Scrimmage Season Prepping Teams Around Maryland

The fall season for high school athletics is right around the corner, with the exception of golf which starts earlier than every other sport. That means that we are in scrimmage season! All around the state of Maryland, teams are breaking up the monotony of practicing by playing each other in controlled games which do not affect their regular season record.

The Damascus field hockey team has been busy this preseason- they've played Paint Branch, Tuscarora, Gaithersburg and three more teams (Sherwood, Urbana and Oakdale) at the Oakdale playday. Amanda Quay, field hockey coach at Damascus, has loved the way her midfield has looked thus far in scrimmages.

"I have a strong senior core in my midfield consisting of Michelle Thomas and Maddie Strokis. They really influenced our passing game," Quay said. "Yesterday, we displayed excellent off-ball movement that set up for a fast-paced game and several scoring opportunities."

Another team that has been busy is South River's girls soccer team. The Seahawks, who have won three straight MPSSAA 4A East titles, have played four scrimmages, coming away with a record of 1 win, 2 draws and 1 loss. For South River, this is an essential time of the year for both the coaches and the players.

"Scrimmages are an important part of the start of a season," South River coach Sue Ellis said. "Having the opportunity for the players to try out their chemistry and work together in a game situation is huge, not to mention it helps the coaches see our players against other competition."

Quay agrees that scrimmages are key to a player's early season development.

"Participating in scrimmages have given my players the opportunity to face different types of team formations and abilities," said Quay. "It also helps with conditioning and building endurance."

Century girls soccer has played one scrimmage against Long Reach. The Knights were successful, finishing on the better side of a 4-1 scoreline.

"We try to focus on playing quickly, finishing scoring opportunities, using our speed, staying with our marks defensively and connecting with each other," head coach Sara Figuly said. "We still have things to work on, however I saw a lot of great work from them out on the field!"
August 28th, 2015By: Wick Eisenberg

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