Familiar feel

Salem goes through its only preseason scrimmage Saturday in a jamboree format embraced by new Rams coach

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

When it’s the only scrimmage you’re going to have in the preseason you want to make sure it suits your needs to a tee.

Much like he did with his Week Zero game, new Salem football coach Danny Mendoza had a devil of a time finding a good preseason scrimmage for his team.

He didn’t want the usual 10-and-10 exercises followed by some situational work. He could get that in a typical practice. He wanted something that would simulate a game.

When he found a spot in Saturday’s tri-state scrimmage at Wilmington’s McKean High School, he suggested a style he favored from his days coaching in Florida – a preseason jamboree similar to a spring game.

Each team will play two 12-minute quarters of real football against each other. McKean and Philly’s Olney Charter will start it off at 5 p.m., followed by Salem and Olney, then Salem and McKean.

“When I talked to (McKean head coach Avery McMullin), he didn’t really know about the idea, but I thought it would be great for us to get that game scrimmage feeling,” Mendoza said. “We’ve got a Week Zero game, so we need that.

“I don’t do the tri-scrimmages. I don’t do quad stuff. The only reason I did them when I was here before was because I wasn’t the head coach. Now that I’m the head coach I want to do it how I’ve always done it: Have a kickoff classic, which is a preseason exhibition, and then we get into our season.

“Playing all these quads among all these other teams doesn’t really benefit me. I lose a day of practice. We don’t want everyone to see our stuff and we don’t want to give guys free film pretty much. I’ve never been a fan of that, so I got an opportunity to do it this way. Coach McMullin was on board.”

Mendoza found the scrimmage the same way he found the Rams’ Week Zero opponent, Executive Education Academy Charter School of Allentown, Pa.: On an Eastern Pennsylvania football website that lists team’s open dates. He called it “unfortunate” the Rams couldn’t get something with an in-state team, but a “blessing” they were able to find something.

“It’s just as important as any other game,” Mendoza said. “Obviously, it’s a game that doesn’t count, so it’s a game you just want to get better at and get your guys as much live looks and different scenarios that you can within a non-controlled scrimmage. We’d rather do this moreso than anything else and it worked out just the way we wanted to.

“This will let us know where we stand and what we need to work on and correct before we go up to Lafayette (for the opener) and it counts for real. It’s super important, our kids are fired up for it and we’re going to make the most of it.”

Several players are emerging as ones to watch since Mendoza opened his first camp. Senior RaMaji Bundy has moved from being the Rams top returning receiver to replace an All-Diamond Division quarterback and has picked up the offense well. Detric Simmons, a 6-3, 320-pound senior, has shown explosive quickness and a mean streak on the line, junior Jarred Pew has shown flashes of being a special talent at running back and junior Daveon Jackson is developing into a leader on the defense.

On the cover: New Salem football coach Danny Mendoza