ELKINS — Bryan Hutson is a veteran coach who’s led high school football programs in Arkansas ranging from Class 2A Decatur to Class 7A North Little Rock.
His latest challenge is with Elkins, where the Elks will move to Class 4A after consecutive nine-win seasons in Class 3A. Instead of playing teams like Mountain View, Clinton, and Melbourne, Elkins now must compete with Ozark, Pottsville and Dardanelle in the 4A-4 Conference.
The travel is greater and the competition stiffer for the Elks, who were picked sixth of eight teams in a preseason poll of the league coaches in Hooten’s Arkansas Football magazine.
“These kids are used to winning, and we’re going to do our best to keep it that way,” Hutson said. “Our (starters) are good, and our twos are pretty good. The problem we may have is our lack of depth because we still have 3A numbers. It’s a challenge, but it’s a challenge that’s not going to scare these kids at all.”
Hutson has coached for 29 years, starting with his hometown team in Paris. He was a principal for 2½ years at Paris before returning to the field with the Eagles last season. He was attracted to the opening at Elkins primarily because of the facilities, which include a new football stadium and weight room, and to be closer to his parents, Sandy and Melinda Hutson of Springdale.
Hutson replaces Chad Harbison, who left Elkins to become an assistant coach on Billy Dawson’s football staff at Fayetteville.
“I wasn’t going to jump and just go anywhere,” Hut-son said. “But when I came up here and saw what they were doing, it’s pretty nice. My parents being up here and the new facilities are the things that really got me interested.”
Hutson was hired in May from a list of 38 candidates for the job. Elkins athletic director Aaron Clark cited Hutson’s experience and his ability to put a winning team on the field.
“Coach Hutson has been a winner everywhere he has coached,” Clark said. “His players are always prepared and compete hard.”
Hutson said the transition has gone smoothly at Elkins, which opens its season Aug. 31 at Greenland. The Elks will attempt to qualify for the playoffs in Class 4A with a team led by junior quarterback Quinn McClain, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Division II Newcomer of the Year last season.
“Offensively, we have some talent,” Hutson said. “Quinn threw for almost 3,000 yards as a sophomore, and he’s a 4.0 student. We also have Chad Graham, who was our leading receiver from last year. Chance Jones, our leading rusher, is back. We’ve got some good ones there, and we have some good linemen, too. We just don’t have very many.”
After road games at Greenland and West Fork, Elkins will play for the first time in its new home stadium Sept. 14 against Huntsville. The Eagles are making the move to Class 5A after playing in Class 4A.
“Something I’ve learned pretty quickly is that Elkins has a tremendous following,” Hutson said. “They travel really well, and I’m assuming that first Friday night here with the new stadium, the atmosphere is going to be electric. It’ll be something to see and to be a part of.”
Rick Fires can be reached at rfires@ nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWARick.