Bigger, stronger Wolves look to keep pushing forward

West Ridge lost its star running back to graduation, but the Wolves look to pile up more big numbers this season. Ethan Amyx left big shoes to fill after leading Northeast Tennessee with 1,557 rushing yards and scoring 19 touchdowns. West Ridge head coach Justin Hilton looks to make it more a running back by committee with a strong 1-2 punch of senior Brody Fields and junior Orlando Mack. The biggest reason the coach believes the Wolves could be even better on the ground than last season's 6-5 team are the guys up front led by senior linemen Hayden Musick and Kingston McConnell. "Hayden Musick is one of the best leaders I've coached," Hilton said. "He's probably played 30-some games as he played as a freshman He's done a great job in the weight room. Brody is one of them trying to replace Amyx. That's by committee, but he's a big part of it. Kingston is another strong kid and a leader in the weight room. But all those guys, I speak even more of their character than football players." Fields has gotten bigger and faster too, adding 25 pounds. He has the coach's confidence after performing well last season when Amyx and quarterback Justice Hilton were dealing with injuries. But, it's the guys up front who have added bulk that has Fields raring to go. "I'm definitely confident in our offensive line," said Fields, who averaged nearly six yards per carry last season. "Our team chemistry has grown tremendously, and I feel like we're a genuine brotherhood. I think as long as Orlando and I can run the ball and keep it off the ground, that's our biggest thing. We can't have turnovers like last year since we're a ground-and-pound offense." Fields repeated that ball security and not having penalties like two men in motion or personal fouls that can derail a drive are key to the Wolves' success. That sounds good to the imposing group of lineman. McConnell has been a starting center since his sophomore year, but has transitioned to guard this season. "Honestly, it hasn't been that big of an adjustment," McConnell said. "It's a lot of the same footwork, same structure with the way our offense is. Playing guard, I have more freedom to inflict my will on people." That's bad news for the opposition with McConnell solid at 5-foot-8 and 252 pounds. The move has allowed sophomore strongman Cooper Nelson, who has done 305 pounds on the bench press, to take over at center. McConnell has spent time helping the younger player with other aspects learning what all the position entails in the West Ridge offense. McConnell added these are the strongest offensive and defensive lines since he's been at West Ridge. Linemen are averaging 300 pounds on the bench and over 500 on squats. Musick, athletic looking at 6-foot-3 and 233 pounds, is expected to be a force on both sides of the ball. He's moved from tight end to tackle on offense, and stars at defensive end where he recorded 42 tackles, including seven for loss last season. He fully expects the Wolves will push forward when they have the ball. "We've been in the weight room quite a bit. We've got Cooper in new, but we've got guys like Cal (Tatum) coming back with us," Musick said. "It's looking good for the run game with Orlando and Brody going back to that B-back position where Ethan was. People might be worried that we don't have Ethan anymore, but we've got people who can fill that spot." There's also depth up front with Musick talking about how there are some really talented juniors and sophomores. Another big emphasis during the off-season is for the Wolves to not beat themselves. There were a trio of close games last season where the turnovers and penalties made a huge difference. "It's discipline. We hurt ourselves a lot last year," he said. "This year, we've focused on getting the little things right. When we do have the hard things happen like a fumble or a missed fourth-down conversion, we have to move on from that and be ready to play."