Science Hill talented, but young at some positions

Can youth and talent overcome a lack of experience at some positions?That's the question Science Hill football coach Stacy Carter has about the 2025 team.The Hilltoppers bring back a talented backfield of Aiden Perry, Ian Mathes and Nalique Anderson. There's also much ballyhooed transfer quarterback Lane Clement. But, there are a lot of new faces on the offensive line."Well, we're young. We got to figure out our identity and figure out things, and we don't have much time to do it," Carter said. "We want to keep things simple and try to figure out an offense, a defense. The offensive linemen, some talent, but they're new. They're bigger at some spots, but they're not as experienced."Clement, the son of former University of Miami quarterback Ryan Clement, has raised expectations for many Hilltopper fans. He's a 6-foot-4 senior quarterback that the coaches say can make all the throws.Perry was around the 1,000-yard rushing mark last season, while Mathes started a couple of games. Anderson was explosive in spots and the 6-1 junior will be a starting wide receiver in addition to the rushing. Sophomore Kianti Harris rounds out the quartet.Pearson Harrison, a 6-1 sophomore, is listed as Clement's backup at the quarterback position.Anderson, Darian Jackson and Jabriel Fain are speedsters at wide receiver. Branson Newberry, Keenan McInturff and Marcus Jones are backups.The tight end and H-Back positions are held by Jacob Horne and Darren Hill with Hayden Smith and Brayden Austin their backups.Sawyer Necessary returns to the line at right tackle. He's the younger brother of last season's Elite 11 Player of the Year Baylor Necessary. Other spots include Parke Walters at right guard, Mason Whitehead at center, Trenton Hughes at left guard and Tybre Faw at left tackle.Science Hill is strong on the defensive line with seniors Haiden Cox and Darius Dualuqua at ends and Necessary at nose tackle. Horne and Walters are primary backups.Linebacker is the other position which Carter is most looking to. Anderson is the most experienced on the outside, while Austin on the other side. There's plenty of athleticism with Hill and Smith at middle linebackers. But, there's inexperience behind them with Ronan Bishiop, Elijah Diaz, Macky Keramidas and Ahsan Ewing."We've some good players there, but not super deep," Carter said. "They're not experienced so it's going to take time. We might have to make sure things are simple, becausethe bright light hits and somebody forgets what he's doing."Josihea Battle and Harris are starting corners with Tyler Holder and Mathes at safety. Jackson and Newberry are backups at corners with Tyler Holder and Perry listed as backup safeties.Carter Lockman brings experience at kicker and Knox Arrington is the punter. They are backups at each other's positions.It's certainly a challenging schedule, opening with the traditional rivalry game with Elizabethton."It's tough right off the bat. We've got Maryville back on the schedule, along with some new ones," Carter said. "We've got Bristol, Morristown West, Cocke County and Bearden. We changed it up a bit."No. Name Pos. Class1 Ian Mathes RB/DB Sr.2 Branson Newberry WR/DB Jr.3 Brayden Austin TE/OLB Sr.4 Tyler Holder TE/DB Sr.5 Keenan McInturff WR/DB Sr.6 Ahsan Ewing RB/MLB Sr.7 Jabriel Fain WR/DB Sr.8 Aiden Perry RB/DB Sr.9 Hayden Smith RB/LB Jr.12 Josihea Battle WR/DB Sr.14 Levi Torbett QB Sr.15 Darian Jackson WR/DB Jr.16 Lane Clement QB Sr.17 Marcus Jones WR/DB So.18 Harrison Pearson QB So.19 Darren Hill Jr. RB/MLB Jr.20 Daniel Ringersma RB/DB Jr.21 Augustine Piccirillo DB/LB Jr.22 Harris Smith Jr. RB/LB Sr.23 Kiantai Harris DB/RB So.24 Nalique Anderson RB/OLB Jr.25 Elijah Diaz WR/OLB So.26 Knox Arrington P/K Sr.27 Tyler McInturff WR/DB So.29 Davis Crowe WR/DB So.31 Nicholas Famoyin WR/DB So.33 Taylor May WR/DB Jr.34 Benjamin Hull WR/DB So.35 Luke Vannoy RB/LB Jr.36 Easton Lowe WR/DB So.37 Carter Lockman Kr Sr.40 Macky Keramidas TE/LB So.41 Anthony Forney LB Sr.45 Kellen Fischer WR/OLB So.46 Daniel Davis WR/DB So.47 Ronan Bishop MLB Jr.48 Maddox Rodriguez LB So.49 Jonathan Garza WR/DB So.50 Delorean Daniel OL/DL So.51 Joshua Garza OL/DL So.52 Zyair Garcia OL/DL Jr.53 Sawyer Necessary OL/DL Jr.55 Daniel Nem LB So.56 Ethan Ledford OL/DL So.57 Hayden Andies OL/DL Jr.58 Trenton Hughes OL/DL Sr.59 Darius Dualuqua OLDL Sr.62 Adrian Lopez OL/DL So.64 Jesse Lejeune OL/DL So.65 Tybre Faw OL/DL Sr.70 Enricque Chagala OL/DL So.71 Mason Whitehead OL/DL Jr.73 Caleb Parsons-Lott OL/DL So.74 Parke Walters OL/DL So.76 Jacob Carden OL/DL Jr.77 Aidan Taylor OL/DL Sr.78 J.B. Gentry OL/DL Sr.79 Nathan Story OL/DL So.80 Chance Reed WR/RB So.82 Cameron Bradley WR/DB So.83 Brayden McIntosh TE/OLB So.86 Maxwell Zahner K So.87/75 Jacob Horne OL/DL Jr.88 Shamote Mims DL Jr.89 Ayden Ewing WR/DB Sr.90 Haiden Cox DL Sr.92 Shia Delargy DE So.93 Bryson Phillips K So.94 Elijah Quintero WR/DB So.96 Geovanni Young WR/DB So.98 Tristan Hocevar WR/DB Jr.Head coach/offensive coordinator: Stacy Carter.Assistant coaches: Ralph Nelson (defensive coordinator), Paul Overbay (DBs), Broderick Gillespie (LBs), Scott Nelson (outside LBs), Sam Hayne (DL), Elijah Mathes (junior varsity DC/DBs), Matt Eads (WRs/assistant OC), Wes Jones (RBs/TEs/special teams coordinator), Malik McGue (QBs/JV head coach), Andrew Beck (OL), Reece Fain (junior varsity OL/DL), Bill Snyder (kickers/punters).Director of football operations: Benny Tolley.