OZARK — Coach Jeremie Burns calls the Ozark’s offense a “multiple” system, based out of the Spread but with some pro-set I packages thrown in.
Both the Hillbillies and their opponents know how that translates: Throw the ball to Toby Richard as often as possible and let him do his thing.
That’s understandable. Richard, 6-0, 170 pounds, has shown he can do about anything when it comes to sports. The senior wide receiver/free safety has 4.59 speed in the 40-yard dash, is a standout point guard for Ozark’s basketball team and plays center field for the baseball team.
Oh yeah, there’s one other thing too.
“He’s pretty good at dance moves during pep rallies,” Burns said. “He’s always coming up with some kind of dance routine.”
It’s no secret the Hillbillies will continue to rely heavily on Richard this year. That was the case last season, and Richard responded with 52 receptions for 1,130 yards and 9 touchdowns to help Ozark finish 9-2 and win its first conference championship in four years.
That came after Richard’s debut season as a sophomore, when he caught 77 passes for 1,258 yards and 12 touchdowns as Ozark advanced to the second round of the Class 4A playoffs.
Opponents consistently double-teamed Richard last year, but he found daylight utilizing his knack for getting open and burning defensive backs.
“He’s a big playmaker with speed, agility and really good hands,” senior quarterback Jonathon McKenzie said. “He can catch pretty much anything thrown at him.”
Richard and McKenzie looked like the ideal combination to run the Spread offense that Brooks Coatney installed in 2009, his first year as the Hillbillies’ coach, but Coatney left to take over at Van Buren last summer.
Richard said the Hillbillies made the right hire when they promoted Burns, an assistant, although he admitted to at first being a little worried about losing Coatney.
“He was just a fun guy,” Richard said of Coatney. “He was pretty much one of us, and he helped us out any way he could.
“I was pretty shocked, but I could understand it. It wasn’t too bad because [Burns] kept the same plays.”
Burns had little time to make changes after taking over the program last July, but this year he has adapted his system slightly to fit his personnel.
The Hillbillies lost running back Asher Ree, who rushed for 1,742 yards and 22 touchdowns last year, and lineman Colton Jackson, who signed with Arkansas State.
Senior left guard Brian Cline-Karnes, 6-0, 280, should step in capably for Jackson as the anchor on the line. Senior receivers Brandon Brokeshoulder and Ty Radley will take some of the pressure off Richard, but the Hillbillies do not have an obvious heir apparent to Ree at running back.
That places even more of an emphasis on Richard, although Burns doesn’t seem too concerned.
“He’s one of those guys who wants the ball to go make something happen,” Burns said. “At free safety he can go and intercept the ball at any time. He’s also one of our punt returners, so he’s able to get yards on special teams.”
There isn’t much more for Richard to accomplish individually, but he said there is plenty he wants to achieve from a team standpoint, especially after the Hillbillies’ three-point loss to Pine Bluff Dollarway in the first round of the playoffs last year.
No matter how Ozark does this season, Richard said he plans to enjoy his last go around with the Hillbillies.
“It’s just that feeling you get on Friday nights,” he said. “There’s no other feeling like that. It’s indescribable.”