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Cape Central defense shines in intrasquad scrimmage: A glimpse into the 2024 Season
The Cape Central High School football begins in one week, and after Saturday evening’s intrasquad scrimmage, a clearer picture of which players are primed for a breakout season and the overall team outlook is continuing to emerge.
Fans were able to watch multiple periods of action on Saturday, Aug. 17, which amounted to about 90 minutes. The latest Tiger football report explores the biggest developments over the weekend and how the intrasquad scrimmage should color your view for the final two weeks of the preseason.
Defense Flexing its Muscle
The Tiger defense went from allowing 31 points per game in 2021 to just 24.2 points per game in each of the past two seasons. Despite losing the catalyst of the defense in linebacker Davarious Nunley, there is little doubt that the unit won’t fall short of those numbers in 2024.
“Our defense is ahead of our offense a little bit, but there's a lot of reasons why that's happening,” head coach Kent Gibbs said. “I thought we did really well on defense. We flew around.”
If you’re a Tiger fan, that aspect of the evening was perhaps the most encouraging. The fundamentals seemed to take a step in the right direction and the front seven impressed for most of the scrimmage.
When asked about which position group stood out the most, Gibbs said: “I think our defensive line played really well and our linebackers pursued well. We knocked a couple of passes down again. I think the standouts, for the most part, would've been on the defensive side.”
There is noticeable depth at linebacker with senior Shawn Shelton back as well as outside linebackers Jonathan Williams and Gavin Pittman, who suffered a broken ankle last season. Sophomores Logan Margetta and Desergion Reed are also among the many options for the position.
While the secondary made plays, Gibbs noted that there were still players battling for starting spots at cornerback and safety.
QB Pittman Looking as Good as New
After a torn ACL derailed his junior campaign, quarterback Deklin Pittman got back on track in a big way and showed signs that he is set for a huge rebound season. The senior showed up more polished as a passer and continued to find his rhythm commanding the offense. The other thing that has impressed Gibbs and the staff is his leadership skills, a key trait for a quarterback that doesn’t necessarily show up on film.
“He’s done a really good job trying to take charge and get guys in the right spots and do the things that he needs to get better,” Gibbs said. “He's had a couple of really good days of throwing the ball, which excites us because we need to be able to throw the ball a little bit. So, he's done well on some of his reads. He's still got some things to work on. He knows that, but we're glad that he's back with us.”
Getting Pittman’s arm back is critical for the Tiger offense as it gives them a more two-dimensional look that could lead to more points in 2024. While the Cape Central signal caller is also a threat with his legs in the option attack, Gibbs and company expect him to air it out more this fall.
“It's never really been a problem with him throwing the ball as much as getting back into the swing of things with our offense and that kind of thing,” Gibbs said. “He throws a good ball. He throws a catchable ball. The big thing about him is he does a good job of throwing to kids who are open, which is what we like, obviously, when we'll get those guys out there.”
Boyd-Thomas Duo Still Electric
To nobody’s surprise, you will be hearing these two names a lot this fall. Anchoring one of the most potent rushing attacks in the state, the Tiger running back duo of Keyshawn Boyd and Za’Aire “Zip” Thomas continued to check every box, and both should continue to blossom in what will be their final season wearing the orange and black together.
Boyd displayed power and explosiveness, breaking off multiple big runs out of the backfield – several of which could have been long-yardage touchdowns. Thomas saw just as many meaningful reps, serving as more of a gadget player by making an impact in both the running and passing game.
After the scrimmage, Gibbs said that the program is “blessed to have two of the best running backs in the state.”
I know the reputation is Keyshawn is an inside guy and “Zip” is outside, but at the end of the day, Keyshawn runs the ball well to the outside when we need him, and “Zip” catches the ball and can run it inside when we put them the backfield together,” Gibbs said. “We didn't do any of that tonight.”
Charlton’s Leg Stronger Than Ever
Kickers don’t often get the recognition that they deserve on the gridiron, but if you ask the Cape Central program how valuable Joey Charlton is, they’d rush to tell you how much of a weapon he really is, especially in clutch moments.
The sophomore is coming off a breakout rookie campaign where he made all three of his field goal attempts from 40-plus yards, including a season-long of 43. Let’s not forget that he even won a playoff game for the Tigers last November.
“Well, we don't beat Eureka last year in the quarterfinals if he doesn't kick a 32-yard field goal or whatever it was,” Gibbs said. “The biggest thing with him is that his leg has gotten stronger.”
That strength came to light on Saturday when Charlton connected on a pair of field goals from 30-plus yards and booted several kickoffs deep inside opposing territory.
“We haven't worked a lot of situational field goals, other than tonight,” Gibbs said. “He seems to be doing a really good job of kicking the ball into the end zone, which, when you start a team on the 20-yard line, you got a shot.”
Top Position Battle
When fielded questions about Cape Central’s position battles Saturday, Gibbs noted that certain groups are continuing to pan out, and, like most high school programs in the preseason, it will come down to the emergence of players listed second-string on the depth chart “who keep battling the number ones.”
One of the few preseason battles to keep an eye on will be for the second spot at wide receiver. The two top candidates for the starting job are senior Josh Guyton and junior Martavion Robinson – two playmakers who lack experience but have made strides in preseason camp. While the two wideouts need more chemistry with quarterback Pittman, expect both players to mix into the rotation in 2024.
Gibbs’ biggest concern was “a lack of consistency on offense.” Some of that was attributed to the line of scrimmage, which is a group that has some work to do prior to the regular season opener.
Looking Ahead
As Cape Central continues to put the finishing touches on the preseason, the Tigers will turn the page and welcome Scott City, St. Vincent, and Perryville to town for the Jamboree quad-scrimmage this Friday, August 23 at Tiger Stadium.
“You're going to hear this a lot from me, but you just take it one practice at a time, evaluate, get better the next day, and get better the next day, until you get to that game, whatever that game is,” Gibbs said. “And then we just start that process over.”