Noble Bears 2023 Football Preview

NOBLE BEARS

After finishing the 2022 year with a 5-5 record, Noble is heading into this season with some extra motivation. Head coach Greg George is entering his ninth season with the Noble Bears and is looking to get back into the postseason.

“Last year defensively, we couldn’t stop the run,” George said. “We have to get better. We weren’t very big up front. Hopefully, after a year in the weight room, we can get bigger and stop the run game. There were a few times last year where we scored enough points, we just couldn’t get off the field.” That will be a point of emphasis this season. The Bears averaged 38.5 points offensively last year, which is exactly where you want to be as an offense.

OFFENSE

There will be some new faces on the offensive side of the ball. The Bears lose their dynamic signal caller, Colin Fisher, who has been a big part of their winning culture. Now, it’s a quarterback competition for the Bears. Senior Joseph Bear (5’11”, 150lbs), junior Dawson Davis (5’8”, 160lbs) and sophomore Jackson Steely (5’8”, 160lbs) will be fighting for the spot.

“Right now, it’s still wide open,” George said. “There are three young men battling for it, and we’re not going to make that call until the third week of fall camp leading up to Week 0.”

The Bears lost some key playmakers at running back and wide receiver a year ago, so the offense will feature some new faces. Junior Jordan Peterman (5’7”, 165lbs) will be the main ball carrier. He saw some reps last season while backing up Colin Thomas. Peterman had 19 carries for 99 years in 2022.

The wide receiver room will look a lot different. The Bears lost their top two targets on the outside, but they bring back some experience. Junior Bryson Carey (5’8”, 150lbs) will be the number one target, and he’s coming off a season where he had 228 yards and four touchdowns. Expect to see senior Logan Kirby (5’11”, 160lbs) and junior Conner Lane (6’ 1”, 180lbs) contribute to the passing game as well. George expects big things in the future for Lane at wide receiver.

Despite coming into the season with a new quarterback, George expects to still throw the football a good amount.

“We will have a lot more H-back and tight end sets,” he said. “We’re still going to try to throw the ball as much as we can, but it may be with two tight ends instead of four wide.”

The offensive line is a strong position group for the Bears. They bring back some big bodies that helped lead a 1500-yard rushing attack a year ago. Senior Trevor Hand (6’0”, 220lbs) will play center, along with Jordan Hensley (5’11”, 275lbs) at guard. The tackles will feature senior Bronson Barnett (6’0”, 290lbs) and Dalton White (6’0”, 250lbs).

“We like what we have on the offensive line. We bring back most of our guys there,” George said. “The right guard spot will be up for grabs.”

DEFENSE

The defensive line will be a strong spot for Noble. Once again, it’ll be a 3-4 defensive scheme for the Bears this season. Seniors Mason Crawford (6’2”, 210lbs) and Seth Scruggs (6’0”, 220lbs) are two players to keep an eye on upfront.

Senior Steven Willis and junior Jay Turley will provide depth. Jackson Stewert (6’0”, 220lbs) will also see time up front.

George is really impressed with his linebacker play. Conner Lane (6’1”, 180lbs) will be an outside linebacker. Sophomore Andrew Holmes is a young player who gained playing time towards the end of his freshman season. Expect to see Hand as another inside linebacker.

There will be a few non-starters that could possibly see time, such as senior Eric Hensley and junior Connor Franks.

Noble has a difficult slate once again at the 5A level, and George knows the importance of the early games.

“Our first three, I think, are as tough as anybody,” George said. “We go to Piedmont Week 0, at Blanchard Week 1, and then at home against Tuttle. So those are extremely important.”– BSM