Commandos are moving forward

Talk to Hawkins Middle head football coach Rob Gideon, and he’ll say that he has a different team than the one who won last season’s Sumner County Conference championship.

With only two returning starters, that statement may very well be the case.

“It’s such a totally different team, that it’s not even close to the same team,” Gideon said. “We’ve got a couple of starters back, but other than that, it’s a whole new group of guys who got beat up in practice by that county championship team.”

Derek Kincaid and Andrew Waters are the only returning starters from last year’s squad.

“We have to make our own way, but I’m expecting good things from this year’s team,” Gideon said.

Kincaid is among a group of running backs who may see time – and carries – for the Commandos.

Andrew Gober, Carson McKellar, Kennedy Jordan and Nathan Hancock are also among the potential committee of ball carriers.

“There’s not really one that’s standing out,” Gideon said. “They’re all really taking turns running the ball right now.”

They’ll operate behind a big offensive line, according to Gideon.

“We’re going to have a big, physical (offensive) line,” Gideon said. “We’ve got a bunch of big linemen who are doing a good job.”

Waters returns at center, while Jacob Ruhl, Iniko Lopez, Matt Riley, Dylan Cunningham and Robert Christian, along with Austin Halas, will fill other spots along the offensive front.

The player taking snaps from Waters is another question. Larkin O’Shea and Chase Nelson are competing for the starting quarterback job.

“We’re working on it,” Gideon said. “It’s a developmental process. Middle school’s a run-the-ball kind of league, and we’re probably going to be a run-the-ball kind of team.”

Gaylen Rutledge could be a player to look for when the Commandos do throw the football.

“Gaylen Rutledge has turned into a good receiver,” Gideon said. “If he’ll run his routes the right way, he’s got very good hands, and he’s very talented.”

On the other side, the Commandos will utilize a 5-3 defensive front instead of their 4-4 configuration from last fall. With a big offensive line, Gideon wants to take advantage of his size up front.

“We’ve got a little more size up front,” Gideon said. “They probably average almost 200 pounds across that front.”

Waters will handle the nose-guard duties, while Ruhl and Lopez will play at defensive tackle. Riley and Adrian Selva are expected to start at defensive end.

Christian, Rutledge and Hancock could all play at linebacker.

“We’re still auditioning spots at linebacker,” Gideon said. “We’re trying to find out who will play physically there.”

McKellar, Gober, Jordan are expected to start in the secondary for a team that gave up 94 points in eight games last year.

However, as Gideon points out, that was last year.

“We’ve talked to the kids about not being complacent and not thinking we’ve got it won,” Gideon said. “We’ve told them 1,000 times that we are not the same team. Last year’s team was the county champs. We are not county champs. We are a team competing like everybody else.”

ELLIS

A 5-3 record is a good mark in the Sumner County Conference, but for Ellis Middle, it was good enough for only fourth place in the tightly-contested Western Division.

Climbing that ladder to a more successful 2014 season will be the goal for head coach Lawson Watson and the Cougars.

“I feel like the league’s going to be really competitive this year,” Watson said. “Instead of having one top team and nobody in the middle, there could be a one-loss champion this year. I think there’s going to be some teams that will get in there and make it very competitive.”

The Cougars may rely on the strength of their offensive line to help guide the offense.

Four of the five starters on the offensive line played last season, giving Watson an experienced – and tough – front line.

“I’m really excited to coach the line, because they all make good grades,” Watson said. “They’re all smart and really tough. I’m really pleased with what they’ve done so far.”

Jaden Mills (left tackle), David Cox (left guard), Austin Hamblin (center), Jarod Davis (right guard) and Wilson Higgs (right tackle) make up the Cougars’ offensive line, with Noah Taylor lining up at tight end.

Taylor, Hamblin and Higgs will start on the defensive line, with the others factoring in the rotation to keep players fresh.

Those players will look to open holes for eighth-grader Matthew Dorris and seventh-grader Logan Spurrier, who will handle the duties at running back.

At quarterback, two candidates – eighth-grader Hayden Layne and seventh-grader Drew Hohenbrink – are vying for the starting quarterback job.

Both are playing the position for the first time, but Watson said he’s impressed with their progress since the spring.

“They’re good kids, and they’re doing really well,” Watson said. “I guess it’s a good problem to have, having two guys who you know can do the job. I’ve been really pleased. In the spring, I was a little nervous, but they’ve gotten better and better.”

Eighth-grader Zach Morris is the main target in the passing game.

“He’s done well in the spring, and he’s a little undersized … but he’s not afraid to go up and get it with the little size that he has,” Watson said. “He’s a tough kid, a fast kid, and he’s done well so far.”

On defense, Dalton Jones is expected to be a starter at linebacker in the Cougars’ 5-3 defensive front, but numerous others could also fill those spots.

