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12
BEARS
From page 4
M.L. King.
Whether it was on the offensive
line, defensive line or backfield,
Houston sent the most players to
the college level in one Signing Day
ever. Collins said the sting of los
ing those players is still being felt,
as most of them were a part of the
program all four years.
For 2007, Houston County isn’t
short on seniors - 18 on the roster
- and has some juniors with play
ing experience. Collins said it’s all a
part of high school football where
players come and go every year, pav
ing the way for others to step in and
be the next great team.
“Some of our younger kids have
accepted some of the leadership
roles,” said Collins.
As for the makeup of his first
Bears team, Collins said it’s not too
big on defense, but there are players
who go with a lot of heart.
“Offensively, we don’t have the
breakaway speed or great quick
ness we had with Eric (O’Neal),” he
said. “It’s the same type attitude the
defense has. We’re going to plus at
it. Not that we want to go three
vards-and-a-cloud-of-dust, because
we’re going to have to put the ball
in the air a little bit. I don’t know if
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we’ll have any big plays, but it’s an
offense that may be capable of mov
ing the ball on people.”
Even back in spring practice,
Collins said the Bears were working
with a base offense and adding bits
and pieces as time moved on. Even
more was added when fall practice
began at the start of August, and
the coach said yet even more will be
added after the season begins.
“We’re going to be playing some
great defenses, starting on week
No. 1 with Northside,” said Collins.
“We’re going to have to do things
offensively that give us a chance to
move the football.”
The major development last sea
son with the Bears was then-sopho
more Jeff Thompson’s insertion as
the starting quarterback prior to
the trip to Parkview three weeks
into the campaign. Thompson
stayed the starter until the end and
now enters the fall No. 1 at the key
offensive position.
“Jeff had the luxury last year of
being the quarterback for a very
talented offense,” said Collins. “He
had Eric, D.J. Dodson, Ben Col
lins, Dylan Thompson and Reggie
Smith. This year, he has to do some
things to carry the offense. Last
year, his big thing was getting the
ball to Eric, throw the ball a little
bit and let the offense take care of
itself.
“This year ... that’s the thing we
have to look at. Can Jeff make the
play he has to make for us to be
successful? From every indication,
when there was a situation where
he had to make a play (last year),
he made it. So far this fall, we’ve
been very pleased with Jeff. He’ll be
fine.”
The loss of O’Neal to Coastal
Carolina took away the Region T
AAAAA Offensive Player of the
Year and a player who scored five
rushing touchdowns in the playoff
win at Newnan. He lined up at tail
back for virtually every snap in 2006
with Dodson ahead of him at full
back, so those jobs this year became
wide open. Garrick Davis and Ra
shad Gay, a pair of juniors, are the
leaders to line up in the backfield,
Collins said. But he said there could
be a lot of rotation of fresh players,
especially with the weather still hot
in September.
“By the end of the year, Davis
may be the tailback we can really
count on as he grows into the role
and gets experienced,” said Collins.
“Craig Presley is a very talented
receiver. We have Michael Ragan,
Nic Adkins and Kevin Dees all
working with the first group. And
it’s a big group. Everywhere you
will start to see a kid step up a bit
that you weren’t really counting on.
That’s going to have to happen for
| 52465
us.”
Thompson and Smith were just
two major players on Houston’s
all-senior offensive line that also
lost Michael Cuppett and Jimmy
Bailey.
“Up front we lost starters and
backups,” said Collins. “(This year)
Ricky Williams is a guy who can
play good for us (at tight end). Jus
tin Kitchens, whom we’ve said time
and again can be one of the best if
not the best lineman to come out of
this school in a long time, is a very
talented young man.
“We’re showing some signs.
We’re not there yet, but there are
some linemen starting to move up
a bit and take some leadership at
their positions. It’s probably one of
the hardest positions on the field
to learn, so you have to know what
to do but you also have to make ad
justments on the fly Communica
tion up front will be big for us.”
Houston County lost a big and
powerful defensive line with Princ
eton Dean, Brandon Craig, Dexter
Holman and Roddy Nixon gradu
ated. This year, Collins said the
defense will revolve around middle
linebacker Chris Prewett, a return
ing senior who is coming off a strong
2006 and a good summer practice.
“He’ll have to be a leader for us,”
said Collins. “We have (senior) Wes
Johnson at strong safety I don’t
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HOUSTON COUNTY FOOTBALL 2007
think there’ll be a senior playing up
front. We have Jacob Walker (ju
nior), Keith Thomas (junior), those
two have shown out this summer.
We have others who have a shot.
There are some battles for posi
tions.”
Along with Johnson, the second
ary has the seniors with Jontavious
Smith and Rico Hendricks. Collins
said all four defensive seniors need
to stay healthy and play like seniors.
When the Bears had a scrimmage
at Jones County, Collins said he did
notice the lack of size, but liked the
way the defenders went after the
football, worked hard and showed
a desire to play that should carry
them through the season.
The coach just wonders if there
will be a scene like the playoff game
against M.L. King when the Bears
had possession of the football for
eight minutes of the second quar
ter, putting more pressure on that
team’s defense while Houston got
all that rest time.
“This year I’m afraid a lot of
the three-and-outs will be on of
fense,” said Collins. “We have a
lot of growing to do offensively
If the past offensively we’ve been
able to help our defense a great deal
with long drives. This year I think
both the offense and defense will
See BEARS 1, page 16
1877
L 52030