Ron Price realizes that just getting by in football won’t cut it at East Webster.
As Price enters his third year after finishing 6-7 last year, he hopes the Wolverines are ready to turn the corner and again become a power in Class 2A football.
Price and his staff are looking at three things they think will help lead the Wolverines to more wins this season.
“The first things we have to do is be sound on special teams,” Price said. “We know that as a coaching staff and football team. We have to be fundamentally sound there. So a big thing for us this year is to win the special teams battle. Secondly, we have to stay healthy on the line. And then, we need to have some early season success so our kids can start believing in what we are doing. If we can improve and grow from week-to-week, I think our team will constantly keep moving in the right direction.”
Leading the offense for the Wolverines is junior quarterback Steven Betts, who comes back after throwing for 1,114 yards on 60-of-113 passes with 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also ran for 373 yards on 78 carries.
“One of the things we have really worked on is just Steven’s ability to throw the football and read defenses,” Price said. “He is a running threat but he has to become a better passer. He was thrown into the fire last year. We have been working with him all spring on his mechanics and reading defense. So we have tried to simplify the things he has to make decisions on.”
Joining Betts in the backfield will be junior Tyreke Pittman, who led the team with 523 yards on 94 carries last year. Price said he hopes Pittman can carry the ball 20-25 times a game. He also expects junior Ethan Roberts and sophomore Jon Cunningham to get more carries this season.
At wide receiver, senior Conner Shurden returns after a solid junior year in which he had 34 catches for 552 yards and eight TDs. Price said Shurden was the “leader of the skill guys and pushes them to be better.” Also expected to see plenty of playing time is Carter Flora, Jontavis Cunningham and senior Gray McCarter, who also serves as the backup quarterback. At tight end is senior Isaac Jones. Other tight end/H-backs are Jackson Dean and Canid Reed.
Up front, senior Caleb Massey returns at right guard while Hastings Gibson will be at left tackle and Preston Hill will be at left guard. At center, Colin Clark returns while Conner Christman will be the right tackler. Sedrick Taylor will be a backup while Cory Butler is also expected to provide depth.
“The thing that excites me is we are more athletic than we have been in a couple years,” Price said. “We struggled on offense last year. Once we did that, we became a running football team and had some success doing that. We want to be physical up front and have an identity. If we can be successful doing that, it opens up the pass and helps Steven. We want to be balanced but whatever is working, that’s what we will go with. We just don’t want to be predictable.”
On defense, the Wolverines will go with a three-man front, led by nose guard Cameron Jennings, who was a 2A powerlifting champion last year, will anchor the front. At defensive ends will be senior Caleb Massey and Preston Hill. Also expected to see playing time on the defensive front will be Hastings Gibson and Sedrick Taylor.
At linebacker, Price said eight players are competing for the four starting spots. Senior Isaac Jones is expected to start at outside linebacker while Ethan Roberts is leading the way at inside linebacker. Also competing for a starting spot is Kobe Smith, Kendell Carden, Canin Reed, senior Austin O’Bryant and Steven Betts.
In the secondary, Price said Daniel Rogers is the leader of that unit and played every game last year as the starting cornerback. Jontavis Cunningham is the other safety while Conner Shurden and Carter Flora will be the two starting safeties. Tyreke Pittman, Luke McKee and Ross Cochran are all competing for playing time in the secondary.
“We feel like we are two deep at every position,” Price said. “It makes practice competitive. We just want to get the best 11 on the field that will go hard every play. We blitz a lot and try to create turnovers. We gave up too many big plays and third down and couldn’t get off the field. One of the things we are preaching are creating turnovers. We want to cause fumbles and that gives your team so much confidence.”
In the kicking game, senior Parker Burleson, who is committed to play at Jones Junior College and has several Division I offers, will handle kicking and punting duties. Jackson Dean and Canin Reed will be competing for the long snapper.
The Wolverines will compete in Division 2-2A with Eupora, Calhoun City, J.Z. George and Bruce.
“There are no easy opponents,” Price said. “This district has been called the SEC West because it is so rough. One point difference can dictate whether you finish second or fourth. That’s what happened to us last year. So you have to take care of business every Friday night. We play Calhoun City to open division play and they have dominated the series. You want to beat the team on top and that’s Calhoun City. We just need to get all of our pieces in place by the time we hit division play.”
