FOOTBALL TAB -- Eastern Wayne: Warriors ready to continue success

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on August 20, 2015 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

Eastern Wayne lost one of its most-successful head football coaches, Bubba Williams, in mid-winter.

Just 4 1/2 months later, 17 seniors walked the stage and received their diplomas in June.

Those could have been significant warning signs that a quickly-rising program just might take a step back this season.

First-year head coach Phil Gray, an assistant during the past three seasons, doesn't view it that way. In fact, he won't describe 2015 as a rebuilding year, but describes it as putting together scattered pieces of a puzzle instead.

"Right now we're trying to improve and just get better every day because we have a bunch of kids that really don't have any varsity playing time experience," Gray said. "We want to make sure everyone is on the same page. Most of these kids, they were either on the JV team or were on the (varsity) team last year, but didn't get all the reps those other starters had.

"We're working to put all the pieces together to have a successful season this year."

Eastern Wayne is coming off consecutive 11-win campaigns that included two runner-up finishes in the eastern regional 3-A championship. The Warriors ended up in a three-way tie for second place in the highly-competitive - and brutal - Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference last season.

Over the past three seasons, the Warriors are 10-2 against non-conference regular-season opposition and 6-3 in the playoffs.

Those are stout numbers to duplicate in a program that's experienced just 12 winning seasons, including three with Williams. Eastern Wayne has won just two conference championships - the Mideastern 4-A in 1978 and ECC 3-A in 2010.

"The potential is very high," Gray said. "We feel like once everybody learns their position and knows their role, we're going to be OK. It's just putting the pieces together, going out to play. I like our teamwork, our togetherness, family (mentality).

"The bond they have is something special."

All eyes will be on dual-threat quarterback KK Best, who ... yes ... is finally a senior. The shifty signal caller accounted for 2,500-plus yards of total offense, 30 touchdowns and threw just eight picks in 162 attempts last fall. He lost his three top receiving targets, but has three new sets of hands to find either on slant routes or down the sideline this season.

Gray said seniors Robert Gonzalez (5-foot-7, 155 pounds), Blake Hartsfield (5-10, 175) and Austin Hite (6-2, 185) should combine to haul in a few receptions. Hartsfield finished among top six in the state 3-A track and field championship meet this past spring.

Devonte Corum should emerge as the main running back.

Key players on the line will be junior Tanner Hite, senior John Amon and two veteran seniors - Will Sorrells (5-8, 200) and Shaquan Bell (6-0, 255). Amon played his freshman and sophomore seasons, but sat out last year.

"In our Blue-Gold game, I got pretty excited because the offense looked much of the same like it did last year," Gray said. "It's going to be real explosive and we've got four kids (where) you're never going to know who's going to have the ball ... who your focus is going to be on (each play).

"Our speed is going to match up to last year."

The Warriors do have some concerns on defense.

Gray will have to employ several two-way starters - Bell, Austin Hite, Gonzalez (linebacker), Hartsfield (corner) and Best (utility). Returning on the line with Bell is 5-10, 190-pound senior Keyshawn Johnson.

Newcomer and senior Ethan Molloy should secure one of the linebacker spots along with sophomore Anthony McNair, whose father played football at Goldsboro High. Tu'Alonzo Farrior, who sat out last season, will be at corner along with Hartsfield.

The group received solid playing time during 7-on-7 action this summer.

"It was real pivotal because we've got a lot of new kids in the skill positions who have never played defense before," Gray said. "We were pleased. We saw kids flying around and saw some bright spots where kids got into the areas where they needed to be ... were having fun. But 7-on-7 is nothing like getting the pads on, and having to go up and make a tackle."

Eastern Wayne doesn't have any depth, which has been a problem each of the past three years. If the Warriors avoid major injuries to their key pieces, then the puzzle will be complete and another run to the eastern regional final just might be in their future.