For the Scotland High School football team to improve in 2009, the offense will have to be much more efficient and productive than it was in 2008.

Scotland went 2-9 last year, and special teams were the team's most glaring weakness, but the offense might have been a close second. The Scots were shut out three times last season, and the team's only touchdown in a 22-7 loss to Douglas Byrd in Oct. 2008 came on a long fumble recovery return by middle linebacker James Robinson, now at Wofford.

Scotland will be put to its first real test on Wednesday evening, when the Scots host Raleigh Wakefield at Pate Stadium at 5:30 p.m. On Saturday morning, Scotland's offense and defense scrimmaged against one another during the second half of a practice that began bright and early at 8 a.m.

Scotland's defense switched 11 defenders on nearly every play, and the offense also used a first and second unit, often switching after each play. The defense controlled the early part of the scrimmage, but there were some big gains made by the SHS offense later on, including several by receiver Dominique Green.

Green, part of Scotland's stellar crop of sophomore talent, beat his man on a 35-yard reception down the left sideline and walked away unscathed after a sideline collision involving SHS corner Jay Coleman on another play. Coleman went down with a stinger, but refused to stay on the ground and quickly re-entered the lineup after having his equipment re-adjusted.

These are the types of things SHS second-year head coach Chip Williams loves to see from his players.

“(Jay) didn’t lay on the ground,” Williams told his players after practice. “He was fighting to get up... That’s a warrior.”

Sophomore Seyyan Moody was lucky, but at the same time prepared, on a TD catch that occurred when quarterback Caison Murphy's pass was tipped high into the air by an SHS defensive back. The ball went straight to Moody, who was behind the entire defense and went untouched to the end zone.

Scotland's offense looks to be operating much more smoothly than at this time last year, when knowing where to line up and simply getting in and out of the huddle was a struggle at times.

"They're starting to pick up the scheme," said Williams. "It's something we wanted to do last year, but due to the move, playing two freshman quarterbacks and a few other circumstances, we weren't able to do it."

QB battle

Those two freshmen — Kwashawn Quick and Murphy — are now sophomores, and they are battling for the job of starting quarterback. Mo Covington was Scotland's starting QB for the majority of last season and has decided not to play football as a senior, and Quick, who took over for Covington as the starter late last year, took snaps with the first team on Saturday.

Given his experience, his height advantage and big arm, some would already label Quick as the starter. Williams said that is not the case, and that Wednesday's scrimmage is important in determining which quarterback is ahead in the competition.

"Coming into the season, there's a lot of focus on Kwashawn, but Caison has played equally well, and there is a 50/50 split (in snaps) between them right now," said Williams.

"Kwashawn is doing some things well, and there are some things he needs to improve on. We're going to continue to split their playing time, and we will let the film from the first scrimmage determine things."

Depth at RB

In the search to replace Damonte Terry [now at East Carolina], Scotland has converted Malcolm Jones from receiver to tailback, and there are several other players getting carries, including sophomore Tony McRae, an electrifying performer on Scotland's jayvee team last season.

"We've got three or four guys who we don't see much of a difference in, and that's the way you'd like to have it at every position," said Williams.

More numbers

Heading into year two of the Williams era, the numbers are much better at Scotland. Coach Williams said there are 16 seniors, about the same number of juniors and a strong class of sophomores that is 50 strong.

"We've recruited very hard in the hallways," Williams said. "Coach (Wes) Mattera [varsity offensive coordinator], Coach (Michael) Sellers [ninth-grade head coach], and Coach (David) Hunt, our head jayvee coach, have helped recruit, and we've got about 50 sophomores out here. We'd like to have 50 in each class."

When asked if the sophomores were where the majority of the talent in the program was at, Williams had this take:

"I think we're talented everywhere. Our seniors have been through a lot of adversity, they've done the things we've asked them to do, and they've become a pretty talented group."

Williams pointed to senior safety Joe Holm as an example. Holm was shut down early in the 2008 season due to lingering effects from a concussion, and he has worked hard throughout the off-season, putting himself in position to start in his final year at Scotland.

"Just one example is Joe Holm... He's going to have to be a stalwart this year, and he's stepping up for us," said Williams.

Wednesday's preseason exhibition with Raleigh Wakefield — where Williams coached for one year in 2007 before taking the Scotland job — will also include scrimmages for the ninth-grade and JV teams, to be held on the SHS practice field.