FULTON, Mo. - Change is on the horizon for the Fulton Hornets.
After 20 years at the helm, Pat Kelley stepped down as head coach and Fulton will now turn to Blake Logan to lead the Hornets. Logan's tenure will begin with a stiff test in tonight's 2017 season opener at home against the School of the Osage Indians. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Robert E. Fisher Jr. Stadium.
Fulton will be young, with only five starters returning from last season's 5-6 squad, but that could possibly be a blessing in disguise as Logan looks to put his personal stamp on the program.
The Hornets will lack experience, but they will bring back a host of explosive skill players as well as an influx of key contributors who missed last year due to injury. One of those players will be 6-foot-3, 190-pound senior Cameron Vaughn, who broke his collarbone during last year's Jamboree.
A jack-of-all-trades, Vaughn will line up all over on offense, taking snaps at tailback while also being flexed out wide at receiver in Logan's spread offense. The Hornets' coaching staff raved about Vaughn's performance all summer and are eager to see what he can do this season.
"He wasn't able to take any snaps last year, but he came to every single practice and got a lot of mental reps," Logan said. "He's a very intelligent kid, great athlete and one of our best leaders. He's a kid we want to get the ball in his hands as much as possible."
Getting Vaughn back will give Fulton's offense some much-needed juice after it averaged a respectable 26 points per game in 2016. While their numbers were acceptable, the Hornets struggled to put up points in some of their biggest games last year, including a six-point outing in a Class 3 District 6 semifinal loss to Blair Oaks.
In Kelley's last season, he was forced to rely heavily on the pass as the Hornets struggled to open holes up front for the running game. In Logan's up-tempo attack, maintaining balance will be key and while the team only returns one starter from last year's offensive line - junior Shane Edwards (6-0, 260) - there should be a chance for improvement with all of the new faces.
"We're trying to get them to play more physical than they're used to," Logan said. "It's one of those X-factors, and we're hoping to lean on the offensive line, but we're very inexperienced."
Edwards will man one tackle position and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him paired on the same side as senior guard Colton Bristol (6-0, 195). Bristol is a team captain and started on both sides of the ball last year. The duo will serve as the stabilizing force for a unit that could see a lot of different faces at the other three spots.
It may sound overly simple, but a lot of Fulton's success on offense will be determined by how well the offensive line meshes, because Logan possesses a host of explosive weapons that will only need a crease to make a big play.
The responsibility of getting the ball to those playmakers will fall on the shoulders of junior Evan Gray (6-0, 170) or sophomore Tyler Sayler (6-3, 170). Like Vaughn, Gray missed all of 2016 with an injury and he's another player the coaches are excited to get back in the fold for the quarterback competition.
Whoever wins the duel will have plenty to work with in the Hornets' backfield. Junior running back Taeon Logan (5-9, 165) will get the brunt of the workload after rushing for 425 yards (3.9 per carry) and two touchdowns last season. Cameron Vaughn and sophomore Zaylin McNeil (5-9, 155) are also expected to get their share of touches.
"Watching last season's film, we were really impressed with what (Taeon) brings to the table," Blake Logan said. "He's got great vision, good feet, and so I think this could be a breakout year for him."
The wide receiver position will also be a strength for the Hornets. Senior Tre Vaughn (6-1, 205) was an all-state selection last season while leading the team with 52 catches for 869 yards (16.7 average) and nine scores. Fellow senior Makygh Galbreath (6-1, 195) is also back after logging 40 receptions for 457 yards (11.4 average) and four touchdowns.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Hornets allowed almost 30 points per game in 2016. Logan and new defensive coordinator Teneil Stevenson are hoping that a schematic change to a 3-4 alignment and an emphasis on turnovers will turn the unit around.
Bristol will be one of the anchors at defensive tackle after posting 28 tackles last year, while massive sophomore Emarieon Clark (6-0, 300) will try to control the center of the line at the nose guard position. The last defensive line spot is up for grabs, but Edwards could be a candidate to man the spot. Depth will be an issue as Logan expects a number of linemen to play both ways.
The linebacking corps will present Logan with intriguing options such as senior LeCheyon Williams (6-0, 225) to work on the inside after finishing as one of Fulton's leading tacklers last season with 73. Senior Nazir McClain (5-10, 175) will man the other inside linebacker position, even though he hasn't played football since his freshman year.
Tre Vaughn and senior Ben Bader (6-0, 185) will start at both of the outside linebacker spots. Bader is one of the few returning starters from 2016 and tallied 59 tackles.
"We think (Williams) has the potential to lead our team in tackles and be one of the leaders in the conference," Logan said. "Good things happen when he's around the ball."
Stevenson's mantra on defense is to create turnovers and to play with a little bit of swag. No unit will embody their coordinator more than the Hornets' secondary, which all the coaches agreed was the team's best unit.
Galbreath is a ballhawk who was an all-state pick at cornerback after picking off six passes last season. Senior Tucker Caswell (5-8, 145) will make the move from cornerback to safety after totalling 97 tackles in 2016. Cameron Vaughn will man the other safety spot, while the remaining cornerback position will include a rotation of Taeon Logan, McNeil and junior Joseph Hinchie (5-9, 160).
"They're definitely our most sure group, especially with those starting four," Blake Logan said. "They're smart kids, hard workers and all good athletes. That's a recipe for success for those four."
Osage returns a bevy of starters from last year's team that held off the Hornets 28-21 in the season opener and went on to finish 9-2.
"They're a senior-laden football team, they bring back all of their starting offensive linemen from last year," Logan said. "All of them are seniors, just like their quarterback and running back. They have a good coaching staff and they're a physical football team.
"They basically line up and tell you what they're about to do, and dare you to stop it. We'll have to do all the small things and win the turnover battle to beat those guys."