MINERAL SPRINGS, Ark. - Mineral Springs looks to use its experience to push further up the food chain in 7-2A and deeper into the postseason.
The Hornets return 12 lettermen, including nine starters on offense and 10 on defense, for the 2020 campaign.
"Early in the season, our skill position kids will be our strength," veteran head coach David Bennett said. "We've got a nucleus of linemen back, and a group of sophomores moving up to help us in our interior line. Our linemen will grow into being pretty solid because we've got some size up front."
Along with other schools across the state, Mineral Springs has had a spring and summer of no workouts and no football activities. The Hornets are hoping the plethora of varsity experience returning this season will help speed up the curve on the field.
"The kids have handled the off summer and getting back to workouts pretty well," Bennett said. "I've been coaching 34 years, and this was the first time I've had a summer like this, where you couldn't do 7-on-7, couldn't do team camps, and so teams are a little behind the 8 ball.
"Everything we've done, we've been behind on, but that's how it is for everyone across the state."
OFFENSE
Mineral Springs replaces just one skill position and one lineman on offense.
"We've got a good group coming back," Bennett said. "We graduated a couple of running backs. We've got Fricks back at quarterback, and four of our offensive linemen. We also return a couple of receivers, and two more in the backfield."
Terrell Fricks (5-11, 165) is a 3-year starter for the Hornets entering his senior year.
Kejuan Hicks (5-11, 160) is also a senior and back at running back, and K'Anthony Brown (5-10, 180) returns at fullback for his senior year. Sophomore Vonderek Stewart (5-9, 165) will help at running back and inside receiver, and Ladarius Franklin (5-10, 185) adds depth at QB and running back.
With Mineral Springs switching to the spread offense this fall, senior receivers Dontre Walton (6-1, 170) and Jackson McCaulley (6-0, 180) will have more opportunities with the ball in their hands. Junior Paul Mitchell (6-4, 170) will also help at receiver.
On the offensive line, the Hornets bring back four starters in senior tackles Javen Johnson (6-1, 270) and Trevonte Swopes (6-2, 290) and junior guards Toau Vang (5-11, 250) and Brandon Harris (5-11, 225). A talented group of sophomores will help add depth up front.
Keithan Smith (5-11, 255) has been working at center, and Nicc Iacovelli (6-0, 235) and Jesus Salazar (5-10, 273) have been competing for time.
"Improvement for us needs to come from getting a lot of reps and working on our technique," Bennett said. "We're installing a new offense, a spread, and we need to get comfortable with what we want to be doing.
"Defensively, we've got to be sound in our fundamentals and tackling."
DEFENSE
On the defensive side, Fricks is back at safety, and Walton and Hicks are returning corner backs.
McCaulley has split time at end and linebacker, and Brown is back at linebacker. Up front, Swopes plays nose guard, and Johnson and Harris are returning tackles. Marlon Graves (6-1, 185) is back at a end position, and Vang also helps at defensive tackle.
Franklin and Iacovelli will help at linebacker, Stewart will add depth in the secondary, Mitchell can play end and Smith adds help at nose.
"I like this group of kids; they've been very competitive," Bennett said. "We've got to get on the same page, as far as workouts, our practices and get our offense down. We need to be sound on defense.
"As far as conference, Foreman is the favorite to win the conference, and I think it's going to come down to the team that executes the best and minimize mistakes. It's going to be a tough conference with some quality teams, but I like our chances to be in the mix if we get everything down by conference play."