GLEN ROSE -- Aaron Weatherford does not mind taking or delivering a hit. After all, the Glen Rose senior is a sturdy 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds.
But Weatherford is not stationed on the Glen Rose offensive or defensive line, nor does he play defensive end or roam the field as a linebacker. He is a quarterback.
Last season, as a 250-pounder, Weatherford threw for 19 touchdowns and ran for 17 more. With less weight to carry around this season, Weatherford may provide the Beavers even more production.
"We actually feel a little bit better about that," Glen Rose Coach Mark Kehner said. "He carried 250 well, and he's carrying 235 even better. He's moving a little bit better for us. He's a strong, physical quarterback, and we like to run him downhill quite a bit."
"It's helpful because when we run a sweep, he's a guy who can run up the middle. Its nice to have a heavy-set quarterback who can deliver a hit," senior lineman Mikey Elam said. "He can bust through a hole and get the job done. He can bowl people over. I like that."
Glen Rose -- with an experienced quarterback, a talented offensive and defensive line, and a wide assortment of receivers and running backs -- is the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's preseason No. 1 team for Class 3A.
The Beavers are no strangers to success. Glen Rose has won at least eight games in nine of the past 10 seasons. The Beavers won a state title in 2007. They finished as runners-up in 2012 and 2013.
"We've dealt with it before around here, so we have kind of put it in its place," Kehner said. "A preseason ranking is worthless. It doesn't mean a thing to us. It's nice to have, I guess, but at the end of the day, it doesn't get you anything. Championships are won in December, and we've got a long ways to go before that happens."
Glen Rose returns nine players on both sides of the ball from a team that went three weeks deep into the playoffs and finished 10-3.
One of those players, however, is not Jordan Johnson, who ran for 2,521 yards and scored 31 touchdowns (30 rushing, 1 receiving) and converted 6 two-point conversions.
"We lost a huge player in Jordan Johnson," Kehner said. "He ran for 30 touchdowns, and that's kind of what we do for a living around here. Any time you lose a back like that, you've got a hole to fill."
Seniors Jake Thompson, 5-9, 150; Garett Reed, 5-8, 140; and junior Ryan Taylor, 5-6, 145, ran a combined 49 times for 271 yards last season. They are vying to replace Johnson.
"We've had a good summer, but none of those backs are 200-pound backs," Kehner said. "That's a totally different game plan from what we had last year. But we will figure it out. We'll be OK."
Senior Seth Davis, 5-10, 180, led the team in receiving touchdowns in 2015 with seven. All-conference receivers Sam Dawson, 6-3, 160, and Jarred Rogers, 6-1, 170, also return. Dawson and Rogers combined for 49 receptions for 926 yards.
Weatherford completed 103 of 191 passes in 2015 for 1,862 yards.
"I'm looking to throw it deep a lot this year," Weatherford said. "We've got more receivers this year than we've had in the past. I've got a lot of trust in them, so I plan to use my arm a lot more this year."
"We have a lot of talented receivers, and I don't think there's one of them that you can zone in on and have to look out for," Kehner said. "We have five or six that are capable of doing a lot of different things. We just need Aaron to get connected with them week-to-week."
The offensive and defensive lines should be the Beavers' biggest strengths. Senior Tristen Bell, 5-10, 225, is settled in at center while senior Jacob Lowry, 5-9, 205, and Elam, 5-11, 260, will be the tackles. Senior Gregory Anderson, 6-0, 260, and junior Hunter Church, 6-2, 260, will be the guards.
"Anytime your bell cow is running the ball and you have a lot of seniors up front, then as a coach you should feel comfortable coming into the season," Kehner said. "As long as we stay healthy and stay hungry, we should be in good shape."
Kehner said Elam is a leader, both physically and vocally.
"He'll physically get the job done, and he's mentally on top of his game as well," Kehner said.
Last season, Elam led the team in sacks, collecting three for a combined 19 yards in losses. He plans on getting more this season.
"I'm going to get way more, way more," said Elam, who plays defensive tackle. "I worked out a lot, and I'm a lot stronger. I watched a lot of film this summer. I studied our opponents, and I'm confident I know what they're going to try to do."
Kehner said Reed is the Beavers' leader on defense. Reed made 70 tackles at safety last season while coming up with 2 fumbles and making 2 interceptions.
"Garett Reed, if he walked in here, you wouldn't think he's a football player at all," Kehner said. "But the guy plays bigger than he looks. He's sharp as a tack. He doesn't make mental mistakes, and he's the ultimate competitor. He refuses to lose, and I think that's contagious for the rest of the guys."
Weatherford's size may be the Beavers' most impressive advantage. After a scan of the other Class 3A rosters, Weatherford is at least 20 pounds heavier than any other projected starting quarterback in that classification.
"Throwing for a touchdown is great, especially if it's a 50- or 60-yard pass, but a run always feels good, too," Weatherford said. "Running for a touchdown builds my confidence, and it builds confidence in my offensive line, too."
"He's got a strong arm, and he can throw it down field," Kehner said. "When you've got a guy who can stretch people vertically with his arm, pull a few people out of the box and have a guy who's 235 pounds running downhill at you, we feel like it gives us a pretty good advantage at quarterback."
Kehner said when Weatherford takes off on a run, expect him to attempt to break a few tackles.
"He'll lay the boom on you."
Sports on 08/24/2016