended for Allen (Texas) High receiver Dan Buckner.

Who looked impressive…

Quarterbacks – All three signal callers for the West squad look the part of big time Division I standouts. Andrew Luck, Dayne Crist, and Blaine Gabbert all look very polished, but it is easy to notice Crist’s lightning quick release.

Running Backs – It is easy to see why Darrell Scott is the best prep back in the nation. He moves so fluidly it looks like everyone around him is going in slow motion. Michigan pledge and Texas schoolboy legend Sam McGuffie kept everyone’s attention during practice as he twice perfectly executed impromptu front flips.

Receivers – One of the most physically imposing players at any position for the West squad is Buckner, who looks college ready. Jameel Owens out of Muskogee (Oklahoma) High showed to have arguably the best set of hands during individual drills.

Offensive Line – As mentioned, Good looks very good for someone who missed all of his senior season with a shoulder injury. Another East Texas native, Gilmer’s David Snow, looked solid during one-on-one’s as did Argyle (Texas) Liberty Christian’s Ben Habern. The best of the bunch might have been Southern Cal pledge Tyron Smith, who was excellent during one-on-one’s and during the team session.

Defensive Line – Washington, along with Golden, was the most impressive player of the morning session. Not far behind however was Kanehoe (Hawai’i) Castle High defensive tackle Solomon Koehler, who displayed a powerful first step off of the ball and is truly dominant at the point of attack. Linebackers – It was had to get a feel for the West linebackers because they were separated from the rest of the ground for most of practice. Salt Lake City (Utah) Cottonwood’s Lynn Katoa looked the best one the linebackers moved to the inside hull drill.

Defensive Backs – Golden, though in a short amount of time, has already made his presence felt and is getting his week off to a fine start. Like Buckner at receiver another Texas commit, Aaron Williams, is also one of the most impressive looking athletes on the West squad. Los Angeles (California) Dorsey safety Rahim Moore also had a solid morning.