Byrd out to bounce back from disappointing 2016

The 2016 season was a very tough one for C.E. Byrd football program. After three straight seasons with double-digit wins and their first-ever appearance in the Mercedes Benz Superdome, no one would have predicted the Yellow Jackets would start out the season 0-5, and finish with a 4-7 record.

Decimated by injuries and attrition in 2016, the Byrd Yellow Jackets will look to bounce back in 2017. Offensively, the Yellow Jackets lose five starters and defensively they lose eight starters. Byrd will also have to replace its punter and place kicker.

“It was a tough year last year,” said Mike Suggs, who begins his 20^th season as the Yellow Jackets’ head coach. “Hopefully, that experience the young guys gained will transfer into a lot better play on this year.”

The biggest loss offensively will be along the line where the Jackets will have to replace All-District tackle Zack Ward, who is at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, as well guard Jake Shadrix, who is at Belhaven, and tight end Christian Gulledge, who’s a walk-on at Louisiana Tech.

However, the Jackets do return center Brock Hernandez (6-3, 227, Sr.) as well as guard Nick Erwin (5-9, 238, Jr.) and tackle Blake Wilson (5-11, 227, Sr.). Tucker Gardner (5-11, 240, Sr.), who saw a lot of playing time last year will take over full time at guard. Julien DeLeon (5-11, 209, Jr.) and Adam Ward (6-4, 193, Jr.) will battle for the starting job vacated by Ward’s brother Zack.

One area that should be strong and deep in 2017 is the backfield where quarterback Carson Dunn (6-1, 153, Jr.), wingbacks Javien Wilson (5-9, 170, Sr.) and Lawson Jackson (5-9, 150 Jr.) and fullback Charlie Barham (5-8, 180, Jr.), all return. Those four backs were among the top five rushers on the team and accounted for 15 of Byrd’s 20 rushing touchdowns in 2016.

The running game should get a boost from the expected return of wingbacks Jalin Thomas (5-8, 179, Sr.) and Sammy Miletello (5-9, 160, Sr.). Thomas was lost for the season after suffering a knee injury in the third quarter of the season opener at Barbe. Miletello missed the entire season after injuring his knee on the final play of spring practice the previous year.

“We have a good group of backs returning,” Suggs said. “The key is keeping them healthy.”

Dunn, who started eight games in 2016 after Zavier Moore (now on the baseball squad at Southern University) was lost for the season with a knee injury, is in a battle with Cameron Felt (5-11, 160, So.) and Airline transfer Tarik Demery (5-11, 181, Sr.) for the starting quarterback job. Through two scrimmages and the Jamboree, it looks as though Felt has won the job.

“Over the summer and in camp, Cameron has really come on strong,” Suggs said. “He’s a really good athlete with a strong and accurate arm, and he makes good decisions.”

Byrd loses eight starters off its Purple Swarm Defense, with the defensive line suffering the most attrition. The line loses seven of its eight-man rotation, including All-District performer Shimorye Hampton, who’s at Ouachita Baptist, and Mark Johnson, who’s at Arkansas Tech. Junior Luke Slabaugh (6-0, 185, Jr.), who finished the season with 38 tackles, returns, but has been moved to defensive end because of the attrition. The two tackle spots in Byrd’s 4-2-5 defensive alignment will like be manned by Trayvious Johns (5-9, 229, Jr.) and Jayden Durden (5-11, 249, So.). Like Slabaugh, Henry Lott (6-1, 204, Jr.), who played a lot at “buck” linebacker last year has been moved to defensive end.

They’ll be some new faces at linebacker for the Purple Swarm in 2017. Defensive coordinator Stacey Ballew will use a four-man rotation at the weak and strong linebacker spots. Clayton Ogletree (5-11, 167, Sr.) and Dakota Byrd (5-9, 170, Sr.) will rotate at weak, while James Carinio (5-11, 182, So.) and Logan Lewis (6-2, 170, So.) will split time at strong. The “buck” linebacker will also rotate between Hunter Gray (5-10, 174, Jr.) and Chondrick Lofton (5-9, 167, Jr.).

The secondary should be the strength of the defense with the return of corner backs D’Tariea Grant (5-9, 162, Sr.) and Avaunte Steward (5-10, 162, Jr.) as well as free safety Taranjit Singh (6-0, 145, Sr.). Zach Lewis (5-10, 149, Sr.) appears to have won the job at weak safety.

A big area of concern for Suggs is place kicking and punting, where sophomore Scotty Roblow (6-3, 152, Jr.) will try to replace Ben Smith and Hardy Trafford, who is kicking at the Air Force Academy’s Prep School.

 Suggs has put together a very challenging slate of games for the 2017 season. The Jackets will play the Calvary Cavaliers in the 2017 season opener on Thursday, then in week two they will once again participate in the Landers Dodge Battle on the Border High School Football Showcase. It’ll be the seventh straight year that Byrd has been a part of the showcase. The Jackets will play the Moss Point, MS Tigers in the final game of the Battle on the Border. In week three, Byrd will travel to Sulphur to take on the Golden Tornados for the first time since 1965. The start of District 1-5A play begins in week four with the Haughton Buccaneers. The annual “Backyard Brawl” with arch-rivals Captain Shreve highlights week five, and then the crosstown matchup with Southwood in week six. Weeks seven through nine has Byrd facing three of the top teams in the state in the Parkway Panthers, Evangel Eagles and Airline Vikings.