By Chris Parker
Hillcrest enters the second season of the Lee Coleman era with big goals. The Hornets battled injuries all last season and lost their first seven games. They bounced back to win two of their final four games including a district win over Carl Junction.
The other advantage this year’s team has is more familiarity with Coleman’s system.
“It is another year of understanding. This is the same offense I have been running with the youth for a while,” Coleman said. “Even though we lost quite a bit last year, but the kids that are taking their spots I would say are mentally as seasoned if not further ahead right now.”
A pair of all-conference skill players in seniors Cole Griesemer and Dante Sample return for Hillcrest.
Griesemer, also a basketball standout, earned second-team all-conference honors at wide receiver last year. He had 34 catches for 475 yards and five touchdowns.
“There are not many 6-foot-6 receivers out there and the ones that are out there are the quarterback’s dream,” Coleman said. “They have to account for him. If you don’t account for him, you will be in trouble. He is six-foot-six. He is athletic. He can jump.”
Sample battled injuries last year, which limited him to just eight games. He still carried the ball 93 times for 339 yards and a touchdown. He is back healthy and had a strong summer at camps including being named a Blue-Gray All-American.
Zander Rodgers will also see some carries.
Sophomore Ethan Weaver will step in at quarterback. He started on defense as a freshman where he pulled down 19 total tackles and intercepted two passes.
“He (Weaver) is calm. He seems to always be calm even things try to rattle him,” Coleman said. “He definitely has the demeanor for it. I don’t think the moment is ever too big for him.”
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Weaver will be a two-way player this year.
Braxton Baker, Cooper Huett and Amarre Clark will join Greisemer in the receiving corps.
Up front, second-team all-conference offensive lineman Tracen Tate returns. He squatted 585 pounds this summer.
“He (Tate) is our horse out there at tackle. He is a load. He is kicking butt in the weight room,” Coleman said.
Senior Jake Ramsey along with the sophomore trio of Andrew Neer, Zach Gookin and Hayden Branch will fill out the offensive line.
Defensively, leading tackler Zao Shatto returns after pulling down 60 total tackles last year on his way to honorable mention all-conference honors as an athlete. Shatto is also a soccer player for the Hornets.
Sophomore Aiden Myers missed his freshman season due to injury, but will be looked to for big contributions at linebacker as a sophomore.
“We noticed him from the get-go from the first day he stepped on Hillcrest. He just makes tackles,” Coleman said. “He is smart and understands how to make tackles.”
Zander Rodgers will also see time at linebacker.
Up front, Gage Sisco earned honorable mention all-conference honors at defensive end as a sophomore.
“He came on late last year,” Coleman said. “He is a handful out there. He shines getting tackles for a loss and sacks.”
Cornerbacks ZayKwon Henderson and Cooper Huett will be in the secondary.
Speed will be a strength for the Hillcrest defense.
“They will fly around and have fun,” Coleman said. “That is the good thing about defense; as long as you are going 100-percent, good things happen. Don’t get caught trying to over think or over do something. It is pretty simple; the guy with the ball needs to be tackled and we need 11 people around that guy. If we keep that in mind with everything we are doing then it will all take care of itself.”
Hillcrest is hoping to build off the strong finish to last season.
“It gave us assurance that we were heading the right direction,” Coleman said. “Last year, if it could go wrong injury-wise, it did. We had serious injuries. Multiple kids weren’t able to come back. Some were able to come back, but they weren’t the same. Or when they did come back they lost most of the season. It put a lot of people in bad spots.”
Hillcrest will open the season on Aug. 26 at Kickapoo.
