Highland Baptist Bears
2021 Record: 5-5
District: 4-1A
Head Coach: Rick Hutson
Note: Bears return two-year starting quarterback, Ty Olivier
For Highland Baptist's Rick Hutson, he says this summer he saw a lot of improvement from the team. Returning 10 starters, split down the middle between the offense and the defense, its the offensive side of the bears where he's most comfortable.
They return a lot of experience at the skill positions including junior quarterback Ty Olivier.
"He's a student of the game. He studies film, he asks questions and he watches film from other teams", says Hutson. "He's just a real student of the game."
"My expectations from him is to have as much time as he can in making his decision as to who he gives the ball to", says running back, Weston Bradley. "Since we're going to be pass oriented, I'm going to be put in positions where I'm going to have to check and see if linemen are breaking through our line and I'm going to have to block him and block as many people as I can to give Ty as much time as he needs."
In 2021, HB finished 5-5 but no postseason.
With a hefty amount of experience back, the team hopes to play more than 10 games.
But the concern for the bears is in the trenches. They lost a lot of their linemen and the boys who was called to step up this season are now expected to be young men once the lights come on.
"Just trying to get them developed to play varsity football."
"With a small number of linemen now, incoming freshman may have to step into that linemen category and we'll probably have to go into a little spread, a little bit of passing and a little bit of running because our skill is still pretty experienced to where we can change those things and be balanced to where we're good enough on the receiving side and on the running side", says lineman, Bronson Charles.
The Bears having less than 30 players on the roster, they've grown the most within their brotherhood.
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