Dragons spark county rookies

Over the last several years, Union County schools have celebrated a number of championships on the gridiron.

Although local teams fell short of winning a state crown in 2015, the building blocks are in place for Union County schools to be playing into December in future seasons.

Junction City makes the move to the 3A ranks this fall, and the Dragons have a strong group of sophomores to help ease the transition.

In addition to Jalen Davis, the Dragons had a plethora of sophomores that saw significant playing time in 2015.

Terrell Gibson made an immediate impact at linebacker for the Dragons, registering 126 tackles, including 13 for a loss.

“He has a lot of potential,” said Junction City coach David Carpenter. “He has size, decent speed, and like all the young players, he needs more strength and he’s going to get it. There are a lot of good things that are going to come his way. He did a good job, and we’re looking for more from him in the future.”

Heading into the season, the coaching staff wasn’t sure what they had in lineman Brock McDougan, but the sophomore had a solid campaign with 54 tackles, including five for a loss. He had three sacks and recovered a fumble. “He’s a sophomore who we didn’t know if he’d be able to do anything or not this season,” Carpenter said. “We didn’t know if he’d be a part time player and get in during different situations. But he kept improving.

“When he got in the game, he’d do his job. He just kept working and improving and he took his play to a level we didn’t know he had in him. We’re proud of him and we hope he continues to improve. We’re looking for a lot out of him.”

Two players who made an impact in the secondary were Hishmma Taylor and Tykeon Hollidy.

Taylor had 74 tackles, including seven for a loss with one fumble recovery, while Hollidy was a steady two-way player.

Overall, Hollidy caught seven passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns while adding 11 tackles on defense.

“Both have a lot of promise, good speed and do not mind contact,” Carpenter said. “They will be used in all three areas of the game. They cover very well on special teams.”

Smackover has been loaded with talented upperclassmen in recent years, but after a run to the state finals in 2014 and the semifinals last year, several younger players will be counted on to continue the Bucks’ success in 2016.

The Bucks have had several two-way standouts in recent years, and they have another in Tyrek Rucks.

The sophomore had 218 yards rushing on 31 carries, but he was also a threat as a receiver, finishing with 13 catches for 101 yards with three of his five total touchdowns coming through the air.

On the defensive line, Rucks had 75 tackles and one fumble recovery.

“Tyrek is very physical,” said Smackover coach Brian Strickland. “He has good size. He runs hard, but he also throws key blocks. He did a good job blowing holes open. As a defensive end, he made plays. Teams started running from him because he made plays all over the field.”

With Jordan Jones occupying the attention of opposing secondaries, sophomore Corbin Lee had an opportunity to make defenses pay, and he did just that.

Lee caught 12 passes for 291 yards and five touchdowns while adding 105 yards and two scores on the ground on just six carries.

“When teams tried to double cover Jordan, that gave Corbin an opportunity for one-on-one matchups,” Lee said. “He had a good year for us. He ran good routes. He had big runs on reverses, scored some touchdowns. People will see a lot of good things from him.”

Like Rucks, sophomore Demarious White delivered solid play on both sides of the ball.

White caught three passes for 61 yards with all of his receptions going for touchdowns. He also had 186 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. On defense, White had 53 tackles.

“He’s tough and got better every game,” Strickland said. “He did a good job for us. We even dropped him down on the D-line some. Demarious did a good job.” Another sophomore who earned plenty of playing time was D.J. Lewis.

A member of Smackover’s secondary, Lewis had 68 tackles.

“He played corner for us,” Strickland said. “He helped stop the run and did a good job in pass coverage for us. He seemed to always be at the right place at the right time and had a good year.” After a one-year hiatus, Strong returned to the playoffs in 2015, and there could be more in the future thanks to a solid trio of sophomores.

Dez Newton made his presence felt by being named All-Conference Second Team thanks to leading the Bulldogs in tackles with 88 while returning three interceptions for touchdowns.

“He is just a football player,” said Strong coach Craig O’Neal. “Dez stepped in as a sophomore and really showed that’s he’s the real deal. He’s one of those players who makes big plays in big games. He has great work ethic and a great attitude. Any coach would want a player like Dez on his team.”

The future of Strong’s offensive line is bright thanks to Tyrese Rogers and Trey Smith.

Rogers, who started every game at center, also played on defense while serving as the team’s deep snapper and kicker.

“He did an outstanding job at center,” O’Neal said. “He was a major contributor on defense as well, stepping in at defensive end several times.”

Like Rogers, Smith played a variety of roles for the Bulldogs.

“Trey was a very consistent player for us this year,” O’Neal said. “He always prepared himself for games well and was always ready in whatever role we needed him to fill in for us this year. He will be a big part of our offensive line for the next two years.”

Parkers Chapel reached the playoffs for the third straight season, and a big reason why was the play of sophomore Canon Morgan. He made an immediate impact by returning an interception for a touchdown to seal a win at Magnet Cove, and he also capped the Trojans’ overtime win at Bearden with another interception.

Morgan finished with five interceptions and 32 tackles with four going for a loss. He forced two fumbles and recovered one.

“Canon had an outstanding rookie season,” said Parkers Chapel coach James Housdan. “He has a great instinct to play the ball. Canon led the team in interceptions with five. He had the pick-six against Magnet Cove to help seal the win. He had the pick in the end zone to win the game against Bearden in overtime. Canon made some big plays offensively. He had multiple explosive plays that set up scoring drives.

“Canon is a great athlete that can play multiple positions for us next year. He could line up as a quarterback for us. Canon has a strong arm and can make plays running the ball. He can also make plays as a receiver. He can jump and go get the ball. He catches well in space also.

“Defensively, he will continue to play the safety spot and excel in that capacity as he gains more experience. Canon also will continue to be a part of the special teams.”