By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
ST. STEPHENS SCHEDULE
(all games at 7:30 p.m.)
August
18—Bandys
25—at Bunker Hill
September
8—at Maiden
15—Fred T. Foard
22—at FREEDOM
29—McDOWELL
October
6—at W. CALDWELL
13 –WATAUGA
20—at ALEXANDER CENTRAL
27—S. CALDWELL
November
3—HICKORY
Conference: Northwestern 3A-4A.
Head coach: Wayne Hicks (14-32 at St. Stephens, 4 years).
Last season’s records: 3-8 overall; 2-5 Northwestern 3A-4A, tied for fifth place.
Last season’s results: W. Iredell, L 24-45; at Bunker Hill, W 41-14; Maiden, L 10-43; Bandys, L 29-36; WATAUGA, L 17-56; at HIBRITEN, L 0-44; PATTON, W 31-29; at HICKORY, L 20-25; S. CALDWELL, L 13-41; at FREEDOM, L 0-38; at FRED T. FOARD, W 21-7.
SCHOOL FOOTBALL HISTORY
Last season in state playoffs: 2015, 3A.
Last state playoff victory: 2015, d. Canton Pisgah 14-13, first round.
All-time state playoff bids: 10.
Conference titles since 1980, last: None.
BY THE NUMBERS
OVERALL
Returning starters: 12.
Returning lettermen: 20.
OFFENSE
Returning starters: 6.
Leading returning rusher: Xavian King (96-494, 4 TDs).
Leading returning passer: None.
Leading returning receiver: Teavius Henry (63-847, 8 TDs).
Other players to watch: Justin Bullock (Sr., QB); Tyler Granger (Sr., OL); Bryce DeSantis (Sr., K); Jamar Brown (Sr., RB).
DEFENSE
Returning starters: 6.
Players to watch: Chance Benfield (Jr., LB); Justin Bullock (Sr., DB); Dawson Lail (Sr., DL); Josh Killian (Sr., LB).
OUTLOOK
The Indians’ returning starters are evenly split – six on both sides of the ball – but the offense will probably be a bit ahead of the defense because of the roles played by the returnees.
Henry, at wide receiver, is the leading returning pass-catcher in the Northwestern 3A-4A while King — given that his carries should be way up from the 96 he got last year — should move smoothly into a role as the primary ballcarrier.
Injuries have already sidelined two players, Hicks reports, but he said there hasn’t been much of a domino effect on the projected lineup as a result.
What the Indians have to develop is a QB, with Bullock a leading candidate there.
For the past five seasons are so, St. Stephens has had a run of outstanding QBs… players who played so well that they helped the Indians be competitive and were among the top overall players in the area.
Getting solid play from the offensive and defensive lines will be important, as will team play. That’s something the Indians often find they have to rely on and, in the past, it has spelled the difference between close wins and close losses.
If they come together like they did in 2015, it could be a good year out on Springs Road. They were very competitive that season and ended up going on the road to Canton – a pretty tough place to play – and won a first-round state playoff game.