Junior Tigers Wield Experience

PRAIRIE GROVE JUNIOR HIGH FOOTBALL PREVIEW

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER/The junior Tiger football team reloads for another chance at a conference championship.
MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER/The junior Tiger football team reloads for another chance at a conference championship.

PRAIRIE GROVE -- Numbers are back up to normal with 50 kids out for Prairie Grove junior high football after going last season with 38, the smallest number the junior Tigers have had.

Prairie Grove head junior high coach John Elder has a seasoned group of freshmen, many who earned their Tiger stripes last year. The school gave the program a boost in recent years with the hiring of assistant coaches Mason Pinkley and Nik Paroubek, whose devotion as an unpaid volunteer was rewarded with a coaching contract over the summer. The junior Tigers have starters returning at virtually every position except quarterback and if they jell quickly, should contend for a conference championship.

OFFENSE

Quarterback

Ninth-grader Miles Castleman starts after playing a backup role last year. He has good skills for his age group, having played quarterback for awhile. Elder said he throws and runs OK and does a good job.

"He's got some speed to him, he's sort of shifty when he runs. He can make you miss him," Elder said. "He's got a good, strong arm. He's working on his touch, trying to get a little better touch on the ball."

Back-up Knox Laird is the son of assistant coach Craig Laird. Typical of a coach's son, Knox Laird is super smart, intelligent and knows the offense.

Eighth-grader Paytin Higgins loves football. A good athlete with a good arm, coaches think he's going to be pretty good, but just needs experience.

Runningbacks

Halfback Cade Grant is the nephew of Bentonville head coach, Jody Grant, who once taught P.E. at Lincoln Junior High. Grant missed games due to injury last year, but came back strong in the season finale against Lincoln.

"He's looking good right now," Elder said. "He's got some good speed. He's been running the ball since pee wee. He does a good job. He knows when to find the hole."

Back-up halfback David Hall is new at the position as a ninth-grader. Coaches like his strength, speed and blocking. Eighth-grader Cooper Singleton has some speed. Like Hall, he is learning his role.

"He's learning football pretty much," Elder said.

As an eighth-grader, Foster Layman lined up at different positions. He moved around, playing some fullback, some wingback as coaches tried to see where he fit in best. As a seventh-grader, Layman played both halfback and wingback. Now a ninth-grader, Layman is expected to become a big contributor as one of the fastest and strongest kids on the team. Elder likes his progress over the past year settling into fullback.

"He's starting to learn the position a lot better," Elder said. "He finds holes better. He looks a lot better running the ball this year."

Back-up fullback Cade Walker is a ninth-grader. Eighth-graders Jake Bone and Collin Faulk provide depth.

Wingback Ethan Beason is quick. The ninth-grader is tough to tackle when he gets the ball. Classmate Cole Williams also plays wingback.

"He's pretty quick, too," Elder said. "He's kind of new, learning the offense and doing stuff."

Receivers

Ninth-graders Jackson Sorters and Mason Tucker man the wide receiver spots. Elder said Sorters has great hands and is the best route-runner on the squad. Hard-working Tucker catches the ball well and has good speed. Two more ninth-graders Nick Shrum and Isaac Morrow could contribute.

Tight End

The junior Tigers have a platoon at tight end. Ninth-grader Josh Weber started last season. Knox Laird also plays tight end. Freshman Trevor Pierce and Tristan Hamrick figure in the picture as do eighth-graders Evan Foster and Asher Sam.

Offensive line

Tall ninth-grader Gunner Caudale is one of Prairie Grove's bigger players in junior high. He starts at center. Classmate Seth Vaughn is his back-up, along with eighth-grader Tavon Horton.

The junior Tigers are deep at left guard. Ninth-grader Alex Kivrik started at guard last year. Kivrik works hard. Elder calls him a "heads-up football player," who is getting better. Kaige Adams and eighth-graders John King and Jacob London make the spot four deep. Adams played back-up center in eighth-grade. Coaches praised him for working hard and hustling last year.

Left tackle is also four-deep with freshmen, Larry Hankins, Jacob Williams, Jordan Byasse and Cameron Coffey.

At right tackle big boy Levi Bradley matches his size with hard work. Eighth-grader Connor Brunson is the back-up.

Five players vie for playing time at right guard, including four freshmen: Kennan Davis, Carter Scates, Dallas Meyer and Ross Williams. Eighth-grader James Smith is also in the mix.

DEFENSE

Defensive line

Prairie Grove junior high defensive coordinator Mason Pinkley rotated four eighth-grade defensive ends last year. Two guys, who were in that mix, Alex Kivrik and David Hall, are the starters.

Kivrik is fast and flies to the ball. Paroubek noted last season, Kivrik's pursuit. He would run after plays and chase the football. Cameron Coffey is the back-up. Hall has also been described as "a run and chase guy." Last year the coaches allowed him to roam.

"We just kind of turned him loose and let him play," Pinkley said.

Ninth-grader Gunnar Caudale slides from defensive end to defensive tackle and will likely play at either position.

"He's all-around, probably our best defensive lineman," Pinkley said.

Caudale plays aggressive and has a good-sized body. Elder said he looked like a ninth-grader last year.

Kaige Adams is a returning starter at defensive tackle.

Linebackers

"Two freshmen (Mason Tucker and Cade Walker) are splitting time at outside linebacker until one takes the job for real," Pinkley said.

The junior Tigers have the same situation at inside linebacker with four players: Jackson Sorters, Knox Laird, Carter Scales and Kennan Davis, vying for two spots.

"They're all pretty even, we're just waiting for somebody to elevate themselves above the rest," Pinkley said.

The "Rover" hybrid linebacker/safety position features another returning starter, Foster Layman.

"He's the best athlete on the field," Pinkley said.

Cooper Singleton provides depth at rover.

Defensive backs

Tall and rangy ninth-grader Cade Grant is a returning starter at free safety. Coaches like the way Grant wraps up, reminiscent of Dallas Cowboy All-Pro tandem of the late 70s and early 80s, Cliff Harris and Charlie Waters, who teamed to constantly provide run support. They disguised their packages. One would cover for the other, freeing a safety to come up to make tackles against the run.

"He's a really solid tackler from the safety spot," Pinkley said. "He's good at getting people on the ground in a hurry."

Paytin Higgins gives the junior Tigers depth at free safety.

Early in August, the staff wasn't sure where in the secondary each defensive back was going to play with players shuffling positions different from 2016. Miles Castleman is penciled in at cornerback, moving from rover last year. Ethan Beason could be the other cornerback. Beason played free safety as an eighth-grader.

"They made the transition in January," Pinkley said. "Even though they're new to that position, they did it all offseason long and throughout the summer."

Nick Shrum and Isaac Morrow are the backups.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Elder said Josh Weber will handle punting and also does some place-kicking.

"Paytin Higgins is another one, who could help in the punting/kicking realm," Elder said.

OVERVIEW

"Overall, we should be pretty decent," Pinkley said. "We have speed on the edges for sure, and at both safety positions and experience. We have a pretty athletic defensive line. I don't know so much it's a weakness as it is unsure areas - where we have those position battles going on at inside linebacker and outside linebacker."

As for teams to beat in the conference, Pinkley recalls Lincoln's ninth-grade class went 9-1 as seventh-graders. Prairie Grove was the only team to beat them. He said Shiloh Christian was a little scary last year.

"They are kind of in the same boat as us," Pinkley said. "They played a lot of eighth-graders last year. They've got a lot of experienced kids coming back."

Sports on 08/23/2017