Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2021
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
PAGE 3B
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WBHS continued from 2B
Photos by Scott Thompson
Winder-Barrow head coach Ed Dudley is back for his fourth season with the Bull-
doggs and looking to guide them to a third consecutive state-playoff appearance.
Junior linebacker Aidan Thompson will be a key component of a Winder-Barrow
defense looking to improve upon its performance from last season.
“We may not have an individual great tal
ent there like Merrifield,” Dudley said, “but
we’ve got several who can pick up the slack
and help fill those big shoes and the huge load
that guys like (Merrifield and Maxwell) car
ried.”
As for the free safety spot vacated by Lew
is, Dudley is eyeing multiple players to step
in and said that will likely continue to be the
case for at least the first couple games in the
Bulldoggs’ four-game non-region slate to
start the year.
The rest of the secondary is expected to be
a strength of the team with senior twins Om-
arious and Jamarious Smith (6 interceptions
apiece last year) and senior Alex Cha all back,
and the Bulldoggs return several linebackers
despite the graduation of Maxwell and Tim
my Presley.
Junior Aidan Thompson, who had a break
out, all-region season as a sophomore, has
bounced back and forth between the line and
linebacker spot on the edge and will lead the
group, while seniors Joel Pichardo and Dan
iel Pineda have starting experience and ju
nior Brooks House gives the Bulldoggs more
length on the outside. Sophomore Tyron
’Tank” Harris and senior Gavin Fredrickson
will fill out the main rotation of linebackers.
‘There’s a lot of experience there that
we haven’t always had,” Dudley said, “and
(co-defensive coordinators Scott Rider and
Devin Allison ) do a good job of rolling multi
ple guys in. So hopefully we’ll be able to stay
fresh.”
The second area Dudley referenced — spe
cial teams — also figures to be improved on
paper after the Bulldoggs used several young
players at the kicking positions a year ago
following the graduation of talented specialist
Harlin Brown. Junior placekicker Ivan Rodri
guez and senior punter Alex Hutchison are
back, but the Bulldoggs added senior Caylan
Barron from the Winder-Barrow soccer team
along with junior Cole Harper to help push
them for playing time.
“I think all of those guys coming on board
the last couple years are the result of them
hanging out (with Brown) and him continuing
to mentor those guys,” Dudley said. “My hat’s
off to him, and I think those efforts will bear
some fruit this year.”
None of the above is to say the Winder-Bar
row offense doesn’t have room for improve
ment and growth, but the Bulldoggs figure to
be on more solid footing in that area this year
with loads of experience along the line and at
the skill positions and a much more settled
and optimal situation behind center.
Junior Conyer Smith took over as the start
ing quarterback halfway through the 2020
campaign and threw for 670 yards and four
touchdowns while completing 55% of his
passes. Dudley has been pleased with Smith’s
progress in the offseason — the 6-foot-5,
215-pounder provided a glimpse of that with
four touchdown passes and 177 yards in a
spring-game win over Jackson County — and
said the Bulldoggs at some point will incor
porate Wildcat packages with senior Trevor
Summerfield (the previous starting quarter
back) and sophomore Tre Gaudlock. Sum
merfield and Gaudlock will factor heavily
into the Bulldoggs’ plans out wide along with
senior three-year starter Stewart Allen, an ex
plosive three-year starter who led the team
in receptions last fall after finishing second
in catches as a sophomore. Junior speedster
Tyreeck Hall, who caught one of Smith’s
touchdown passes in the scrimmage, also pro
vides a threat in the slot position.
The Bulldoggs do have a big hole to fill
in the backfield following the graduation of
1,000-yard rusher J.C. Green, but they have
a committee of players looking to share the
burden. Thompson shouldered the bulk of the
carries in the spring, but the Bulldoggs also
return senior Caiden Carruth and junior Jay-
quan Crawford, while Dudley said sophomore
Brandon Hines has been one of the “bright
surprises” of the summer and shown “flashes
of brilliance,” Meanwhile, junior Trey Garrett
will serve in a hybrid fullback-tight end role
that Maxwell handled the last couple of years.
Up front, the Bulldoggs return several expe
rienced linemen with senior three-year starter
Reese Maxwell shifting back to center after
moving over to left guard as a junior. Junior
Sam Herr is back at right guard; senior Logan
Roberts and junior Jackson Harrell are both
working in at left guard; and King takes over
for Merrifield at right tackle. Anchoring the
line will be senior Jacob Atkinson, a four-year
starter at left tackle who Dudley said has been
the “bell cow” for the unit despite not playing
football until high school.
“He’s done an outstanding job in a lot of
roles for us while holding down that left tack
le spot,” Dudley said of Atkinson. “One of
our themes is we’ve taken a lot of lumps on
the line in recent years, and we’re at a lump
deficit, so now we’re looking to hand out the
lumps. There’s some intense competition and
we feel pretty good about it.
“(Overall), we’ve had a good preseason and
we’re excited about the coming years. But
now it’s time to get out there against some
body else and see how we look.”
WINDER-BARROW 2021 SCHEDULE
Aug. 20 — vs. Apalachee, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 27 — vs. Eastside, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 3 — at Glynn Academy, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 10 — Open
Sept. 17 — vs. Cedar Shoals, 7:30 p.m.
•Sept. 24 — at Habersham Central,
7:30 p.m.
• Oct. 1 — vs. Dacula, 7:30 p.m.
• Oct. 7 (Thursday) — at Shiloh, 7:30 p.m.
• Oct. 15 — vs. Central Gwinnett, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 22 — Open
•Oct. 29 — vs. Buford. 7:30p.m.
•Nov. 5 — at Lanier, 7:30 p.m.
• - denotes region game
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