Spring football: Vikings want to get more physical

By TRAVIS DOWNEY

travisd@nwfdailynews.com

FORT WALTON BEACH - There were times last season when Fort Walton Beach High School coach Mike Owens felt his team was lacking when it came to toughness.

But as he watched the last of his players trudge off the field on Monday, Owens vowed that would not be the case in 2008.

"With a spread offense, I think sometimes we may lose some of that (toughness)," Owens said.

"We're going to work on that."

Rising senior lineman T.J. Boyet readily agreed.

"That's our main goal," Boyet said of the Vikings' desire to become a more physical team. "It's time to go to state for us."

On Monday, Owens pushed the Vikings through their first practice of the spring in full pads, and if the day's events were any indication of the degree to which his words struck home with his players, he had to have been pleased.

Fort Walton Beach turned in a spirited two-hour practice session that was not without its share of bone-jarring hits - on both sides of the ball.

Rising sophomore Robert Willis drew the biggest reaction of the day when the converted tight end caught a pass over the middle and proceeded to barrel his way through a pair of defenders en route to a 45-yard score.

After playing primarily on defense a year ago, Owens and his staff are now looking at Willis as a candidate to fill the void at tight end.

So far, so good.

"He's a good athlete," Owens said. "I think we found a good home for him once he learns his position."

Meanwhile linebacker Rashad Smith looked to be in midseason form, knifing his way through the Vikings' offensive line on blitzes, stuffing the run and intercepting a pair of passes.

"He stands out," Owens said with a grin.

With only three starters gone from last years defense and much of the offense returning from  a season ago, Owens said much of spring drills will be spent trying to create depth and develop the Vikings' younger players.

Also high on the to-do list - finding a placekicker.

With quarterback Luke Barnes entrenched as the punter, Owens and his staff are searching high and low for the Vikings' next kicker.

"We're searching the halls right now," Owens said. "The two state championship teams that I have been on as an assistant coach, both had all-state kickers, so that's kind of important."