It’s been hard for coaches to improve their teams in the wake of COVID-19 but East Webster feels like their’s got better last week.
After going through last season a coach short on the staff, Wolverines head coach Ron Price was open to bringing one in and giving his staff more depth. Enter former East Union head coach John Walton. The two have grown to know each other over the last few years and through powerlifting season they had some deep conversations about their future.
Walton was ready to take a step back from being a head coach after leading an Urchines team that hasn’t been known for its football to a 9-3 record this past season and a Class 2A, Region 1 championship. It became the perfect opportunity for both parties as EWHS hired him to coach quarterbacks and defensive backs next season.
“We have a really good staff already in place at East Webster and to be able to add a guy that’s a high caliber coach it will help us be an even better staff,” Price said. “He’ll make us better offensively and defensively and I’m excited to get with him and talk about the things that made him successful and hopefully make it even a better offense than what we’ve had.
“(Defensive coordinator Jason Smith) is excited to get him on the defensive side of the ball, too. Coach Smith coached the defensive backs last year and now he can be just a defensive coordinator and move around to all of the groups. That will make Jason an even better coach.”
The hiring of Walton pays off on multiple fronts. The Wolverines are getting a really good coach with experience running a program and developing, but they’re getting a package deal with his son and starting quarterback, Ty.
Last season as a sophomore, Ty Walton was in his second season as a starter and threw for 2,800 yards, completed 54 percent of his passes and had 38 touchdowns to 14 interceptions. Price remembers the showdown that his team had with them as both teams came in fighting for supremacy in 2A and the Wolverines left with a 62-38 win in a shootout. Ty had 292 yards passing and four touchdowns in that game.
It makes for an interesting dynamic with two-year starter Steven Betts already at quarterback coming off of a season where he had over 2,500 yards of total offense and 35 touchdowns. Price will be preparing him for the next level by moving him to H-back and putting him on defense.
“Steven has been so successful the last two years as our quarterback. Looking at him after high school, I think his potential in college is playing linebacker or maybe an H-back,” Price said. “That will give us a chance to play him some on defense and he’s going to play running back on offense. It will allow us to put him on defense and give him more reps on defense moving forward.”
Price mentioned that Betts is 100% on board with making a move to another position and doing whatever it takes to help the team win. It makes the Wolverine offense that much more dangerous with Betts’ 1,600 yards rushing returning and nearly 1,000 more from Tyrik Pittman at running back.
With wide receivers Carter Flora, Debo Patterson and John Cunningham in the mix, it’s going to be a difficult offense to stop if they get on the same page.
“You put it on the board and you get really excited,” Price said of the offense. “We have not only Steven in the backfield but we bring Tyrik back. With Ty, it gives us the ability to throw the football more. I hate we’re not going to get to go through spring because we have kids ready to step into those roles at wide receiver. I feel like we have the weapons and I feel like Ty gives us the opportunity to throw the football more. We can put a lot of pressure on the defense.”
