Handy man at HHS : Snoderly brings experience to War Eagles
Posted on Friday, August 15, 2008
Daily Record photograph by Charles Fowler Rogers Heritage junior Jordan Snoderly caught nine passes for 154 yards and four touchdowns last season while playing with the Rogers Mounties. He will provide the War Eagles will valuable experience this year in their inaugural football season.
Editor’s Note: This is the seventh in a series of position previews for 7 A-West schools Bentonville, Rogers and Rogers Heritage.
BENTON COUNTY — The wide receivers will play a huge role in the Spread offense at Rogers Heritage.
Most of the receiving corps worked out with the team during the summer and participated in 7-on-7 games. The receivers looked good in 7-on-7 action, but nobody at Heritage is thinking about the summer anymore.
One of the playmakers at receiver will be junior Jordan Snoderly. Snoderly is the only receiver with experience. Last year at Rogers, he caught nine passes for 154 yards and four touchdowns.
“ He has great hands and great instincts, ” said Heritage receivers coach Hal Qualls.
Joining Snoderly will be the speedy tandem of Travis Entwisle and Grant Driver. During summer 7-on-7 competition, both players showed they have a knack at getting open but coaches say the players are not letting the summer success go to their heads.
Another key player is junior Casey Wilber, who comes in at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds. Wilber is one of most athletically gifted War Eagles. He will line up at tight end but will also see time at quarterback. The coaches feel that Wilber can be a playmaker and designated him an “ offensive ” only player on Monday.
— Sam Steinberg Rogers Mounties Rogers returns three of its top four receivers and some new additions give the Mounties better overall speed than they’ve ever had under coach Ronnie Peacock. “ We’ve got more speed — pure speed — there (at receiver ), ” Peacock said. “ Those guys are not just football fast, they’re track fast. That’s a really good thing. I’m really pleased with that. ” The Mounties graduated All-State pick Jake Byrne, who led the team with 37 catches, 486 yards and four touchdowns. But junior Casey Caton (25 catches for 348 yards, three touchdowns ) and seniors Austin Young (15 catches for 238 yards, three touchdowns ) and Michael Tibbs (19 catches for 220 yards ) return.
All three scored at the conference and state track meets this spring as the Mounties won both titles. Young won the 300-meter hurdles at the state meet and joined Caton on a come-from-behind second-place finish in the 1, 600-meter relay. Tibbs won the discus at the state meet.
Tibbs (6-0, 190 ) and Young (6-2, 165 ) then placed first and fifth, respectively, at the 45 th annual Arkansas High School Decathlon.
Senior Ryan Schatzman, a three-year starter, also returns after catching 13 passes for 132 yards and one score last year. Peacock says Caton (6-2, 175 ) and Schatzman (6-2, 208 ) can both jump well.
“(Schatzman is ) a great kid and a good worker, ” Peacock said. “ All of them are very athletic and good football players. ”
Junior Ethan Melton (5-8, 150 ) and senior Casey Hilton (5-7, 150 ) add some speed to the receiving corps. Melton was moving up the depth chart last year before breaking his arm in a junior varsity game.
— Tom Glave Bentonville Tigers The word regarding Bentonville’s wide receivers is the Tigers have more depth at the position this season than they’ve ever had since Barry Lunney took over the program in 2005. While that may be true, statistics show this is the most inexperienced receiving corps since then as well. The Tigers lost nearly 85 percent of their total team receptions and yardage from last year. “ Depth without experience isn’t very good. I know that, ” Tigers offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. said. Yet the coaches feel good about the crop of receivers, including senior leading returner Austin McCollum who caught 11 passes for 117 yards last year. Combined the Tigers have 20 receptions for 190 yards coming back. “ Austin McCollum is our bell cow right now as far as returning and what he’s done in the offseason, ” Lunney Jr. said. Taylor Lyles (6-foot, 180 ) is the Tigers’ top threat at the tight end position. He caught three passes for 39 yards last year. The Tigers are excited about junior wideout Nick Gneiting, who was on the verge of seeing major playing time as a sophomore before breaking his collarbone. He had 2 catches for 14 yards last year. Other Tigers seeing reps at receiver include Sheldon Vanderpool, basketball players Chad Hood and Steven Reid, Gus Soriano, Jessie Kimmel and Zach Cole. “ There’s a whole slew of them, ” wide receivers coach Kevin York said. “ I’m not afraid to play any of these guys. ” The Tigers also will use running backs out of the backfield as receivers.
— Graham Thomas
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