The Mendenhall Tigers fell short in their spring game against the Ridgeland Titans, but the game served its purpose of allowing coaches the opportunity to evaluate their team. Head Coach Chuckie Allen was optimistic about what he saw from his team, praising their effort and how well they competed.
Allen said he really wanted to see fight and competitiveness from his team. Defensively he was proud of his defensive line and the physicality they displayed in the trenches and had high praise for senior linebacker Princeton Miller. He said some mistakes were made, but that was expected with young players getting an opportunity to play and gain some in-game experience.
Allen said, “We wanted to get guys a chance to play. We made sure we got everybody out there. Some made mistakes and others had never been in that position before, but I am pleased with the defense.”
The Tigers will have a new face at quarterback with freshman QB Ty Davis taking over for graduating starter Tayton James.
Allen said he was pleased with Davis and what he was able to show on the field. Allen said Davis was fast, elusive, and has a canon for an arm. He said there were some things that needed to be cleaned up, but overall he was pleased with the performance and is looking forward to working with him this summer.
The Tiger offense had several bright moments throughout the game and worked to build some consistency while moving the ball. They were without one of their starters on the offensive line but were still able to have success moving the ball. There were some opportunities missed along the way that kept the Tigers from scoring, but Allen said all of these miscues can be corrected.
Coach Allen said, “As a whole, I’m not disappointed and there is a lot we can work with. It’s like I told the guys we will be a totally different team come August. Now is the fun time; we can get to work. The journey will be fun and I’m excited to get to it.”
