There was a quote in the Baton Rouge Advocate Sunday that really bothered me.

The story was about New Orleans Saints draft pick Darren Howard, which I personally think was a great pick.

Advocate sportswriter Sheldon Mickles talked with former LSU defensive coordinator Phil Bennett about Howard because Bennett coached him at Kansas State last year.

Bennett praised Howard as a great player.

He was asked about the knock on Howard by draft experts that the All-Big 12 player did not play hard on every down.

&uot;I thought he played hard for us,&uot; Bennett was quoted as saying. &uot;There’s not a player today that doesn’t take a down off every once in a while, so I don’t think it’s a concern.&uot;

Sorry, that concerns me. And I hope that concerns a lot of coaches.

Let’s see, a good defense ought to be on the field maybe 10 plays at the max before coming to the sidelines, and you can’t give your all for those 10 plays?

Maybe that’s explains LSU’s defense the last couple of years, teams figured out which player was taking that play off.

I guarantee you one thing. I watched linebacker Jeremy Lawrence for four years at Ferriday, and he never took a down off, and I can assure you never did that at LSU last year as a redshirt freshman, even if his play was limited.

And I can say the same about Von Hutchins the next four years at Ole Miss. And Marco Minor didn’t take a down off in State’s scrimmage Saturday to get five tackles and intercept a pass, returning it 100 yards.

And Clarence Parker goes 100 percent every play.

Can you imagine someone at Tennessee or Florida State taking a down off?

I’m sure there’s a high school All-American wishing they would take a play off.

Because Phillip Fulmer or Bobby Bowden would have them on the bench so fast their helmets would be spinning.

You take a down off in the NFL and somebody will knock you into next week.

O.K., I feel better.

Speaking of taking time off, the Southwest Coaches & Officials Association, Inc., will take a year off because of work being done at Natchez High.

The SWCOC&160;uses the Natchez High cafeteria for some of its meetings.

There is also being work done on the Natchez High gym as the rear entrance will become the front entrance and the former front doors are being sealed off.

Other factors including time restraints were also cited for the SWCOC cancelling this year’s program.

But there’s good news ahead.

The clinic will return next year and there is a strong possibility that a football scrimmage will be held between two Mississippi community colleges during the clinic.

Natchez High’s football team usually scrimmages Wilkinson County and officials work that scrimmage and officials are evaluated during and after the contest.

The Bulldogs will scrimmage at Wilkinson County next month.

And speaking of football, Huntington headmaster Russ Green sent me a copy of the football schedule for teams in the Hounds’ district next school year.

Huntington begins play Aug. 18 at Glenbrook before hosting Tensas Aug. 25.

Trinity opens up at home against&160;Union Aug. 18 before going to Riverdale.

Chamberlain-Hunt welcomes Mount Olive Aug. 18 before traveling to Plain Dealing the following week.

Trinity plays at Huntington Oct. 20 in the final game of the year.

Joey Martin is sports editor of The Democrat. He can be reached by calling 446-5172 ext. 232 or at joey.martin@natchezdemocrat.com.