By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Bryson Barnes is entering his second season at Salem and it’ll have a significantly new feel with just four starters returning from a 2-7 team.
Four of those losses came by one possession suggesting that Salem was far more impressive than their record indicated. The Tigers will look to take a step forward in Barnes’ second season.
“We feel like we were much better than our record,” said Barnes. “We battled some adversity with COVID early on and even missed our first game and dealt with some quarantines that affected our team.”
Senior Josh Owen and junior Wyatt Campbell will return as two-way starters.
“Josh was a new addition to our program last year and he was an excellent leader on defense and will also be our tailback this season,” said Barnes. “He is a great athlete in space and can make people miss.
“Has grown quite a bit as a player and teammate and is going to be one of our elite players on both sides of the ball this upcoming season. He got some great experience as a sophomore and we are all very excited as coaches to watch him play this year.”
Salem will miss the experience and talent of Easton May, who will miss the season after tearing his ACL.
Barnes is excited about several newcomers.
Senior Cole Coursen (6-0, 220) will look to lead the offensive line. He’ll be joined by juniors Owen Hamilton (5-9, 275) and Braden Atkinson (6-2, 180).
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“Cole is another player who has been behind some older talent but for his senior year he will be showing all of his abilities,” said Barnes. “He is a player with great lower body strength. He will be a great asset to our offensive line.
“Owen is a new transfer from Kentucky and is a very experienced and smart offensive lineman. He will be one of our leaders upfront on both sides of the ball. Braiden is a very long and athletic player who is quite the track star. He is great in his first three steps off of the line of scrimmage and is going to really help both sides of the ball set edges in the trench.”
Senior tight end Caleb Ingram will give Barnes a physical presence that can help block in the run game but also make plays in the passing game.
“He’s a senior who has been behind others for most of his time at Salem but is going to be able to show us what type of player he is this upcoming season,” said Barnes. “He has been working incredibly hard in the weight room and will be a tight end and corner for us.”
Juniors Kaiden DuBois and Jamal Metcalf will look to establish a connection at quarterback and receiver respectively.
Barnes is excited about the progression of both players.
“This will be Kaiden’s first season starting at QB and has been behind Garrett Connell the past two seasons,” said Barnes. “He is great at being patient when it comes to play development and his throwing mechanics have improved a lot. He will be leading our offense this season and will see a lot of defensive reps this season as well.
“Jamal has really grown into his body over the past season and will be one of our receivers and defensive backs. He is a very physical and smart player and he is ready for his starting role.”
Sophomore Chandler Brakefield will be seeing time at running back and linebacker.
As Barnes enters Year Two he’s still in the process of establishing his culture, something that will apply as much to life as football and something that will be a foundational piece of the program moving forward.
“This upcoming season is a great opportunity for a majority of our team as most of them have not played a varsity down or have had some minimal experience,” said Barnes. “It is going to be great to see them compete and execute Friday nights. It is a great time for us to grow and develop as a program. Our philosophy this year as a team are the 3 F’s.
“Faith. Fight. Finish. Have faith in the program, in your teammates, and yourself. Fight every down, every play, and every rep for our program. You build your resume every day. Finish, finish what we start as a team, and we finish the right way, but never give up and push one another to be successful.”
Salem will visit St. James to open the 2022 season.
