Blazers open Bell era with spring practice

VALDOSTA, GA (WALB) - The Kerwin Bell era at Valdosta State is off and running.

Spring practice got underway for the Blazers Monday afternoon, the first under their new head coach.

"Anytime you come into a new environment and you're trying to create a different atmosphere, it's an opportunity to come out and show what kind of talent you have," Bell says.

Bell says his staff isn't needing to reinvent the wheel. This team knows how to win, and better yet he says, they know how to work.

But there is still plenty of novelty around Titletown.

"It's a new system on both sides of the ball, but they've been very diligent as far as studying the game film- what we've brought on board, studying our playbooks," he says. "I feel real good about their preparation so far."

He says priority number one for the 15 sessions of spring practice is getting the team comfortable in those new systems.

"We need to have that coming out of those 15 days. We need to have 15 really solid days as far as the learning's concerned," Bell says. "I want our guys to feel comfortable with our base packages. If we can do that, and have a great attitude, and attack this thing the way we want to with great energy, I'll be very happy."

Bell knows eventually that newness will wear off, and the players and coaches will begin to mesh. He hopes when that happens, the product on the field will show it.

"I want to play exciting football. I want to bring something that maybe people hadn't seen around here," Bell says. "We're going to score a lot of points, and let's see if we can win a lot of games."

Valdosta State closes out spring practice with the annual spring game on April 23 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. The Blazers kick off the 2016 season September 3 when they host Albany State.

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