Bearcats will end spring practices Wednesday with 7:30 a.m. Spring Game

Aledo junior Wes Harris (78) lines up at defensive tackle during a recent spring football practice. Coaches have placed Harris at defensive tackle in the spring in an experimental move. Harris and the rest of the Bearcats will compete in the annual Spring Football Game which will begin at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at Bearcat Stadium.

Posted Tuesday, May 24, 2016 11:41 am

In keeping with their practice of morning workouts, the Aledo Bearcats will conclude the 15-practice spring football season with a Wednesday morning Spring Football Game at Bearcat Stadium.

The Bearcats – which will split into teams of the No. 1 offense and No. 2 defense versus the No. 2 offense and No. 1 defense – will kick off the spring game at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at Bearcat Stadium.

During the season the Bearcats practice in the mornings up into first period, and in spring workouts the team practiced in the morning in 11 of the 14 sessions.

Bearcat fans may want to keep their eyes on junior Wes Harris – last year’s District 8-5A Offensive MVP at guard – who will also spend time on the defensive line. Bearcats head coach Steve Wood wanted to use the spring practices to insert Harris with all-district defensive tackle James Williams to clog up the middle of the Bearcats defense.

“Wes is very strong, and he will be hard to block at defensive tackle,” Wood said. “He has done fine so far. The spring game will tell us a lot, not only on Wes but with everybody. Wes is such an athlete that he will be a force in there. No doubt about it.”

Wood has also moved others to different positions, but he said the spring is where the coaches can set the depth chart. Wood feels the spring game will answer some of those questions, if not all.

The format of the game will be almost game-like but without coverage on punts and kickoffs. The No. 1 offense will go against the No. 1 defense and the No. 2 offense and defense will face each other.

“We will get a lot of plays in,” he said. “Everyone will see action. It won’t be a full game, but everyone will get plenty of reps. I want to see everyone compete and obviously you want to come out of this with everybody healthy. But any time you are keeping score you find out who your competitors are, and we want them to go out there with that kind of attitude.

“This is the time for guys to go and show what they can do and prove themselves.”