Hawks go into 2016 with high expectations

Greatness is not given; it is earned.

Pleasant Grove's team philosophy this season is heart and soul, and the goal is to grow academically, athletically and as young men.

Expectations are high for PG football, and the team wants to show it is among Texas' elite programs.

"The team wants to roll deep into the playoffs, and ultimately say that they are one of the best teams in the state," Gibson said. "I've never seen kids and coaches more on the same page and enjoy the process of fall camp more. I'm just extremely proud of all of our coaches and kids for that."

Overall, Gibson was proud of his players' performance last season. Last year squad's played up to 15 sophomores in some of its toughest games, and played a lot of those teams closely. The toughest opponents included Gilmer, Gladewater and Atlanta.

The Hawks return eight starters on offense and six on defense, with returning starting junior quarterback Carson Cox (6-2, 175) as the signal caller. Gibson said that Cox is a good athlete.

Cox was thrown into the fire last season as he started 10 games last season as a sophomore after senior Jacob Smith went down with an injury. He completed 59 of 124 passes for 1,084 yards and 13 TDs.

In recent years PG has run a wing-T offense, but Gibson has changed it this season to a multiple-look offensive attack.

"We're spreading out our formations and we're really multiple in those formations," Gibson said. "We will still focus on our misdirection run game, and we'll throw the ball a lot more than we have in previous years."

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Isreal Getzov conducts the Conway Symphony Orchestra at UCA. Cellist, Alejandro Villegas plays on the front row.

Jones ran 109 times for 750 yards and nine TDs last season. Gibson considers Jones to be a hybrid, slot back who will also catch passes out of the backfield.

"Jones is a great teammate," Gibson said. "He's a hard worker, very humble, and we're excited that he's back because he can do it all. Jones has become one of our go-to guys."

Wesley gained 980 yards on 173 touches and 19 touchdowns last year. Wesley is a stocky, strong runner and has extremely good vision, Gibson said. He is not the fastest running back but his vision more than makes up for it.

Catching many of Cox's passes will be sophomore receiver Cameron Wells, receiver Cameron Edwards and tight end Jackson Pace (6-3, 212).

"Edwards is a phenomenal athlete and has phenomenal hands," the Hawks head coach said. "He has the skill set to be an elite receiver in this area."

Gibson said Pace, who is a returning first-team all-district selection, has some of the best hands of any H-back or tight end that he has ever seen in his 16 years of coaching.

Xavier Benson (6-3, 195) is an all-district linebacker who also plays receiver. Benson is a big target at 6-foot-3.

"Benson is a freaky athlete who has great hands," Gibson said. "He runs really good routes and is going to be a really good possession receiver for us."

Jacob Heminger, Nick Gavriel (6-1, 308), Ryan Forbes, Collier Cordray and Austin Toler anchor the offensive line.

"Heminger is fast, gets every single block and is physical," PG's head coach said. "The offensive line is a great-looking bunch. We feel like we have a shot in the trenches to be just as good as anyone. We have great depth."

"Benson has big hands, long levers, and pursues the ball as hard as he can each play," Gibson said. "There aren't many kids who give 100 percent effort all the time, but he gets it.

"Cooks is one of the fastest kids on our defense. He can really run and has done a great job for us in the past years."

Tyler Allen (6-1, 187), a junior, returns at safety and led Pleasant Grove in interceptions with three last season. Layne Martindale plays at the other safety and helps get the defense lined up.

Senior defensive end Cole Lipham (6-5, 208) anchors the defensive line. Gibson said Lipham is improving and is a hard worker. Lipham has a scholarship offer from Arkansas Tech.

Pleasant Grove said he plans to rotate 18-20 players on defense. The rotation will help keep the players competitive and fresh.

Toler and Drake Fowler are the likely starters on the interior of the defensive line. Edwards will start at cornerback.

As for the three elements of defense-the line, the secondary, and the linebackers-the Hawks are strong in each element.

Pleasant Grove played No. 1 Gilmer to within four points last season in its playoff game. With just under four minutes in the game, the Hawks had the lead. Gibson was happy with the team's performance and said this year's team is just like last year's squad.

"Last year's team was great and achieved their goals," Gibson said. "We are bringing back nine starters on offense so it's basically the same team. We have more depth and both sides of the ball. We're stronger, faster, more mature and bought in."

The Hawks have had tremendous growth mentally, Gibson said. He is proud of them and is excited about the season because a lot of good things are happening and have been happening.

Gibson said he doesn't know if he will have one of the best teams in state, but he can guarantee that PG will have one of the best programs in Texas. He is proud of where the program is and believes the players have worked hard for everything that they've earned.

Most of all, the Hawk head coach is excited to begin the entire journey of the season. He is also excited to see how the players grow.

Pleasant Grove plays Arkansas High for the first time in its history. Gibson said he is looking forward to the cross-town rivalry.

"Going up against Arkansas High is going to be a phenomenal moment," Gibson said. "That Arkansas High game is going to be sold out and that's cool for both of our communities."

The Hawks will also travel to Frisco, Texas, this season to play at Cowboy Stadium. In that game Gibson will go up against his father, who is the head coach at Frisco High School.

Gibson is also looking forward to PG's home games against Liberty-Eylau and Gilmer, both of which will probably sell out.

"There are going to be a lot of highlights this season," Gibson said. "It's going to be fun."