By RICHIE HALL
With a new coach and a solid group of players running on to the biggest football field in Indiana, there will be excitement for Hamilton Southeastern tonight as Friday night football begins.
The Royals will play their first game at approximately 8:30 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium as part of the Colts Horseshoe Classic. Southeastern takes on Lawrence Central, a team the Royals last played back in 2007.
Adam Morris is the new head coach for HSE, and he will lead a team that features several juniors who will figure prominently in the offense. That includes two quarterbacks: Kody Sparks and Andrew Hobson.
Sparks played in 10 games last year, and completed 83 of 182 passes for 722 yards and two touchdowns.
“We have two good ones,” said Morris. “Obviously there’s Kody coming back, who has the most time, starts and games last year. I really thought he made progress as the year went on, got more comfortable. You’re talking about a kid who moved in June and had just joined the kids. And I really thought he got better as the season progressed.
“And now the kids aren’t as new, but now the offense is new, so it’s still more new stuff for him. But I think he’s taking it on very well. He’s very talented, big, strong kid. Can make all the throws. I think it’s just coming along with the offense.”
Hobson only has five varsity pass attempts to his credit (and two completions), but Morris sees the potential in him, calling Hobson a “young talented kid.”
“Another kid who spins it very well,” said Morris. “And it’s been a battle. We’ve had a battle all summer. And we’ve been really happy with both of them.”
The top returning rusher for the Royals is senior Lance Stephens, who gained 144 yards and scored a touchdown last year. He will trade off with another senior Matt Harris, who was injured last year. Morris said Harris played in junior varsity games during the first half of last season, but then broke his hand and was out of commission.
But since then, Harris has made a strong comeback. Morris said Harris did a “great job” in the winter and spring in the weight room and “has really built himself” physically.
“So we look for him to have a good year,” said Morris. “We do have Lance Stephens back as a running back, also, who was a kid who played some varsity as a sophomore, played some varsity as a junior. Now he’s back for a third year. So we feel like we have two solid guys back there.”
“The running back position’s kind of an anomaly just in the fact that there are two seniors,” said Morris. “At a lot of other places, we have younger kids.”
With two solid running backs, it will be expected that HSE runs the football.
“You have to run the football,” said Morris. “We have two big, strong running backs. Offensive line is probably a place that is the most fluid. It normally is this time of year, just trying to find the five best ones. We’re going to do what we can, spread it out and get the ball to our weapons.”
On defense, two good seniors return. Anthony Eggers made 48 tackles last year, with Isaac Abeo getting 14 stops.
“Eggers is a kid probably who’s played as much football, if not more football, than any kid on the program, especially defensively,” said Morris. “He was the only underclassmen starter Weeks 1 and 2 last year defensively. So he’s played some football. He’ll play some safety, play some linebacker, can kind of do it all for us.
“Abeo is a kid who’s more dynamic. He can put his hand on the ground, he can play on both feet, play in space, but definitely a kid who can make some plays in the backfield.”
One part of the game that’s overlooked is special teams, but not by Morris. He said the Royals have two good Class 6A kickers in Mitch Hebenstreit and Tyler Melser, both seniors. Another senior, Andrew Klink, is back as the long snapper.
“Tyler has probably kicked a little bit better so far,” said Morris. “Mitch has probably punted a little bit better so far. But they both do both pretty well.”
Following its Lucas Oil game, the Royals will host North Central in Week 2 for their first home game of the year, before beginning its Hoosier Crossroads Conference schedule.
Kody Sparks will be one of two junior quarterbacks playing for Hamilton Southeastern this fall. Sparks threw for 722 yards last season. (Kirk Green/File photo)