Saints Duo Muscle In Scrimmage

SPRINGDALE — Chris Cox and Chandler Smith are expected to carry a big load for Shiloh Christian this fall.

And that was clearly on display Thursday night as the Saints wrapped up spring football practice with a 40-minute scrimmage in Champions Stadium.

Smith ran six times for 103 yards and a touchdown, and Cox rushed for 86 yards on nine carries and added a 70-yard touchdown reception as the Saints compiled more than 300 yards of offense in the scrimmage that featured a mixture of first- and second-team players on each unit.

“Chandler has had a really good spring,” Saints new offensive coordinator Austin Tucker said. “We just keep feeding him the rock, and he’s done a great job.”

Tucker said Cox’s versatility will pay big dividends in the fall, and he showed that off both in the run game and passing game.

“Chris has also done a great job,” Tucker said. “They both complement one another.”

Heading into the start of spring, Saints coach Josh Floyd said as many as four players would be in the mix at quarterback. On Thursday, only two got reps in the controlled scrimmage.

Rising senior Daniel Shimer, who missed most of last season with an ankle injury after earning the starting quarterback job in the spring, took the first snaps and ended his offensive series with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Jarred Moore. Shimer finished the day 2-of-6 for 42 yards.

Dillon Sharp led his unit and finished 7-of-15 for 204 yards with big scoring strikes to Cox and Kyle Plunkett. Sharp also threw a pair of interceptions that were returned for touchdowns, and had the ball knocked loose on a scramble.

“Both are going to get a lot of reps this summer,” Tucker said. “They are pretty different quarterbacks.”

Floyd said the area he was most pleased with this spring was the team’s intensity and leadership. He pointed to the 18 seniors on this year’s roster as a major influence on the team.

“I just think we’re more mature this spring.” Floyd said. “These kids just enjoy coming to work every day. They are really hungry and really focused, and we’re going to be a more physical football team this year.”

The Saints will head into summer workouts next week and will attend a team camp at Ouachita Baptist in June. They will also compete in two big 7-on-7 tournaments, including a return to Hoover, Ala.

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