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2020 Football Preview 14C n Wednesday, August 26, 2020 Herald-Leader/Westside Eagle Observer 2020 Decatur Bulldogs football preview By Mike Eckels Staff Writer n meckels@nwadg.com DECATUR — The Decatur Bulldogs begins their third season in the grow- ing eight-man football league in 2020. But the team will have an entirely new coaching staff this season starting with the addition of Grant Hutson, who is celebrating his first head coaching position. Hutson is no stranger to the Decatur program. His father Bryan began his head coaching career in Decatur as well as having coached the Bulldogs to a 6-4 season in the 1AA in 1998. Grant Hutson received his degree at Arkansas Tech University in Rus - sellville and continued to work on his master of arts degree in teaching — special education. This program allowed him to teach while still doing course work at ATU. Hutson was unable to hold a head coaching position, but he could vol - unteer as an assistant while finishing up his master's degree program. But Hutson had a very unique opportunity to learn coaching high school football from a master, and he took full advan - tage of that experience. "My coaching experience was lim- ited to the school where my father coached at the time," Hutson said. "My father helped build my relationship to the sport of football." Now Hutson has his chance to follow in his father's footsteps and build his own piece of the Decatur Bulldog foot - ball legacy and build his own signature coaching style. "From my experience, I tend to coach with the players that I have," Hutson stated. "I've been able to adapt to a very fast team that could be spread out or a larger team with big linemen that can line up in the middle and just pound the ball. It depends on what fits the players that I have." In late 2017, Decatur and Her - mitage coaches and administrators approached the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA), the governing body for all state sports and activities, about forming an eight-man football confer - ence similar to the ones in Oklahoma and Kansas. Both schools fought for years to maintain enough players to stay in the 11-man conference but were in danger of cancellation due to low numbers. At first the AAA would not even con - sider the new league, but the coaches continued the pressure and with the help of three other teams, Augusta, Woodlawn, and Little Rock Episcopal, the AAA agreed to try the new unsanc - tioned eight-man football league. Just before the start of the first season a sixth team, Arkansas School for the Deaf, signed on. The next season saw the addition of Brinkley, Western Yell County and Trin - ity Christian bringing the league up to eight. Seeing the success of the league, more teams began signing on for the 2020 season and now the league is up to 19. It has grown so big that the AAA split the state in half with Little Rock being the center point. Now the Bull - dogs will not have to travel to the other end of the state with the formation of the western conference which includes Abundant Life, Marshall, Spring Hill, Subiaco Academy plus veteran teams like Western Yell County and Episcopal will join Decatur this season. The top team in each conference will play each other for the number one eight-man football spot. Hutson will be joined by J.C. Dorsey who will serve as the defensive coor - dinator and Daniel Meyer who will be the Bulldogs' line coach. Together they will take the talent from 2019 and build on its strengths to create an exciting season for Bulldog fans. Hutson inherits a work in progress from former coach James Ortiz. The Bulldogs return six seniors this season including quarterback Bryson Funk who has been a member since the seventh grade. Funk has the ability to think quickly under pressure and has both the arm to pass with and the speed to make running quarterback sneaks and even transition to a run - ning back if needed. Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS A pack of angry Bulldogs led by Bryson Funk works together to bring down its prey, in this case the Wildcat quarterback, during the Sept. 14, 2019, Deca- tur-Episcopal eight-man football contest at Bulldog Stadium in Decatur. The Bulldogs will square-off against eight new opponents during the 2020 eight-man Western conference football showdown. Carlos Hernandez Senior Carlos Perez Senior Bryson Funk Senior Demian Merworth Senior Decatur Bulldogs 2020 schedule Date Opponent Time Aug. 28 at Watts 7 p.m. Sept. 11 Marshall 7:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at Spring Hill 7 p.m. Sept. 25 Western Yell 7 p.m. Oct. 9 Subiaco Academy 7 p.m. Oct. 16 Trinity 7 p.m. Oct. 23 at Episcopal 7 p.m. Oct. 30 Playoffs 7 p.m. Nov. 6 Championship 7 p.m. Grant Hutson Head Coach See DECATUR on Page 15C