FARMINGTON — Charlie Wood was a constant presence in a Farmington football lineup filled with mostly constant injuries last fall.
At a glance
FARMINGTON
COACH Mike Adams
LAST SEASON 4-6
OFFENSE Pro-I
DEFENSE 4-2-5
RETURNING STARTERS Offense 5, Defense 4
POINTS PER GAME 27.0
POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME 28.6
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH Brice Waggle (Sr., QB, 6-3, 200), Justice Hobbs (Sr., RB, 6-0, 205), Charlie Wood (Sr., OT, 6-0, 215), Matt Duffy (Sr., OL, 6-2, 260).
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH Nick Huff (Sr., DE, 6-3, 210), Charlie Wood (Sr., LB, 6-0, 205), Walker Davis (Sr., CB, 5-9, 170), Josh Williams (Sr., CB, 5-10, 180).
KEEP AN EYE ON Justice Hobbs. The powerful, bruising back missed three games last season with a high ankle sprain and a concussion, but is 100 percent healthy and has trimmed down 10 pounds in the offseason to add an extra burst of speed.
OFFENSIVE OUTLOOK Farmington will lean on two trusted veterans in the backfield to lead the way in quarterback Brice Waggle and running back Justice Hobbs. Waggle gives the Cardinals one of the best arms in the 5A-West and Hobbs is a load to bring down. Together, they give Farmington a one-two punch which should create a fairly balanced attack.
DEFENSIVE OUTLOOK The defensive front features the most inexperience, but Farmington has talented veterans spread throughout the back seven of the unit. Linebackers Hobbs and Charlie Wood are a force and the secondary will be improved with seniors Josh Williams and Walker Davis displaying solid pass coverage ability.
SEASON OUTLOOK Farmington found life in the 5A-West Conference a big challenge in their first season moving up to Class 5A. The biggest issue, more than just bigger and stronger opponents, was injuries. The Cardinals were crushed by key injuries in 2014 and surviving against those similar type bumps and bruises will be a big factor this season. If Farmington can find enough depth, a move up the standings in the 5A-West is to be expected.
KEY GAME Oct. 23 at Vilonia. The Cardinals might find wins in the 5A-West hard to come by. One of the several opponents which present a very winnable game is right here, and a victory in Week 8 could set Farmington up with a strong finish and perhaps even a late push for the playoffs.
QUOTING COACH ADAMS “The key for us this year is to stay healthier than we did last year.”
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Now in his senior season, Wood will carry his experience into a leadership role and count on those around him to remain off the injured list in order to help the Cardinals achieve more success.
SCHEDULE DATE OPPONENT
Sept. 4 Prairie Grove 7 p.m.
Sept. 11 Huntsville 7 p.m.
Sept. 18 at Van Buren 7 p.m.
Sept. 25 at LR Christian* 7 p.m.
Oct. 2 Greenbrier* 7 p.m.
Oct. 9 Clarksville* 7 p.m.
Oct. 16 at Morrilton* 7 p.m.
Oct. 23 at Vilonia* 7 p.m.
Oct. 30 Maumelle* 7 p.m.
Nov. 6 Harrison* 7 p.m.
*5A-West game
“It was pretty tough because every week we had some new lineman with me,” Wood said. “Every week after every week it was some new injury, so it was pretty bad.”
Wood, a 6-foot, 215-pound left tackle and middle linebacker, was one of nine players Farmington rotated on the offensive line last season. The only problem was Wood was the only one of the nine to remain healthy the entire season.
Keeping those guys up front on the field more this fall will be vital to Farmington’s chances as it enters year two in the 5A-West Conference.
“The key to being more successful is staying away from so many injuries,” Cardinals coach Mike Adams said. “Out of our nine starting offensive lineman, eight of them got injured and Charlie was the only one who stayed healthy.
“So that’s the key for us is staying healthy. We feel like we’ve got guys that can be competitive in our league as long as we keep them healthy.”
Wood expects Farmington will have no problem moving past its adjustment season to Class 5A football. With several top playmakers back from a 4-6 year, including quarterback Brice Waggle and running back Justice Hobbs, Wood is counting on a big breakout for the Cardinals.
“It was tough in the 5A,” Wood said. “It was a lot different in 5A than in 4A. But we’ve got experience now and we’ve been working really hard this offseason, so we’re going to be ready.” Wood also plays middle linebacker for Farmington and his mix of strength and speed is a perfect blend to roam the inside of the Cardinals’ defense.
“He’s a guy that can run. He can play sideline to sideline,” Adams said. “He’s a 300-pound plus bench presser, real good in power clean. So he’s the type of guy you want in there. He’s got the strength and size, and he’s just short enough that he can dip up and get under a lot of blocks.”
Offense or defense, Wood wants to do his part this year. And the main goal is getting Farmington back in the playoffs. If enough pieces fall into place — and others stay healthy around Wood — the Cardinals’ chances might be pretty good.
“I just like getting out there and helping my team out,” Wood said. “I want to be a big leader for my team this year and I want to have a big senior season.”