BATESVILLE
The Batesville Pioneers enter the 20212022 football season with precious few returning starters, but don’t think that’s something new for head coach Dave King. With 38 years on the sidelines, King has seen ’em come and seen ’em go, and when the squad hits the field, they’ll be ready to rumble.
Even so, the 5A stalwart will likely take some time to reveal what they can be.
“I know to this point, our kids have really given great effort and have had a great attitude,” King said. “In football, more than any other sport, I think attitude carries [a team] a long way toward having success.”
Batesville only returns one starter on offense and five on defense, although King was quick to note that a number of underclassmen saw game action during last year’s 8-4 campaign (6-1 in conference) that ended in the second round of the state playoffs.
“I wouldn’t say it’s an experienced team,” King said. “We’ve only got six of 22 positions coming back, but we do have some young men who played last year. Of course, you know, everyone has the same type of situation with COVID-19, and there were games that we had some kids that weren’t there. So we had some younger kids get some valuable playing time. That should help us.”
Senior Matthew McClure, offensive lineman, is the lone returning starter on offense. Returning defensive starters include Sam Gates, nose tackle; Jacob Easter, tackle; Garryson Berdeja, outside linebacker; Jack Lanier, safety; and Dayshaun Brown, corner, all seniors.
Defensive coordinator Tim Howard said for all that’s unproven on the defensive side of the ball — especially at linebacker, where first-year transfer Adrian Gutierrez and sophomore Mike Townsley will start — he likes what he sees.
“We feel pretty confident about our secondary. Several of those kids have been to battle with us before,” said Howard, who’s entering his 16th year with the program. “We’ve still got some unproven guys on the line [where] we’re going to have to fill a hole or two up there.”
About that line, Howard said, this year’s squad isn’t overly big, but athletic, which has been the team’s modus operandi anyway. Batesville’s base defensive set is the 3-4.
“The kids have responded well. They’re flying to the football,” Howard said. “You know, that’s the biggest part of it, getting them running to the ball. They’ve done a good job with that. We’re not real big. Of course, we don’t play a lot of big kids anyway. The defense that we play, we’d rather put pressure on those offensive linemen by putting a little faster guy out there that maybe can move a little bit more and make those big guys work some.
“Like I said, we’ve got to be able to run to the football. That’s the only chance that we have to play full speed, wide open every play. If we don’t get that, that puts us in a bind, and we don’t play very well on the defensive side of the ball.”
On offense, King said, Jay Storlie, a junior, will be under center after stepping in for the injured starting quarterback last year in the playoffs.
“Jay started in that and did a great job,” King said. “He had a knee problem there and wound up having knee surgery in the offseason. He’s come back and is looking really good. I think he’s going to be a pretty good one for us.
“He’s about 6 feet tall, throws the ball well, an above-average runner. We’re looking for really good things from him. He’s a real leader, too. He does a great job within the program and with the other kids.”
The ground game gives the squad a wealth of options. Ethan Perez has emerged to get the most first-team reps, but the senior will be pushed, King said.
“Ethan Perez looks to be our starter at tailback, but we’ve got two or three other guys as well,” King said. “We’ve got a sophomore, Gabe Witt, who has shown potential. Dayshaun Brown, who’s a defensive starter for us, has great speed. He’s the fastest Pioneer, so there’s a chance that we may see him some at tailback.
“It’s going to be kind of by committee this year. I don’t think that we’ll have one standout running back. I think we’ll have possibly three or four who will have a chance to carry the football.”
Of course, none of that works without a line that can protect the passer or open holes. This year’s O-line has worked hard to develop the kind of chemistry it takes to be effective in a very competitive conference, King said.
“With any line, it’s a close-knit group of young men,” he said. “Our line coach does a good job of building esprit de corps among them. They’re a pretty tight-knit group, and they have to be.
“The biggest thing is, the kids that get in there work together and understand they have each other’s backs, and that it’s not me — it’s all of us. That’s the kind of mentality that group of young men has to have for us to be successful.”
King is laying a lot of responsibility on his lone returning offensive starter, lineman Matthew McClure, not only to play well, but to provide the leadership to forge the other players into an effective unit.
“He’s a senior. He’s going to be a really good one for us,” King said. “Allen Nguyen, he’ll be at the quick guard, along with Matthew [McClure]. I think those two will give us a basis to be able to run to the weak side a lot more this year. We’ve been predominately more of a strong-side running team, and I think those two young men are going to be really sound on that side of the football.
“And center, we’ve really got two guys who are going at it now for that: Holden Hargrave, a senior, and Beau Bledsoe, a junior. Strong guard is Tyler Jones, a senior. And strong tackle will be Alvaro Garcia. He’s a junior as well. That’s kind of who we’re looking at right now on the offensive line.”
Overall, King made no hard predictions about the team heading into the new season. He said the strength of the Pioneers’ schedule and the wild card of COVID-19 make such forecasting a tricky thing.
“We play a very challenging schedule,” King said. “I mean, we’ve got Greenbrier, who’s a playoff-caliber 5A team, and they’re fixing to go 6A next year. Searcy is 6A and has had great success. And Mountain Home is a 6A school. So we’ll find out real quick. They’ll point out areas of weakness and really prepare you for going into the conference play.
“I’ve always believed that you’re as good as your seniors, and even if you have a small group, we have to have good leadership from our seniors. Every year, you look at them for leadership. The program is really set in motion by what they do. And it could be two seniors, or 22, or 32. It doesn’t matter. It’s not the number; it’s the quality. We have leaders who lead by example, and they mentor the younger kids.
“I mean, I always pick us to be at the top of the conference, and this year is no different. I think we’re going to challenge for a conference championship. I think we’re going to be very competitive toward the top of the conference.”