ELKINS ELKS
2016 RECORD 9-3
COACH Chad Harbison
RETURNING STARTERS 3 offense, 3 defense KEY PLAYERS QB Quinn McClain (So., 6-2 180), RB Chance Jones (Jr., 6-2 180), WR/DB Layne Evans (Sr., 5-10 155), WR/DB Chad Graham (Jr., 5-9 150), OL Jace Shirley (Sr., 6-1 215), OL Hayden Hurst (Jr., 5-10 180), LB J.J. Miller (Sr., 6-0 210).
THE SKINNY
Harbison begins his second season at Elkins, after guiding the Elks to one of their more successful seasons in reason history. He credits much of that success to a talented class of 17 seniors, but said the cupboard is not bare. … Sophomore McClain steps into the quarterback position, after guiding the junior high team to a conference title last season. However, he took snaps in the Elkins’ final four games, including the two playoff games, after the junior high season ended. So he’s not without varsity experience. … Hurst and Shirley both return on the offensive line, along with receiver Evans (41 receptions for 641 yards 5 TDs) and at safety. … Linebacker Miller, defensive back Graham started on defense, but Graham played some at receiver, too, as a backup.
COACH SPEAK “We’re playing with a sophomore quarterback and a new running back. We graduated a kid that had 32 touchdowns. Quinn can throw it around a little bit. He’s a good runner, good processor. It’s just getting the speed of the game down. We’ve got a lot of new faces, but the good thing is they got a lot of playing experience a year ago. It’s not like they haven’t played. Now, it’s their turn. These kids have a chance to be good, too,” Harbison said
SCHEDULE
Sept. 1 .at Shiloh Christian
Sept. 8 ..............West Fork
Sept. 15 .........at Huntsville
Sept. 22.at Yellville-Summit
Sept. 29....Mountain View
Oct. 6............at Marshall
Oct. 13 ..................Clinton
Oct. 20...... at Melbourne
Oct. 27...........Greenland
Nov. 3 .........Green Forest
- — Denotes 3A-1 Conference game
GREEN FOREST TIGERS
2016 RECORD 2-8 COACH Bobby Bishop RETURNING STARTERS 4 offense, 6 defense KEY PLAYERS
TE/DT Dakota Grigg (Sr., 5-10, 200), OG/ LB Creel Roberts (Sr., 5-10, 200), OG/ LB Bristol Bishop (Jr., 5-9, 200), WR/ CB Braden Smith (Sr., 6-2, 180), OL Carter Boggs (Jr., 6-2, 220)
THE SKINNY
Bobby Bishop, a 1978 Green Forest
graduate, enters his third season as the Tigers’ head coach. … Roberts earned all-conference honors after wrapping up 113 tackles last season. … Grigg is a two-way starter who has returned to full speed after injuring his knee early last season. … Bristol Bishop is Coach’s Bishop great nephew and plays with toughness on both sides of the ball.
COACH SPEAK “What I like about them is our core of kids who are here all the time have gained a lot of experience over the past few years. We’ve got some speed and quickness and I think our kids have improved on our toughness … We have to stay healthy. We’ve got 27 as of today on paper and only about 20 of those kids have been here throughout the first two weeks. There are about 15 of those kids who will have to carry the bulk of the load, so the key will be keeping those guys healthy. I really like this group of kids. I feel like we’ll be able to run the ball, play good defense and we’ll be sound in the kicking game. But if we get a couple injured, it’ll be hard pressed to replace them,” Bishop said.
SCHEDULE
Sept. 1 ...............Huntsville
Sept. 8 ......Pierce City, Mo.
Sept. 15 ..........at Berryville
Sept. 22......... at Marshall
Sept. 29................Clinton
Oct 6 ..at Yellville-Summit
Oct. 13 .....Mountain View
Oct. 20.......at Greenland
Oct. 27...........Melbourne
Nov. 3 ................at Elkins
- — Denotes 3A-1 Conference game
GREENLAND PIRATES
2016 RECORD 5-6
COACH Lee Larkan
RETURNING STARTERS 5 offense, 6 defense KEY PLAYERS QB Austin Anderson (Sr., 5-9, 150), OL Devin Hayes (Sr., 6-1 220), OL Trey Burnett (Sr., 5-7 150), OL/DL Zeke Wilson (Sr., 6-0 190) WR Antonio Alvarez (Jr., 5-5 170), DB/WR Tyler Fouch (Sr., 5-10 160). RB Hayden Stout (Jr., 6-1, 175), RB/LB Hunter Cartwright (Sr., 5-11 180), WR Ethan Holte (Jr., 5-8, 150).
THE SKINNY After averaging more than eight wins a season over the last six years, coach Lee Larkan and his Tigers are determined to wipe away memories of their 5-6 finish a year ago. … The players started that direction with a good offseason in the weight room, leading to huge gains in strength. … The Pirates will likely have an entirely new offensive line, possibly starting two or three sophomores. But that’s a spot where they struggled a year ago, Larkan said. … Senior quarterback Austin Anderson enjoyed a solid season throwing for 1,657 yards and 18 touchdowns, while completing more than 60 percent of his passes. Larkan was pleased with Anderson, especially since he was forced to throw more than he wanted.
COACH SPEAK “The five and six was totally unexpected and unacceptable. We don’t have extreme amounts of talent, but we’ve got a bunch of kids who have worked hard for the last 10 months or so. I think we gained seven or 8,000 pounds in the weight room. Our issue is probably size. We’ve only got two or three guys over 200 pounds. I think we’ve got a lot of guys who are strong for their size. Somebody told me a long time ago,” ‘you win with kids who wear large pants’ and we don’t have a lot of kids who were large pants,” Larkan said
SCHEDULE
Sept. 1 ................West Fork
Oct. 6 .at Mountain View
Sept. 8 .............at Mansfield Oct. 13 ............. Marshall
Sept. 15 ....................Gentry
Oct. 20......Green Forest
Sept. 22..............at Clinton
Oct. 27.............at Elkins
Sept. 29....Yellville-Summit
Nov. 3 ...........Melbourne
**— Denotes 3A-1 Conference game