Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
ROGERS HERITAGE WAR EAGLES
2018 RECORD 0-10, 0-7 7A-West Conference COACH Steve Hookfin
RETURNING PLAYERS 3 offense, 6 defense
KEY PLAYERS QB Jeb Brown (Jr., 5-10, 165), QB/S Dreagon Blackwell (Jr., 5-8, 160), RB/DB Isaiah Tibbs (Sr., 6-1, 195), RB J.J. Webb (Sr., 5-6, 175), WR Eli Craig (Soph., 5-10, 170), OL Tristan Ketter (Jr., 6-4, 275), LB Griffin Brown (Sr., 5-11, 185),TE Noah Fricke (Jr., 6-3 230), DL Nicholas Martin (Sr., 6-2 230), WR Ricky Perez (Sr., 6-3 175).
THE SKINNY Hookfin returns to the state where he grew up to try to get the War Eagles going back in the right direction. … Heritage has lost 38 of its last 40 games, but Hookfin has had success at two different schools in Tennessee. … Dreagon Blackwell and Jeb Brown are battling for the starting quarterback spot. Brown took some snaps last season, but Blackwell moved from the secondary to the backfield in the spring and showed off some athleticism and leadership skills. … J.J. Webb, Isaiah Tibbs and Eli Craig are just a few who should see time at running back, while Ricky Perez and Nick Winter have stood out at receiver. … Noah Fricke is another who player who will play on the defensive line, but he will also see time at tight end. … Griffin Brown returns at linebacker, while Tibbs and Perez could get a look at safety, too.
COACH SPEAK “Everything’s starting to settle down a little bit,” Hookfin said. “Things are slowing down for them now, which slowing down for them mentally allows them to play faster physically. We’re at that stage now. The kids are doing an amazing job. We’ve got a new group of guys, new group of coaches, new schemes. I think it’s just a fresh start for what we’re doing. I can see us heading in the right direction. The thing that impresses me is how they’re working.”