BENTONVILLE -- Xavier Domineack considered himself one of the students on Bentonville's defensive line last year, but he's become one of the teachers this fall.
Tigers defensive line coach Tony Cherico has relied upon on Domineack and fellow senior Javier Carbonell to be the examples to groom what he considers a rather young group of players in the trenches this season.
The Skinny
Position Battle: Defensive Line
Watch Out For: Xavier Domineack, a 6-foot-1, 220 pound senior. He earned a start in the Class 7A State Championship when Bentonville went to a five-man defensive front against Cabot’s running game, and he may fly under some teams’ radars.
Biggest Strength: Bentonville is experienced at the end positions, with Javier Carbonell — who has orally committed to Arkansas State — returning and Domineack moving to a starting role after his performance last year.
Biggest Question: The Tigers lack experience at the nose guard spot. Four different players have the opportunity to emerge as a starter, but nobody has dominated at that role.
"The older players have really taken the younger kids under their wing and shown them the way to go," Cherico said. "I can only coach so many kids at one time, so that's why the older ones have taken that leadership role. It helps me out and helps the kids out."
Domineack (6-foot-1, 220 pounds) was mainly a role player on a senior-laden defensive line until the Class 7A State Championship game. The Tigers went with a five-man front to slow down Cabot's run-oriented offense, and Domineack was moved into a starting role.
He and Carbonell (6-3, 275), the projected starters at the end spots, are the two corner pieces Cherico will use to form the group of defensive linemen he likes to use. A number of players will rotate into the game so they can remain fresh. Domineack said he has quickly learned the best way to teach his younger teammates is by example.
"Since you're like a coach, the younger players will sit and listen," Domineack said. "But unless they actually see you do it for yourself, they won't really know how to replicate that and do what you do.
"Explaining it to them is a little hard because they don't seem to understand the concept that well. When you show them how it is done, it is like 'OK, I've got it. I see what you're doing.'"
The question lies in the middle of Bentonville's defensive line,where a younger player must rise to the occasion and fill the Tigers' nose guard spot. Junior Johnathon Bautista (5-9, 227) has earned a serious look at that position, while junior Tim Fernandez (6-1, 222) and seniors T. J. Sanchez (5-10, 264) and Joe Alexander (6-1, 314) are also in the battle for playing time.
Fernandez could also be one of those who could be used at the end spots. Senior Jeff Stout (6-3, 209) could also see time at end, as well as senior Jeff Dougherty (6-1, 212), and Cherico said he will move a lot of players to find the right fit.
"It's going to be a learning curve for a lot of these these younger players, and it's going to be a fun one," Cherico said. "A lot of these players are sophomores and not really indoctrinated to what we do on the varsity level.
"The speed of the game will be an eye-opener for them. They have a spring under them, and they have made great strides. I can't say that there's just going to be one player at nose guard. I think there were will be certain situations that may dictate who will be in there, and I have a lot of options available."
Sports on 08/13/2014