Seventeeth in a series
By Michael Cummings
Elkmont High at a Glance:
Head Coach: Sean Holt (first season as a varsity head coach).
2010 Record: 4-6, 3-4 in Class 3A, Region 8. Did not make the playoffs.
Overview: Elkmont started 3-0 in 2010, but the season went downhill from there. The Red Devils finished 4-6 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006. With several starters back on both sides of the ball, Holt and the players are hoping to use last year's tough experience as a springboard.
""Expectations have changed at Elkmont High. Only three years ago, the Red Devils broke ground by hosting the program's first postseason game. They won, beating J.B. Pennington in the first round of the 2008 Class 3A playoffs. The following year proved equally fruitful, with an 8-4 record and a first-round home win over Vinemont under then coach Don Jacobs.
A the 2011 season begins under new coach Sean Holt, what once was groundbreaking now feels expected. And last season's 4-6 record serves as a rallying point. " We were the first to host a playoff game at Elkmont, and the first to win a playoff game at Elkmont, and a lot of the players on this team were ninth and tenth graders then," said Holt, who lead the middle school team and served as a varsity assistant in his seven previous seasons with the Red Devils. "They've had success, and they know how hard it is and how hard they have to work. And the fact is, we expect a lot out of them."
The success continued early in 2010. Elkmont started 3-0 with wins over Limestone County rival Ardmore and Class 3A, Region 8 foes West Morgan and Rogers. The season fell apart from there. Due to their bad decisions, four seniors were expelled and the combination of lowered morale and a thinned roster took its toll.
Injuries mounted as Elkmont lost six of its final seven games, and the Red Devils finished the regular season under .500 for the first time since 2006.
"Our kids showed a lot of character and maturity, but that was tough," Holt said. "And that's why I think our senior leadership is so strong this year. They know how hard it's going to be and how hard they have to work." One of those seniors, offensive guard/linebacker Daniel Logan, said the team is setting its goals high. He called 2010's 4-6 record a disappointment and said making the playoffs is a necessity. "We didn't make it last year, and it was a real downer," he said.
Holt, who served as Elkmont's defensive coordinator the last four seasons, will have several familiar faces to work with on defense. In addition to Logan, senior Cody Martin and sophomore Hugo Hernandez return to the linebacker corps. Logan and Martin each recorded more than 140 tackles in 2010. Senior defensive ends Logan Murphy and Sloan Hawkins return to their starting jobs while Skyler Gant and Cole Glass reprise their roles in the secondary.
On offense, senior quarterback Hayden Huseth returns to run Elkmont's no-huddle offense. He'll have familiar weapons in Gant, a running back and Glass, an 2009 all-state receiver. Logan and Jake Marshall return to anchor the line. Elkmont will have to replace the production of two-way lineman Josh Miller, but Holt said he expects contributions from senior receiver/cornerback Austin McNatt and junior tight ends Bryant Wells and Ben Ferguson.
"We're older than we were last year," said Holt. "We've got a lot of seniors, so I think we're going to be OK. Time will tell this season." Elkmont will again compete in Region 8 with West Morgan, Rogers, Lauderdale County, Sheffield, Danville, Colbert county and Clements. The Red Devils open the season Friday at home against Ardmore.""
Source: Decatur Daily
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