Healthy Edwards gets double duty : Northside’s All-Conference back will also play linebacker
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette photograph by Dan Hale Fort Smith Northside senior running back Semaj Edwards, left, will also help the Grizzlies on defense this season. Edwards rushed for more than 1, 100 yards last year before injuring his knee in Week 10.
Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of stories previewing 7 A-West Conference opponents for Bentonville, Rogers and Rogers Heritage.
BENTONVILLE — During the 2006 season, Fort Smith Northside coach Darrell Henry was forced into a position move that many coaches in the 7 A-West Conference probably wouldn’t have been so eager to do.
In order to give his team the best chance to win, the Grizzlies asked star quarterback Kodi Burns to pull double duty by playing in the secondary on defense.
In 2008, the same may be true of All-Conference senior running back Semaj Edwards, who led the Grizzlies with 1, 142 rushing yards on 226 carries last year.
“ He’ll probably have to play both ways, ” Henry said of Edwards. “ He played linebacker for us as a sophomore and he’ll probably have it to play as a senior. ”
The move is spurred by two reasons.
The Grizzlies (7-4 in 2007 ) don’t have the depth that most teams in the conference with only 65 players on the varsity roster, by far the fewest in the conference.
And on defense, in particular, the Grizzlies only have four returning starters.
“ We’re not like the other schools in northwest Arkansas and even at (Fort Smith ) Southside, ” Henry said. “ We don’t have the numbers to go out there and be two or three deep on both sides of the ball. We’ve got to have guys that will play both ways. It’s like the old iron-man football. ”
A healthy Edwards will make a difference, Henry said.
Edwards was bulldozing opponents last year as the Grizzlies rolled into their Week 10 matchup with Southside at 7-2. Edwards tore his ACL in that game and the Grizzlies fell to their archrival Rebels 28-21. Northside’s season ended the next week in the first round of the playoffs against Russellville 24-20 and all Edwards could do was watch from the sidelines.
Edwards wasn’t able to participate in spring and summer drills while rehabilitating his injury. He has been participating in fall camp, Henry said.
“ He’s moving well but he’s not in shape, ” Henry said. “ He’s still got to get in shape. He didn’t go to Tulsa camp. He didn’t have any spring. He’s been completely released as long as he wears his brace. He’s doing real good. We’re real pleased with his progress. ”
The Grizzlies will also rely heavily on senior quarterback Dax Dupire, who hit 124 of 212 passes for 1, 769 yards and 11 touchdowns last year while rushing for 361 yards and five scores.
Dupire, who has 4. 6 speed in the 40-yard dash, will have even more opportunities to make plays this year, Henry said.
“ He’s got a lot more speed than people realize, ” Henry said. “ He’s very quick and a talented runner. He’s got some moves. If you flush him out of the pocket he can hurt some people. ”
Henry said senior receiver Chuck Carter is going to play a big role on offense this year as well.
The Grizzlies only return two offensive lineman from last year in Rick Jones (6-foot-2, 300 ) and Jabari Douglas (5-11, 260 ). The Grizzlies lost All-State center Austin Eoff (6-5, 300 ) to graduation.
“ We lost our anchor up there, but that’s the way it works in high school, ” Henry said. “(Jones and Douglas ) are really going to have to be our leaders on the offensive line because we’ve got three new guys with them that range from 190-220 pounds. That’s not very big in this league. ”
Defensively, the Grizzlies only gave up an average of 18. 3 points per game a year ago.
Junior defensive end Jeff Grimmett (6-2, 250 ) recorded 30 tackles and three sacks as a sophomore and was named to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Super Sophomore Team. Linebacker Tyler Springwater returns as does Darrell Thompson, who’s moving up from the secondary.
Senior Zach Morehart also started in the secondary.
“ We’ve got those four guys to build around and the rest of the guys are brand new, ” Henry said. “ We’ve done some really good things defensively in the spring and fall — some things that make you think we can really develop into a pretty good defense. ” NOTES: Northside scored 226 points and gave up 202 a year ago. The Grizzlies won five of their seven games by eight points or less.... Northside will travel to Conway for a scrimmage on Tuesday, Aug. 26., before hosting Pine Bluff to open the season on Sept. 5.
• • • Wednesday: Springdale
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