By RANDY CAVIN
Press Sports
Greenfield Middle School head coach Hal Blackman hopes to take his team to the Reelfoot Conference championship in 2012 after finishing as runner-up in 2011 with a 5-3 record.
But to do that, he is going to have to replace LaTrea McMullen, who is going to be home-schooled in 2012. Blackman will replace McMullen with eighth-grader Dusty Irby at running back and linebacker.
“He won’t be as strong as LaTrae was going to be, but we have to do what we have to do,” Blackman said. “Weakley County rules says if you are home-schooled, you cannot play sports. We hate to lose him.”
The Yellowjackets still have a lot of replacing to do from last year’s squad. Blackman said 2012 is definitely a rebuilding year for the ’Jackets. He will have very few from last year’s starters who will be back for this season.
Returning starters in 2012 will be eighth-grade right guard and linebacker Jacob Roney. Truman Greub, an eighth-grade wide-out and cornerback will returning to his starting role. Will Northcutt, an eighth-grader who played wide receiver last season, will be the starting quarterback for this season.
Irby will share the running back position with several other players who Blackman hopes can move the ball downfield. Seventh-grader, A.J. Street and eighth-grader Jacob Lewis, who will be playing football for the first time, will be the other running backs. Preston Adams, a seventh-grader, will also see some playing time in the backfield.
The tight end position will be manned by eighth-grader, Kody Mealer and seventh-grader Levi Dees.
Protecting Northcutt and opening the running lanes will be eighth-grade center, Chayton McGill. Roney will be the right guard and at left guard will be either Northcutt or seventh-grader, John Box. Seventh-grader, Payton Cooper, will one of the tackles along with another seventh-grader Andrew Cole.
All of the players on the offensive line will also be on the defensive line. Roney will be one of the starting linebackers. Joining him will be Lewis and seventh-grader Nicolas Mitchell. Irby will also have his share of playing time behind the defensive line.
The secondary will have Greub, Street, Northcutt and Adams.
Blackman will be counting on Irby, Roney, Northcutt, Greub, McGill and Mealer to be his key players this season.
“They are my eighth-graders,” Blackman said. “I do not have many eighth-graders, but I have got some good ones. I have got seven on the team. That is a small number. Usually I have 10 or better on the team. Last year, half of my team was eighth-graders. That is why this year is a rebuilding.”
Blackman will have to rely on his seventh- and sixth-graders this season if his ’Jackets are going to make a run at dethroning Dresden. He will be counting on them to learn from his small class of eighth-graders and to play well this season.
“It is just how well these seventh- and eighth-graders can stay in there and play,” Blackman said. “We have had success in the past this way. We usually win more than we lose so we hope that will be the case this year.” Published in The WCP 8.14.12