Wolves audition key offensive players in spring finale
PEARCY — Three months after hiring Tommy Gilleran as head coach, Lake Hamilton’s new-look football team was on full display in Friday night’s spring game at Wolf Stadium.
“I thought it was a really good night, because it put them in a spot to either make plays or not make plays,” said Gilleran, returning to his alma mater after a long run at Fountain Lake. “We’ll evaluate the film, see where they’re at and continue to get better. It’s an evaluation process, and the good news is we’ve got all summer to get better.”
Defense dominated in the early going with two fumble recoveries and a goal-line stand in the first three possessions. Gilleran expects significant improvement from a unit that surrendered nearly 28 points per game last season.
“The philosophy is a little simpler so I think it’s easier for the kids to grasp and understand,” he said. “I think last year was little more complex, but our defense is more of a read and react.”
In the midst of an open competition, four players took snaps at quarterback. Keaton Hixon had the longest completion, a 31-yard strike to Jack Johnson, but Utah Aitken, Jackson Davis and Cayden Napier each showed potential under center. Last year’s starter, Fay Haywood, has transferred to Mountain Pine.
“It’s still up in the air; we’ve got guys vying for the position and we’re trying to figure out who the best person for the job is,” said Gilleran. “Until we figure that out, we’re just going to let them compete and the best one hopefully will rise in the summer.”
With the Wolves looking for new ball carriers following the graduation of leading rusher Johnathan Buss, a host of players made their case for the job. Zack Brown and Zack Tisdale each had rushing touchdowns while Malik Brewer flashed big-play potential with three carries of 25 yards or longer.
Gilleran said he expects the elusive Brewer, entering his sophomore season, to play a role in the offense this fall.
“There’s no doubt; we’ve watched him in the spring and he did well all spring,” said Gilleran. “We’re hoping that he’ll keep making those strides this summer, and he’ll have a chance to be pretty good next year.”
The most notable absence was that of bruising offensive lineman Will Burgess. A 2016 all-conference performer, Burgess holds offers from Arkansas Tech, Central Arkansas, Missouri State and Ouachita Baptist, but is nursing a foot injury he suffered competing in the shot put at the Class 6A track meet.
“It’s a stress fracture and we caught it pretty early; the doctor said if he rests it, he’ll be fine,”
Gilleran said. “We told Will not to worry about it in the spring; we’ll get him going in the summer and go from there. We want to get it right now so that next year it’s not a problem.”
Looking to improve on a 6-5 record and first-round playoff loss, the Wolves open the regular season against visiting Hot Springs on Sept. 1.
“It’s all new to them so it’s like Spanish right now, but we’ll continue to work on these things in the summer and into the fall,” said Gilleran. “We’ve got three team camps coming up this summer so we’ll really have a chance to evaluate some kids and see where we’re at.”