Lanett will travel to Dadeville on Thursday to get some live action before they officially start the season next week. 

The scrimmage will have a quarter of real football, with a clock and all. In the second quarter, each team will get the ball for ten plays. Each time will also run goal line situations. 

The only part of the scrimmage that will not be live is special teams. 

This scrimmage serves as a good opportunity for Lanett to finally compete against someone other than their teammates. 

“I want to see how well we compete with people we don’t know,” Seagle said. “One of the coaches came up to me today and said ‘coach, I think the kids are fine. They’re just tired of hitting each other.’”

Neither team will keep score of the scrimmage. There will not be a winner or a loser. In Seagle’s opinion, that’s perfect for what he’s been teaching all offseason. 

“That’s perfect because I’ve been preaching all year, don’t be scoreboard watchers,” Seagle said. “Compete, it doesn’t matter what the score is.” 

Lanett will be relying on some younger and less experienced players this season. 

Thursday will be a good opportunity for those players to get the early mistakes and jitters out of the way. 

The scrimmage will also serve as an early test for Alajawon Whitfield at quarterback. 

“We got a first year starting quarterback,” Seagle said. “Even though he’s not a baby. He’s played a lot the last two years, but he hasn’t played quarterback.” 

Several players on the offensive line will be playing a different position than they have in the past. Several defensive players have been moved around as well. All of those players will get their first feel for a live game at their position on Thursday. 

“I’m excited too,” Seagle said. “Because even our kids that don’t start, that might not get to play much on Friday night, our Monday Tuesday night guys, they’re going to get to play in the second half.” 

All of the players that do not play in the first half of the scrimmage will get to play in the second half. 

Many of the junior high guys will get their first bit of experience in the scrimmage. 

If you ask any coach when the team improves the most in the season, they’ll say between the first two games. 

With a scrimmage before the regular season, Lanett hopes to see that improvement before next week. 

“That’s a plus, and it’s absolutely true,” Seagle said. “I’ve been doing this darn near 40 years, and it’s always the biggest improvement from the first game to the second game. When you can get a scrimmage in… it’s like that first game, it’s a lot like that first game.”