SPRINGDALE — Michael Slone stepped up in the pocket and rifled an 80-yard touchdown strike on Shiloh Christian’s first play of its spring game Thursday.
The pass to rising senior Josh Dellinger was significant, not because it came against Shiloh’s second-team defense, but because it showed the improved accuracy for the rising junior over the past season.
It also gave the former backup a boost of confidence.
“We’re getting a lot better,” said Slone, who backed up four-star recruit and Auburn signee Kiehl Frazier last season. “I think we’re going to have a good team this year. It’s fun being out here. We’re all close and we’re excited about the season.”
Saints coach Josh Floyd said Slone’s understanding of the offense has been the biggest improvement this spring.
“The way he’s picked up blitzes and checking down, ... I think he’s at an entirely different level this year than he was last year as far as understanding the whole scheme,” Floyd said.
Coming off three straight Class 4A state championships, the Saints lost a ton of key personnel to graduation. But the cupboard is far from bare, judging from Thursday’s hour-long scrimmage.
Transfer running back John Johnson, a move-in from Alabama, showed explosiveness both as a back and receiver.
“He’s going to be a really good player for us,” Floyd said. “He’s got some speed and he’s a really strong kid. He’s hard to tackle.”
Floyd said Johnson would be eligible when the season starts, but transfer Daniel Shimmer, who came over from Fayetteville last season, won’t be eligible until around midseason. Both Shimmer and rising senior Rand Emert had bright spots at quarterback behind Slone.
Emert had a couple of touchdown throws, while Shimmer showed plenty of speed on several keepers — including a long touchdown run in which he sprinted away from the defense.
Rising senior David Tyler and rising sophomore Connor Clark also had some big offensive plays during the scrimmage, with Clark taking a screen pass 85 yards for a score and Tyler finding the end zone twice.
Overall, Floyd said the Saints showed a lot of promise heading into the summer 7-on-7 season, which starts this weekend at Harding Academy.
“I’m pretty excited about where we are, really,” Floyd said. “We’re not ready to win a championship or anything just yet, but we’re seeing improvement.”