Conference shrinks as teams join eight-man ranks

“Lineman-wise I think we’re gonna be pretty good. Our quarterback’s back, and he had a great year. The big back, Malachi West, he’s back, too. Hopefully, we can find pieces to fit the rest of it.” — Mountainburg head football coach Tom Harrell

The number of teams in the 2A-4 Conference may be dwindling, but the strength of the teams remaining certainly isn’t.

With first Decatur and now Western Yell County this season dropping down to the club-level 8-man ranks, there are just six remaining teams in the 2A-4. Those moves had created some scheduling issues — like Lavaca playing just three home games this season — but a couple of teams have legitimate chances to make good playoff runs this season.

Mountainburg shared the league title last season and posted an 8-3 record that included a playoff win against Parkers Chapel. The Dragons return stellar quarterback Ethan Gregory, who compiled more than 2,000 yards of offense a year ago, along with running back Malachi West.

“Lineman-wise I think we’re gonna be pretty good,” said Mountainburg veteran coach Tom Harrell, who has a 161-135-3 record over 33 seasons including 30 at Mountainburg. “Our quarterback’s back, and he had a great year. The big back, Malachi West, he’s back, too. Hopefully, we can find pieces to fit the rest of it.”

Harrell has high hopes for Ethan Jones, who backed up star running back Austin Taylor last season.

“He has been sitting there,” Harrell said of Jones. “He’s played corner the past two years, but he was behind the Taylor kid at tailback. Now it’s his turn, so we’ll see. We’ve got a couple of kids who have kinda waited their turn.”

The Dragons finally have a little depth as Harrell welcomed about 30 players out for summer workouts. Having good numbers limits the players having to go both ways, which is a huge factor toward the end of the season.

“Last year nobody went both ways until about week seven,” Harrell said. “We played lineman both ways some at the end of the season. I know it’s helped us in September and early October games.”

The Dragons run a unique single-wing hybrid offense that can be difficult for teams to prepare for week-to-week.

“We don’t line up in single-wing actually; we line up empty and bring jet guy through,” he explained. “We’ve done it the past two years. It’s been pretty good to us. When we first started, I think they thought I was crazy.”

The conference will also welcome back a familiar face this season as Mark Headley returns to the sideline at Lavaca after coaching girls sports the past few years.

“I enjoyed coaching the girls, but I really started to miss Friday nights and coaching football,” Headley said. “When the opportunity to get back into coaching football again came along, I wanted that chance.”

The Golden Arrows were 4-6 a year ago, losing their final three games by a combined 79-12, but Headley is excited about the young players returning including senior Kaw-Liga Brewer who played a big role for the Lavaca boys basketball team last season.

“We are really young returning just three starters,” Headley said. “But I really like my sophomore group. They have been committed. We are going to have to really lean on some sophomores when you normally would like to have upperclassmen. The sophomore class will be indoctrinated early.”

Magazine was 6-5 last season and won its first-round playoff game. The Rattlers return seven starters on each side of the ball and will challenge Hector and Mountainburg for the conference title.

Quarterback Tatum Scott is back after taking over the position late last season.

“We ended up with Tatum at quarterback for us after he took over in Week 7,” Rattlers coach Doug Powell said. “He did a really good job for us and got better throughout as a sophomore. He broke his collarbone last summer. We worked him back slowly. He picked up where he left off this summer. We are looking for him to have another good season for us.”

Powell said Xeng Yang will also see time at quarterback in some offensive packages. Running back Caleb Hyatt returns as the bell cow on offense after a big season in 2018.

“We liked to run the ball a lot last year,” Powell said. “Caleb had about 1,300 yards on the ground, and most of the time the opposing team knew he was going to get it. He got better as the season went, so we are looking for big things from him. We have a lot of options in the backfield though. We are looking to be more diversified this year. If we can do that, I think we will be doing well.”