Taking advantage of a Bulldog oddity…
An abundance of linemen provides options for Hampton BY IVAN SANDERS STAR SPORTS EDITOR ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com
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oming into the 2020 season, Hampton Bulldog head coach Michael Lunsford has a situation that most coaches would love to have and that is the fact that he is very heavy in the line – literally. Most of the time, teams will be blessed with an overabundance of skill players but will be short on linemen who can easily get worn down. Not this season. The line will be one of the strengths of the Hampton team in 2020. “We have a second-year quarterback in junior Conor Jones,” said Lunsford. “We feel like he has gained a lot of valuable experience last year and is one of the more talented athletes in the area and in our division. We feel really good about him. “We have some good size. I feel like we have nine kids that I can play in the line that is odd for a Hampton football team. It’s a good thing but it’s not the norm. “We have some experience in the backfield but lost quite a bit of
key skill players that their junior quarterback doesn’t feel like he has to do more than is required for his team to win. Lunsford said that he is aware that Jones may feel like he has more pressure on him to execute to a higher level, but he must also realize that football is a team sport and that is why there are 10 others on the field with him to help the team win. “I think that he will feel some of that, but it’s on us and our job to calm him down and make sure Michael Lunsford he knows what his job is,” stated Head Coach Lunsford. “His job is to not only be a great player but to make others experience at the wide receiver,” around him better by not trying to Lunsford explained. do everything by himself but to use “I kind of wished that we were the weapons around him.” a little more experienced at the Lunsford still believes that the receiver since we have got a little bit number one strength of his team is more experience at the quarterback the lineman that fill the blue and position. white uniforms this season. “It seems like the years that you Having this benefit, the coachhave experience in one place, you ing staff will be looking to do a few lack experience somewhere else. more things offensively utilizing “I feel good about this team the fact they can set up several plays with all the distractions going on, for different groups of linemen to very few missed practices and very few things that have affected them.” execute them. “We have good size. That’s probOne of the things that the ably the strength of our team. We Bulldog coaching staff has to be have nine kids that can play in the aware of is with a loss of several 16
2020 Hampton Schedule September 4—HAPPY VALLEY* 11—at Cloudland 25—at Johnson County October 2—SULLIVAN NORTH* 9—CLOUDLAND 16—at South Greene* 23—at Unaka 30—COSBY* ALL CAPS denotes home games * denotes region games
