2019 Fall Preview: Hollister Football

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By Justin Sampson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

This fall marks the 10th year of varsity football in Hollister, and it comes with a boost of excitement. The Tigers went 4-6 in their first year under Rich Adkins, also their first year in the new-look Big 8 East.

Despite a loss to Seneca in their district opener, the Tigers did enough good things to drum up enthusiasm.

“We built some excitement around the program,” said Adkins. “Kids were talking throughout the spring about how they were looking forward to football. We had a great turnout in the summer. We had enough success to feel like we have a chance to win every game. Our goal when we got here was to put a competitive team on the field each week and we feel like we’re getting to that point.”

Like in 2018, Hollister will feature youth across the roster. There are only six seniors and seven starters are back in the fold. The junior class could be the backbone of the squad based on the level of playing time it received last fall.

Layton Morgan stepped into the quarterback role as a sophomore to replace Jackson Bekemeier and threw for 1,118 yards and five touchdowns. He and his teammates took time to grasp the new system that Adkins implemented, but there have already been signs of improvement during camp.

“It was a snail’s pace trying to get things installed,” said Adkins. “They understand the terminology now, so I’m hoping that our offense will be ahead during Week 1 and 2 last year. We return all but one starter on the offensive line, too, so those guys should be comfortable. We have a chance to do some good things.”

Senior Austin Hove, an All-Big 8 East Honorable Mention at guard, will lead that effort in the trenches.

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All-State tight end Logan Armitage is gone, leaving junior Konner Hatfield as the top returning pass catcher. He accounted for 112 yards and one score last year. Junior Xavier Stovall also has an opportunity to break out in the receiver role.

Fellow junior Kelby Gard stepped into the running back role late last season due to injury and performed well. He picked up 257 yards on 52 yards with three touchdowns, enough to make him the top returning rusher.

He will also be relied on defensively as his 46 tackles and two interceptions also lead the team. This is emphasized by the fact that three starters must be replaced at linebacker.

Senior Clay Humbyrd does have experience in the unit, while he will also continue his duties at kicker.

Hatfield and Stovall will also contribute at defensive back.

Adkins is encouraged at how the comfort level between the players and coaching staff has improved during the start of camp. He hopes that can set the tone for early-season success.

“We have a lot of kids that played as sophomores last year,” he said. “We’re still relatively young, but there is a ton of excitement. They’ve seemed to pick up right where we left off. They have cut the learning curve and hit the ground running.”