27 Aug 2011 Conway: Wampus Cats ready ‘for their time to shine’

Conway proved and improved in 2010.

Coach Clint Ashcraft and his Wampus Cats proved that 2009’s late season success wasn’t just luck by improving in their second year in the Spread offense and tying for first in the 7A-Central.

Conway finished the regular season 9-1 and earned a first-round bye in the state playoffs.

“We had a great year,” Ashcraft said. “We had an exceptional senior class that did a good job of leading our team to a conference championship. We averaged 474 yards a game on offense and allowed an average of 279 yards on defense. We also had a plus-14 turnover ratio for the season.”

The Wampus Cats’ post-season hopes came to a close quickly as they were stunned in the second round at home, 37-27, at the hands of Har-Ber.

Despite the quick exit, 2010 established Conway as a force to be reckoned with in the 7A.

“I think that they surprised a lot of people,” said Jeff Matthews, Conway Corp Channel 5 play-by-play commentator. “We expected them to be good, but didn’t expect them to overachieve the way they did in the regular season. I think that the team played better faster than we expected.

“I mean that because of the polar opposites in styles. The kids that grew up here and their parents that played here only knew how to play one way of football. To go from the Wing T to the Spread – every part of the scheme is different. The biggest thing is that the kids have bought into it so quickly. It’s one thing to buy into it, but it’s another thing to execute it so well so quickly.”

Repeating last year’s success won’t be automatic, as the Wampus Cats will be forced to replace multiple starters on both sides of the ball. But one position they won’t have to replace is that of all-state quarterback Tyler Langley (6-1, 170).

Langley, a senior, passed for more than 2,700 yards last fall and led a Wampus Cat offense that averaged 43.3 points per game in the regular season.

“Last fall we didn’t know much about this kid who had won the starting quarterback job during the off-season,” Matthews said. “Being as good as the Wampus Cats were so early in the season had a lot to do with how Langley played and took over the team from the very first snap of the season. Langley is a leader, and that was evident from the press box.”

The big question for the Conway offense this fall is who will Langley throw to.

“We’re replacing all our wide receivers this year,” Ashcraft said. “Our offense will be built around Langley at quarterback and junior guard Brannon Kotch (6-2, 250) on our offensive line.”

Matthews added, “Langley coming back is huge, but most of the skill positions – his go-to guys – are all gone. But there are so many athletes on campus and guys who are ready to step in. Now with everyone being three years into the system, it’s a reload mentality now instead of a rebuild mentality.”

The Wampus Cats return five starters on defense, and the experience bodes well for the team. Seniors Reid Blaylock (5-9, 190), Hayden Strickland (6-1, 190), Ben Tusson (6-3, 200) and Jonathon Spears (5-10, 185) are seasoned at linebacker.

“Our defense will be composed heavily of seniors,” Ashcraft said. “We will lean heavily on our defensive line to stop the run and pressure the quarterback. Two of our defensive linemen are three-year starters.”

Seniors Marquis Rogers (5-11, 245) and E.J. Robinson (5-9, 325) are forces to be reckoned with on the defensive line.

“Rogers and Robinson are both very talented,” Matthews said. “What I like about them is that they can stop the run, but they’re also quick and can get to the quarterback. The thing about the 7A-Central is that you have great running teams like Cabot, but you also have teams like Bryant who can throw it around. You have to be able to stop both, and to have these two guys on the defensive line that can do that is huge.

“Tusson is as hard a hitter as there is. He’s always around the football. He’s battled some injury problems, but he always finds a way to be on the field.”

Three-year starters are a good thing to have, and the fact that all of this year’s seniors have had three full years in Ashcraft’s system is another positive for the Wampus Cats who will yet again face a dauntingly talented 7A-Central.

“North Little Rock will be very talented with the most returning starters in the conference – that has to make them the team to beat,” Ashcraft said. “Our weakness is that we have a lot of new faces in starting roles, but our strength is that these new faces are mostly seniors and juniors who have been waiting for their time to shine.”