Lots of new faces for defending state champs
Coming off its first football state championship in school history, the city of Russellville will have high expectations for the upcoming season. While the expectations may be high, the team will look much different.
The 2016 Cyclones were filled with talented senior leaders who ultimately led the team to a 12-1 record overall and a 6A state title. As a result of the upperclassmen on last year’s squad, Russellville will be forced to replace several positions on both sides of the ball. The team will return four starters on offense and five on defense.
On offense, the talented seniors on last year’s championship team who will be unable to help the Cyclones this year include quarterback Cale Fulsom, who threw for 2,834 yards and 26 touchdowns while rushing for 419 yards and six touchdowns; wide receiver Caleb Stokes, who caught 76 passes for 1,115 yards and 12 touchdowns; and wide receiver Ryan Meador, who caught 44 passes for 510 yards and two
touchdowns. Along with the absence at these skill positions, Russellville will also be without all but one of its starting linemen.
The Russellville Cyclones will even be without its head coach from last year, Billy Dawson, who has moved on to become the head coach at Fayetteville High School. The Cyclones will now have head coach Jeff Weaver at the helm. Weaver got his start as an assistant coach in his hometown of Greenwood but then moved on to be a head coach at Mena and Little Rock Christian before coming to Russellville.
“I am thrilled to come to Russellville, where Coach Dawson and his staff have already built a winning culture,” Weaver said. “We are working hard to add to the program and make it a team that has high expectations every year.”
Weaver said his first two coaching jobs, were both rebuilds, so he is familiar with working with teams that lack experience.
The coach said that while the lack of returning starters on the offensive line will have an impact on the team, the lone returner in junior Rasheed Robinson will be critical to the team’s defensive front and will focus more on that side of the ball. Because of this, seniors Ryan Stokes, Tyreece Duvall and Bryn Woker will help anchor the Cyclone offensive line.
Weaver complimented Stokes and Duvall for having good size, and said Woker, although undersized, is quick and aggressive in the trenches. The coach added that the offense will be solid if the team can build that unit.
Behind center, the Cyclones will see some major changes. Junior Rhett Adkins, who started at wide receiver last season, will begin the year as the starting quarterback.
“Rhett is 6-4, has a good arm and can run,” Weaver said. “He has a lot to learn about the offense, but his athleticism gives him a chance to make things happen as he learns.”
Weaver added that junior Johnny Bucher will be the back-up quarterback, while senior slot receiver Ryan Talley will also help out at the position.
While Talley will give some assistance behind center, his real threat is at slot receiver, the coach said. Talley racked up 447 yards receiving last year on 28 receptions while scoring four touchdowns. He will be a key piece in senior leadership this season, Weaver said.
“Ryan Talley is a playmaker on both sides of the ball,” Weaver said.
He added that the receiving corps as a whole
We are working hard to add to the program and make it a team that has high expectations every year.” JEFF WEAVER RUSSELLVILLE HEAD COACH
has a lot of talent. This includes senior Josiah Woodard, who lines up as a slot receiver but also plays running back and safety, as well as returning kicks and punts. As a slot receiver, Woodard hauled in 11 receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown in 2016.
“We will make sure to get [Woodard] and Talley the ball in as many ways as possible,” Weaver said.
Fans can also expect to see Greg Thomas, a senior transfer from Illinois, at wide receiver some in 2017.
At the running-back position, Weaver said, it will likely be running back by committee, with several players getting reps. These include junior Drake Adkins, who is Rhett Adkins’ cousin and was the starter at the position last year; junior Cade McGee, who produces as a receiver out of the backfield; and, of course, Woodard. Drake racked up 419 yards on 66 rushing attempts for two touchdowns last season at running back, while Woodard ran his way for 665 yards on 95 attempts and nine touchdowns.
Overall, Weaver said, the offense will likely be small upfront and will have to find ways to punch the ball into the end zone and make the tough yards. In the Spread offense, look for Russellville to find ways to use its speed and playmaking abilities from its talented skill players to get the ball into the end zone.
Defensively, the Cyclones will lose a handful of leading tacklers, including all four defensive linemen and both linebackers in the team’s 4-2-5 system. This includes two defensive players who had more than 100 total tackles, one of whom had more than 10 sacks as well, and another player who had more than 10 sacks for the defensive line. Weaver said a new hire for Russellville will help the team adjust to those losses.
“We hired Todd Wood from Pulaski Academy and have installed a 3-4 defense,” the coach said. “We will be multiple, but will base from the 3-4 and be very aggressive.”
Switching his primary focus from offense to defense, Robinson will look to wreak havoc on the defensive line at nose guard. Weaver said Robinson has a unique blend of size, strength and quickness that will help anchor the defensive front.
Junior linebacker Samuel Escue was the first linebacker off the bench for Russellville last season and will have a chance to be the team’s starting middle linebacker in 2017. Weaver complimented Escue’s intelligence and said it is his understanding of the defense that will allow him to make the proper calls.
The Cyclones will be relieved to have strength in the defensive backfield in the form of Talley and Woodard, both returning as the team’s safeties. Talley finished 2016 with 77 total tackles, six tackles for loss, two interceptions and eight pass deflections.
Woodard completed last season with 95 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, four interceptions returned for a total of 133 yards and eight pass deflections. Along with the defensive statistics, Woodard also finished the season with 331 yards on kickoff returns and 126 yards on punt returns.
These big defensive playmakers will look to disrupt anything coming their way both in the air and on the ground. Watch for teams to key on these two when considering the air attack the week they play the Cyclones, Weaver said.
He said juniors Johnny Bucher and Bryson Kordsmeier will also come in at safety for Russellville to help rest the two-way players.
Senior Seth Plummer and junior Jason Collins both return for the team at corner and are big physical corners who will help steer teams clear of having a successful air attack on the defense. Collins finished the 2016 season with four interceptions and six pass deflections.
Weaver said senior Jake Hogue started for the Cyclones’ defense last year as a rolldown safety in the 4-2-5 system and will play at outside linebacker this year. Weaver said Hogue has a nose for the football.
Overall, similar to the Russellville offense, the defense will be not be big, but Weaver said the team will attack and try to force mistakes from the offense. The defense has plenty of playmakers. The key will be whether Russellville’s defense can effectively stop the power run and get after the quarterback.
Weaver said the overall strength of the team is the fact that the kids know how to win and have skill, with the weaknesses being size and lack of depth.
“The most important game on our schedule is always the next game. With that said, I think it will be hard for us to come out clicking on all cylinders right out of the gate because of so many changes,” Weaver said. “The first three games will give us a great read on our team and help us find our identity. Week 4, versus Benton, will be a critical game.
“We need to get the conference season started well. From there, we will take it one week at a time.”