PULASKI COUNTY PREVIEW MILLS

Comets optimistic desite loss of 16 starters from 2013 team

Mills won nine games in 2013, but Coach Patrick Russell and the Comets are replacing 16 starters, including every linebacker and each member of the secondary.

Russell said it’s the biggest rebuilding job he’s ever encountered.

“Like everyone else, we’ll put 11 on the field,” said Russell, who also said he’s been working with 38 players during the team’s early practices. “We’re going to have to have some two-way starters in some key positions. We think we will be able to arrange it so that our linemen won’t have to play both ways, or if they do, it will be three guys playing two positions so that we can work some of that depth.”

Not all hope is lost for the Comets, who have a solid offensive line and several fast and shifty running backs. Attempting to take advantage of the quickness, the Comets will operate from the I and Spread formations on offense this fall. Russell said this year will be the first first time he’s coached a team team he has coached that will take a snap from the Shotgun. formation.

“We’ll run a lot of similar plays,” said Russell, who has been a proponent of favored the Flexbone offense in recent seasons. “We’ll still run the triple option. We’ll use some of the same terminology. We’ll still have the sprint-out passing game. It’s not a big transition, but you do have to hold blocks a little longer, but I feel like we’ve got the type of linemen who can sustain their blocks.”

The Comets have five offensive linemen who have started at least once during their high school careers. Center Keith Taylor (6-1, 285 pounds) right guard Nathan Geter (5-11, 275) and right tackle Horace Mosley (6-3, 285) are all returning seniors. Senior Tracy Bunting (6-1, 235) and senior Danny Austin (6-3, 325) have logged games as starters but have struggled with injuries.

“If our offensive line isn’t a strength for us, we’re not going to be very successful,” Russell said.

The Comets’ offense will be built around senior tailback Calen Peters (5-10, 195).

“He’s strong, fast, strong enough to break tackles,” Russell said of Peters. “He’s a downhill type of runner, but he’s also got good vision. … He should be a load to handle. He’s someone you want to get the ball to a lot.”

Russell said senior Allen Murphy (5-6, 155) and senior fullback Darren Flowers (5-10, 190) should also get their share of carries.

The Comets are breaking in a new quarterback, but Russell said senior Race Rodgers (6-1, 175) made the defense look bad during a scrimmage last week.

“[Rodgers] is on track,” Russell said. “He looked good in 7-on-7 competitions. … He didn’t throw interceptions and had a lot of nice completions and threw for a high percentage. … Right now, we’re just asking him to not lose the games for us. By the middle of the season, we’re hoping he turns into a guy who can help us win games.”

Russell said the Comets must be more productive offensively this season to take the pressure off the defense.

“One of the formulas in the Flexbone was hanging on to the football, grinding out the clock and wearing people down,” Russell said. “We didn’t mind winning 20-14. We may have to score a little more to be good this year.”

Russell said the secondary will be built around Peters and Murphy. At linebacker, Russell said junior Darrion Humphrey (5-9, 180) has “a chance to be a very good player.”

“You can’t lose the type of kids that we lost and expect to come right back and win eight or nine games,” Russell said. “We’re optimistic that we can have a good season. … We’ll have to develop some young players, that’s for sure.”

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