The secondary will feature Morris and Jack Wilhite at cornerback, with Houston Loper at free safety.

The Cougars finished fourth in the division a year ago due to having all three of their losses come within the division. Ellis finished with a plus-36 point differential, good for fifth in the conference.

HUNTER

If Hunter Middle wants to become the next Sumner County Conference champion, its improvement plan is a simple one.

The Buccaneers’ two losses last year came at the hands of the teams they finished behind in the final standings, Rucker-Stewart and county champion Hawkins.

Hunter’s 6-2 mark was good for second place in the West Division, and they were one of only three teams (Rucker-Stewart and Hawkins being the other two) to score 200 or more points last season.

For head coach Constance Luttrell, it’s about making the next step in the quest to claim a championship.

However, some questions remain as to who will earn some starting positions.

“It’s really hard to tell, but we answered some of the questions we had in terms of who can play certain positions,” Luttrell said. “But we’ve still got a lot of unanswered questions.”

Bo Hodges – who was the starting quarter at Knox Doss at Drakes Creek last season – is expected to start at quarterback for the Bucs.

One area that Luttrell believes has worked out is at tailback.

Jacob Seals is expected to start at tailback, but having another option gives Luttrell some flexibility in that spot. Darian Jones is one of those options, but another one emerged during a scrimmage last week.

“We found another tailback,” Luttrell said. “Haven Mangrum came in during our scrimmage (last Thursday) at White House, and he ran the ball well for us. We had never even tried him at that position, so that’s something to look forward to.”

Elijah Brooks will start at fullback, aiding an experienced offensive line.

“The offensive line is probably the thing we’re most excited about,” Luttrell said. “They’re big, and a lot of them are pretty experienced. They are probably a couple of steps ahead of our skill positions, just because they’ve been playing together longer.”

Joe Hunter, Alec Thompson, Alex Dillard and Garrett Cothern are among a group that will hold down spots on the offensive line.

Other offensive starters include Cameron Clark at tight end, with Isaac Clark and Bobby Whitley at wide receiver.

Bryson Duffer will see time along the defensive line, which will consist of a majority of the offensive linemen, but Luttrell said that a rotation is possible.

“We’re rotating some guys in there right now,” Luttrell said. “A lot of those on the offensive line will also be on the defensive line, but there’s different people in there at different times.”

Whitley, Hodges, Brooks, Chris LeMay and Will Crabtree are all expected to contribute at linebacker.

Jackson Dolan will start at safety and is another player who has picked up a new position.

“He’s another one of those we found,” Luttrell said. “He’s made a big impact so far.”

Last season, the defense held up its end of the bargain, helping the Bucs limit opponents to an average of 11 points per game last season.

Conversely, Hunter averaged 25 points per contest in 2013.

KNOX DOSS

For Knox Doss at Drakes Creek, it’s a youth movement.

The Mustangs have 37 players, 22 of which are seventh-graders.

“It does worry me,” Knox Doss fifth-year head coach Bryan Dupree said. “You tend to rely on seventh-graders sometimes. The way they have been executing in practice, if they can take what we have done in practice and put it in a game environment and not think that, ‘hey we are seventh-graders,’ I think we can be pretty competitive.”

The Mustangs are transitioning to a no-huddle, hurry-up offense that will consist of running the wishbone.

“When I grew up, I was a triple-option quarterback,” Dupree said. “At Beech, I ran the triple-option inside the wing-T set. I’ve wanted to do it for a long time. We were expecting our quarterback from last year back (Bo Bo Hodges) to be back. We were going to move to the wishbone with him, but he transferred to Hunter. We said, ‘why not add to the hurry up?’

“We’ve been working on our conditioning. We showed it against Westmoreland (in a preseason scrimmage). That will bring the playing field a little equal with (only having) 37 players. We have to do something to balance the playing field, especially if we don’t turn the ball over.”

Seventh-grader Max Barnett and eighth-grader Cameron Stevens will see action at quarterback, and Trey Holt will see action at fullback along with Ari Adame and Jaden Turner. Turner could also play tight end or on the offensive line.

Aaron Foxx and Logan Barrett – along with seventh-graders Briston Bennett, Garnett Hollis and Collin Woods – are all options at halfback.

“Aaron Foxx, people will know who he is by the end of the year,” Dupree said. “He’s my power back. He has some thick legs. He’s kind of compact, and he runs hard.”

Duece Drennan and Logan Wilson will be at tight end, joined on the offensive front by center Ben Scalera, guard Andrew Boswell and tackles Eli Whitaker and Logan Tilghman. Keyon Dillon and Braeden Swindle are battling for the starting assignment at the other guard spot.

“They’ve picked it up on (the offense) wonderful,” Dupree said. “It’s almost like we’re practicing fast-break basketball out here.

