Page 3 - 2016 Football

El Dorado
Linebackers anchor Wildcats’ 4-3 alignment
By Tony Burns
Sports Editor
EL DORADO – New El Dorado coordinator and line- backers coach Justin Wylie moved from West Memphis to join the Wildcats. Johnathan Hall and Mon-Trae Marshall probably didn’t unload any boxes but their experience should make the move across state a little bit easier.
Wylie welcomed two-thirds of last year’s starting lineback- ing crew, which should play a vital role for this year’s Wildcat defense.
Marshall and Hall are joined by Corey Cox in the middle of El Dorado’s 4-3 alignment with sophomores Caleb Scott and Zac Donahue and senior Josh Perry pushing for playing time.
Despite the returning start- ers, Wylie said nothing is etched in stone as far as Friday night’s lineup.
“I think we do a good job of pushing each other in practice. I want them to compete every day,” said Wylie. “I don’t want the starters to think, ‘well, I’ve got this locked down.’ We get those younger guys in there and give them a lot of reps. And, we’re not going to be afraid to put them in the game. If somebody goes down or if somebody is not getting the job done, we’ll put somebody in there and we’ll be fine.”
Marshall, a junior, returns at middle linebacker. As a soph- omore, he was second on the team with 126 total tackles.
“I expect a big year out of him, I really do. I expect him
to make a lot of plays and hold down the middle of the defense and be the quarterback of the defense at mike linebacker,” said Wylie. “He’s really instinc- tive. He has a nose for the foot- ball. He’s done some hard work to improve some little stuff, some technicality things that I’ve seen in practice. Hopefully, that’ll make him better. But, he’s got to keep working hard.”
The coach said having a returning starter at middle linebacker makes his job a lit- tle easier.
“The more experience there, the more comfortable I am because he sees things. He’s another coach on the field,” he said. “He got a lot of valuable experience as a sophomore and that’s going to lead him going into his junior year. There’s still some things he hasn’t seen. But, there’s a lot of stuff he has seen already. Anytime you’ve got somebody who got that kind of experience as a sopho- more, it’s a good thing.”
Hall, who recorded 99 tack- les with two sacks last season, handles the weakside lineback- er spot. He had a couple of interceptions during the pre- season practices.
“He’s looking really good. I expect him to have a big year,” said Wylie. “I’ve never seen him not have a smile on his face. He loves playing the game. He’s out there non-stop. He’ll play as hard as he can as long as he’s out there. I expect him to have a big year.”
Cox, who saw action as a reserve last season, will play at
Terranace Armstard/News-Times
Linebackers: El Dorado’s linebackers include, front from left, Austin Alexander, Johnathan Hall, Mon-Trae Marshall and Caleb Scott. Back row, Zac Donahue, Josh Perry, Coach Justin Wylie and Cobbie Robinson.
the strongside linebacker posi- tion.
“Corey closes on the ball extremely well,” said Wylie. “That’s one of the first things I noticed about him my first few days here. How he will explode across the field when he rec- ognizes what’s going on. He’s very good in pass coverage for a linebacker. He’s another one that has a great attitude.
“Corey flies to the ball. I think he may be faster in pads than he is without ‘em. He’s that type of player when he
puts the pads on.”
Perry, a special teams bandit,
had 10 tackles in a reserve role last season.
“He brings senior experi- ence. He’s seen a lot. He’ll be in there when we need him,” said Wylie, who said sopho- mores Scott and Donahue have impressed this summer.
“They’re still young. But, those two sophomores have a nose for the ball,” he said.” Zac reads it real well. Caleb does, too. Sometimes, Caleb, I have to slow him down because he
reads it so fast. But, those guys, we’ll spot-play ‘em occasional- ly and I’m not nervous if I have to put them in.”
Overall, El Dorado’s lineback- ers will relay on speed rather than bulk. Wylie expects them to be able to cover in the pass- ing game. But, he believes they will be able to stand up against the running teams, too.
“They’re not huge but they’re strong,” he said with a smile. “They’re good tacklers.”
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