Fitting the pieces together…Bulldogs depth creates puzzle for Lunsford
Published 7:48 am Thursday, August 1, 2019
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders A Hampton receiver leaps high for an attempted catch during a recent 7-on-7 competition. Hampton has good depth at the wide receiver position for the upcoming year according to head coach Michael Lunsford.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Hampton sophomore quarterback Conor Jones will lead the Bulldogs into the 2019 season.
BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR STAFF
ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com
The Hampton football team has a problem that many other football coaches envy and that is having a group of talented football players and trying to figure out where to put each one for the team to have a successful 2019 campaign.
Currently, the Bulldogs have 40 players dressing out with a few missing for vacations and other reasons but head coach Michael Lunsford is feeling highly optimistic about what he has seen so far in the early workouts heading into a couple of scrimmages that are coming up.
“We have been doing pretty good so far,” Lunsford said. “The hardest part so far has been just trying to figure out where everybody is going to fit because we have a lot of good athletes.
“There are kids that we are going to have to find ways to get the football into their hands. We are looking at putting them in a place where we can use them all and make everything fit to where we can be the best team.”
The Hampton coach was asked what he has been most pleased with up to this point in the early season.
“I would have to say it has been the consistency on the line,” said Lunsford. “We have had seven or eight linemen that have been here every day and have been working hard in the weight room and workouts.”
One of the areas that Hampton will be solid in will be the backfield and at the wide receiver slots.
“We have good depth in our backfield and at wide receiver where there have been a lot of kids play a lot of football,” stated Lunsford. “With that depth, we can withstand some injuries.
“Also, we won’t have to put the football in just one player’s hands all the time. We will be able to use several kids.”
Lunsford will be putting the field general duties into the hands of his sophomore quarterback, Conor Jones, who the coach feels will continue each game he is on the field.
“Conor has been a bright spot for us,” Lunsford commented. “He will start at quarterback and right now it’s just about the learning curve for him.
“There is no substitute for game-time experience, but I will tell you that he is a dang good worker.”
The Bulldogs host North Greene on Friday at 6 pm for a scrimmage and then travel to Tennessee High next Friday for their second scrimmage of the pre-season at 6 pm.
