SPRINGDALE — Springdale High’s senior football players looked to the past for a bit of motivation for the upcoming season.
They came up with the acronym “RTG,” which stands for “Return To Glory.”
After several trying years in the 7A/6A-West Conference, the Bulldogs will open preseason camp on Wednesday morning with the goal of returning the program to its glory days in 2005.
“That’s kind of been what I’ve been preaching since I got here, was we need to get Springdale High back to where it was before the split,” Springdale coach Shane Patrick said, referring to the opening of Springdale Har-Ber.
“It was always known that you’ve got to come here and play well to even have a chance to win, and we’ve got to get it back to that.”
Springdale got off to a promising start last season with a pair of lopsided wins over Batesville and Tulsa Central. But the Bulldogs finished with a 4-6 record and failed to qualify for the Class 7A state playoffs.
But the new season brings a sense of optimism to the 85 varsity players and 62 sophomores expected to report for the first day of Springdale’s camp.
“For the team, we’ve talked about how we need to finish,” safety Cua Rose said. “We made this little slogan ‘RTG’ because we’re going to return to glory.”
One of the biggest story lines entering the fall is Springdale’s quarterback competition, which has gone from a three-man race to a competition between two sophomores.
Patrick said senior Terry Mounce, who took snaps at quarterback in the spring, will spend the first week of practice getting work at safety.
Mounce has the chance to help the Bulldogs in the secondary. His move opens the door for either sophomore Drake Wymer or Fuller Chandler to start at quarterback when Springdale opens the season at Batesville on Sept. 6.
“That was something he was excited about and wanted to do, and we think he’s got a chance to be good,” Patrick said of Mounce at safety. “But I think those two sophomore quarterbacks, it’s definitely a competition and at some point, we’ll make a decision.
“But at the same time, no decision has been made and we’ll see how it goes when we get into pads and get into practice.”
The Bulldogs already boast a pair of offensive weapons in running back Deandre Murray and tight end Josiah Wymer, who have each received scholarship offers from NCAA Division I schools this offseason.
And Patrick said Chandler and Drake Wymer have impressed him with their size and arm strength, making his decision on a starter even tougher.
“They’re both very talented guys. They’re obviously bigger than the quarterbacks we’ve had in recent years,” Patrick said. “They’ve both got good, strong arms and an understanding of the game.
“They’re gaining confidence all the time.”
Springdale High 2013 Football Schedule
Date^Opponent^Time
Sept. 6^at Batesville^7:30 p.m.
Sept. 13^at Tulsa Central^7:30 p.m.
Sept. 20^Bixby, Okla.^7:30 p.m.
Sept. 27^Rogers High*^7:30 p.m.
Oct. 4^at Fayetteville*^7:30 p.m.
Oct. 11^Siloam Springs (Homecoming)*^7:30 p.m.
Oct. 18^at Van Buren*^7:30 p.m.
Oct. 25^Rogers Heritage*^7:30 p.m.
Nov. 1^at Bentonville*^7:30 p.m.
Nov. 8^Springdale Har-Ber*^7:30 p.m.
*—denotes 7A/6A-West Conference game