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2020 Football Preview Wednesday, August 26, 2020 n 21C Herald-Leader/Westside Eagle Observer spot, and Bryson Walker also will start at an outside linebacker position. Ev- ans also will contribute at an outside linebacker position. In the secondary, Corter and fellow sophomore Tyler Hays man corner- back positions. Hays also is a backup quarterback and wide receiver on offense. On the other side, the Pioneers are working several different players in- cluding senior Isaiah Lopez, Dawson Rayburn and Braedon Warren. Dillon Jaranagan plays some defen- sive back. The Pioneers can play Zach Jaranagan in the defensive secondary on a limited basis but they want to limit his time there because of his role at quarterback. Zach Jarnagan had 62 tackles and saw interceptions in 2019. "That's the only player on the field it's hard to replace," Bigham said. "He will play some defense, but it will be in situations where we need him as opposed to every play." GENTRY Continued from Page 13C Randy Moll/Westside Eagle Observer Gentry junior Zach Jarnagan hands off the ball to junior Jonah Summers during football practice at the high school on Aug. 6. Jarnagan is a likely candidate for starting quarterback on this year's Pioneer football team, and Summers a running back. shorthanded. Their hands were tied. My hands were tied. That's small-town America. You wear a lot of hats and fill in where you have to." Ward, who is also junior high head coach, will be assisted by Thomas Yea- ger. He also said J.J. Johnson will return as a volunteer coach. Numbers were a concern for the 8-man football Engineers in the sum- mer time. "We were thinking it was going to be slim," Ward said. "We were teetering between 12 and 13 and then you look at some of them and wonder are they going to pan out?" Those concerns were alleviated some when 18 showed up for football practice on the first day of school on Aug. 17, and the roster might even get bigger from there. "Every year you have kids say they're going to play and sometimes it doesn't pan out," Ward said. "They actually did come on out. The numbers swelled." Watts had a bigger group of upper classmen, but a small school of fresh - man and sophomores, Ward said. "Next year we'll have some eighth-graders that will come up and help," he said. Watts has some returning players from last year's 8-3 team. "We're definitely going to rely on our returning guys heavily, but some kids coming up will have to be able to help us," he said. Watts will look a bit differently on offense than they have the last several years. "We're not going to be able to line up and run over people," Ward said. "It's hard to replace an Aaron Mitchell and Donovan Hammer and those big, fast, strong kids. We've got to look at our personnel and adjust to what you think you can be successful at." The Engineers will lean on senior Kenny Tush in the backfield at running back. Sophomore Ethan Parsley got some time playing quarterback last year as a freshman and could play there again. Watts will lean on its senior offensive line in Bryce Thompson, Andy Lee and Adrian Mendoza. Lee played center while Thompson and Mendoza played guards. Tye Whaler played mostly on de - fense but could play in the backfield. Christian Sulletuskee played some tight end but saw most of his action on defense. Draven King and Chance Winning- ham are two juniors that are athletic kids that could help on the outside. Senior Lane Winningham, Chance Winningham's older brother, played as a freshman but hasn't played since then. Senior Colby Dale also is an ath- letic prospect, Ward said. Defensively, the Engineers missed Thompson last season when he broke his hand, but he should return to a defensive line spot. Mendoza also played on the defen- sive line. Watts is hoping Tush, Whaler and Sulletuskee can take care of the defen- sive backfield. Ward hopes some of the newcomers could step up and play linebacker. "It's hard to really tell with some of these new kids coming out what they're going to do until they get the pads on," Ward said. "It's going to be a little different. Not necessarily because Matt's gone. We just can't line up and do some of the things in the past." Ward said the attitude and effort have been good so far. "They seem to be bought in," he said. "I was a little bit worried with all the craziness they wouldn't be as bought in. The first few practices we've had they seem to be working hard and ready to make the most of our season. I told them first day we met that we could get shut down due to covid, but some of the season is better than none so let's get to work. Let's make the most of the situation." WATTS Continued from Page 20C T hey seem to be bought in. I was a little bit worried with all the craziness they wouldn't be as bought in. The first few practices we've had they seem to be working hard and ready to make the most of our season. I told them first day we met that we could get shut down due to covid, but some of the season is better than none so let's get to work. Let's make the most of the situation." Doug Ward Coach