By Chris Parker
Glendale went 3-8 in the first season under head coach Frank Tristan.
Entering year two, Tristan has made some adjustments on the style of play the Falcons will employ.
“I have adjusted a little bit of my strategy,” Tristan said. “We don’t have a lot of offensive line and defensive line types of kids walking the halls, but we have really good athletes. We are going to have to adapt a little bit from last year where we need to use all of the football field to get an advantage this year.”
Using all of the field on offense will be made easier with senior Cash Newberry returning to start at quarterback. Newberry threw for 2,579 yards and 23 touchdowns while rushing 130 times for 433 yards and four more touchdowns as a junior on his way to second-team all-conference honors. He has thrown for 4,978 yards in his career. Another 2,500-yard season would put Newberry in the top 20 all-time for career passing in the MSHSAA record book.
“He is smart. He is accurate with the football. He can make all the throws. He runs the ball really well. He has the ability to extend plays,” Tristan said. “The problem was we just didn’t win very many ball games and we couldn’t get off the field defensively, and so he doesn’t get a lot of the praise because ‘they are not very good so the quarterback is not very good’. I told him when I first met him that everybody is going to praise or hate the head coach and the quarterback, so get ready. I think we are going to be much improved this year, and he will get the attention that he deserves because he is really gifted.”
He has a deep group of receiving options returning this season led by second-team all-conference selections Trevor Heman and Joelle Rover.
Heman had 47 catches for 717 yards and six touchdowns last season.
“I think Trevor is really going to (show) exponential growth,” Tristan said. “He has worked really hard to gain weight. Last year, he led us in receptions and yards but didn’t have a ton of yards after the catch. He really worked on his speed and strength to break tackles to be more a threat after he catches the ball.”
Rover, who is a three-sport standout, has received interest from Iowa State according to Tristan.
“Joelle is just a special talent. He is a game changer,” Tristan said. “He is a great track athlete and basketball player and a great football player. He is going to be tremendous because he has gotten older, he has gotten faster, and he has gotten stronger.”
Brady Yates, Jacan Seats and Kamron Richardson will also factor in at wide receiver.
Samari Pickett, who got injured in the second game last season, will be back in the backfield at running back. He will be joined by Cam Major who was on the Glendale’s 4×100 relay in the spring.
While Glendale does not have a ton of size up front overall, the Falcons do have Malique Fredrick and his 6-foot-4, 370-pound frame.
“He is a mammoth man. He is about 6-foot-4, 370 pounds. He is a confident kid, and I think he will give our offensive line some confidence,” Tristan said. “He knows what it is to be an aggressive lineman.”
Trinton Franco will also be on the offensive line.
Defensively, speed will also be the key.
“The whole thing about defense is speed kills and strength punishes,” Tristan said. “You have to be faster. Those guys have bought into that. They have worked on their speed in training. That is going to help our defense tremendously.”
Deric Washington returns to the middle of the defense at linebacker after earning second-team all-conference honors last season.
“(Washington) has had a wonderful offseason,” Tristan said. “I challenged him with speed. He has gotten faster and stronger. He is going to be really solid for us. I have been really impressed with his consistency.”
Pickett and Scout Rollins will also be at linebacker.
Look for Cam Bellamy, Max Feuerbacher, Caleb Bruce, Richardson, Heman and Rover to see time in the secondary.
The two-way players will be more limited in their defensive snaps.
“We play what we call a position and a half,” Tristan said. “You don’t want to lose a ball game with your best athletes sitting next to you. If they can help us on the football when it comes to districts, we want them prepared and ready to go.”
Up front, Bentley Neier, Lucas Massey, Remenick Falo and Jackson McVay will be on the defensive line.
The first season in the COC was a learning experience for the Falcons. A couple of lessons stood out more than others.
“The glaring thing is the strength. You can’t just depend on athleticism. You have to be strong. In the COC, these teams are very physical,” Tristan said. “Also, the importance of every down. A lot of the COC teams will get in third and two or third and three and grind it out. If you take a first down off, you really struggle offensively and defensively. Our guys learned it and understand it, and they have put in the work to correct it.”
Glendale travels to Marshfield for a jamboree with the host Blue Jays, Glendale and Fair Grove on Aug. 22. The Falcons open the regular season on Aug. 29 at Neosho.
