Sophomores to play ‘big role’ for Batesville
Batesville Pioneers head football coach Dave King is not sure how many of his sophomores will start this season, but having the option, thanks to a large class, gives him hope for not only this year but the years to come. “We have a really good sophomore class,” King said. “There are really too many to name, in fear of leaving out someone, but we have a lot of kids in our sophomore class.” Expected to receive playing time for the Pioneers is sophomore Jarrett Vickers, who will start at inside linebacker, and twin brothers Jace and Taylor Daugherty. King said they will play on defense, and Taylor Daugherty will split time at running back as well. Sophomore Will Storlie will play defensive back for the Pioneers, and John Todd Stalker has looked at inside linebacker and full back, the coach said. “It is a good-size class, and it is a pretty talented class,” King said. “There are probably going to be eight to 10 sophomores who are going to help us this year and in the future that we are really excited about. “Maybe not many of them will start, but they will play a big role this year.” Batesville finished 7-4 last season, ending the year in a three-way tie for the 5A East Conference championship between Wynne and Nettleton. The Pioneers made it to the playoffs but were eliminated in the first round by Little Rock McClellan. King said it was the first time in a long time that Batesville had lost in the first round of the
playoffs. He said there was a string of at least seven years when Batesville made it to at least the semifinals. “It was a close ballgame, but we just came up short,” King said. Returning this year on offense is starting senior quarterback Hayden Childers, who finished All-Conference last year. “He is looking really good right now, so I think that’s got to be a strength for us,” King said. “He is really an outstanding leader and a fine young man. “He is just a really good leader of kids.” Also returning is senior starter Said Bernal at fullback and punter. King said Bernal may be the best punter Batesville has ever had. “So I feel like our kicking game could be strong,” the coach said. “He’s an outstanding punter.” Lastly, senior Titan Nguyen returns as a starting strong tackle. “They are really great kids, first and foremost,” King said. “They are coachable, the kind of kids you love to coach. “They give 100 percent effort every day, and they not only lead by example but also their actions as well.” Senior running back Kadar Floyd did not start last year, but the coach said Floyd ran for about 700 to 800 yards. “So even though he wasn’t the starter, he got quite a bit of action,” King said. The biggest weakness for Batesville this year will be its offensive line, the coach said. “We are a bit undersized,” King said, “and that’s been a place that we have always excelled at in years past. “But we are getting great effort from them, and they are getting better every day. We are just a little bit undersized, so that’s going to be a work in progress. “We will get better as the year goes on.” Defensively, Batesville has just two starters returning to its 3-4 scheme. “But the effort has been there,” King said. “They are just as good as any group that has been there the past 10 years. “We are excited about that. They have great attitudes and great work ethics and are committed to the program.” Senior defensive tackle Jorge Sanchez has looked good at this point, King said, and senior Brayden Gammill has moved from safety to outside linebacker. “He is a young man that we are really excited about,” King said. “We think he is going to have a good year for us.” Senior linebacker Clayton Roberson didn’t start last year but is being leaned on as a possible leader this year, the coach said, and he described senior corners K.J. Frierson and Jackson Beck as small but feisty. “They are a little bit undersized, but they are quick and good hitters,” King said. “We really like them, and they will have a chance to be good at the corner.” Junior Blayne Dowell had shoulder surgery in the offseason, so King said it has been kind of a slow start for Dowell, but “he is looking good, and we are excited about him.” Batesville opened the season against Little Rock Christian on Friday but will travel to Jonesboro on Aug. 31. The coach said moving the schedule up a week is beneficial because it gives the Pioneers a week off before they start conference play. “We scrimmage a 6A school, and we play two others out of the same conference, so our schedule is definitely not soft,” King said. “Conference wise, Wynne is always going to be in the mix, and Nettleton had a good year last year, too. “I look at Valley View, and I thought they had a nice team last year, and they seem to have it going over there.” King said that for several years, it was just Wynne and Batesville rotating good runs. “But I really think the conference is going to be a lot more balanced this year,” he said. Batesville has the same goals every year. The team wants to win a conference championship and wants to compete for a state championship at the end of the season. Batesville won a state championship in 2003 and made it to the finals three years in a row from 2011 to 2013. “We also want to have the kind of team that everyone in our community, our parents and our fans can be proud of,” King said. “This group has a great attitude and spirit. “They have been really fun to coach at this point.”
This group has a great attitude and spirit.”
DAVE KING BATESVILLE HEAD COACH