Greyhounds hope to get more wins PAGE 12 — THE CONCORDIAN, Concordia, Missouri, Wednesday, August 26, 2015
by Hobby King SPORTS WRITER
For two straight weeks in his first season as a head coach, Kris Conley enjoyed the fruits of his labor as the Sweet Springs Greyhounds dominated their opponents. But the other eight weeks, the Greyhounds were on the losing end of battles inside and outside the I-70 Conference. Conley is hopeful the Greyhounds can bottle what they did in a 62-0 win over Wentworth Military Academy in week four and 400 victory over Orrick in week five. Still, he wants the Greyhounds to be more competitive with the top-tier teams in the conference.Take away those two lopsided wins, the Greyhounds were outscored 329-88, getting within double digits in a loss only once — a 35-26 setback at Santa Fe in week six. Off that team, the Greyhounds lost four senior starters in quarterback/cornerback Andrew Krause, offensive lineman/linebacker Jared Dillon, running back/safety Austin Boland and fullback/linebacker Trevor Phillips. Each one of them had special talents on the gridiron, according to Conley. “Andrew was very athletic with a big arm,” Conley said. “He was fun to coach because you only had to tell him something once. Trevor did a great job cementing the defense in the middle. He was one of those kids who knew everyone’s position. Trevor made our offense go.” Dillon was a second-team offensive lineman and honorablemention selection on defense in the conference. “He helped anchor the offensive line,” Conley said. Conley said Boland “was having an excellent season until it was cut short with an injury.” Still, he played well enough to earn honorable-mention status as a defensive back.On this year’s roster are 21 prospective players, including five seniors, five juniors and four sophomores. The Flexbone offense will be led by senior quarterback Austin Knipmeyer. Joining him in the backfield will be returning senior starters Rhett Snider and all-conference honorable-mention athlete Justin Mitchell. Also back to help out the offense as a starter is senior Mario Persell. The fullback will be a bit more green as freshman Joey Cox is slated as the top prospect. The Greyhounds also will be lacking experience up front, with four of the five being first-year starters. At tackles will be junior twin brothers Joe and John Markes at tackles, junior Levi Miller and senior Garrett Hollingsworth, the only
Charles Dunlap/The Concordian
Members of the Sweet Springs High School football team (from left) are: (front) Terral Mckinney, Garret Hollingsworth, Justin Mitchell, Rhett Snider,Austin Knipemeyer, Mario Persell; (second row) John Markes, Will Persell, Logan Combs, Levi Miller, Joe Markes; (third row) Nick Ownby, Zach Giffen, Logan Reid, Bret Green; (back) Marcus Barney, Seth Eckhoff, Chris Geiseke, Riley Vogelsmeier, Joey Cox.
returning starter, at guards and senior Terral McKinney at center. Conley, who is being assisted by Dan Conner, Jacob Corcoran, Vince Fink and Zach Thomas, says if the Greyhounds are going to be successful, the line will have to be able to move opponents. “Like any offense, it all starts up front,” he said. “We have to sustain our blocks, not only linemen but our receivers and backs included. “The whole offensive unit needs to be on the same page. Offense is about timing and execution.” Joe and John Markes return as starters at defensive ends, as does Hollingsworth at defensive tackle. The leading candidate for nose guard is McKinney. Joining Mitchel at linebacker will be sophomore Zach Giffen, Miller and Knipmeyer in the multiple set alignments. Persell returns as a starter at one corner, with the other still to be decided. Snider
earned all-conference honorable-mention status and returns as the starter at free safety. “We have a talented group of players at all three levels,” Conley said. “We are going to need everyone doing their job and flying to the ball.” Persell, an honorable-mention pick, returns as the team’s kicker. He also will serve as the Greyhounds' punter. “We are going to be using our special teams to try and get an advantage in the field-position game,” Conley said. Conley is all about doing what’s best for the team. “We are a team,” he said. “The positions may change, as no spot is set in stone. No one person is greater than the team. “We have a great attitude at practice and work hard.This is a great group of kids, which makes it fun and (makes me) proud to be their coach.”
We wish best of luck to all Sweet Springs High School teams this season!
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