HUBBARD — —
The Hubbard Jaguars go into their season with a new starting quarterback. It’s the unknown every coach frets about, unless you’re Jags coach Craig Horn.
Cole Hill was the most reliable player nobody talked about last year in the Golden Circle. A good player. A great leader. A player a coach worries about losing.
Not in Hubbard. The Jaguars have all the confidence in the world in new QB1 Casen Martin. And why not? He’s been a successful player in a variety of sports. He’ll be fine.
The bigger worry — and really with Horn there never are any — is replacing three offensive linemen. But to hear the Jaguar players left over, they’ll be better for it.
They believe they’ll open up enough holes for All-Golden Circle running back Bradley Walker to rush for his stated goal of 2,500 yards.
“We’ll probably be better,” Hubbard senior Jesse Cummings said. “Our new guys are stronger and faster.”
The Jaguars will go on without Austin McClinton, Shelby Schoeneberg and Dae Dae Williams, either because of graduation or because they’re no longer in the program. That’s a lot of size leaving the program.
In their place will be guys like 200-pound sophomore Chris Reid. Junior Hudson Alderman checks in at tight end at 225 pounds. Another junior, Kenyon Mathis, weighs 225 pounds.
There are still some big kids — senior Kez Williams and junior Dustin Simpson are both listed at 270 pounds. For the most part, the Jaguars will be leaner and quicker up front.
Horn, in between blowing his whistle during agility drills Thursday, said he loves it.
“We’re going from guys that were 280 to 230,” Horn said. “But at the Class A level that’s still plenty big enough.”
McClinton, who is going to Baylor now as a student and hanging around two-a-days learning the tricks of the trade in coaching, said the Jaguars offensive line and offense overall will be just fine.
Alderman, who plays at defensive end as well as tight end, said all the line can do is “get it done.”
“We’ve got enough big guys,” he said. “We’ve got smart guys. Jesse, Chris and I will help guys out.”
Horn is even more direct. He watches the agility drills and points out how athletic the Jaguars are. He points to replacing the 300-pound plus Dae Dae Williams and says the Jaguars will be better at that position with Ben Freeman taking his place.
“We’ll actually have someone get out there and throw a block,” Horn said, “Instead of just standing out there.”
Vintage Horn.
It’s a confident group. Confident enough to state to a man that Walker will get his 2,500 yards.
“Look at us,” Mathis said. “We’re working harder and we’re practicing harder. We’ll get there.”
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Hubbard coach Craig Horn said Thursday who thinks the Jaguars' offensive line will be as good as last year's playoff group.
Discussion
TW summer two-a-days football tour: Jags confident in QB
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