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SUNDAY, AUGUST 26, 2018 | THREE RIVERS EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE FOOTBALL PREVIEW
NEWPORT GREYHOUNDS
PHOTOS BY STACI VANDAGRIFF/THREE RIVERS EDITION
Newport senior Zaywin Smith, No. 9, finds a gap to run through, thanks to Spencer Mullinax, No. 56.
NEWPORT continued from 34SS
Greyhounds’ Multiple/Power Spread offense and 3-4 Flex defensive scheme.
Team strengths, Hindsley said, will be start- ing experience and skill players. But Newport will have to contend with a lack of depth and an unproven secondary.
Starters are expected to include senior Cash Forrester (6-2, 215) at quarterback; senior Julius Pruitt (5-9, 180) at H-back and linebacker; senior Julius Clark (5-10, 185) at wide receiver/defensive back; junior Monquelle Cox (5-9, 160) at running back/defensive back; seniors Alex Emery (6-4, 280), Zane Watkins (6-2, 215) and Dalton Phillips (6-0, 245) on the offensive and defensive lines; sophomore Tharon Davis (5-10, 165) at running back/defensive back; senior James Dixon (5-10, 175) at wide receiver/defensive back; junior Clemmie Alford (5-10, 170) at H-back/running back/linebacker; juniors Hunter Hurst (5-10, 215) and Gideon Ball (5-7, 200) on the offensive and defensive lines; sophomore Tyler Johnson (5-11, 190) at linebacker; and senior J.T. Haynes (5-10, 175) at wide receiver/defensive back.
Forrester will be a three-year starter at quar- terback. He threw for more than 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior.
Hindsley called him “a coach on the field.”
“He’s dependable and makes good reads,” Hindsley said. “It all starts with Cash. He’s our guy. Offensively, we’re pretty set up.”
Pruitt earned 72 tackles last year. Clark had 22 receptions for 348 yards and 7 touchdowns and recorded 56 tackles in 2017. Cox rushed for more than 900 yards and scored 6 times last year. Watkins had 38 tackles last year, Emery notched 36, and Phillips added 21.
“We feel good about our experience on the offensive and defensive lines,” Hindsley said. “They’re pretty solid. The only thing I worry about there is conditioning and depth to make
Newport quarterback Cash Forrester, right, hands off the ball to running back Spencer Mullinax.
sure they can play on both sides. The depth kind of worries me, but they’re strong and will be one of our strengths.”
The Greyhounds will be down a 1,200-yard rusher for most of the season after senior Joe Broadus (5-10, 210) went down with an ACL injury in spring ball.
“We’re shooting to get him back at the end of the year,” Hindsley said. “Still, we’ve got good skill guys in the backfield. Tharon Davis is the speediest, and Monquelle Cox is solid, and Clemmie is tough. Our backfield is still strong, even minus Joe.”
According to a statewide publication’s presea- son poll of league coaches, the Greyhounds are picked to win the 3A-3. Osceola, Hoxie, Walnut Ridge and Piggott are picked to round out the playoff berths, followed by Harrisburg, which drops from Class 4A, Manila and Corning.
Key games on the Newport schedule include the rivalry game with Osceola in the regular- season finale on Nov. 2; and Hoxie and Piggott on the road Sept. 28 and Oct. 26, respectively. The Greyhounds have circled Hoxie and Piggott as “makeup” games for the losses last year.
Helping Newport Move Forward. . . . .
Grants for Manufacturing Job Creation ReNewport Grants for Retail Improvement Investments in Tourism Development Workforce Education Investments Facilitating Small Business Development
GO GREYHOUNDS
Bryan Smith, LUTCF, Agency Manager LarryNeely,LUTCF SteveBrock,LUTCF JasonFroman,FSCP