Editor's note: This is the first in a series of seven stories about area high school football teams preparing for the 2021 season.
JESSIEVILLE -- Jessieville is looking to build off of the success it had last season as it brings back several key starters from a team that finished 7-5 overall and 4-3 in the 3A-5, reaching the second round of the Class 3A state tournament.
After knocking off Harrisburg 60-53 in the first round of the Class 3A state playoffs last November, the Lions fell to eventual Class 3A state champion Harding Academy to close out the year.
"You know, we've got to build off the success of last year," said head coach T.J. Burk, now in his fifth year leading the Lions. "Any time you have success like that, you look to keep pushing forward and getting better every day. So we're looking to build on that momentum and keep our guys headed in the right direction."
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Burk said that one of the team's strengths this season is his group of offensive linemen, which he refers to as the biggest he's ever had as far as size.
"That's definitely a plus," he said. "We like the guys that we have at skilled positions coming back, so we're looking to spread the ball around and then take advantage of those guys inside there, you know, the road-graders for us."
Sticking with the spread that has been so successful in the past, the Lions have plenty of offensive weapons.
"We'll dabble a little bit in some other formations, but we're mainly in the spread," Burk said. "And we like to get the ball on the edge and get it to different people and utilize all the weapons that we have."
Along with the large offensive line this season will see the return of the dangerous quarterback-running back duo in Carson Hair and Matthew Huff, both starting for their fourth straight year.
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Jessieville Lions at practice
The Jessieville Lions have plenty to look forward to this season. - Photos by Tanner Newton of The Sentinel-Record
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Hair, a 6-0, 190-pound senior, threw for 2,089 yards last season on 104 of 181 passing and 17 touchdowns, and he also tore up the ground for 1,069 yards on 163 carries with 16 touchdowns. Huff, a 5-11, 200-pound junior, rushed for 1,512 yards on 219 carries for nearly 7 yards per carry while scoring 14 times.
"It's rare any time in high school football that you have a four-year starter at quarterback, and then Matthew beside him has got two full years of starting experience in the backfield, and experience is one thing you can't replace," Burk said, noting that he is "extremely" excited to have the pair back. "And those two guys are very comfortable in the offense. They're comfortable with each other. They've played together forever, so you know, the chemistry is there, and (I'm) just excited to have two athletes in the backfield that can get it done."
While the Lions lost senior receivers Charlie Davis, who will be suiting up at Arkansas Tech University this fall, and track standout Landon Daly, Burk said some younger guys are stepping up.
"We've got some receivers that we've mixed in there that haven't had as many reps in the past, but they're getting them now," he said. "We've got some returners that moved up at the end of last year from the junior high team that are freshmen. They were freshmen in the playoff game that started for us. So they're sophomores now, and they've got a little bit of experience, which is something that not a lot of sophomores have. So hopefully that'll play in our advantage as well."
Burk said their progress has been good so far and that junior outside receiver Brentenn Johnson (5-6, 145) will be a major help to the offense.
"We may need him a little bit more in the slot to fill that void that Charlie left," Burk said. "And then we've got Carson Freeland (5-10, 200-pound junior) coming back at a tight end spot, and then we like Broc Mayr (5-9, 170) there as well who's one of the freshmen that moved up and is now a sophomore. So he's got a little playing experience, too, and we look to mix those guys in."
Burk notes sophomore Drake Reid picked up some playing time last season and will be called on to help out on the outside.
"He's a good athlete, and we're excited about those skilled guys," he said. "Especially with how young they are and also having that little bit of experience going in."
In addition to leading the Lions' offense, Hair also led the team defensively, racking up a team-leading 69 tackles last season.
Also returning to the Lion defense this year is 6-foot, 220-pound junior Ty Lafoon, who garnered 56 tackles last year, along with junior Jax Shellnut (5-9, 175), junior Bradley Dodge (6-0, 160), and seniors Dillon Johnson (5-9, 170), Lincoln Crawford (6-0, 260) and Tony Muniz (6-1, 220).
Jessieville returns senior kicker Allisson Quinonez (5-8, 140), who has had a consistent foot for the Lions.
"You know, he's kicked for us the last couple of years and has been very consistent for us as far as extra points go, so we're comfortable there," Burk said. "And then we're still working on the punt stuff ,and we haven't quite got there yet, but, you know, we do a lot of stuff with our punt game and may include kicking it with our quarterback. So we'll mix the special teams up and we'll do what we think puts us in the best situation."
With one of the top conferences in Class 3A, Burk said that his team will not be able to take any team for granted.
"In our conference, there's really not a week where you can afford to say, 'Hey, we're going to dial it back this week,'" he said. "It's kind of, you take it one day at a time and the next opponent up is the toughest one because you gotta beat them on Friday night. There's not one in our conference that you can look past. So we're just going to take it one game at a time and, you know, prepare the best that we can for each opponent. I don't think there's one that's anymore important than the other. In order to get where you want to be, you've got to take it one game at a time and win every one of them. So that's what we're going to approach it as."
The Lions open their season on Sept. 3 at Haskell Harmony Grove.