Iola

IOLA BULLDOGS

New coach settling in on fly BamburgsaysBulldogsworkinghardtohandlehissystemsincehetookjobJuly23

By JEFF PERKINS jeffrey.perkins@theeagle.com

Any time a football team goes through a coaching change, there’s a transition period. For Iola and new head coach Kerry Bamburg, it’s been more of a whirlwind.

Bamburg officially took the Iola job on July 23, less thantwo weeks beforeUILsanctioned practices startedinearlyAugustwhenthe former Aldine Eisenhower coachfirstwasabletogetto know his team.

“I’m stil l learning names,” Bamburg joked. “I’m trying to put names with numbers and faces, so I’m still learning that. Some of these kids I only met a week ago. It says a lot about the coaches that were here before me and the ones still here. They kept the program going. I was the last guy in, and we hit the ground running.”

Despite the quick turnaround, Bamburg’s Iola squad is hopeful it can get back to its winning ways after a disappointing 4-5 season last year, when the Bulldogs finished second in District 13-2A Division II andbowedoutinthebi-district round of the playoffs.

TheBulldogsaren’tstartingfromscratchduringthe transition as Bamburgwill run similar offensive and defensive schemes to his predecessor, Dwayne Ross, with most of the changes beinginterminologyrather than execution.

“They’ve responded well,” Bamburg said. “Everything we’ve asked them to do, they’re doing. We Eagle photo by Laura McKenzie Iola seniors Zachary Hollingsworth and Adam Crenshaw provide the Bulldogs a pair of key targets in the passing game. didn’t change a whole lot offensively. We’ve got some experienced guys back, so they already kind o f kno w the scheme. Defensively, we’re making changes here and BAMBURG there, but those guys have responded.”

Iola will have to replace starting quarterback Randy Johnson, who returned from injury midseason to lead the Bulldogs on a three-gamewinningstreak to reach the playoffs. Blake Driver is the likely candidate to lead the offense, but the 5-foot-10, 175-pound senior will have to beat out senior Ricky Flores and freshman Brian Crosby. Thewinnerofthatcompetitionwillhaveplentyofhelp at receiver with seniors Adam Crenshaw and Zach

ROSTER

1 WR/DB Zach Hollingsworth, sr.; 2 WR/DB Cale Creamer, fr.; 3 WR/DL Colby Sechelski, jr.; 4 WR/DB Case Creamer, jr.; 5 QB/DB Ricky Flores, sr.; 6 WR/LB Adam Crenshaw, sr.; 7 RB/LB Cale Gould, jr.; 8 WR/LB Clayton Stafford, soph.; 9 WR/LB JR. Putz, sr.; 10 WR/DB Phillip England, soph.; 11 QB/ DB Blake Driver, sr.; 15 WR/DB Chad Guidry, jr.; 17 RB/DB Colton Boullion, sr.; 20 QB/DB Brian Crosby, fr.; 22 WR/DB Scott McDougald, fr.; 25 RB/ LB Robert Perez, jr.; 28 WR/LB Daniel Rios, fr.; 33 RB/LB Coy Elliott, soph.; 34 RB/DB Blake Crocker, fr.; 40 RB/LB Anthony Womack, soph.; 44 WR/ LB Wesley Alexander, fr.; 50 OL/DL Spencer Quinlan, jr.; 52 OL/LB Kurtis Landry, sr.; 53 OL/DL Anthony Robbins, jr.; 56 OL/LB Cade Walton, fr.; 57 OL/DL Levi Hunn, fr.; 58 OL/DL Brandon Perez, fr.; 60 OL/DL Jackson Doucet, jr.; 70 OL/LB Reece Heitt, jr.; 72 OL/DL Chris Bosquez, soph.; 75 OL/ DL Clayton Costello, sr.; 76 OL/DL Tyler Westbrook, sr.; 77 OL/DL Joe Leveridge, fr.

