Lions football has finished the last scrimmage of fall camp and has some decisions to make about who will start this season. Jonathan Rhodes/The Lion’s Roar

The Lions football team has put in 18 practices and two scrimmages worth of work into deciding who will be the starters for this upcoming season. Players had the opportunity to show they deserved a starting position at the final scrimmage of fall camp. 

Lions football Head Coach Ron Roberts began the annual Southland Conference Football Media Day by saying that he likes the work that has been put in by the team in practice and in the two scrimmages.

“I think our guys have worked really hard for fall camp,” said Roberts. “We are not where we want to be yet. We’ve got two weeks left. The biggest jump for football teams is always in scrimmage one and scrimmage two.” 

Players from almost all positions have been competing for their starting job this fall camp. Roberts believes that competition for starting positions is good for the team during the off-season. 

“We’ve had some really good competitions across the board,” said Roberts. “Any time you get in a situation where you have a competition, it brings the intensity and brings out the best in the players. Our guys have done a really exceptional job of handling that. Our effort this off-season has been outstanding. I say this early that I really enjoy this group. I think every group that comes in has  to build their own identity and their own team. I think we have identified ourselves early that we are a bunch of workers that have a great attitude. I think our chemistry is a little better than it has been in the last two years.”

Roberts noticed how the identity of the team has changed the closer they get to the first game of the season.

“The biggest difference this year is our attitude,” said Roberts. “Our guys have bought in, and they are hungry. The best teams that I have been around have this type of mentality. You can be as talented as you want, but if you think you have arrived already then that is not a good sign. I think they are little hungrier which is an indication to me that these guys are gonna find a way to get things done.”

The Lions have a defensive line that has a lot to prove in the next two weeks to become game ready for.

“Our defensive line is young and inexperienced,” said Roberts. “That’s probably our biggest question. I think they are going up against a very good offensive line, so they are getting tested. I would like to be in a situation too deep where we are playing six guys. Which six of those guys are going to be consistent is unknown. We got nine guys fighting for those six spots.”

Junior running back Julius Maracalin, who had a surgery in April for his meniscus, had limited physical activity during fall camp.

“He’s gonna be a day by day,” said Roberts. “It will probably be week one before he gets cleared. He doesn’t need to take that beating during fall camp.”

The quarterback competition was one of the bigger battles going on at the final scrimmage of the season. Quarterbacks Coach and Offensive Coordinator Matt Barrett noticed strengths and weaknesses from the quarterbacks in the final scrimmage.

“They all did some good things and missed a few things,” said Barrett. “It always turns up a notch when you get in a scrimmage like this. It’s full go, and the intensity is high. That’s good. We were in some situations 

we needed to be in from a learning standpoint. Some of them we did well in, some of them we didn’t. But, we will get better from them.”

Junior quarterback Donovan Isom is hoping to help the team not only as a quarterback but to also encourage his teammates and set an example.

“I want to become more of a leader and just help and encourage my team to do well in everything,” said Isom. “If I can do that and do my part, I think we will do pretty well this season.”

For the next two weeks, Roberts and the other coaches will have to decide whether Isom or Lorenzo Nunez will lead the Lions offense this season.

“Donovan Isom is the more experienced, and he has been a little more consistent at this time,” said Roberts. “Lorenzo has a great arm and is able to create plays. He has proven in the last scrimmage that he his truly dynamic. With those guys, it’s really who is going to lead the offense the best and get it done. It’s kind of up and down, and they go back and forth, which is good. You want to have two guys you go out and win with. You’ve got to give them the opportunity to fight for that job.”

The secondary is very well experienced with eight seniors competing for a starting spot.

“That group right now is playing fundamentally sound and playing with a lot more technique and have a good understanding of what we are doing coverage wise,” said Roberts. “Last year at this time, we were pretty green. This year is the total opposite. There is some stiff competition out there. It’s been a dogfight, especially for the cornerback position between Ryan Sigers, Mayori Ellison, Courtney Rutledge and Shamar Busby who is a new name that’s been in there. Those guys really compete on a day-to-day basis.”

Senior defensive back Max Lyons is focused on getting better and helping his team to get where they need to be.

“Every position on the field still has a lot of improvement,” said Lyons. “We’re looking to keep getting better. We are nowhere near what we need to be. We got to keep getting better every day.”

The Lions will start preparing for their first game of the season against the UL Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns about 10 days before the game.

“I love the game because it is a in-state game, and our people will go out and travel for that game,” said Roberts. “We haven’t really turned our focus on to them yet, but we expect to go down there and compete, and we will see what happens.”