Courtesy: KHSFootball.com
Published: 07/21/2010

The Red Devil football squad are ready for this Saturday's USF Sling and Shoot Tournament. Head Coach Irving Strickland says the team should be more aware of the challenges that lie ahead after entering the tournament last year for the first time.

Coach Strick says that he is looking for the team to accomplish the same success they had last year, by following the same formula. He wants the team to just compete during every game and have fun regardless of the outcome of each game. He stressed the importance of not getting caught up in the wins and losses but focusing on each opponent, each game, and each individual play. Strickland says that as long as the team follows that formula that they will have the same success they had in the tournament last year, finishing with only two losses.

As far as comparing the team he will take to the tournament this year compared to last year, Strick was quick to point out that talent-wise they are both equal. It would be hard to tell that to scouts and media pundits who have been giving this year's Kathleen squad high praise, but Strick did not want to get caught up in all the hype and he does not want his players to fall in the trap either. Strick says I just want my players to continue to play like a pack of wolves, staying hungry and not being content. He wants them to take the same mentality out to the tournament because there will be plenty of eyes watching the team.

Offensively, the coaching staff will be watching the progress of the young receivers who will be replacing some talented ones that left due to graduation. Strickland pointed out that Tony Black and Eric Carter are two young receivers that he hopes will grow during the tournament and become contributors in the fall. He also talked about how he wants to see James McClinton grow into his running back role.

Defensively, Josh Mcfarquhar and Shalymov Isaac are two players the coaches will be interested in seeing how they step up to the challenge of contributing to the team. While Mcfarquhar will more than likely settle for a backup role, Isaac may be slated to start depending on how he can perform under pressure situations. The coaches will be looking for consistency out of both players and hope that they will show confidence in their respective positions on the field.

KHSFootball.com will be providing full coverage of Saturday's event which starts at 9:45 AM. The event is free for spectators so Kathleen fans come out to USF and cheer on the team.

To give you an idea of what to expect check out footage of how the team played in the tournament last year.

USF 2009 Sling-n-Shoot Tournament featuring Kathleen High School.