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2C Enterprise-Leader Wednesday, August 24, 2022 2 0 2 2 F o o t b a l l P r e v i e w MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER Farmington's varsity football team looks for its third straight playoff berth as a Class 5A school in 2022. A revised 5A West Conference schedule pits the Cardinals against Alma, Clarksville, Dardanelle, Harrison, Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, and Shiloh Christian, which reduces travel from previous seasons. The Cardinals return a core nucleus of athletes determined to go beyond merely reaching the playoffs. FARMINGTON — The 5A West changed dramatically from 2021 with former 4A-1 foes, Prairie Grove and Shiloh Christian, coming into the conference along with Dardanelle, which was a 4A-4 school last year. Holdovers, Alma, Clarksville, Harrison and Pea Ridge, round out the schedule. Greenbrier went up to 6A and the Cardinals will play the Panthers in a nonconference road game in week zero on Aug. 26. Springdale, the only noncon- ference opponent retained from 2021 is on the schedule for Sept. 2 with another 7A West team, Rogers, on tap for Sept. 9. "It's a really good conference and that's what we hope for. We want to be a playoff team and play deep into the playoffs so we want that competition," said second year Farmington head football coach J.R. Eldridge. OFFENSE Quarterback Junior Cameron Vanzant (6-1, 165) earned the starting quarterback position as a sophomore. He completed 164-of- 257 passes for 2,168 yards with a touch- down to interception ratio of 27-to-8. He's matured physically and as an on-the-field leader. Now that Vanzant is a junior more of his classmates are finding their way into the lineup giving him more famil- iarity with the personnel than last season. "He's grown physically in our weight program, but he's also grown I feel like as a leader for our football team and what he's able to do in a football game," Eldridge said. The backup, sophomore Luke Elsik (5-10, 156), started at ninth grade quarter- back last year, and will play some other positions including runningback and slot receiver. Junior Brayden Penne (5-10, 168) is third on the depth chart. Runningbacks Workhorse tailback Caden Elsik gradu- ated as did his main backup Kanye Taylor, but that won't phase the Cardinals with Luke Elsik starting and capable senior Trey Moser (6-1, 205) ready to tote the pigskin along with sophomore Russell Hodge (5-10, 180), who had a good ninth grade year. "We're a developmental program so what we're trying to do is we're trying to develop kids from the time they're in seventh grade all the way to the time they're a senior in high school and so last year we were really able to work with Luke Elsik. He knows our offense, not only from the cat position which is our runningback, but also from the quarter- back position," Eldridge said. Receivers Seniors Peyton Funk (6-0, 180) and Lawson DeVault (5-10, 172) return coming off very productive junior seasons at wide receiver. Funk caught 38 passes for 645 yards and 7 touchdowns averaging 17-yards-per-catch while DeVault caught 33 passes for 375 yards and two scores averaging 11.4-yards-per-catch during his junior season. "I'm telling you I'm really excited about Payton Funk and just the way that he was worked this offseason, the way that he catches the football, the way that he runs his routes, the way that he blocks on the perimeter. We've got Lawson DeVault, who made a ton of plays for us last year. He'll also make plays for us this year, just an explosive, dynamic player with the ball and without the ball," Eldridge said. Juniors Hunter Reaves (6-1, 167) and Jagger Gordon (6-0, 170) did the job in training camp along with sophomore Brandon Clark (5-7, 140). "I'm just looking forward to those guys being able to produce for us," Eldridge said. Tight End Three year starter Chase Brown grad- uated, but Eldridge doesn't expect the Cardinals to skip a beat. "We've got some guys who can put their hand down and do some of the things that Chase could do. Chase was a real versatile player for us. Michael Jernigan (5-10, 192), he's done a great job for us, and then of course, Gabe Burfitt (5-11, 180) did a great job for us last year both with his hand down and also playing our dog position, which is our fullback/ H-back type guy. Then we've got a soph- omore Hayden Bentley (5-10, 180), who's really come on in the training camp as well so we feel that we're going to be able to use those guys this year," Eldridge said. Offensive Line Junior center Hunter Marshall (5-9, 255) started as a sophomore and senior Riley Lockard (5-10, 255) returns at left guard. By Mark Humphrey ENTERPRISE-LEADER FARMINGTON 2022 VARSITY FOOTBALL PREVIEW Cardinals Replace Grads, Tune Up For Season SEE FarMiNgtON PAgE 4C