By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Lonoke coach Doug Bost has spent as much time rearranging the Jackrabbits depth chart as he has planning strategy the first two weeks of the season.
Bost’s strategy will also shift with new personnel filling in at critical positions as the ’Rabbits prepare for their third straight road trip when they travel to McGehee on Friday.
Injuries have taken their toll on the ’Rabbits since the second week of practice when projectedstarting quarterback Tarrale Watson went down with a fractured ankle. That put receiver Logan DeWhitt behind center until he sustained a shoulder injury late against Star City in the season opener.
DeWhitt recovered to start at Beebe last week and played midway into the second quarter before the hard-hitting Badger defense got him down again. That put another starting receiver, senior Darius Scott, behind center as the third-string quarterback.
The Owls (1-0) are coming off a bye week after opening the season with an upset victory over Stuttgart two weeks ago. The Jackrabbits are 2-0 after dramatic victories against Star City and last week at Beebe, but have paid a hefty price with three starters out and questionable to return anytime soon.
Starting right tackle Justin Carpenter suffered a shoulder injury against Beebe in the first half. Sophomore Nelson Brown filled in for the rest of the game, and is expected to see plenty of reps in practice this week to prepare for McGehee.
Junior Benton Garringer will also make his way into a starting spot this week in place of senior right guard Brandon McKinney, who went out late in the Beebe game with a knee injury.
“They’re going to get full reps this week,” Bost said. “We’re going to have to count on them to be ready.”
Scott’s move to quarterback also leaves an open receiver slot, which sophomore sensation Eric Williams will fill. Williams has backed up starting tailback Keli Bryant with success in the first two weeks and scored the winning touchdown against Star City in the opener.
Williams had three straight rushes for 23 yards in the second half against Beebe to help the Jackrabbits move the ball deep into Badger territory on their tying drive.
“I’ve been pleased with how hard he hits the hole,” Bost said. “He’s probably just a half step slower than Darius, and for no bigger than he is, he’s strong as an ox. I think it may help us getting him on the field to play for us.”
McGehee has its share of speedy players, including senior running back T’Cambry Green. Green, a 5-10, 220-pound senior with 4.6 speed in the 40-yard dash, is high on the college prospect list after rushing for almost 1,300 yards his junior season.
“They’re an experienced team,” Bost said. “Of their 11 on offense, eight of them are seniors, and I think it’s the same for their defense. So it’s a strong senior group, and they’re similar to Beebe in that they want to run the football.”
Getting a look at McGehee’s Wing-T offense should benefit Lonoke once 2-4A Conference play begins next week.
“First of all, they have speed all over their roster,” Bost said. “You can see that on film. That will help us get ready for Newport and Marianna to see that kind of speed, and what they run is very similar to what we will see from Clinton when we play them.”
