Written by Russ Gray
The Harding University Bison football team kicks off the 2010 football season Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. at First Security Stadium in Searcy.
The Bisons have 17 seniors in the line up for the season, six of which are starting players for the Harding Bison defense.
“We have a veteran group with our front six,” said Paul Simmons, defensive coordinator for the Bisons. “These are guys we look for to be leaders for the team, in their leadership and play.”
According to Simmons, defensive end Marcus Jones and free safety, Steve Hudson are two of the starting seniors on the Bison defense who are being looked to by the team as leaders for the upcoming season.
The Bison defense will continue running a 4-2-5 defensive package, which they started using last season, using four defensive linemen, two linebackers, and three safeties. This defensive package is modeled after Texas Christian University, which uses an attacking defense.
Other notable senior players on defense to watch this season are Jason Tomasson, a senior linebacker, and Jermaine Blanchard, a returning first team all-GSC defensive lineman.
“Kurt Adams, a senior wide receiver, and Jordan Watson, also a senior Wide Receiver on the Bison offense are two of the most respected players in the Gulf South Conference,” said Coach Ronnie Huckeba, head football coach for the Bisons. “These guys have gained a lot of experience in the GSC, we’re looking for great leadership from all the seniors.”
According to Huckeba, the offense is transitioning from a Texas Tech style offense to a more balanced scheme involving a mixture of running plays and passing plays.
Junior running backs Kale Gelles and Jeremy Holt will be players to watch this season with the offense adopting a more balanced scheme for the season.
Huckeba said these guys will be a big part of the offenses success.
Trey Gavin, a Freshman Wide Receiver has received a spot on the 2010 depth chart. Gavin caught three touch down passes in the Arkansas High School All-Star game in 2010.
According to Huckeba, the ultimate goal of the team is to honor God, which gives Harding a unique opportunity in college football. The team wants to play with a lot of passion, heart and integrity.
“We believe that by honoring God, we’ll do our very best,” Huckeba said. “We’re very focused on one game at a time.”
“We have a really dedicated group of guys who are working really hard,” Huckeba said. “There is a strong senior leadership in this year’s team, the fans can come out and see an exciting football team play.”
