By Staff

2019 Fall Preview: Hillcrest Football

By Justin Sampson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

Justin Gerald’s second season at the helm of Hillcrest Football will present some unique challenges.

After showing progress in Year One under Gerald, the Hornets will try to turn a rebuild into a reload with just five total starters returning.

The task is one Gerald is more equipped to handle now as opposed to this time last year, believing that his first year as head coach helped develop an important quality within himself.

“I really learned how to have even more patience,” said Gerald. “Everything has a process. Push your kids to the best of their abilities, encourage them to do the same, live and learn from your mistakes and everything will take care of itself.”

While he will have inexperience all over the field, he’s excited about his returning starters, specifically juniors Gunnar Brooks and Austin Mahon.

Brooks started at linebacker last year and is the team’s returning leader in tackles, finishing third a year ago on the team. Mahon is a two-way lineman that will have to help galvanize a unit that hasn’t experienced the physicality of a Friday night.

Hillcrest will have to lean on several underclassmen and two names that fans should get used to hear are Mike Floyd and Tyrell Hurd. Floyd will be a sophomore quarterback and Hurd is a freshman athlete.

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“Floyd will be our QB,” said Gerald. “He is a tremendous leader with a loud voice and enjoys expressing himself. If we’re having a good practice it’s because Mike is being vocal. Hurd is a hard nose player on both sides of the ball. Really looking forward to see where he fits in.”

One thing the Hornets will look to build on is last year’s record against city schools, going 3-1 against SPS rivals last fall. Parkview ultimately won the City Championship, but Hillcrest proved it was clearly the top challenger to the Vikings.

Because of the relationships between players and coaching staffs within the city, those games mean even more.

“I think those games are what we’re judge upon, especially working in SPS,” said Gerald. “As much as you are always trying to win a District or Conference Championship, now a days the City Championship is also a big deal. Looking forward to see where we fall this year.”

After winning 31 game from 2011-13, Hillcrest remains in a slump that has seen just 15 total wins over the last five seasons.

Gerald knows that changing the culture is a process, one that cannot have steps skipped.

With so many new names and faces playing prominent roles this season, there will be some growing pains, but the program is heading in the right direction. Coach Gerald believes the experience gained this season will continue to help him build a foundation at Hillcrest.

“We are very young and if we are going to have any success it’s because we compete at everything we do,” said Gerald. “Our inexperience will be tough to overcome at times, but we’re working on that. Every practice means more when you have inexperience and/or young kids. We’re excited, we might not be as far away as we think.”

Hillcrest will open the 2019 season at home on Aug. 30 against defending Ozark Conference champion West Plains.