SPRINGDALE -- Christian Cain was little more than a spectator Monday night as his Huntsville teammates competed in the NWA Passing League 7-on-7 games.
Cain, a 6-foot, 185-pound senior, had a minor surgical procedure on his left knee recently and is being held out of these summer practices. He still has a slight limp, but expects to be ready to go when the Eagles start summer practices in a few weeks.
Profile
Christian Cain
School: Huntsville
Class: Rising senior
Height: 6-0
Weight: 185
Notable: Led the Eagles with close to 100 tackles last season as a junior. … Two-way starter at middle linebacker and running back. … Tore the meniscus in his left knee during a basketball team camp this summer.
"I tore my meniscus at a basketball camp over in Berryville," Cain said.
Cain is expected to start at both middle linebacker and at running back for the Eagles as they make the move to the 4A-1 Conference from the 5A-West. As a junior, he led the team with almost 100 tackles and will again be a force in the middle of Huntsville's defense.
"I like to play defense, it suits my personality," Cain said.
Veteran coach Tom Tice said Cain brings a lot of energy and high intensity to the Huntsville defense.
"His motor runs on high all the time, he likes to hit people," Tice said. "He's very well versed in the techniques of how to hit people. He's a leader. He's going to set the example for the rest of us to go by."
Moving down a classification is something Cain and the Eagles, who were 2-8 last season, are ready for.
Cain said playing schools closer in both enrollment size as well as regionally will be a big benefit for the Eagles.
"5A was a little tough for us, but I think we'll be able to compete a lot better in 4A," he said. "My teammates have really worked hard this offseason and we're just going to do what we can do."
The Eagles were already playing several of the 4A-1 members prior to the move down, including Berryville. In the 5A-West, only Shiloh Christian would be considered a regional rival. The Saints are also headed to the 4A-1, replacing both Farmington and Ozark.
The new conference will be an all-Northwest Arkansas league with Pea Ridge, Gravette, Gentry, Lincoln and Prairie Grove rounding out the eight-team conference.
"We've always played Prairie Grove and Berryville," Tice said. "It's an excellent football league. Excellent coaches, excellent fans. It's going to be an excellent league to be a part of. We're just tickled to be there. It's going to be a lot better on travel for us for sure.
"Some of these schools like Gravette and Pea Ridge, their next stop is going to be 5A along with Farmington, because of the overflow from Bentonville. So we're really looking forward to it for a lot of reasons, but we know it's going to be tough competition."
The Eagles were picked to finish sixth by conference coaches in Hooten's Arkansas Football magazine, but Huntsville could find itself in the playoff hunt, especially if Cain has the kind of season Tice and the rest of the Huntsville coaches believe he can.
Sports on 07/09/2014