It’s not often that a new coach walks into a head job with a veteran squad, including two Arkansas commits, but that’s what Clarendon's Mark Courtney inherited.
A pair of Razorbacks pledges in wide receiver Quincey McAdoo (6-3, 180) and tight end Dax Coutney (6-6, 210), the coach’s son, head up a team that has seven returning starters on both sides of the ball. Clarendon went 7-3 last season.
Both players will be on hand in Fayetteville on Saturday for the Arkansas recruiting picnic.
“I am extremely excited about our team and feel fortunate to be in such a great situation,” Coach Courtney said. “I’m ready to get after it.”
Clarendon finished second in the 6-2A conference behind Des Arc, its best league mark since 2000. It is picked to do so again by Hooten’s Arkansas Football.
The offense is expected to be high powered with McAdoo, Courtney, three-year starting quarterback Kaleb Williams, receiver Kayne Cohen and California move-in wideout Terrance Hampton flooding the field.
“Offensively, we have skill people that can go and are pretty well accustomed to what we want to do in terms of transition to systems that run,” Courtney said. “When we are fully healthy, I think we have got one of the best receiving corps in the state at any classification.”
Courtney and his assistant coaches are already game planning.
“We are racking our brains right now, trying to out-think opposing coaches in wondering how they are going to try and defense us,” Courtney said. “We want you to get in man against us because we have three man-beaters, for sure.
“They are going to have to play us a soft zone and try to keep us underneath because I have five kids that can score from anywhere on the field.”
McAdoo, who flipped from Florida State to Arkansas, had 53 carries for 548 yards and 5 touchdowns, and 26 receptions for 458 yards and 8 touchdowns playing running back and receiver last season.
He also had 76 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 1 recovered fumble, 4 pass breakups and 5 interceptions, including an interception returned for a touchdown, at defensive back.
McAdoo also returned 9 kickoffs for 276 yards and 2 touchdowns, and 6 punts for 90 yards.
“He’s special,” Courtney said. “His speed is obvious, but he does things where he uses his body to create separation at the end of a route. His hands are great, but the biggest thing is his body control.
“He runs good routes, but he knows when to separate and when not to separate. He’s got God-given talent that he is about to use big-time.”
McAdoo is as gifted of a receiver as he has had, according to Courtney, who coached former Razorbacks wide receiver Marcus Monk at East Poinsett County.
“He’s different,” Courtney said. “I’ve had some good ones from Marcus Monk to way on back."
Courtney expects a big senior season from his son, who battled a knee injury last season and had surgery.
“I think Dax is going to have a really big year and the reason I say that is I don’t know how they are going to defend all my receivers with my other two being so fast and immediate deep threats.
“The knee is great on Dax. He has had a little bit of hamstring trouble as they took a graft from the hamstring to fix the knee. As long as he is and as stiff as he is, he has to stretch out even more now to try and keep it healthy.”
Both have fought through injuries and saw some action late this summer in 7-on-7 competitions.
“They really are elite,” Courtney said. “I don’t know how many touchdowns Quincey caught back for his first 7-on-7, but it was a lot. People start playing (defenses) I don’t think they are comfortable in. One time we had safeties playing 20 yards off the ball.
“Quincey is just as good underneath as he is vertical and so is Dax. In my opinion, in high school, people don’t cover the tight end and running backs like they do at the next level. But at all levels, when you have a 6-6 kid working the middle of the field makes it easier for the quarterback.”
Courtney believes the offense just needs to get reps through preseason practice ahead of opening the season Sept. 3 at Barton.
“With this offense, we can really attack all parts of the field and do it pretty efficiently,” Courtney said. “If we get our lines right and get our timing down, we are going to be hard to stop.”