By Justin Sampson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The 2019 season provided plenty of challenges for the Houston Tigers. The program’s top running back transferred just before the start of the year, while the team did not make it out of their season opener before hitting injury trouble.
“We got to the third quarter of Week 1 last year and lost four offensive lineman due to knee injuries,” head coach Eric Sloan said. “That was sort of the tale of the season.”
Those changes forced younger faces into new roles, and the result was a 4-6 record. The Tigers now return five offensive and six defensive starters as they look to stay healthy and show how they can truly produce.
Naturally, the offensive and defensive lines will get a boost with the return of some patched-up bodies. Seniors Trevor Mitchell and Isaac Choate are those primary returners, having both recovered from knee surgeries last year. First Team All-SCA selection Chris Cichon will also join them for his senior season. He carries the team lead with 50 tackles and two sacks from 2019.
“Our line should be better. We get two bodies back that we lost early last year and we also have some younger kids that have their feet wet. That should be more of a strength of this team.”
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Ty Franklin will step into the quarterback role for his senior year. Out of necessity, he bounced around between receiver and running back last fall, catching 12 passes for 133 yards. His 6’4” frame and physical prowess are two primary reasons why Sloan chose to hand him the offense.
“He is just an athlete. He is a really good basketball player and track kid,” said Sloan. “He can do a bit of everything and just understands the game well. You drive by the field and you can see that he has guys together trying to do anything football-related. He has taken on that leadership role.”
Korbyn Tune also broke onto the scene in his sophomore year. At 6’5” and 225 pounds, he turned heads at tight end and played well enough to earn an All-SCA Second Team nod. He is back as the top pass catcher from a year ago after hauling in 18 balls for 213 yards and two scores.
Bailey Hurst also dealt with injuries last year, but still managed to find the end zone three times out of the backfield. He sits as the team’s top returning rusher as he enters his junior campaign.
Sloan believes the offense will have to use execution rather than pure athleticism to get the upper hand on opponents this fall.
“We lost a lot of breakaway speed, so we will have to focus on running good routes and doing the right things. We will try to capitalize on creating separation in those ways.”
Tune and Hurst will also platoon at linebacker after combining for 61 tackles in 2019. Anthony Carroll will join them in the unit after notching a team-high three interceptions as a freshman.
There are still some question marks for the Tigers, but there are also plenty of players that got a taste of varsity experience last year. Now, the key question is how they can rise to the challenge of consistently facing that level of opponent.
“We have a lot of untested talent. They got to play some snaps, and we ended up starting four or five freshmen at different times. They didn’t have to fill big roles yet. The guys that did get Friday night exposure, we hope they understand what it took to get to that level and have done the necessary things to get themselves ready.”
Houston is scheduled to open the season on Aug. 28 at Sarcoxie.
