LITTLE ROCK — Bryant will have a different look this fall, and it’s more than 35 seniors exhausting their eligibility.
Hornets Coach Paul Calley spent much of the off-season incorporating a new passing scheme to attack defenses vertically.
“We’re going to try to run stuff down the field,” Calley said. “In the last three years, we had gone to a more pro-style offense - I-formation, bootlegs, play-action passing game - because we had no vertical threats. We think we can stretch the field now. We’re going back to a Spread passing game.”
The move, Calley said, is dictated by personnel.
Bryant is replacing most of its offensive line, but it has some of the top returning skill players in the 7A/6ACentral.
The Hornets finished 9-3 last fall and shared the conference title.
Calley said the new offensive philosophy was born out of meetings earlier this year with Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, Fayetteville Coach Daryl Patton and staff members at Henderson State and watching hours of video of Missouri.
“I’ve taken that stuff and blended it together,” Calley said. “We feel like we can stretch the field. In our conference, that may be far-fetched. But you’re going to have to respect our speed.”
Bryant may have the fastest player in the state in senior wide receiver Dillon Winfrey, 5-7, 145 pounds.
Calley said Winfrey, who caught 21 passes for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns last fall, was timed in 4.35 in the 40-yard dash at an Arkansas State camp in the off-season.
Winfrey was a member of the state’s top 400-meter relay team as a sophomore.
He also returned 6 kickoffs for 211 yards and 1 touchdown and 6 punts for 132 yards as a junior.
Senior Sawyer Nichols, who has 4.6 speed, led Bryant in receiving last season with 34 receptions for 603 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Junior quarterback Hayden Lessenberry returns after completing 99 of 153 passes for 1,357 yards and 6 touchdowns last fall.
Calley said seniors Jalen Bell and Karon Dismuke, major contributors at running back last fall, could figure heavily at wide receiver.
Madre London, 6-1, 180, is a highly regarded sophomore running back/wide receiver.
“He could be one of those special guys,” Calley said. “He’s a special athlete.”
Calley said his quarterbacks were under center approximately 60 percent of the time in recent years.
But the Hornets worked exclusively in the Shotgun in the spring, he said.
“This is personnel,” Calley said. “This is strictly based on our strengths. We couldn’t line up and play power football like we did. We can’t get in a two-tight I-formation and move the ball.”
Bryant, which has excelled in special teams under Calley, returns one of the state’s top kickers in senior Jace Denker.
Denker was a member of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Super Sophomore team after making 34 of 37 extra-point attempts and 8 of 10 field-goal attempts (long of 42 yards).
Denker was 38 of 42 on extra-point attempts and 6 of 9 on field-goal attempts (a long of 47 yards) as a junior.
Bryant has never missed the playoffs or had a losing season in Calley’s eight seasons as coach.
The Hornets have won or shared three conference championships and won at least eight games the last five seasons.
Bryant at a glance MASCOT Hornets CONFERENCE 7A/6A-Central HEAD COACH Paul Calley (ninth season, 62-37-1) 2010 RECORD 9-3 overall, 6-1 7A/6ACentral (first-place tie) PLAYOFF RESULTS Beat Springdale 30-7 in first round, lost 38-7 to Bentonville in quarterfinals PLAYERS TO WATCH PK/P Jace Denker, 6-1, 170, Sr.; WR/CB Dillon Winfrey, 5-7, 145, Sr.; WR Saywer Nichols, 5-9, 150, Sr.; QB Hayden Lessenberry, 5-10, 185, Jr.
RETURNING OFF./DEF.STARTERS 4/3 OFF./DEF FORMATION Spread/4-3 SCHEDULE DATE OPPONENT Sept. 2 vs. Benton# Sept. 9 at FS Northside Sept. 16 Texarkana Sept. 23 LR Catholic Sept. 30 at Van Buren Oct. 7 Russellville Oct. 14 at Conway Oct. 21 Cabot Oct. 28 at North Little Rock Nov. 3 LR Central #at War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock 7A/6A-Central game
Sports, Pages 31 on 08/07/2011