Class 7A Cardinals strength is its front 7, coach says
Haskell Harmony Grove made history in 2016. The Cardinals notched their first playoff win and nearly won a second-round Class 3A game against Atkins, coming up short after taking the lead late in the game.
Second-year coach Paul Calley, who came to Haskell from nearby Class 7A Bryant after a lengthy tenure, said the playoff run made for a spirited offseason.
“The kids are excited, and the community just loves football,” he said. “I think they would be excited even if we hadn’t won in the playoffs. We have had some success, but with success come expectations. The players and coaches worked real hard, but we don’t have the numbers we had last year, and we lost four really good playmakers from last year. But I think we will be a little more consistent on both sides than we were last year.”
The Cardinals return 14 starters, and many of them will play both ways. Harmony Grove will miss graduated seniors Dillon Hager (54 catches for 789 yards and six touchdowns) and Nate Watkins (35 catches for 608 yards and 10 touchdowns), but Calley does rest a bit easier with the return of senior quarterback Hunter Hilson. The 5-9, 165-pound senior racked up more than 2,000 yards passing with 25 touchdowns and four interceptions. Hilson, who owns a 4.0 grade-point average, is very cerebral in the pocket, Calley said.
“He makes the right read and is very patient back there,” Calley said. “He knows when to get rid of it when the pressure comes and doesn’t take sacks. He makes very few mistakes.”
Hilson will be working with an inexperienced receiving corps. Junior Logan Whitley on the outside and senior Zane Vergason in the slot both saw some varsity snaps last fall. Junior James Webb earned a starting job at H-back in the spring. Classmate Sean Small won the inside receiver job. Junior David Baker; sophomore Hayden Hilson, Hunter’s brother; sophomore Logan Hubbard; and sophomore Connor Burrow add depth at receiver.
“Some of those guys have limited varsity experience, but they played,” Calley said.
A pair of experienced senior running backs look to take advantage of a rugged line. Junior Jake Brooks ran for 260 yards and four touchdowns, and senior Colton Dixon, who battled a nagging injury in 2016, averaged 7.1 yards per carry.
Senior left tackle Dustin Roush, who shifted from guard, leads the veteran line with three returning starters and four seniors. Junior Garet Gregory, who was impressive as a sophomore, returns at right tackle, and senior Jason Caple is back at center. Senior Garett Nguyen mans the left guard spot, and senior Kobi Riffe lines up at right guard.
Calley said he hopes he can save senior nose tackle Trace Dixon for strictly defensive duties. The 5-9, 230-pounder racked up 63 tackles, including eight for loss, and three sacks in 2016. Senior Kyle Collins and junior Mason Massey man the end spots. Caple and Gregory add depth on the line.
Brooks and Colton Dixon lead the way at linebacker. Brooks accumulated 89 tackles, including eight for loss, and Dixon totaled 50, with seven tackles for loss and three sacks a year ago. Junior Mark Dixon and Webb fill in the other linebacker slots. Hayden Hilson will also help at linebacker, along with Rhett Robinson and Jayce Harrison.
“The front seven is going to be our strength,” Calley said. “We need to get to the quarterback.”
Senior Matt Williams saw some time at cornerback and earned the starting job in the spring. Whitley mans the opposite corner, with Burrow and sophomore William Newton helping at cornerback. Vergason and Small are the safeties, with Hunter Hilson and Logan Hubbard rotating there.