Defense Maumelle's rock to start year

Seventh in a series profiling Pulaski County high school football teams.

Key terms for Maumelle Hornets Coach David Farr's most recent assessments are "flashback" and "fast forward."

Farr's flashbacks focus on Maumelle's 2015 season, his first at the school. Maumelle finished 3-7, its first losing season since 2012 and the first of Farr's 12-year career, which includes stops at Star City and Heber Springs.

"They say when you go through a losing season like that you learn a lot about yourself, and I did," Farr said. "I learned a lot about our kids, our coaches and myself. The takeaway comes back to getting the work done on the front end. Last season we were missing a lot of key, fundamental things that put us at a disadvantage."

Farr said he had a total of eight players who didn't miss a day of summer drills before last season.

"Fast forward to this year, we had 32 who didn't miss one day," Farr said. "The kids are buying in and getting more on task with it, and we'll see the benefits of that."

With the exception of its quarterback and one offensive lineman, Maumelle's offense will start from scratch this season. The Hornets lost four starting linemen, its leading rusher -- Jacob Acklin with 1,338 yards and 17 touchdowns -- and every receiver who caught a pass in 2015 to graduation.

Senior quarterback Cameron Porras returns. He passed for 1,195 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. He completed 86 of 135 attempts for 63.7 percent. He threw just three interceptions.

"He's been real good with the football," Farr said.

Porras said he worked in the offseason with Clint Stoerner, a former all-SEC quarterback with the Arkansas Razorbacks, and expects improvement this season.

"Last year, my feet were all over the place," Porras said. "Now I have the mechanics to get my feet set, transfer my weight and deliver the ball. I can tell how that's going to help."

Junior tackle Robert Bryles will lead four new starters on the line. Farr could not help but laugh when he spoke about his young line's improvement over the summer.

"If you would've asked me about them in May, I would've said, 'Lord,' but the thing about it is, through June and July and into camp, they've gotten better every day," Farr said. "They're starting to take pride in being offensive linemen and doing what it takes for their team to win. They are much improved -- much, much improved."

Farr said junior guard John Marion could be the standout among Hornet newcomers.

"I think John will be our hinge on the line," he said.

Farr said he expects good things from senior running back Cory Jones, who rushed for 151 yards and averaged 5.4 yards a carry last season as Acklin's backup. Farr recalled Jones' 24-yard touchdown run against Jacksonville in the 2015 season-opener, a play prolonged by two separate retreats and two field reversals that left him as much as 40 yards from the end zone.

"He's got that don't-want-to-go-down in him," Farr said. "That's just part of who he is. Cory has developed a lot, and I think he'll be better for it. He's gotten in the weight room. He's done everything that's been asked of him. He's gotten bigger. He's gotten faster, and he'll be much improved."

The reworked offense might have to lean on a defense that returns eight starters, led by senior lineman Charles McRae, a three-year starter.

"We feel like we're going to be very much improved this season," McRae said.

"Charles is the veteran over there," Farr said. "He should be a staple for us on the defensive line."

Most of Maumelle's defense played through last season, and Farr believes it learned a lot.

"This year after the reps and that experience, it's a positive thing going through what we went through," Farr said. "Now it's time to put it to use."

Sports on 08/17/2016