JC WESTSIDE
REBELS
2016 RECORD 4-6
COACH Jeff Stewart
RETURNING STARTERS 4 offense, 6 defense KEY PLAYERS QB Lane Houston (Sr., 5-6, 160), RB Kyler Stumbaugh (Jr., 5-7, 150), TE Gunner Williams (Sr., 6-0, 185), RB Joseph Smith (Sr., 5-10, 150), OL Josh Moser (Sr., 6-0, 250), DE Taylor Sagy (Jr., 6-0, 205).
THE SKINNY The Rebels are looking for a return trip to the postseason with a solid returning cast on defense. … Houston moves over into the quarterback position from running back. Houston scored a 30 on the ACT and adds a running dimension to the position after rushing for 105 yards last season … Williams moves from QB to TE, where the Rebels can utilize his size in the passing game. … Westside’s strength will be on defense where DB Stumbaugh leads the way. Stumbaugh led the team in tackles last season, along with Houston, who also plays in the secondary. … Jaron Estep is a force at linebacker and had 4.0 tackles for loss last season, and Dawson Rainey will play a key role on the defensive front. DE Taylor Sagy is another key member of the defensive front who could have a breakout season.
COACH SPEAK “The kids have worked extremely hard since we shut down last year. This senior class is a class where we’ve lost a lot of kids for whatever reason. In the ninth grade they finished third in the conference. The great thing is, we have great kids who work hard. So it could be real good as long as we stay healthy. In the Dead-T, we have to be able to establish the run to set up the pass,” Stewart said.
SCHEDULE
Sept. 1 ..............Woodlawn
Sept. 8 .at Western Yell Co.
Sept. 15 ....................Open
Sept. 22............at Lavaca
Sept. 29...............Danville
Oct. 6....at Mountainburg
Oct. 13 ............at Decatur
Oct. 20............Magazine
Oct. 27..Western Yell Co.
Nov. 2 ..................Hackett
- — Denotes 4-2A Conference game
MOUNTAINBURG
DRAGONS
2016 RECORD 7-4
COACH Tom Harrell
RETURNING STARTERS 5 offense, 2 defense KEY PLAYERS QB Robert Roxin (Sr., 5-10, 185), RB Austin Taylor (Jr., 5-11, 155), NG Dylan Rakow (Sr., 5-11, 340), TE/LB Conner Rogers (5-11, 175), WR/RB/ CB Dillon Jones (Sr., 5-7, 145).
THE SKINNY Harrell has 144 career wins at Mountainburg and has piloted the Dragons to seven consecutive postseason appearances. … The Dragons won five of their final six regular season games. They also recorded a 41-8 victory against Marked Tree in the first round of the playoffs before losing by a touchdown (34-28) at Des Arc. … Roxin played tailback last season, but is moving to quarterback to replace Quency Pixley. … Jones is considered the team’s running back, but the team won’t use a tailback in most of its spread offense formations. Last season, the Dragons had success late in the season with a no-back spread that featured two tight ends. … Harrell is hoping to only start three, two-way players but may need more depending how certain players develop. …
COACH SPEAK “We’re kind of in between quarterbacks right now, but feel like Roxin’s going to do a really good job for us. … We’ve only got two returning starters on the offensive line and a tight end, but we’ve got a really good sophomore group of linemen coming up from last year’s junior high team and two of them will probably have to start. … We need to keep improving. I think we will, in time, be a good football team, especially if we don’t have a bunch of injuries, that’s the key thing for us. If Roxin or someone like that gets hurt, we could be in trouble,” Harrell said.
SCHEDULE
Sept. 1 ....at Cedarville
Sept. 8 ...........Hackett
Sept. 15 ........ Danville
Sept. 22....at Decatur
Sept. 29..........Lavaca
Oct 6 ...............JC Westside
Oct. 13 ...at Western Yell Co.
Oct. 20.................at Hackett
Oct. 27.............at Magazine
Nov. 3 ..............at Huntsville
- — Denotes 4-2A Conference game
HACKETT HORNETS
2016 RECORD 10-2
COACH Lonnie Hester
RETURNING STARTERS 7 offense, 6 defense KEY PLAYERS QB Brady Hester (5-10, 145, Jr.), RB/ OLB Cooper Shipman (6-0, 155, Jr.), C/DL Jon Dunn (5-9, 240, Sr.), OL Tyler Edwards (6-0, 220, Sr.), DL Trevon Blanton (6-0, 230, Sr.), LB Matthew Carter (5-10, 195, Jr.)
