CRESTVIEW — In Hub City high school football, too many options is better than too few.
With members of the Bulldogs’ aerial assault graduating in 2016 — including starting former quarterback Rusty Moorer and wide receiver Andrew Adkins — Head Coach Tim Hatten has been using his summer camp and the kickoff classic to weigh his options.
“We’re still working three or four kids out,” said Hatten. “We haven’t really named a starter yet. It’ll be the guy who plays the most consistently in summer camp.”
The players Hatten has in mind, as of this writing, to start under center for the Crestview Varsity squad include Juniors Jack Corbin and John Gillis as well as senior Rod Bouchard and the Baker Gators’ former backup quarterback Ryan Stoutenburgh — whose arm seems to be a better fit for Hatten’s pass-heavy style of offense.
However, Hatten hopes to bring more balance to his offense this year by putting more emphasis on the running game.
“Maybe we won’t have to throw 42 touchdown passes, we’ll see,” Hatten quipped, mentioning his younger players’ improved ground game.
Coming off Crestview’s historically successful season with a playoff run and ten wins, including a big upset over cross-county rival in Niceville, Hatten only hopes to continue the same drive that made his team so effective in the previous season.
With seven games at Jack Foster Stadium, the north side of the Hub City will ring with the sound of the Big Red Machine and the howls from the Dog Pound.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: ‘Time will tell’