By Rob Patrick
There’s a lot still up in the air for the Bryant Hornets freshman football team. Injuries had head coach Kenny Horn comparing his locker room to a MASH unit and with a group of players that figure to contribute just back from a week at the Babe Ruth World Series, few things are certain.
So, Thursday’s season-opener at Lake Hamilton will not only determine a winner, it may determine who’s going to be playing most for the Hornets in weeks to come.[more]
“Obviously, we want to win,” Horn asserted. “We’re going to go out to win but I’m not going to say that right now we don’t have some guys out of position. We’re trying to patch stuff together and see how we get through the first few games.
“We’re still not sure what we’re going to be able to do,” Horn said on Tuesday. “Offensively, I’m not sure if we know who’s going to start right now. We’re struggling with that. Our right tackle may not play. He’s injured. The best lineman we’ve got just joined us when school started so he may not be available for a few games. We’re not going to be real good right now up front. We’re going to kind of be patched together on both offensive and defensive lines.”
One spot Horn felt certain about was Jordan Jones at left tackle. Tanner Rich will probably start at left guard. Jimmy McCann will eventually see time there as well.
“Jacob Ward and Seth Hoffmans are fighting it out at center,” Horn related. “Scott Mead’s our right tackle but he’s hurt so it’s between Colton Caviness, Josh Chiles and Tanner Gullett who are in the running for those two spots on the right side.”
The coach said he thinks Madre London will start at running back. “Grayson Giles will be in that mix too,” he added. “He’s also going to play receiver for us. Bryce Denker has been injured and he’s also our starting middle linebacker.”
Along with Giles, Luke Howard, Chase Tucker, Austin Miller, Austin May, and Jason Browning are working at receiver.
“We’re banged up,” he reiterated. “Kurt Calley hurt his knee and he’s our deep snapper.”
Dakota Besancon and Wesley Akers have been working at quarterback. Besancon went the distance in the Junior Hornets’ pre-season scrimmage against Pine Bluff Robey last week with Akers in Virginia with the Bryant All-Star baseball team.
“They’re basically the only two quarterbacks we’ve got,” Horn said. “And we just haven’t been too good offensively in the last week.
“We feel like we’ve got good pieces, we’re just not real sure how the puzzle’s going to go together.
“Defensively,” he continued, “we’ve done okay. Some of those same guys on the offensive line are going to be in the mix on the defensive line. Right now, the only certain starter is James Gibson at the one technique.
“We’re still kind of up in the air about linebacker right now with Denker and Austin May,” Horn said. “We’re not real sure if the other spot’s going to be Matt Mears or Jake Johnson. We’ve got another kid, Colton Burton, he’s a fullback who’s in the mix at linebacker.”
Injuries have affected the secondary as well.
“Our starting safety Davis Nossaman, he can’t play because he had surgery on his wrist,” Horn noted. “Our other safety, Jason Browning is still there. He’ll be in the mix at running back too. At the corners, it’s going to be Giles and Jacob Irby. We may try to play Irby at safety a little bit too. We’re going to use Tucker at receiver and corner. Dustin Fieser or Connor Wooten may be in the mix at corner too.”
The Hornets move to a revised conference this season. Gone is the Central Arkansas Junior High Conference. The league includes the freshman teams for many of the 7A/6A-Central high school conference schools including both Conway and Cabot teams, Little Rock Catholic and North Little Rock along with Benton (which is in the 6A-South at the high school level).
“We want everybody healthy by game four when we start conference,” Horn stated. “If we have to move around and patch up for three games, that’s what we’re going to do. Maybe we can see who comes out and shores up a spot between now and then. Right now, that’s what our goal is.”
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There is obviously a lot to know about this. I think you made some good points in Features also. Keep working ,great job!