Newspaper Page Text
Page 12
August 17, 2022
Reporter
Loaded at skill positions, MP
must plug holes on O-line
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2022 Varsity Football Schedule
DATE
OPPONENT
Aug. 20
NE Macon
Aug. 26
Spalding
Sept. 2
Trinity Christian
Sept. 9
Haralson Co.
Sept. 16
OPEN
Sept. 23
Columbus
Sept. 30
Prince Avenue
Oct. 7
Jackson
Oct. 14
Peach Co.
Oct. 21
OPEN
Oct. 28
Upson-Lee
Nov. 4
Pike Co.
PLACE
TIME
MERCER
7:30
HOME
7:30
HOME
7:30
Away
7:30
HOME
7:30
Away
7:30
Away
7:30
Away
8
HOME
7:30
HOME
7:30
It’s rebuilding the offen
sive line, though, that has
gotten most of the attention
in the off-season. Junior
J’vyon Tatum and senior
Andon Riley are the two
returning starters that Nel
son is counting on to be the
anchors of the line. Riley
will move to center and
Tatum will be right tackle.
Nelson has moved senior
Demarkus Head from tight
end to left tackle. Nelson
said Head didn’t want to
but it’s a good example of
a player sacrificing for the
team.
“Demarkus has done
a great job for us,” said
Nelson. “That’s what makes
your team go. He sacri
ficed for our football team,
putting the team above
himself!’
Sophomore Caden
LaVinka, whose brother
Jake was a top receiver last
year and is now playing
for Gordon, will be at left
tackle. Junior Darius Carter
and sophomore Dermarion
Davis will both get looks at
right guard. Junior Joe Ow
ens and senior Jamai Davis
will both have the chance
to play at left guard.
“That could be a week-
to-week thing,” said
Nelson of his offensive line.
“We’ve got to find the right
combination. One focus
this summer has been the
offensive line.”
With Head’s move to left
tackle, junior Jack Gordon
and sophomore Cole Carr
will both get looks at tight
end.
If the Bulldogs don’t make
a first down, they won’t
have powerful punter Tripp
Shipman anymore to flip
the field. But sophomore
Ryan Bankston, Shipman’s
backup last year, is stepping
into that position and will
also handle placekicking
and kickoffs for MR Carter
Campbell will be the holder
on field goals and PATs and
Nick Howard is the long
snapper on punts.
Offensive coordinator
Jason Morrow has a 3-year
starter at quarterback to
distribute the ball to the
most talented skill posi
tion players MP has had in
many years, so long as the
re-shuffled offensive line
can give him time to do it.
By Will Davis
publisher@mymcr.net
The Mary Persons
offense that put up 31
points per game last
season returns almost
all of its skill players. If
coach Brian Nelson can
cobble together an of
fensive line to give them
some blocking, the MP
offense could be danger
ous. But that’s a big if.
Nelson knows what
he has at quarterback.
Logan Hickman has
been a steady 3-year
starter, and has worked
hard in the off season
to get even better and
stronger. He threw 15
touchdowns and just 6
picks last year, as Hick
man has become even
more efficient. With
4,323 passing yards
already in his career,
Hickman needs just 446
more yards to break JT
Hardage’s record for ca
reer passing yardage of
4,769. He may break the
record at home against
Spalding on Aug. 26.
Sophomore Nemo Jones
will again be Hickman’s
backup at quarterback,
along with Nelson’s son
Mac, a freshman.
Hickman lost two of
his favorite targets from
last year, Jake LaVinka
and DJ Martinez, both
now playing at Gordon.
But MP has added bas
ketball star Kham Little
to its stable of receivers,
and Little, a senior, has
impressed in practice.
Every year Littie has
talked to Nelson about
playing football, so Nelson
thought he might be jok
ing when he mentioned it
again in the spring. Lo and
behold he showed up for
spring practice and did well
in the spring game, giving
him a reason to stick with
it. His rebounding skills
translate well to football,
said Nelson.
“He can go get it,” said the
coach.
Junior Ty Dumas is the
fastest in the group with
the most catches last year,
and is MP’s deep-ball spe
cialist. Sure-handed senior
Maury Lowe returns along
with Carter Campbell, both
possession-style receivers
who block well. Sopho
more Gavin Martin has
had a good off-season and
can do it all, said Nelson.
Junior Duke Watson, of
course, returns at running
back, bigger and faster
than last year. The Region
2-AAA Offensive Player
of the Year has offers from
Georgia Tech and Marshall,
and Nelson got a call from
Vanderbilt about Watson
during this interview.
Watson broke Alvin Toles’
single-season rushing
record of 1,663 yards last
year, and may break his
new record this year.
“We expect Duke to do
even better than last year,”
said Nelson. Watson has
2,007 career yards and has
a chance to break Toles’
career record of 4,618 yards
if he performs as expected
this year and next.
But perhaps the best news
for MP is that he’ll be re
joined in the backfield by
senior JT Owens, who went
out with a torn ACL last
season. Nelson noted that
MP’s offense was most ef
fective last year when both
Owens and Watson were
on the field at the same
time. Owens is a more pun
ishing back while Watson
has more speed and moves.
Carson Barnett