SPRINGDALE — Not many teams in the 7A/6A-West Conference are as blessed in the backfield as Springdale High.
At running back, the Red’Dogs return a home run threat in Deandre Murray (5-foot-10, 163 pounds), who left defenses ragged last season while setting conference records in his first year playing football.
What will Murray do for an encore?
“He’s an exceptional athlete,” Springdale offensive coordinator Mark Whatley said. “He can do so many things and really this year he’ll determine whether we get over the hump.”
Whatley didn’t necessarily mean that the team’s fortunes rest solely on Murray’s hands and legs, but that his attitude and work ethic would set the tone for the offense.
“If he can play as well without the football as he can with it, he’ll be fine,” Whatley said. “Just picking up his assignments and his route running will open things up for some other people.”
Another concern Red’Dog fans might have is who’s going to play quarterback because Whatley’s son, Will, graduated in May.
That will be determined between two sophomores — Fuller Chandler (6-2, 180) and Drake Wymer (6-5, 202).
Chandler quarterbacked Fayetteville Woodland to a co-Northwest Arkansas Conference title last year while, Wymer was turning heads at Springdale George.
“They’re both very athletic,” Whatley said. “They can both throw it real well and we’re tickled to death to have both of them.”
The only problem is that they can’t both be under center at the same time.
“It’s been back-and-forth, back-and-forth,” Whatley said. “The one that’ll wind up being the starter is the one that displays the most consistency and leadership and can get us in the end zone.”
Whatley has challenged both of them to put team goals ahead of what they want to accomplish individually.
“The question I ask them is, ‘Am I productive for the football team at the end of the day?’” Whatley said. “The one that can be is the one that will play.”
THE SKINNY
POSITION BATTLE: Backfield
BIGGEST STRENGTH: Speed. Deandre Murray is as fast as they come, and both of the quarterbacks competing for the starting job can move outside the pocket. It never hurts to have speed, especially in the 7A West.
BIGGEST QUESTION MARK: Inexperience. When both the players you’re counting on at quarterback are sophomores, it can be a struggle. The one that wins the starting job will have his work cut out for himself once conference play begins.
WATCH OUT FOR: Both Wymer and Chandler have the tools to be offensive leaders.