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DECATUR — The transition to eight- man football was a successful one for the Decatur Bulldogs in 2018. Decatur was one of a handful of teams that made the move last year in an effort to keep playing football at the varsity level despite having low numbers. The eight-man teams were not sanctioned by the Arkansas Activities Association but the belief is that it is only a matter of time as the organiza - tion completes its current 2018-2020 cycle this year. "We're not going to see as many eight-man teams in Arkansas right now, but starting next year you're going to see a lot more schools jump in," said Decatur coach James Ortiz, who guided the Bulldogs through the first eight-man season. "To me eight- man football is going to start taking off more and more every two years for every cycle. The AAA is going to back it and we'll have championships and playoffs and more and more (teams) will join in." Decatur finished the 2018 season with a 2-7 record with victories over Hermitage and the Arkansas School for the Deaf. Ortiz said adjusting to the eight-man game took some time. "There's little nuances in eight-man that you don't just pick up right off the bat," Ortiz said. "We learned some of the things the hard way last year. I think we're going to be a little more prepared this year. We'll learn from our mistakes. I think our team will be more prepared and know what to expect." Ortiz said the Bulldogs had good participation during summer work - outs. "We had eight to 12 kids show up every single time during the summer," Ortiz said. "We have a good idea of who we want to put in each position. The main thing is being able to have someone step in as a backup and who can we shuffle around and who can we put in to play another position?" The Bulldogs will want to be physical and senior offensive lineman Javier Pe - rez (5-9, 280) will be a big part of that, Ortiz said. "He's the strongest kid on our team," Ortiz said of Perez, who will play offen- sive tackle and defensive end. "He has great feet and good speed. He's being looked at right now by a couple of colleges, Division II schools that have shown a little bit of interest. He's strong as anything." Junior quarterback Bryson Funk is penciled in as the team's starting quar- terback after missing most of the last year with an injury. "He's back and he is a great athlete and has a great arm," Ortiz said. "He's another kid that's smart and has a good attitude." Senior Sam Philpott will be the Bull- dogs' backup quarterback and starting running back. He missed all of last season because of a torn ACL. "(Philpott) missed maybe two work- outs the entire summer," Ortiz said. "He's been here the most. He'll look more like a slot back but he's a running back. He'll also play free safety on de- fense." Junior Carlos Hernandez is back from last year's team. He missed a lot Proven Leadership for a Better Arkansas It takes a team effort for a winning season but a solo decision to give it your all. Here's hoping for a championship trophy! See DECATUR on Page 17C 2019 Football Preview Wednesday, August 28, 2019 n 15C Herald-Leader/Westside Eagle Observer Bulldogs move into year two of eight-man By Graham Thomas Staff Writer n gthomas@nwadg.com Graham Thomas/Herald-Leader The Decatur Bulldogs open the 2019 season Aug. 30 at home against Watts (Okla.).