Ready for the big leagues
Eagles eager to get taste of 11-man competition
CONWAY — Conway Christian is in a great position.
The school is beginning its first year of 11-on-11 football, which would normally lead one to believe they’d be in the cellar of their conference for at least three or four years while they built up their program.
But the Eagles are entering the Arkansas Activities Association as part of the 2A-5 conference, which includes fellow newbies Quitman and Little Rock Lutheran, as well as Hector (0-10 last year) and Cutter Morning Star (2-8 in 2007).
But for now the only thing the Eagles and head coach Chuck Speer are concerned with is themselves. Speer said he and his coaching staff have drilled fundamental football into the players throughout the offseason. Starting from scratch was necessary with most of the players not having experience playing with 11 men to a side.
“When you play eight-man football and you miss a block or a tackle, it’s not like missing one at this level,” Speer said.
Conway Christian has about 26 players out for the team, which is good for a first-year program, Speer said, but it will require them to stay healthy.
“They’ll need to be in good shape because they’ll be playing both ways,” Speer said. “That can make or break our season. An injury to a key person can really hurt us.”
Leading the Eagles’ offensive attack will be sophomore quarterback Kirby Powell, who at 6-1, 205 pounds has some good size. Powell will be at the helm of the Eagles’ Pistol Spread, which will drop the quarterback three yards deep in a shotgun formation with a running back behind him and receivers spread out to each side.
“He plays catcher on the baseball team, so he has an arm,” Speer said of his young quarterback.
Taking hand-offs from Powell will be Adam “Fuzzy” Ragland.
“He’s been Fuzzy as long as I’ve known him,” Speer said. “That’s what everybody calls him.”
Also getting touches in the backfield will be Conway transfer Bates Isom, who will also line up at slot receiver. He’ll be joined on the outside by junior receiver Jeremy Jacobs, who will put his soccer skills to use as the team’s kicker.
The offensive line will be respectable at worst with Michael Shiew and Drew Miller anchoring the line. Mason Price also promises to play a key role.
The defense is what Speer is most excited about. Junior Stephen Hay promises to be a workhorse on the defensive line, and junior linebacker Jonathan Watson is getting some attention from area colleges. Watson is one of about 30 students from Conway Christian — many of them on the football team — who trained with Parisi Speed School in the offseason. Speer said the work his players did with Parisi has helped them get ready to make the jump to AAA competition.
Conway Christian will get its first (and possibly best) taste of big-time high school football on Friday, Sept. 5, at home against Earle.
“We’ll learn a lot about our team with that game,” Speer said.
This article was published August 24, 2008 at 5:00 a.m.