Managers: Rileigh Mabry, Mackenzie Mitts, Cullen Walton, Dustin Crosby, Zaybryn Barrera

Coaches: head coach Kerry Bamburg, athletic director Kent Benedict, offensive coordinator John Reed, defensive coordinator Isaiah Barrera, special teams coordinator Marc Minatrea

Hollingsworth and junior Case Creamer returning. Bamburg said he likes the 6-2 Crenshaw’s strength, and Hollingsworth and Creamer can break offbig plays with their speed.

Senior Colton Boullion will be the lead running back for Iola operating behind a line that features a pair of returning starters on the left side in junior tackle Spenser Quinlin and senior guard Tyler Westbrook. Boullion played behind seniors Kaiden Halley WESTBROOK and Andrew England on the depth chart last season, but Bamburg said he is excited about his speed and ability in the open field.

Boullion will play an important r ol e in all three phasesashe will handle place-kicking duties BOULLION and also start in the secondary, the Bulldogs’ mostexperienced positiongroupwithfourre

SCHEDULE

Date Opponent Time Aug. 30 at Somerville 7 p.m.

Lastyear: W34-6 Sept. 6 Normangee 7 p.m.

Lastyear: : 26-13 Sept. 13 at Anderson-Shiro 7:30 p.m.

Lastyear: L 6-0 Sept. 20 Milano 7:30 p.m.

Lastyear: didnotplay Sept. 27 Burton 7:30 p.m.

Lastyear: L 61-14 Oct. 4 at Tomball Rosehill Christian 7 p.m.

Lastyear: didnotplay

District 13-2A Division II

Oct. 11 at Granger 7 p.m.

Lastyear: L 28-7 Oct. 18 Chilton* 7 p.m.

Lastyear: W41-22 Oct. 25 open Nov. 1 at Bremond 7 p.m.

Lastyear: W34-27 Nov. 8 Bartlett 7 p.m.

Lastyear: 49-0 *Homecoming

turning starters. Boullion and junior Chad Guidry will line up at cornerback with Creamer and Hollingsworth at safety.

The defense returns six starters overall, with sophomore Coy Elliot and Crenshawcoming backatoutside linebacker in the Bulld o gs’ 3-4 scheme. Iola’s experience in the back end of its defense should help the n e w COSTELLO starters in the trenches, ledbyWestbrookatnose guard. Elliot,Crenshawand Clayton Costello also will

FACTS

Head coach — Kerry Bamburg (26- 27 overall; 0-0 at Iola) District — 13-2A Division II 2018 record — 4-5 (3-1 in 13-2A Division II) 2018 playoffs — bi-district: lost to Flatonia 30-28 Playoffappearances (19) — 1939, 1960, 1991-95, 1998-99, 2001, 1005- 06, 2012-18 Returning lettermen — 16 (5 offensive, 5 defensive starters) Key returners — WR/S Zach Hollingsworth (14-2A D2 A-D), WR/ LB Adam Crenshaw (A-D), WR/S Case Creamer(2nd A-D), OL Spencer Quinlan (2nd A-D), OL Tyler Westbrook (2nd A-D), DL Clayton Costello (2nd A-D), RB/S Colton Boullion (HM A-D), CB Chad Guidry (HM A-D), LB Coy Elliott (HM A-D) Key newcomers — QB Blake Driver Key losses — QB/RB Andrew England (Off. POY), DE Kaiden Halley (Def POY), QB/FS Randy Johnson (NOY), WR/DB Andrew Crenshaw (A-D), OL/DL Cody Ozbolt (A-D), OL Jaggar Vaughn (A-D), OL/DL Ryan Lawrence (A-D), LB Preston Futrell (A-D), DL Zach Archer (A-D), DL Lee Goodman (A-D), K JD Funderburk (2nd A-D), P Bryn Roberts (2nd A-D) All-time record — 393-345-17 Playoffrecord — 20-18-1

help the line put pressure on the quarterback from the edges.

Boullion said he is encouraged by how the team has handled the coaching transition and performed on both sides of the ball duringpreseasonpractices.

“I feel like at this point in the season, a week and a half into [practices], we’re better than we were three or four weeks into last year,” Boullion said.