PULASKI COUNTY PREVIEW JACKSONVILLE

Titans’ Martin a difficult person to find each snap

Jacksonville head football Coach Barry Hickingbotham
Jacksonville head football Coach Barry Hickingbotham

The fourth in a series profiling Pulaski County high school football teams.

Har-darrius Martin will be a very busy man this fall, but that’s nothing new for the Jacksonville Titans’ multitalented player.

Martin will start at quarterback — at least during the early part of the season — slide over to the wide receiver spot midway through games, and patrol a safety position while the Titans are on defense. That was also Martin’s routine in 2016.

“I’ve been doing it for two years now, so I’m used to it,” Martin said.

“He’s really not a quarterback, but he’ll play some at quarterback,” Jacksonville Coach Barry Hickingbotham said. “He’s a safety for us, but he’ll also play a shutdown corner. He’ll be a wide receiver some. He’s a jack-of-all-trades guy for us.”

Martin and the Titans will attempt to improve upon a 2-8 season of a year ago that saw Jacksonville lose its final three games by a combined 146-13. It will not be an easy task for the Titans, who may start as many as eight two-way players — a significant number for a 6A program.

Despite having a limited roster, both Hickingbotham and Martin see positives.

“The young players here have the same mindset as the seniors,” Martin said. “Seniors always want to win, but the sophomores are just as hungry. They have the same goals that the seniors have.”

“This group here will work,” Hickingbotham said. “How do you compare one season to another? Is it the number of wins and losses, I don’t know. But if you compare it to work ethic and putting it out there every Friday night, we will be better.

“I don’t know if it will turn into more wins, but I do know it’s a pleasure to go out there every day in practice and see the guys work hard. That’s all you can ask for as a coach.”

Shawn Ellis — the Titans’ leading rusher a year ago with 596 yards — is back for his senior season. Senior center Brandon Barnes is Jacksonville’s most experienced offensive lineman.

The Titans’ deepest positions are at wide receiver and tight end. Those same players will be asked to rotate in the defensive backfield.

“I don’t know if we’re deep anywhere,” Hickingbotham said. “We’re going to have five offensive linemen, and three of those offensive linemen will be defensive linemen. We’ll have eight guys we’ll try to rotate through the offensive line.

“There’s a lot of question marks, and we don’t know yet how they’ll respond.”

Martin is not one of the question marks.

“I went to a lot of camps, and that really helped me,” Martin said. “I learned how to run faster. I learned how to cut faster just by moving my head. It was simple, but I didn’t know to do that. I also learned to make longer strides.”

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Har-Darrius Martin

“We’ve got to keep that guy healthy,” Hickingbotham said. “He’s in great condition, but we’re preparing him for the big races because he’s going to have play a hundred snaps a game for us.”

Titans at a glance

COACH;Barry Hickingbotham

CONFERENCE;6A-East

2016 RECORD;2-8, 1-6

KEY RETURNERS QB/WR/CB Har-darrius Martin (Sr., 5-11, 150), RB/LB Shawn Ellis (Sr., 5-10, 205), C Brandon Barnes (Sr. 5-11, 290), LT/DT Jacob Toney (Sr., 6-2, 275), FB/LB Tamod Tyler (Jr., 5-10, 180), WR Tre Newsome (Jr., 5-11, 160), WR Broderick Lacy (Jr., 5-10, 150), RT Trey Allison (Sr., 5-10, 195), RG Brandon McGuire (Sr., 5-2, 223), RB/CB Issac Johnson (Jr., 5-8, 170), DE Marquez Casey (Jr., 6-2, 215), LB Kevin Fulton (Sr., 5-11, 235), QB/SS Malik Curley (Jr., 5-11, 165), LB Nathan Poole (Sr., 5-8, 170).

2017 SCHEDULE

DATE;OPPONENT

Sept. 1;at Mills

Sept. 8;Catholic

Sept. 15;at Sylvan Hills

Sept. 22;Searcy*

Sept. 29;at Jonesboro*

Oct. 6;Mountain Home*

Oct. 13;at LR Hall*

Oct. 20;at West Memphis*

Oct. 27;Marion*

Nov. 2;Pine Bluff*

*6A-East game

Sports on 08/19/2017

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