ARKADELPHIA -- Record-setting quarterback Kevin Rodgers is gone, so too is Rodgers' favorite receiver, Darius Davis. Offensive coordinator Mike Volarvich has also left Henderson State.
What isn't absent from the Reddies' program are the expectations that those three helped Coach Scott Maxfield establish over the past three seasons, a period that saw 30 victories, 2 Great American Conference titles and 2 NCAA Division II playoff appearences.
At a glance
HENDERSON STATE
MASCOT Reddies
COACH Scott Maxfield (69-38 in 11th season at Henderson State, 97-51 in 15th season overall)
LAST SEASON 9-2 overall, 9-2 in the Great American Conference
OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH WR Joseph Snapp
DEFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH LB Josh Davis
COMMENTS Henderson State’s 30 victories over the past three seasons are more than any college program in Arkansas, regardless of level. … The Reddies have scored 1,659 points in the past three seasons (48.8 points per game). … The Reddies finished second in the GAC in sacks last season with 34. … Receiver Joseph Snapp is the GAC’s leading returning receiver with 51 catches last season. … Junior linebacker Josh Davis recorded 90 tackles and five sacks last season. … Quarterback Dallas Hardison has yet to start a college game, but was 25-1 as a starter at Bentonville High School.
"Around here, we're not satisfied with 9-2," said Maxfield, referring to a 2014 season that saw the Reddies lose to Harding and crosstown rival Ouachita Baptist to end its string of consecutive GAC titles.
Maxfield, confident as ever, opens his 11th Henderson State season Thursday night at Southeastern Oklahoma State.
Maxfield has taken back play-calling duties and likes what he has left over. He said the Reddies might even slow down the fast-paced offense that has averaged 48.8 points per game over the past three seasons to put the onus on a defense that finished second in the GAC in scoring defense, total defense, against the pass and against the run and returns six starters.
"That's coaching," Maxfield said. "coaching isn't just 'I'm going to play this way,' you play to what you have and you coach to your strengths."
This year, that appears to be its defense. Henderson State held seven of its 11 opponents under 20 points last season and finished third in the GAC with a plus-five turnover margin.
Maxfield says he feels better about the Reddies' defense than anytime since he arrived in 2005.
Henderson State returns linemen Trevon Del Rio and Henry Davis, linebackers Josh Davis and Lawson Schulz and defensive backs Kenrick Burns and Gary Vines to a defense that played well despite often receiving short short breaks on the sideline because of the Reddies' fast-paced, high-scoring offense.
Henderson State ranked last in the GAC last season in time of possession at 25:52 per game.
"We just played our offense and let the defense just hold on," Maxfield said. "When you play fast and you're wide open you put your defense sometimes in some tough situations. So, we may have to slow it down a bit at times and be a little bit more conservative."
Not too conservative, Maxfield said, because quarterback Dallas Hardison, a junior from Bentonville who is in line to replace Rodgers, shares some qualities with Rodgers.
They're both smart, Maxfield said, which was always used as a positive for Rodgers in an offense that gives a quarterback plenty of freedom.
"He's a good leader, good person," Maxfield said of Hardison, "a guy the kids rally around. I don't think Dallas will go out and try to do too much. He's a smart quarterback, he'll go out and do what he's asked to do to win games."
Hardison will have a few weapons to throw to. Joseph Snap, who had 643 receiving yards and six touchdowns, returns as does Mark Czaus and Corey Chappell, who caught 40 and 39 passes, respectively.
"We have high expectations," Maxfield said. "I think we have a good football team, and I think that we'll be right there at the end."
Sports on 09/01/2015