BENTONVILLE -- Cody Scroggins shouldn't have a signficant change in his role from last year, when he was the leading receiver on Bentonville's football team.
He might draw a little more attention from opposing defensive backs, but that is where the Tigers' other receivers can help lighten the senior's load. Receivers coach Rod Washington has a number of players to do just that, and Bentonville plans to use those receivers in a number of ways.
The Skinny
Position Battle: Receivers
Watch Out For: Ben Barron may provide Bentonville with its biggest target, as well as a great set of hands. Clay Barganier, a sophomore, was impressive with his routes and the way he caught the ball during the offseason and in 7-on-7 competitions.
Biggest Strength: There are plenty of candidates to put alongside Cody Scroggins, which gives Bentonville a healthy number of options. Those numbers give the Tigers a number of options in their offensive sets as they can go with anywhere from two to five receivers, depending on the situation and the play call.
Biggest Question: Bentonville may lack the type of receiver it had last year with Jimmie Jackson — one that has the speed to be a deep threat and the physical presence to provide both clutch receptions in traffic and downfield blocking.
"We have a lot more variety this year," Washington said. "We have plenty of players we can rotate in the game, and there's no drop-off. That's what has me excited -- a lot more options. There are about six to eight guys I feel good about.
"I think we are starting to see this group form some sort of bond. They want to be a unit of receivers and not just Cody. They believe they can be a good unit if they work at it, and I'm starting to see and hear that from them."
Scroggins (6-foot, 165 pounds) will continue to be the go-to guy and will garner the most attention after he caught 45 passes for 803 yards and six touchdowns last season. The others have yet to catch a pass in varsity competition, but they have shown promise in the offseason.
Junior Ben Barron (6-2, 180), who is also the goalkeeper on Bentonville's boys soccer team, provides the Tigers with a solid set of hands and a player with good lateral movement. Sophomore Clay Bargainer (5-8, 153) has been impressive with some of his catches and the routes he ran during team camp and 7-on-7 competition.
"I think Ben is really good," Scroggins said. "He runs great routes and, with him playing soccer, he has that long reach. I think Bradley Burke will also help out, and Clay is really going to help out, too."
Washington said he has a minimum of three receivers that could be considered deep threats this fall. There are also those that are considered possession receivers and a number of receivers that run great routes, as well as slip away from defenders before and after the catch.
Some of those who are on the Tigers' defense could also see time as receiver. Washington said junior Tyrone Mahone, as well as seniors Burke, Derek Hembry and Hayden McDaniel may see time on offense and catch passes instead of knocking them away.
"Obviously, you have to get into game situations to see what they can do," Washington said. "Some of those guys have been waiting to play over there, so they are excited about it. They even mentioned it before on how fun it was to be on both sides of the football and contribute on Friday nights."
Sports on 08/16/2014