By Staff

2019 Fall Preview: Bolivar Football

By Justin Sampson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

The first foray into an independent schedule proved to be full of challenges for Bolivar. The Liberators finished 2018 with a 4-6 mark and one win over a team with a winning record.

From those trials comes the benefit of experience: 15 starters worth. That group is now motivated to improve after getting a taste of its new opponents.

“It made for a very interesting year. Our kids were excited to play new people and I think they handled it well,” said head coach Glen Johnson. “The challenge was that we didn’t have common opponents. It is hard to prepare for games when you don’t know how good or bad the competition is. We didn’t know the kids we were playing against and that presented challenges for knowing speed, size, and even getting film at times.”

The bulk of the experience can be found on offense, where the Liberators return their starting quarterback, running back, tight end, two receivers, and four offensive linemen. Most of that group is also comprised of two-year starters.

Senior Hayden Burks established himself as one of the top male athletes in school last year with an undefeated state championship wrestling season. This fall, he will go under center for the third straight year on the heels of an All-Independent First Team selection. He threw for 1,899 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior and will be expected to continue his role as team leader on both sides of the ball.

Senior Eathen Dinwiddie nearly rushed for 1,000 yards last year despite missing the first three games. That earned him an All-Independent First Team nod as well. He will likely be the biggest factor in Bolivar’s rushing game.

Senior Hunter Berry will give the gridiron a shot for the first time this fall in order to further bolster the receiving corps.

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Fellow seniors Spencer Lipe and Garred Engle reunite with juniors Drayton Huchteman and Jack Roweton to lead the way on the offensive line.

Leading receiver Brock Pitts is off to play baseball at Southwest Baptist, but seniors Blade Hancock and Cooper Hitchcock are back to carry the load. Junior Parker Erickson will also play a big role at tight end after catching 10 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown in 2018.

Johnson is leaning on this bounty of experience to ease the transition back into the early portion of the schedule.

“Consistency is always important before week one. We are focusing on doing the little things consistently well,” he said. “Our senior leadership will pay off early and our juniors all played as sophomores, so we will draw from that experience last year.”

Huchteman and Roweton, both All-Independent honorees, are also key pieces on a defensive line that will see no turnover from last year. Junior Blake Campbell and sophomore James Miller round out the unit.

Junior Andrew Bunn returns as the leading tackler after being voted as a team captain for his sophomore campaign. Fellow junior Bo Banner will join him and Burks as seasoned members of the linebacker group.

Hancock and Hitchcock will also lead the secondary alongside senior Payton Vahle and junior Dylan Hall.

Weapons, schedule, and conference affiliation have changed considerably in Johnson’s four years at the helm. Now, he has his most seasoned group to date, one that will be expected to produce.

“This group is my first with seniors that have been through the system since they were freshmen. I am very excited to see the hard work our kids have put in pay off. I think we got the ball rolling in the right direction last year and I expect us to pick up the momentum and compete every Friday.”