Fourth in a series previewing the six Arkansas teams in the Great American Conference.
RUSSELLVILLE — Arkansas Tech halted a string of five consecutive losing seasons with a 9-3 record in 2015, ending the season with a victory in the H.E.A.R.T.of Texas Bowl after falling short of making the NCAA Division II playoffs.
At a glance
ARKANSAS TECH
MASCOT Wonder Boys
COACH Raymond Monica (17-17 in four seasons at Arkansas Tech, 62-51 in 11th season overall)
LAST SEASON 9-3, 8-3 Geat American Conference
OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH RB Bryan Allen
DEFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH DB Cua’ Rose
NOTEWORTHY The Wonder Boys enter this season with more momentum than in any season since 2010, and are hoping this season turns out better than that 4-7 finish. They get defending GAC champ and preseason favorite Henderson State at home on Oct. 1, but have to travel Ouachita Baptist, picked third, on Oct. 8, and to Harding, picked second, to close the season on Nov. 12. Navigating that schedule could depend on an offense that made great strides in 2015 under then-first year coordinator Brent Dearmon. Dearmon, who previously was on the staff at Auburn, helped Arkansas Tech double its scoring and total yardage output from the year before. The Wonder Boys went from 13.9 points per game in 2014 to 36.5 last year, and from 242.3 yards in 2014 to 458.8 last year. They ranked second in the GAC in those categories last year. On defense, Cua’ Rose and Quincy Peyton, who combined for 24 passes defended, return.
Among their accomplishments, the Wonder Boys defeated Ouachita Baptist and Harding in the same season for the first time since 2006, and a posted a scoring average of 36.5 points per game.
Arkansas Tech players and fans seem to believe they can continue their ascent in the Great American Conference, but the loss of nine starters, including their starting quarterback and leading tackler, persuaded GAC coaches to put ATU sixth in the preseason poll — as in, right in the middle of a 12-team league.
That perceived lack of respect might serve as a motivational tool for the team.
“We were very offended by that,” senior defensive end Demetrius Ford said. “I understand why they picked us that, basing it off of returning players. But, it was very offensive, and we’re ready to show the conference that.”
Coach Raymond Monica was a bit more diplomatic.
“There are a bunch of teams that are very, very similar,” said Monica, entering his fourth season with the Wonder Boys.
But even Monica, reserved in tone and choice of words, can acknowledge the significance of last season’s performance and what it provides the Wonder Boys an opportunity for this season.
The Wonder Boys were once one of the state’s most consistent Division II teams, reaching the Division II playoffs in 1999, 2004 and 2009 under former coach, now athletic director Steve Mullins. But Mullins won just 11 games over his final three seasons and Monica, hired in 2014 from Kutztown (Pa.), went 5-6 and 3-8 in his first two seasons.
Then came last season, when new offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon and quarterback Arsenio Favor helped the Wonder Boys rank second in the GAC in scoring, total offense and rushing offense while piling up their most victories since 2009. To Monica, success came at the right time.
“What was it, five years before that we had a winning season?” Monica said. “It had been a long time, and the thing now is to be consistent again and to get to a point to where we’re having a winning season every year.”
The likelihood of that could rest on one of two quarterbacks and the ability to replace linebacker Logan Genz in the middle of the defense.
Monica said Ty Reasnor, who transferred this summer from Emporia State (Kan.), is the top candidate to start Thursday’s season opener against Southern Nazarene, but Jabyes Cross, who played wide receiver last year, could get snaps as well.
Reasnor, a junior, played in eight games as a backup last season, completing 7 of 13 passes for 58 yards a year after starting five games. Monica said Reasnor is a different type of quarterback than Favor, who passed for 17 touchdowns and rushed for 17 touchdowns last year, but the offense won’t have to be altered much with Reasnor at the helm.
Cross can be inserted if needed after catching 12 passes for 253 yards with a teamhigh 4 touchdowns last year. The expectations of the offense aren’t changing, though, no matter who is leading it.
“I think it stays the same,” said sophomore running back Brayden Stringer, who played a complementary role in a running game that averaged 269.2 yards per game.
The Wonder Boys return six starters from a defense that held teams to 21.1 points, 333.8 total yards and 127.5 rushing yards per game, all of which ranked second in the league. But Genz, who had 128 tackles and was named the GAC Defensive Player of the Year, must be replaced.
Monica said senior Seth Culp and K.J. Reid, a sophomore transfer from Texas, will be asked to do what Genz did in the middle of the defense, but he’s stressing to the two they don’t need to replicate it exactly.
“Just be yourselves,” Monica said. “It’s hard to replace somebody like that.”
To equal or improve on last season’s 9-3 record the Wonder Boys must find adequate replacements for Genz at linebacker and Favor, a dual threat at quarterback.
The hunger to keep pace appears to be in place.
“It was an accomplishment,” Ford said of finishing 9-3. “But we were still upset about not winning conference. We knew we could have taken it easily. We were just two or three plays away in two games. Just missed alignments and busted plays.”