Football: Rogers Heritage Secondary Lacks Experience, Not Ability

FILE PHOTO FLIP PUTTHOFF Tyler Thompson of Rogers Heritage goes through an agility drill Aug. 5 during practice.
FILE PHOTO FLIP PUTTHOFF Tyler Thompson of Rogers Heritage goes through an agility drill Aug. 5 during practice.

ROGERS -- There are plenty of new faces in the Rogers Heritage secondary this season, including War Eagles defensive backs coach Cam Prock.

Only senior Tyler Dunn (5-foot-10, 168 pounds) has any serious Friday night experience as he started the final three game of last season after Daniel Spickes suffered a season-ending leg injury.

The Skinny

Position Battle: Defensive Backs

Watch Out For: Jerrell Hobbs. … The senior, who moved to Rogers from Stuttgart, is a difference-maker with his speed and athleticism.

Biggest Strength: Solid depth. … The War Eagles have six or seven solid options at cornerback and safety, despite losing returning starter Oscar Balbeuna to a career-ending shoulder injury.

Biggest Question Mark: Inexperience. … Only one returning player saw significant playing time on Friday night a year ago.

But the War Eagles did get some help in the form of senior Jerrell Hobbs, who moved from Stuttgart near the end of the school year in the spring. The 5-foot-9, 150-pound Hobbs possesses 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash and made an impact ialmost immediately in practice, Prock said.

"It's like having a 55-foot shot putter or a 14-foot pole vaulter at a school," Prock said. "All of a sudden everybody else gets better because the standard is different. Having someone like that raises the level of everyone else."

Heritage coach Perry Escalante said the addition of Hobbs definitely helped the secondary, but he feels good about that positions overall.

"Hobbs being back there helps us a lot and Joe Britton is really solid," Escalante said. "Joe's real physical and Tyler Thompson has gotten better."

Hobbs made a difference on the field, too, in 7-on-7 competition over the summer. He picked off five passes on the first day alone in the Southwest Elite 7-on-7 tournament at Shiloh Christian in July.

Prock said all of them, himself included, are learning together. But he also acknowledged a mistake in the secondary is often magnified.

"I feel good about them," Prock said. "They are a good solid bunch, but the thing is they are all pretty much new. And if you make a mistake in the secondary, it can be awful costly. But they are working hard and getting better, trying to do right."

Prock said having a player like Hobbs at cornerback allows coaches to match him up with the opponent's top receiver, if necessary.

"We will either put him to the field side or put him on their hero to cover all over the field," Prock said. "Those are hard to find. I think that will be a challenge for him and the one he's covering. That's a good, healthy thing."

Prock also said the War Eagles have established a little bit of depth both at cornerback and safety.

Hobbs, junior David Zamora (5-7, 141) and Dunn are working at cornerback, while Britton, Thompson and Peyton Stewart (5-9, 181) are working at safety, along with junior Jovanni Gonzalez.

Thompson, a senior, said the group is definitely improving and Hobbs has made a difference.

"Oh he's very good," Thompson said. "He's helped us a lot. But I think we can be good. Communication is big int he secondary and we've gotten a lot better. I believe I have gotten better at that through the spring and summer."

Sports on 08/30/2014

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