MOORE — Almost every high school runs the Oklahoma drill or a variation of it. In it two dummy bags are positioned five yards apart. On the coach’s signal, the runningback, tries to make it through the space created by the bags as the defenders attempt to shed the blockers to demolish the running back.
The drill teaches defenders to shed the block and make the tackle in a small confined space. But more importantly, it’s a way for coaches to see which players have the heart and competitive desire necessary to succeed in the drill and in games.
When Moore High coaches pulled the drill out near the end of practice Friday, the intensity level went up a notch for everyone. But no one was more excited than Brandon Eddins.
In his one year of varsity football, the junior has earned a reputation for sticking his shoulder pads into the chest of opposing players. That includes his friends during the Oklahoma drill.
“We are all buddies out here,” Eddins said. “We are all friends. But if they are supposed to be my opponent, then yes, I’m trying to knock them out.”
Eddins is not the only one on the Lions squad to have that attitude. Coach Scott Myers said that is one of the team’s strength this year.
“Brandon is that type of kid,” Myers said. “We have a lot of personal like that. That’s what we like about this team. They enjoy playing the game. They are not always going to be the biggest, they’re not always going to be the fastest, they’re not always going to be the strongest. But this bunch has won before and they know how to win. And a lot of it is because they enjoy playing.”
The 6-foot-0, 165-pound Eddins will have numerous chances to lay the wood to opponents this year. He will see time at wide receiver, safety, quarterback and on several special team.
“I think it gives me a better opportunity to be seen by college coaches,” Eddins said. “So I’m fine with it.”
However, Eddins said he looks forward to lining up at safety the most because he likes to hit people. That was the case when he took down Midwest City’s James Flanders last year to prevent touchdown. Even though the Bombers pummeled MHS 48-0 in the rain, Eddins was still fighting the entire game.
Now with a year of experience under his belt, the Moore coaching staff is expecting Eddins to have a break out season this year.
“We talked. He said the game is so much slower for him right now,” Myers said. “It’s going to get slower for him. You have two more years with a kid like that. That’s the same for the majority of our kids. The game has slowed down for them. Last year it was fast and you could tell. We were a step slow because the game was so fast.”
Moore is traveling to Edmond North Friday for it’s first scrimmage against someone other than themselves. It will be a good chance for Eddins and the rest of the Lions to show how far they have come since ending last year at 0-10.
“I think it’s going pretty good,” Eddins said. “We look a whole lot better than we were last year, especially toward the end of the year. I think that a lot more guys care this year as opposed to last year when we had a bunch of guys out there for themselves.”
