Published: August 14, 2006 10:42 am         

Lobos show potential in team scrimmage

Lehman High is still working out some of the kinks, but the Lobos showed flashes of a promising future in Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage.

The Lobos are in their first year of varsity football, and while the team is still establishing an identity, strong turnout and more than 20 seniors have helped jump-start the team’s progression. Saturday, several of those seniors took the spotlight early in the varsity scrimmage for the first time in front of fans and parents at Lobo Field.

Joseph Plata, a senior tailback that entered the game on the second offensive drive, took his first carry over right tackle for 70 yards after flashing some shifty moves near the line of scrimmage. Plata was finally hauled down inside the five yardline.

Senior quarterback Isaac Rodriguez, who is slated to start for the Lobos, showed that he will likely need to be respected as a dual-threat at the position with a 35-yard play off an option out of the shotgun. Rodriguez also sprinted for 12 yards on a quarterback keeper during the opening drive.

Rodriguez struggled more with the passing game, just missing a wide open Josh Lewis on the second play of the scrimmage, a deep ball down the sideline. That kind of timing problem, and Lehman’s host of other mistakes are typical of a team in its first scrimmage action. The Lobos only have five days of practice under their belts.

Lewis, a senior running back who lined up wide several times in the multiple receiver sets of Steve Davis’ spread, shotgun heavy offense, had two carries on the scrimmage’s opening drive. Lewis took the first hand off of the game for six yards. Later in the drive, Lewis took another hand off and sprinted for the sideline before turning it upfield, dodging several defenders and gaining some tough yards.

Sophomore Chris Duran also got into the action early in the scrimmage, laying a big hit on Lewis as he attempted to catch a swing pass near the sideline.

Lehman will look to improve in their next scrimmage against Crockett High in Austin Saturday morning.