Simpson football moving ahead: three takeaways from first scrimmage
Simpson University took its first step towards legitimizing itself as a sustainable football program after playing its first scrimmage against the George Fox University junior varsity team on Sunday.
Early signs seemed troubling at first for the 60-man roster who traveled 327 miles northwest to play their first college football scrimmage in Newberg, Oregon.
Simpson University captain safety Brayden Bishop recalled how he reacted to his first college game.
Bishop was the first player from Shasta County to sign a scholarship to the Red Hawks football program before graduating from West Valley in 2023.
Simpson trailed 24-6 at halftime. The offense struggled to move the ball which was expected for a team that had been practicing together for just three weeks.
"I knew I had to take charge during halftime especially," Bishop said. "I knew I had to play well to represent Shasta County. I felt like that little bit of pressure helped me excel in the game."
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Bishop's words of confidence in the locker room allowed Simpson to find its footing on offense and defense.
Bishop had an interception in the fourth quarter and the Red Hawks scored 22 unanswered points to beat George Fox's junior varsity program 28-24.
"We walk in at halftime and I knew we were going to win the game because nobody was pointing fingers," Simpson head coach Shawn Daniel said. "No one was yelling and it was calm. It was confident."
Simpson didn't have its statistics count on record because 2023 is a scrimmage season.
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It's time to extrapolate what happened with three takeaways from Simpson's first full scrimmage.
1. Zero panic from first-time players
Simpson is building its program around 18- and 19-year-olds playing in their first collegiate games.
Simpson trailed by 18 points but the shock wasn't enough to stun the group of freshmen.
"What I was impressed with was how the team all came together," Daniels said. "There was no fighting when something were to happen on defense, or offense or special teams. The sideline was lit and it was exciting."
2. Bishop takes leadership along with other strong standouts
Bishop was one of Simpson's top targets when trying to recruit players for its football team.
The quick-footed Bishop, who was a leading tackler at West Valley in 2022, came up with an interception in the fourth quarter.
"(Bishop) is extremely confident and you have to have that, especially when you're on that back end," Daniel said.
Daniel credited safety Tommy Tucay, a Chino Hills native for delivering key tackles. Sutter High School 2022 graduate running back Luke Miller threw the first Simpson touchdown on a trick play.
Freshman Romeo Clark, a native of Watts in southern Los Angeles, was the team's overall leading rusher.
"There are guys that are believing in each other and it's a band of brothers," Daniel said. "They believe in each other and that's what wins football games."
3. Simpson not quite ready for full NAIA, despite successful scrimmage
Daniel explained why Simpson still has some ways to go before taking on a full NAIA schedule.
Simpson has 60 players on its roster and three coaches when compared to future Frontier Conference competitor Southern Oregon University. Southern Oregon has 103 players on its active roster combined with 13 different coaches and communication staff.
Daniel is optimistic about adding players, coaches and video resources needed to have a fair advantage against its tenured opposition within the conference.
"Our issue is depth," Daniel said. "There's a lot of kinks to work out but we are ready to roll."
Ethan Hanson started working for the Redding Record Searchlight after four years with the Los Angeles Daily News as a freelancer. His coverage includes working the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament in South Bend, Indiana, and writing about the St. Louis Rams' move to Los Angeles with the Ventura County Star. He began his career as a play-by-play broadcaster for LA Pierce College from 2011-2017. Follow him on Twitter at @EthanAHanson_RS and ethan_a_hanson on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Simpson University three takeaways from first football scrimmage
