Position changes give Black more options
Posted on Sunday, August 24, 2008
BENTONVILLE — The transition from eighth to ninth grade isn’t as simple if you’re a football player.
Bentonville Black head coach Chris Hutchens said it’s a time when boys become young men as they start an offseason football program for the first time after the eighth grade season ends and start lifting weights and going through the spring and summer programs.
“ It’s a huge change, ” Hutchens said. “ Eighth-grade football to ninth-grade football is a tremendous transition for a variety of reasons. ”
So far, Hutchens has been pleased with the progress the Black football team has made three weeks into fall camp.
“ We think there’s some talent there, ” said Hutchens of the group of 45 ninthgraders who were 4-5-1 as Lincoln eighth-graders. “ We’re trying to get them used to competing on a daily basis. We’re trying to get them to practice hard. We like this group. ”
The transition was even bigger for a couple of players on Black’s roster.
Ryan Harrelston, last year’s Lincoln quarterback, has moved to slot receiver while Corbin Copeland, who played receiver for the Leopards, will play quarterback.
The move was designed to get Harrelston better chances to make plays, Hutchens said.
“ He’s a good athlete, ” Hutchens said of Harrelston. “ He’s transitioned good in that. He’s still going to play a little bit of quarterback. We’re going to try and move him around a little bit. ”
Alberto Hernandez will start at running back and Black has a group of receivers that Hutchens thinks will be productive along with Harrelston. Included in that group is Colten Folck, Clay Godsey, Luke Rouhselang, Kray Liberatore and Tyler Zengerie. “ We’ve got a lot of kids that can play there, ” Hutchens said. “ We feel like we’ve got some kids there that we can rotate in and throw the ball a little bit. ”
On the offensive line, Hutchens said the Tigers have a group of big kids who are still learning how to play the game. “ We’re hoping they learn sooner than later, ” he added of linemen Blayne Hill, Quin Ansley, Davy Smith, Cody Hood, Ian Tucker, Josh Wilson and Alex Westermeyer. “ All those kids are battling for positions on the offensive line. We’re a little bit deeper there than we have been in a couple of years. ”
Hill, Smith, Tucker, Wilson and Hood double as defensive linemen in the Tigers’ three-man front. Sean Lafferty and Sckeul Moore also will see time in the trenches.
“ We feel real good about our defensive line, ” Hutchens said. “ We’ve got about 6-8 kids we can rotate in. ”
Westermeyer, Brandon Beach, Josh Ford and Zac Bock are rotating at the inside linebacker spots. Hernandez, Liberatore, Austin Hackett and Andy McDowell are playing outside linebacker.
In the secondary, Rouhselang, Folck and Clay Godsey are manning the corners while Harrelston and Copeland are the safeties.
Davy Smith and Harrelston are battling for the punter position while Jack O’Connor will handle the placekicking duties.
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