Bismarck mounts playoff bid from Spread

SEAN SAUNDERS

BISMARCK — After going 1-9 and winless in Class 3A-5 his first year as Bismarck’s head football coach, Lewis Jolly made some changes.

So he “fired the last defensive coordinator, which was me,” and teamed up with offensive coordinator Dustin Corley to alter Bismarck’s offense from a run-heavy Wing T to a wide-open Spread with the quarterback lined up in the pistol formation. Jolly then let new defensive coordinator Chris Williams develop a specific identity on the other side of the ball, going from the ambiguous “multiple” to a more-aggressive 4-2-5 base scheme.

The idea is to inject enthusiasm into a program that, despite making the 2014 playoffs, is only 7-34 over the past four seasons, Jolly said. The Lions dress 22 varsity players, but nine are sophomores and 30 more are waiting in the junior-high ranks.

“I have kids coming up to me and saying they wish they came out for football after seeing what we’re doing,” Jolly said. “They see that wide-open style of football on Saturdays in college and see that we’re doing something similar and want to be a part of it. I think our players are sharing that same feeling.”

Leading the passing-friendly offense will be sophomore quarterback Dylan Clayton, who sports a 4.0 grade-point average while active in basketball and baseball. Clayton (6-2, 185 pounds) showed bigplay potential as running back and receiver for the junior high team, rushing 75 yards for a touchdown at Jessieville and throwing a 65-yard touchdown off a lateral against Horatio.

“He understands everything that we’re trying to do. He’s just a sophomore. Hasn’t seen a lot,” Jolly said. “He’ll make a sophomore mistake during seven-on-seven or something, but you tell him, he gets it and rarely does he make the same mistake twice, which is what you want from a young kid.”

Senior Zaine Umer, last year’s starting wingback, is Bismarck’s feature running back behind Clayton in the shortened pistol. Umer showed what he could do against two-time reigning league champion Prescott, gashing the Curley Wolves for 127 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.

“He’s our strongest kid,” Jolly said. “He’s a 315-bench, 300-power clean, 500-squat kid at 200 pounds. He’s a goodsized kid. … He was a move-in. We got him late last summer from Louisiana, and he’s gotten a little better as time rolls on. I think he’s put in all the work to have a good year.”

Junior Dylan Daniels and sophomore Sam Diaz spell Umer in the backfield. The Spread can be a little more demanding on one back than the four-man backfield (quarterback included) of the Wing T.

Senior Braden Gill, Bismarck’s starting QB the first two games last year before standout graduate Zack Roberts took over, moves to slot receiver, where he and sophomore Jordan Webb are having spirited competition — “always a good thing,” Jolly said. Junior Austin Hughes is the Lions’ starting flanker, and junior Skyler Checots and sophomore Zach Brown split time at the other receiving spot.

The Lions impressed opponents during seven-on-seven action this summer, junior tight end Dillon Hunt especially catching his coach’s eye. Hunt, a transfer from Malvern, overcame an early-summer car crash to make athletic grabs in July while still mending a broken arm.

“Out of everybody on the team, he probably had the best seven-on-seven,” Jolly said. “He was in a bad car accident, broke his arm and missed a lot of the early stuff. Pretty much couldn’t do anything all the month of June, but he was cleared to come back for seven-on-seven stuff. He made some very athletic catches and made it look easy.”

While Hunt stands out at the end of the line, senior twoyear starter Tanner Corley, no relation to the assistant, anchors at center after moving from tackle. Corley worked hard during the offseason, trying to perfect snaps to a QB four yards behind him instead of under center.

“Tanner Corley is a senior and the leader of that group,” Jolly said. “… Tanner probably snapped it 100 times a day in the spring. He got one of his buddies and just snapped and snapped and snapped. … He makes all of our line calls, especially in our protections and pass-pro schemes.”

Junior Phillip Heck and sophomore Jaden Hogan man the tackle spots, both joining Clayton with 4.0 GPAs. Senior Mac Murray and juniors Karson Wheeler and Noah Emerson rotate at guard.

Corley and Emerson are the starting ends, platooned by sophomore Colton Jones to keep every lineman from having to play both ways. Heck and Hogan are slotted to start in the defensive interior, but Murray and Wheeler will see first-team snaps at tackle and sophomore Lance Spurlock is there for relief at nose guard.

Umer and Daniels start at linebackers, although both Hunt and Hughes are both slotted to platoon on the first team. Jolly is really high on Hughes’ potential as a standout linebacker.

“Austin is a kid that we need to get onto the field because he will stroke somebody,” Jolly said. “He likes to hit. He loves to hit people.”

Gill, a starting cornerback last season, and Clayton, who returned an interception for a touchdown his ninth-grade year, come in at the bandit positions, roving between safety and outside linebacker. Checots and Brown man the corner spots, and Webb brings his physicality to the free-safety slot.

Nick Zelnick, after moving from Cabot, provides a reliable option for kicking points after touchdowns, something Bismarck has lacked for years, Jolly said. Diaz brings a live leg to kickoffs, his head coach said.

While trying to improve themselves, the Lions also must negotiate a conference containing preseason No. 1 Glen Rose along with three other programs ranked in the top 10. That leaves Bismarck battling with recently promoted Gurdon, Jessieville and Horatio for that fifth and final playoff spot, based upon league coaches’ preseason selections.

“Our goal is simple — make the playoffs,” Jolly said.