PEARCY -- Experience and leadership is less of a concern for third-year head football coach Tommy Gilleran as the Wolves forge a strong front on both sides of the ball this fall along with a loaded roster that features a wealth of skilled returning junior and senior Lake Hamilton athletes.
Named Gatorade's Male Coach of the Year for 2018, Gilleran feels that the seniors on the team have shown strong leadership during the summer.
"We feel like that type of stuff is going to help us carry through the season," said Gilleran. "We've got young running backs, but we feel like the experienced O-line and the experienced defensive line will make a difference for us. Even our defense is seniors and juniors. I feel like that makes a big difference for us on Friday nights."
Offense
In the team's third year in the Wing-T scheme Gilleran implemented when he "returned home" to Lake Hamilton, the Wolves will depend on dual-threat quarterback Layne Warrick (6-0, 160). Warrick had a stellar sophomore campaign, highlighted by 916 passing yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions while rushing for 175 yards with four scores.
"He came in in the middle of the Lakeside game and played from that point on," Gilleran said. "Layne is a great football player; he does a great job of commanding the offense. The great thing about Layne is that he plays better when he's under pressure, so when the game's on the line, he starts playing really good."
Junior Izaiah Clenney (5-10, 190) will return to the stage at tight end while grinding out plays as one of Warrick's main targets. Clenney caught two passes for 52 yards last year while playing more than 50 percent of the overall snaps. He will also provide depth as a reinforcement on defense in the secondary.
"Clenney's really worked hard this summer, and he's gotten strong in the weight room," Gilleran noted.
After snagging a 22-yard TD catch last season against Malvern, junior J.T. Bardwell started in three games at outside receiver. Bardwell (6-0, 145) will split time at tight end with Clenney after improving on-field vision and accuracy during the off-season.
"He played quite a bit at receiver last year for us," said Gilleran. "He really worked on his catching skills and his route running, so he's done a really good job of that."
Sophomore running backs Owen Miller (5-11, 195) and Tevin Woodley (5-8, 190) assist the backfield, lining up at halfback and fullback, respectively.
"They're both sophomores, and both of them work hard in the weight room," Gilleran said. "But, you know, they work hard every day. Both of them are going to bring exceptional skills to this football program."
Senior Braden Braughton (5-10, 165) will use his 4.5 speed to cause problems for defenses, primarily lining up at wingback. Rushing 39 times for 375 yards and three touchdowns, Braughton is a key asset on offense and special teams after returning a kick 99 yards for a score last year in the season finale at Jonesboro.
"Braden's one of our best athletes," added Gilleran. "He does kick return, punt return and probably has the best hands of anybody on our team. He's a very skilled kid that we're going to use in a lot of different aspects."
Sophomore Chase Jessup (6-4, 255) reinforces the platoon at strong tackle with junior lineman Bradley Rieman (5-11, 210) shoring up on the weak side.
"[Rieman] didn't start last year, but he's one of those kids that's worked hard in JV games, and then through the offseason," Gilleran said. "He's really made himself a better football player.
"[Jessup] will be a sophomore; he's a hard worker. He's also a competitor and does everything you're supposed to do on and off the field."
Senior ball-snapper Marcus Smith (5-9, 225), an 11-game starter last season, anchors the unit at center flanked by senior all-conference guard Jared Wilson (6-0, 270) and senior guard Jack Keeling (5-10, 200). Wilson brings both size and strength to the line, squatting 475 pounds with a 325-pound bench press while Keeling, who started all 11 games, benches 340.
"He's an all-conference player," Gilleran said of Wilson. "He was our best lineman last year. Jared's one of our stronger kids, too -- physically strong. He works hard at everything he does, and he also scored a 33 on the ACT. ... Jared is a hard worker that does everything he has to to make the team better, and [he's] one of the kids I go to when we need something done.
"Our center started all 11 games last year. He's very fast for a lineman. Keeling's another good strong guard. He started 11 games last year. Jack is another one of our strongest kids, but he also does a good job of blocking and getting hands on people. He's got a great motor -- always running."
Defense
Lake Hamilton will line up with a four-man front to help secure the line and stop the run while keeping an experienced secondary primed to stop the passing game.
Seniors Caleb Smith (5-10, 240) and Blake Stachey (5-11, 165) set the edges at defensive end while Brandon Baker (6-1, 250), who triggered three sacks and nine tackles last fall, and Kade Hernandez (5-10, 310) bolster the line at tackle.
Rotating in at linebacker with 89 tackles, including 13 solo stops and six for a loss, will be senior Braden Qualls (5-8, 180). Qualls will be aided by senior Lautaimi Nasilai (5-11, 200), who had 42 stops and three sacks, and junior Dawson Poindexter (5-10, 220), who tallied two tackles for a loss. Senior Zach Bradley (5-11, 165) will also see time at outside linebacker.
Senior Garrett Lynch (5-9, 165) and junior Hunter Miller (5-6, 140) man the corners with senior Pearson Hafer (5-9, 170) and Braughton securing the unit at the safety slots.
Special Teams
Ivan Garcia (5-7, 155) will oversee the placekicking with both kickoffs and the point-after attempts while junior Chase Berry (5-8, 154) assumes the role of punter.
Braughton and Warrick split time by committee on kickoff returns while Braughton doubles as punt returner, pacing the Wolves with 10 punt returns for 139 yards and nine returned kicks for 270 yards.
Opponents
The Wolves boast a schedule with six games to be played at Bank OZK Field, including their season opener. The long-time rivalry between the Wolves and the Lakeside Rams will kick off the season in a Thursday night thriller Sept. 5.
"We feel like we have really strong leadership this year from our seniors," said Gilleran. "The Lakeside game is here, which is a really big game. It's on a Thursday, and it's supposed to be on TV, so we're excited about that. That rivalry has been a big one for Lake Hamilton for years. I know they stopped it for 19 years, but now it's back up, and I feel like our kids can handle that kind of thing. Communities need it, [and] it's good for our community. We're excited about that aspect, but we're also excited about the season."
Lake Hamilton will travel to Malvern before hosting the Hot Springs Trojans in a final non-conference contest. The Wolves open their conference season on the road at El Dorado.
"Preseason will get us ready for our season," Gilleran added. "We're in better shape this year physically and mentally with our kids understanding what we want and what we want to get done. The whole aspect of our team culture is better, and our kids are working harder, so we're excited about this season, I mean, really excited.
"We had a good summer. Of the three [team] camps, we feel like we got better each week, and we got to see some of the positives of our young kids growing. We're excited about the whole thing. Our last camp was with [Pulaski Academy] and Little Rock McClellan, which are two really good football teams in the state of Arkansas, and we felt like we held our own and actually did really well, so we're hoping that that carries over into the first game."
The growth captured during the off-season gives Gilleran and the Wolves motivation to make another appearance in the postseason while pursuing a playoff run.
"Something we haven't done in a while is win a playoff game," he said. "Whether it's home or on the road, we need to win a playoff game. It's been a while, and that's usually not a problem for Lake Hamilton, but we're getting better, and I feel like this is the year that we break through on that."
Sports on 08/30/2019