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SHERIDAN YELLOWJACKETS
Young team seeks redemption after season of rebuilding
SUNDAY,SEPTEMBER 2, 2018
| TRI-LAKES EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE FOOTBALL PREVIEW
BY SARAH DECLERK
STAFF WRITER
After a rebuilding year that ended in a 0-10 overall record last sea- son, Lance Parker, head coach of the Sheridan Yellowjackets, said he plans for his team to rise through the ranks of the 6A West.
“[We] had to play a bunch of young play- ers and got them a bunch of experience,” he said, “but it is hard to win in a conference loaded with senior starters.”
Six offensive and seven defensive start- ers will return this season. Senior Montana Korte will lend his speed to both sides of the ball as running back and linebacker, Parker said, adding that seniors Hunter Threlkeid and Steve Reaves will be the go-to receivers this season.
Senior Noah Pruitt, a three-year starter,
SHERIDAN YELLOWJACKETS
AUG. 23 ............................. MOUNTAIN HOME AUG. 31 .........................................@SEARCY SEPT. 14 .................................... WHITE HALL SEPT. 21 ........................@SILOAM SPRINGS* SEPT. 28 ............................... RUSSELLVILLE* OCT. 5 .................................... @EL DORADO* OCT. 12 .......................................... LR HALL* OCT. 19 ............................ @LAKE HAMILTON* OCT. 26 ...................................GREENWOOD* NOV. 2 ............................................ BENTON*
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
will anchor the defense as outside linebacker and defensive tackle, the coach said.
“He is a big strong kid,” Parker said. “The defensive philosophy was molded to help put him in a position for success.”
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
The 2018 Sheridan Yellowjackets run onto the field for their season opener at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. The team won the game, 34-7.
Senior Daniel Esterline will move from cornerback to safety, the coach said, and junior Tyler Whitaker will move to middle linebacker after taking the most defensive snaps at outside linebacker and playing of- fense as a running back last season.
Junior Glenn Wright, “a playmaker on de- fense with a high-end motor,” will man the outside linebacker spot, Parker said, adding that Wright, who played middle linebacker, was injured for four games last year.
The coach said his strategy is to “compete to the whistle” during all four quarters of each game, in hopes of overtaking the teams just above Sheridan in last year’s standings and closing the gap between the Yellowjack- ets and the top conference contenders.
The team showed a strong performance during the preview game against Mountain Home at War Memorial Stadium in Little
FOUNTAIN LAKE COBRAS
AUG. 30 ................................ @HOT SPRINGS SEPT.7 ....................HOTSPRINGSLAKESIDE
Junior Javier Gonzalez kicks during the Yellowjackets’ game against Mountain Home on Aug. 23.
Rock on Aug. 23, which Sheridan won, 34-7. “Getting off to a great start will help propel
the team to future wins,” Parker said.
LAKE HAMILTON WOLVES
AUG. 31 ................ @HOT SPRINGS LAKESIDE SEPT. 7 .......................................... MALVERN SEPT. 14 ............................... @HOT SPRINGS SEPT. 21 ...................................EL DORADO* SEPT.28 .....................................@LRHALL* OCT. 5 ................................ @RUSSELLVILLE* OCT. 12 ............................ SILOAM SPRINGS* OCT. 19 ....................................... SHERIDAN* OCT. 26 ....................................... @BENTON* NOV. 2 .................................. @GREENWOOD*
SEPT. 14
SEPT. 21
SEPT. 28
OCT. 5 ....................................ARKADELPHIA* OCT. 12 ....................................... @BAUXITE* OCT. 19 ......................................@MALVERN* OCT. 26 ..............HASKELL HARMONY GROVE* NOV. 2 ..................................... @ASHDOWN*
............................................ DOVER ............................. @LR ROBINSON* .................................... NASHVILLE*
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES