SPRINGDALE — It wasn’t the way Pottsville wanted to start fall camp.
The defending 4-4A Conference champion Apaches lost a key piece of their offense on the first day of camp after senior running back Quwillien Porter was arrested for aggravated robbery and three other felony charges.
The following day Coach Bryan Rust suspended Porter indefinitely, and the runningback who rushed for more than 1,200 yards and scored 30 touchdowns in 2011 is likely gone for the season.
“It’s a bad deal, but I g uess stuffhappens,” said Rust, who already faced the daunting task of replacing offensive tackle Jeremy Ward, who graduated and signed with the Arkansas Razorbacks. “It’s the first time it’s happened to me. More than anything, it will kind of bring the kids together.
“Our guys understand we’re going to expect some things from some guys we really haven’t expected as much from before.”
Running backs Corey Campbell, Tyler Weaver, Tanner Weaver and Hunter Daniel will see their roles expand, but fortunately for Pottsville its Dead-T offense will still center on junior quarterback Michael Perry, just as it would have if Porter were still with the team.
Perry ran for 1,687 yards and passed for 621 yards last year as he guided the Apaches to an 11-1 record and the quarterfinals of the playoffs. Perry has led Pottsville to the quarterfinals of the playoffs in both of his seasons at quarterback. The Apaches had never won a playoff game previously.
“Michael Perry is going to have to step up and do some good things for us, which he already has,” Rust said. “I think we’ll be OK because we’ve got some pretty good athletes.”
The Apaches will keep close tabs on Booneville, which went 8-3 and lost in the first round of the playoffs last year. The Bearcats, whose only conference loss last season was to Pottsville, lack experience at key skill positions but are stronger and faster than last season.
Junior Cody Harrell moves from halfback to quarterback after gaining 847 combined yards rushing and receiving last year. Powerful Bryson May, a 5-9, 200-pound sophomore, has the tough task of replacing fullback Anthony Napier, who rushed for 1,738 yards and 25 touchdowns last year.
“He had a really good spring, and he’s probably the strongest kid on the team,” Booneville Coach Scott Hyatt said of May. “In our offense we like our quarterback and fullback to run, so he’s got the potential to be our leading rusher.”
The Bearcats should be sound on defense again after allowing a conference-low 16.8 points a game last year.
The conference’s other set of Bearcats, Mena, also could contend for the title.
Quarterback Austin Warren and wide receiver Malachi McGee enter their senior years as established weapons in Coach Jeff Weaver’s Spread offense. Both run the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds or better, and Warren passed for 1,400 yards last year.
Senior running back John Ballentine gives the Bearcats another option as a receiver and ball carrier.
Weaver said Mena also will shift from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 look to try to better defend against the run.
“In our conference we’ve got to be able to stop power teams, so we’re focusing on that,” Weaver said. “We’re kind of going back to our roots.”
Sports, Pages 29 on 08/26/2012