Hampton looks to avoid first-round pitfall
Published 1:06 am Friday, November 8, 2019
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File Photo/Ivan Sanders Hampton's Gage Chambers has been a great target for quarterback Conor Jones to throw to during the season.
BY ALLEN LAMOUNTAIN
STAR CORRESPONDENT
Last season the Hampton Bulldogs finished the regular season strong but fell in an upset to fourth-ranked Rockwood at J.C. Campbell Stadium by a 7-6 tally.
This season the ‘Dogs will look to move past the opening round and gain some momentum toward a trip to Murfreesboro.
“It sounds cliché but we have told the boys we need to go 1-0 this week,” said Bulldogs head coach Michael Lunsford. “We can’t look at nothing else. These region 2 teams play a tough schedule and they bring good teams.
“There are not many letups down there. Region 1 is catching up and we need to prove we are there.”
A slow start resulted in the Panthers offense averaged just 9.4 points per game in their first five games including being shutout twice. Then with an 0-5 mark, Cumberland Gap went on a four-game win streak in which they scored 153 points (38.25 ppg) before falling to Rockwood 35-7 in the season finale.
“They like to throw the ball a lot,” Lunsford said. “They have a good looking team with good receivers with good speed.”
Caden Brunsma is the senior quarterback and his main weapons are WR Ethen Daniels and senior TE Eli Wilson.
In the Panthers backfield is senior Nathan Fusion but the Panthers like to spread things out and will throw to any open receiver.
What gives Hampton a big advantage will be the home crowd which will be in full throat on Friday night.
“It means a lot to have this game at home. This community supports this team very well and most of the kids on this team are homegrown meaning that they have fathers and brothers and uncles who played here so this team is woven into the community,” Lunsford said.
The ‘Dogs come in riding a seven-game win streak averaging 46.3 points per game with a balanced offense starting with sophomore quarterback Conor Jones who Lunsford credits with, “having come a long way this season.
“Early on it was hard to him being a sophomore behind a line with no seniors. Isaiah Greenwell, Gage Chambers, and Jonah Jones have all done a great job.”
The run game has been a strength all season with seniors Matt Hughes and Caleb Oaks leading the way in the power I option run attack.
“This is a tough group of kids that have been through a few tough times,” Lunsford said. “Conor has developed into an extremely tough kid that went through some growing pains. The whole team did early on but they came to work every week to get better.”
Game time is set for 7 pm.
