VALDOSTA — Now eight practices into its spring, Valdosta State is combating the dog days of camp with good old fashioned competition. 

After a week of familiarizing the players to the offensive and defensive schemes, the Blazers plan on using their second week of spring camp to evaluate position battles at some key spots, including wide receiver.

Dallas Baldner, Joe Fortson, Stephen Denmark and Anthony Ingram return from last year’s team, bringing 102 receptions, 1,241 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns of production back with them.

That hasn’t stopped Valdosta State head coach Kerwin Bell from opening the competition at wideout.

“The wide receiver position is wide open,” Bell said Wednesday. “We’ve told everybody we’ll be honest and communicate with them. We’ve got to get some more guys that can step up and play at a championship level.

“Like I said (on the practice field) awhile ago, if we keep competing like that, those guys that ain’t playing at a championship level is going to stick out like a sore thumb.”

True freshman Kenny Benjamin continues to make plays in camp, just four months removed from his senior season at Dunbar High School in Fort Meyers, Fla., and he’s received heavy competition in the slot from sophomore, and former Valwood standout, Mark Merine, who caught nine passes for 83 yards as last season.

Another pair of former Titletown receivers, Valdosta High’s Jamarcus Tyson and Antonio Keuma, are among the players jockeying for position on Valdosta State’s depth chart.

Defensive line is another position chocked full of young players looking to make an impact. Blazer defensive coordinator Danny Verpaele is using spring to experiment with different players in different roles.

“We want to solidify who are starters are and then guys that can compete and get those roles,” Verpaele said. “We’ve got new guys here, some young guys that redshirted last year, and some guys that were backups and are now competing for that position…

“It’s good to see them and kind of rotate them through and let them go against some 1s and see how they handle it.”

Following Saturday’s scrimmage in full pads, the Blazers have returned to shells early this week, but that doesn’t mean practices have been any less physical.

There were a number of collisions Thursday as the competition between the Blazers’ offense and defense grew more intense.

“You either win or you lose,” Verpaele said of the competition between the two units. “You don’t get a sportsmanship trophy. Not everyone gets a a participation trophy, and you know if you lose.

“They’ll talk trash if you lose, or we’ll talk trash, or you do up-downs. You always want to make it competitive. We’re making each other better.”

It appeared the Black Swarm held the advantage most of Thursday’s practice as they disrupted runs and chased the quarterback off his spot in team drills and fought for the ball in the air, forcing a number of drops from Blazer receivers, in position drills.

Bell is an offensive-minded coach, however, and he made sure his unit salvaged the day with a few big plays, including a touchdown run by reserve quarterback Rogan Wells, to end the session.

“It’s gone back and forth, the competition, which is good,” Verpaele said. “We’ve got to learn to finish practice, just be consistent and not give up the big plays, but there’s been a lot of competition, so it’s going well.”

Derrick Davis is the sports editor at the Valdosta Daily Times.