Spartans Scrimmages Show Promise and Hope for 2024

FAIRLEA- The Greenbrier East Spartans varsity football team played two scrimmages on Saturday, August 17 at Spartan Stadium with temperatures in the 80’s and by all accounts, East looks like they have the potential to make some noise in their first season in Class AAA.

With opening week now less than two weeks away, the Spartans got a lot of situational work in against another opponent and not just against themselves as has been the case up to this point.

In the opener against Rockbridge (VA), the Spartans defense showed out and held Rockbridge to under 70 yards based on unofficial statistics. In the meantime, the East offense scored a handful of touchdowns and although the score was not officially kept, East pitched a shutout and won the contest rather easily.

Now, scrimmage rules are a little different than playing under the lights on Friday nights, but East did look impressive early.

In the second game which got underway right before 5 o’clock, the Spartans kept that momentum going against their border foes, the James Monroe Mavericks. James Monroe returns a nice core of players from last year’s state semifinal team like Layton Dowdy, Wil Boggess, Brady Baker, and Frederick Parker. The Mavs made a few good defensive plays and got an interception from Bryce Gardinier on the Mavs first defensive possession.

But the Spartans rebounded and made a few nice plays themselves. After the early pick, quarterback Brody Hamric settled in and made some nice throws. He hit Grant Burdette for about 25 yards on a play-action pass, found Nate Suttle over the middle, and hit Zayir Lee near the end of the day as Lee made a good catch in traffic.

However, the player who stood out the most, at least from my press box vantage point in the second session was running back Brady May.

May, a junior transfer from Alleghany (VA), gained over 50 yards on the day in just a handful of carries. He ran with power, showed some speed, and his vision seemed top notch as well. The addition of May will allow players like Suttle, Kaden Stone, Burdette, and Donavin Penn even more opportunities to make plays in space and will take some much-needed pressure off of Hamric too.

On defense, East got after Dowdy pretty good early. The play of the day may have been a pass breakup from Penn. Dowdy fired deep down the right sideline for a receiver, but Penn stayed with him every step of the way and knocked the ball away nicely. The line played well for the Spartans also.

All in all, the Spartans had a good day and should have some confidence from this point forward. They will now hit the practice field for the next week-and-a-half and prepare for the Riverside Warriors who invade Spartan Stadium on Friday, August 30 to kick off the season.

Additional Photos from the James Monroe scrimmage:

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