“The kids are positive. There’s no animosity. Everybody is fighting for Knox Doss. Everybody is pulling together. I just want to see them compete, do the best they can and see where it goes.”

Drennan is back as the placekicker, and Tilghman will serve as the punter, taking snaps from Logan Garrett. Bennett and Cameron Stevens will handle the punt return and kickoff return responsibilities.

Adame and Tilghman will anchor the Mustangs’ 4-3 defensive front at defensive tackle, and Turner will see action there as well. Barrett and Drennan are expected to be at defensive end.

“He’s probably the tallest kid on my team,” Dupree said of Tilghman. “He’s a good-looking kid in pads, but he backs it up too.”

Barnett will be at middle linebacker and will be joined by outside linebackers Holt and Stevens.

Bennett and Woods will be at cornerback, with Hollis and Samuel Williams at the safety spots.

Knox Doss – which won three games last season (all against East Division teams) – has scrimmaged Westmoreland and Portland West in the preseason.

“It’s the same teams,” Dupree said of the conference favorites. “I’m expecting Rucker and Hawkins to be the top dogs. Until somebody can knock one of them off, I see it as their race.

“Realistically, our goal is to at least compete for our side of the conference.”

WHITE HOUSE

White House won five games a year ago and outscored its opponents by 82 points.

However, it was the close games that the Blue Devils faltered in.

Due to the competition level in the county, White House head coach Clint Niehaus expects wins to be hard to come by again this season.

“The league is up,” Niehaus – who is entering his seventh season at the helm of the program – said. “It’s going to be Rucker (Stewart Middle) and Hawkins (as the favorites). It’s the usual suspects … but from the chatter I hear, everybody is good. I’m hearing Rucker is loaded. Hawkins has two guys who run under a five flat (5.0-second time in the 40-yard dash). Knox Doss has a great secondary and linebackers and skill players. West has some tailback who is supposed to be all that. Ellis is supposed to be good. Everybody is good.

“I expect us to be competitive and give ourselves a chance to win. We were competitive for three quarters against the elite last year. We need to be competitive for four quarters … that’s the next step for us. We’re not going to lay down against anybody.”

Quarterback Andrew Nixon returns to lead the Blue Devils’ I-formation offense after starting a year ago.

Tanner Puckett is the likely starter at fullback after playing on the offensive line last season, and Ethan Rainey is another option at fullback.

“We have a quarterback who can throw it,” Niehaus said. “He’s a second-year starter. He’s definitely a threat to run it.

“Tanner Puckett is one of our better players. He plays 110 percent every day in practice. He plays every play the way it’s supposed to be played. He’s quiet, but he’s a leader by example. He’s just a great kid.”

Cameron Cassanova, Kevan Dickerson, and Will Frazer will see carries at tailback.

Joey Cartwright and Cameron Baldwin will be at tight end, with Justin Roberts and Aaron Worrell at wide receiver.

Ethan Ring is the front-runner to starter at center, and Avery O’Bryan could see action there or at guard. Levi Ledbetter and Tim Hammond are also options at guard, and Colby Jackson and Josh Strother are expected to be at tackle.

“Our strength is that we feel like we will be physical up front,” Niehaus said. “We could be a power football team. Our offensive and defensive lines could be a strength for us. We have some depth there.”

Nixon punted last season and may do the same again, taking snaps from either Jackson or Adam Walton. The placekicking responsibilities are still being determined.

Cassanova is a likely choice to return kickoffs and punts, and Frazer may also return kickoffs.

Jackson and Strother are the likely starters at defensive tackle in the team’s 4-4 front, though Hammond, Ring and Jacob Watts will all see time there.

Hammond and Baldwin will serve as the defensive ends, with O’Bryan and Walton providing depth.

Puckett and Raney will start at inside linebacker, with Eddie Walker to also see action there. Joey Cartwright will start at outside linebacker, as will either Dickerson or Frazer. Michael Frye and Jaden Mejia are also options at outside linebacker.

Cassanova will start at cornerback, and Nixon will be the safety. Worrell and Jeremiah Morrow are vying for the other starting cornerback position, and Roberts will also see action at cornerback.

“We’re still a work in progress defensively, and offensively, we are still getting the kinks out,” Niehaus – whose squad has scrimmaged White House Heritage, Greenbrier and Hunter – said. “It’s just consistency. In our first two scrimmages, we finished strong, but we have to start faster. We have to be able to self-motivate and bring it every time. It’s just being consistent on every play. What are we going to do when the chips are down? Do we have that fight? Are we going to gang tackle and get to the football?”

Sumner County Conference West Division

Team Overall Record Division Records Points Scored Points Allowed

Hawkins 8-0 4-0 290 94

Hunter 6-2 3-1 200 88

White House 5-3 2-2 194 112

Ellis 5-3 1-3 182 146

Knox Doss 3-5 0-4 146 176