LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas commitment Keon Hatcher is having a banner senior season at receiver despite drawing extra attention from opponents.
Hatcher, 6-2, 197 pounds, 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash, of Owasso, Okla. had an excellent junior season with 76 catches for 1 ,075 yards and 9 touchdowns. Entering Friday’s game against Bixby, he had 56 receptions for a state-leading 934 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“The thing that makes him special for us is he’s targeted by our opponent every week in a way they’re trying to take him away from us,” Owasso Coach Bill Patterson said. “He continues to make plays. He’s a very physical receiver and he has to be because he’s getting banged around quite a bit.”
Hatcher said his physical maturity helps him perform at a high level.
“I just go out there and play football as hard as I can,” Hatcher said. “And when I get the ball in my hands I tried to make it feel it’s backyard football and goout there and make plays and score touchdowns.”
While working with quarterback Kason Key during the summer before his junior year, Hatcher turned heads when he beat then-University of Tulsa cornerback John Destin, who spent time on the practice squads of the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2010 season.
“We were just out there running routes and we were doing 1-on-1,” Hatcher said. “I sold my post good and he put the ball on the money and I went to go get it.”
Hatcher downplayed the reception against Destin.
“It surprised me a little bit [but] I didn’t think too much about it,” he said.
While attending the Hogs’ 38-14 victory against Auburn in Fayetteville on Oct. 8, Hatcher said he thought about making plays for the Razorbacks.
“I was just thinking I can’t wait to get out there with those guys,” Hatcher said.
Hatcher earned a scholarship from Arkansas after impressing the coaches during the Hogs’ football camp in June.
“It’s amazing, not a lot of people get this opportunity,” Hatcher said. “Fortunately I’m one of them. I’m going to go out there and do my best.”
Hatcher was at his best when he set a school record for receptions with 12 catches while gaining 234 yards and scoring 2 touchdowns in helping the Rams defeat Tulsa Union for the first time in 16 years. The victory also ended Union’s 94 consecutive district winning streak.
“You would have to see a replay of the game to appreciate the type of coverage he was getting,” Patterson said. “They could’ve easily been called for a half a dozen interference penalties against him because they were double-covering him.”
Trailing 38-34 late in the fourth quarter, Owasso drove 95 yards and scored on Hatcher’s 5-yard reception with 10 seconds left for the victory. The touchdown was set up by a fourth-and-10 conversion from the Union 22 when Hatcher hauled in a 17-yard reception while being hounded by defenders.
“His last fourth-down catch on the drive, he actually caught it with one hand because they had the other arm pinned against him,” Patterson said. “They had two guys on him and one of them had a hold of his right arm but he went up and caught the ball with his left and brought it in and he extended the play 4 or 5 more yards before they brought him down.”
VIRGINIA FORWARD VISITS
Power forward Charles Buggs will wrap up his official visit to Arkansas today.
Buggs, 6-8, 215, of Hargrave Military Academy in Chatman, Va., has scholarship offers from Arkansas, Minnesota, Marquette, West Virginia and Clemson. He appears to be down to the Hogs and Gophers.
Hargrave Coach A.W. Hamilton said Buggs handles the ball well for his size, is an excellent passer and has a nice shot that extends to the three-point line.
“Charles is an extremely talented player, very, very skilled face-up four man,”Hamilton said. “His potential is actually through the roof and he has a chance to be really, really special one day.”
Hamilton praised the way Minnesota and Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson and his staff have recruited Buggs, who played last year at Arlington (Texas) Martin last season before enrolling at Hargrave.
“They have a great staff,” Hamilton said of the Hogs. “They play such a good style of basketball. I was glad he visited there and I’m glad he’s considering Arkansas because those guys play the perfect system for how Charles plays. We do similar stuff that they do.”
Hamilton said a decision could come soon when he and Buggs will meet Monday morning.
“We’ll get with his family and see what they want to do next,” Hamilton said. “There’s other schools that want to get involved with him but if Charles wants to make a decision between Arkansas and Minnesota, I’m sure he’ll do it fairly soon.”
E-mail Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports, Pages 29 on 10/23/2011