West Bladen’s Knights kick-off the 2015 football season Friday night when they host the South Robeson Mustangs.
The Knights have won four of their last five games against South Robeson and are 2-0 against the Mustangs with Coach Russell Dove at the helm, winning 34-12 in 2013 and 42-8 last season.
Last season West Bladen posted a 6-5 record which was the first winning season for the Knights since 2008 when Raymond Marlowe was the West Bladen Head Coach.
Key losses to graduation from last year’s squad were quarterback Colby Lewis, backs Malcolm Vaught, Trevor Lesane and Kesean Sutton, linebackers Jaquan Ross and Cornelius Jarmon and linemen Brandon Council, Donaldo Guerrero, Chris Batten and Scottie Storms.
Lewis threw for 988 yards and 12 touchdowns and ran for 313 yards and 10 touchdowns. Vaught ran for 788 yards and 11 touchdowns and caught 13 passes for 234 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Senior Stephon McDonald who was the Knights leading receiver a year ago has been shifted to quarterback this year. Senior fullback Malique McDowell led the West Bladen ground game a year ago with 761 yards rushing.
Senior Daquan Lennon and junior James Moore will start at the other two backfield slots for the Knights.
“We line up in the wing-T which is really a hybrid,” said Coach Dove. “ We can easily go-under-center, get in the gun or go to the pistol.”
Hunter Prevatte, a 6-1, 175-pound senior, will man the tight end position, and Jonathan Ashworth will be the split receiver for West Bladen.
The West Bladen offensive line features tackles Jasaiah Roberts (260-lb. senior) and sophomore Landon Hedgepeth. The guards are senior Donald McCullum and junior Jaquel Jessup.
Junior Hunter Jackson will snap the ball from center. Sophomore Jonathan Robinson is expected to see time on the offensive line when he returns from an injury.
“If the offensive line does their job, we can be successful,” said Coach Dove. “This game is all about blocking and tackling.”
On the defensive front, the Knights will start senior ends David Gittens and Ashton Lyons and senior tackles Idris Najeeullah and Matthew Sturgill.
The inside linebackers will be Hunter Pait (200-lb. junior) and junior Traquan Smith. The outside backers are Traquan Horne (200-lb. senior) and sophomore B. J. Drake.
At the corners the Knights will start juniors Luis Ramirez and Derrick Grant. Sophomore Raekwon Shaw will man the safety position.
“We’ve got to swarm to the football and tackle,” said Coach Dove. “We’ve made some adjustments since the Red Springs scrimmage. We have spent more time on tackling, and we hope it shows.”
Senior Ray Jones will handle the place-kicking and punting duties for the Knights. “Ray has got a really strong leg,” says Coach Dove.
Rain has hampered the Knight practice efforts this week. “We had to go use the field at Bladenboro Middle Wednesday because ours was soaked,” said Dove. “But things are getting better. We had a really good practice there.”
South Robeson Coach Clay Jernigan and his father, Assistant Coach Frank Jernigan, will lead the Mustangs into Knight Field Friday night. “We will see some of the same stuff that we run,” noted Coach Dove. “We know that they will have them ready to play. “
Sophomore running back Darius Brown leads the South Robeson offense.
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