THE SKINNY The Hornets enjoyed their second consecutive 10-win season despite an abundance of youth last year, and it will be those younger players — now a year older and more experienced — that will help Hackett try to build on their recent success and push for a 4-2A Conference title. … Hester said his team has some spots to fill, but he’s confident other players will assume those roles. … Brady Hester, the coach’s son, moves from his receiver spot last year to assume the quarterback’s role, a position he did start during a game last year. … Shipman returns at tailback after he ran for 1,014 yards and 7 TDs, and he is joined by wingback Pacey McBride, who totaled 664 yards and had a kickoff return for a TD against Mountainburg. … Dunn, who sports a 3.9 GPA, moves from center to left tackle and replaces a four-year starter at that spot, while Edwards switches from left guard to right guard. … Carter returns at middle linebacker after leading the Hornets with 64 tackles and 5 sacks.
COACH SPEAK “We feel like, position for position, we match up well with anybody in our conference and anybody in the state in 2A football. The problem right now is our numbers are a little down. We’ve been having close to 36-37 players, and for a 2A school that’s great numbers for this area. Our sophomore class has only four football players, so our numbers are down. Having more than one platoon really helps in 2A football, so depth is a problem,” Hester said.
SCHEDULE
Sept. 1 ...Pocola, Okla.
Sept. 8 .at Mountainburg
Sept. 15 .....Open Date
Sept. 22..... Magazine
Oct. 6 ........................Decatur Oct. 13 ................at Danville
Oct. 20...........Mountainburg
Oct. 27..................... Lavaca
Sept. 29.at Western Yell Co.
Nov. 2 ..Johnson Co. Westside
- — Denotes 4-2A Conference game
LAVACA
GOLDEN ARROWS
2016 RECORD 6-5
COACH Brian Schlinker
RETURNING STARTERS 5 offense, 5 defense
KEY PLAYERS QB Ryan Dockery (6-2, 160, Sr.), C Tripp Lile (5-11, 205, Sr.), LB Trevon Moore (Jr., 5-10, 210), RB Ray Lazano (6-3, 180, Sr.), FB Trey Werner (5-7, 140, Jr.). THE SKINNY Lavaca expects a carryover after the Golden Arrows won four of their final five games in regular season to make the playoffs. … Lost 38-30 to Murfreesboro in first round of Class 2A state playoffs. …Senior Ryan Dockery will take over at quarterback after playing running back and receiver last season. … Dockery also runs track and averaged over 20 points per game in basketball for the Golden Arrows. … Ray Lazano, a transfer from Mustang, Okla., will play running back and defensive back for Lavaca.
COACH SPEAK “I’m very excited about our skill kids on both sides of the football. The guys on our offensive and defensive lines will do a good job for us, but we’ve got to build some depth,” Schlinker said.
SCHEDULE
Sept. 1 ......... at Gentry
Sept. 8 ........at Danville
Sept. 15 .............Dover
Sept. 22.J.C. Westside
Sept. 29.at Mountainburg
Oct. 6 .. Western Yell County
Oct. 13 .............at Magazine
Oct 20..Palestine Wheatley
Oct. 27..................at Hackett Nov. 2 .....................Decatur
*Denotes 4-2A Conference game
DECATUR BULLDOGS
2016 RECORD 1-8
COACH Ryan Woolard
RETURNING STARTERS 9 offense, 9 defense KEY PLAYERS RB Alex Lee (Sr., 5-6, 175), RB Jonathan Brandon (Sr., 5-7, 145), WR Taylor Haisman (5-10, 150), OL Sebastian Perez (Sr., 5-6, 195).
THE SKINNY The season looked iffy once again for the Bulldogs with low numbers, but Decatur will move forward with the season after getting a small influx of players in the program when school started, bumping the roster from around 12 players to 15 with a few more expected before the season opener. … New coach Ryan Woolard takes over the program from former coach Shane Holland, who will remain as the track coach. The Bulldogs earned a runner-up last spring in the Class 1A boys state track meet. Woolard previously coached at McDonald County, Mo. … There are two additional new coaches on staff in Sheldon McKenzie and Cody Reid. … RB Jonathan Brandon was a key member of the track team and will provide Decatur a speed threat out of the backfield. … Senior RB Alex Lee will provide steady leadership, and Taylor Haisman, who led the track team to its great finish, will be a threat at wide receiver. … OL Sebastian Perez is a three-year starter on the offensive line. … The Bulldogs have a daunting schedule to open the season. hosting Class 4A Berryville in the opener, then going to Benton County rival Gentry, another 4A school, in week two. COACH SPEAK “Honestly, wins and losses aren’t important to us this season. Our goal is just getting better every game. Our big thing with the kids is to be better today than you were yesterday. Be better in life, be better in school and be better on the field,” Woolard said.
SCHEDULE
Sept. 1 .............. Berryville
Sept. 8 ..............at Gentry
Sept. 11 ..Grove, Okla. JV
Sept. 22....Mountainburg
Sept. 29....... at Magazine Oct. 6 ...............at Hackett
Oct. 13 ..........JC Westside
Oct. 20.at Western Yell Co. Oct. 27.................Danville
Nov. 2 (Thur.) at Lavaca
- — Denotes 4-2A Conference game