Page 47 - Demo

THREE RIVERS EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE FOOTBALL PREVIEW | SUNDAY, AUGUST 26, 2018
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CAVE CITY CAVEMEN
Cave City again under new leadership
BY SAM PIERCE
STAFF WRITER
After finishing last season with a re-
cord of 0-10, the Cave City Cavemen football team is under new leader- ship once again. Danny Brustrom
was hired near the end of the school year in 2018, and he marks the fourth head coach in five years.
Brustrom comes from Cedar Ridge, where he finished 6-5 in 2017. He said Cave City returns nine starters on offense and nine on defense.
“I would say the biggest thing that has stood out to me has been the work ethic of those who have been here,” Brustrom said. “The ones that have been here jumped on board and learned the offense and have worked hard in the weight room.
“They are pretty positive and upbeat.” Brustrom is switching Cave City from a
CAVE CITY CAVEMEN
AUG. 24 ........................................... @HOXIE AUG. 31 ....................SOUTHSIDE BATESVILLE SEPT. 7 ...................................@MELBOURNE SEPT. 21 ....................................@GOSNELL* SEPT. 28 .....................................HIGHLAND* OCT. 5 ................................. @POCAHONTAS* OCT. 12 ....................WESTSIDE JONESBORO* OCT. 19 ....................................BROOKLAND* OCT. 26 ....................................RIVERCREST* NOV. 2 .......................................@TRUMANN*
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
mostly Spread offense to the Wing-T offense, where he expects them to run the ball about 80 percent of the time.
Senior Thong Nguyen will move from slot receiver to the fullback position. Brustrom said Nguyen is a big strong kid and will fit “our of- fense better in the backfield.” Also running the
ball this year is former wide receiver and junior Jaron Price.
The coach said senior fullback Curt Jones has been a starter since he was in the ninth grade.
“He’s our man,” Brustrom said.
Senior Hunter Wojcik and sophomore Will Debaun are currently battling for the starting role at quarterback.
“Debaun is a sophomore, but he has done good stuff for us this summer,” Brustrom said. “Will is more of a downhill runner and likes contact, where Hunter is an outside threat.”
Wojcik has played American Legion base- ball all summer, so he has missed a lot of prac- tice that Debaun got, so the coach said Debaun has a better understanding at this point.
Senior Michael Bene will start at guard and outside linebacker, while senior Jackson Tipton will play left guard and outside linebacker. Juniors Jacob Fore, Ethan Taylor and Lane Stout will make up the rest of the offensive line.
“We’ve got to get better defensively, we’ve got to get better at tackling,” Brustrom said. “Our offensive line has to improve on the blocking schemes. Moving from the Spread to the Wing-T, there is a lot different blocking scheme.
“But that’s what I’m trying to preach, is to be physical. The good thing is they are all re- turning starters on the offensive line.”
Junior Jay Nguyen will play corner, and junior Travis Dockins will start at defensive back. Senior Darin Evans, junior Ethan Taylor, senior Lashaun Starbuck and senior Jesus Cano will make up the defensive line.
Brustrom, who said his biggest goal this year is to bring a little bit of stability to the program, said he also wants Cave City to be competitive.
“I want them to play all the way to the end of the game,” Brustrom said. “They want to win, but in the same sense, I’m not real familiar with our opponents besides the films I’ve seen, so I just want us to be competitive.”
MELBOURNE BEARKATZ
Experienced Bearkatz hope for more this season
BY MARK BUFFALO
STAFF WRITER
The Melbourne Bearkatz tied a school
record for victories in 2017 with nine and claimed only its third postseason victory in their short six-year program
history.
Melbourne’s program started in 2012. The
Bearkatz also won nine games in 2013 and 2014. “We were very young last year,” Melbourne coach Kevin McCarn said. “We played a lot of sophomores and juniors. They grew up really
quickly.”
Melbourne, which is now in the 3A-2 Con-
ference, finished third in the 3A-1 a year ago behind Clinton and Elkins — the only two teams to beat Melbourne in the regular season.
“We finished third in the conference and made it to the second round of the playoffs,” McCarn said. “We got beat by the eventual state champion, Rivercrest, 37-8.”
MELBOURNE BEARKATZ
The next
game is
always the
key game.”
KEVIN MCCARN
MELBOURNE HEAD COACH
8 scores, while McSpadden had 641 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Returning receivers are senior Andrew Pitts (5-11, 155), junior Alex Bray (5-11, 175) and junior Hunter Jennings (5-9, 145). Bray led the team with 57 receptions for 874 yards. He also scored 7 touchdowns. Pitts had 55 catches for
851 yards and 7 touchdowns. Jennings caught 28 passes for 372 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Returning linemen include senior Michael Masson (5-10, 225), junior Dylan Winkle (6-1, 235) and sophomore Slayton Wheeler (5-9, 255).
On defense, Melbourne has several key returners, including linemen Masson, senior Adam Elliott (5-10, 220) and Wheeler. Return- ing linebackers are Bray and Motes. Returning defensive backs are Pitts and Jennings.
Bray led the Bearkatz with 141 tackles. Motes had 85.
Pitts led Melbourne with 7 interceptions. The team had 16 total.
A big game is Sept. 28, when the Bearkatz will host Clinton. The Yellowjackets beat Melbourne 39-12 a year ago.
McCarn didn’t point to any specific game as being a big one.
“We want to compete for the conference championship,” he said. “The next game is always the key game.”
AUG. 24 .................................@CHARLESTON AUG. 31 .......................................@MIDLAND SEPT. 7 ......................................... CAVE CITY SEPT. 21 .........................YELLVILLE-SUMMIT* SEPT. 28 ....................................... CLINTON* OCT. 5 ..................................... @MARSHALL* OCT. 12 ...................... @HARDING ACADEMY* OCT. 19 .............................. MOUNTAIN VIEW* OCT.26...............................@CEDARRIDGE* NOV. 1 ...................... EAST POINSETT COUNTY
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
The Bearkatz return several starters on both sides of the ball, including junior quarterback Gabe Lawrence (6-3, 170), who passed for 3,099 yards and 31 touchdowns a year ago.
Also returning are senior running back Silas Motes (5-8, 160) and junior Noah McSpadden (5-10, 185). Motes rushed for 469 yards and