After a winless start to the 2018 Camelback Spartans football season, coach Joseph Brissette has decided to focus more on his junior varsity program than in past years.

This switch will consist of bringing the previous varsity offensive line coach Russell Stovall down to junior varsity to be their head coach as well as separating varsity from junior varsity players at practice.

To replace Stovall on varsity, former defensive line coach Fenel Francois has been shifted to offensive line. 

This move was made in hopes to further deepen and develop the younger varsity players.

According to Brissette, there were too many kids standing around in practice who in turn were not prepared when he had to put them in the game. 

He decided if they broke them up and gave them their own separate practice that they could put them in a better position to have success.

So far, the effects are positive, Brissette said.

The biggest difference Brissette noticed is there aren’t as many kids standing around and more kids are involved and engaged in what they are doing. 

Along with these moves former wide receiver and quarterbacks coach Rick Wilson has been promoted to offensive coordinator and will take over play calling responsibilities from Brissette.

According to Brissette, the change in play-callers has been a move that has been planned since the beginning of the year.

“I decided to make this change now so that coach (Wilson) would have a week to get in the swing of things to get used to it so when we get into region play he will be ready to go,” Brissette said.

Although this change may look like a dramatic shift, Brissette said nothing major will change, citing the fact that Wilson was already doing a lot of the responsibilities of a coordinator and that this is just a matter of him having the title and calling the plays.

The reason for the shift also seems justified in the eyes of Brissette. 

“This move will allow me to open myself up to focus on other things that weren’t quite being done since I was focusing on offense,” Brissette said. 

Wilson seems excited to take over play calls and his new increased duty for the team.

He has also expressed an increased desire to further develop the passing game and become a more balanced team. 

“I’m excited to run our offense and am looking forward to finding new ways to get the ball in Shawn’s (Charles) hands and score some points,” Wilson said. 

This is all ahead of a key matchup for the Spartans this Friday against the Independence Patriots, the last game before region play.

The Spartans have yet to win a game this season having double-digit losses to every team they have faced including Willow Canyon, North, Agua Fria and Ironwood last Friday.

Star wide receiver and defensive back Shawn Charles said he thinks that this could be the change the Spartans need to turn their season around.

“We are starting to have more fun, and we have to want it and we have to believe but if we don’t give up, even though the odds are against us I know we can do it,” Charles said.