Coach: Rodney Williams (2)

Last year’s record: 3-7 Returning offensive starters: 4

Returning defensive starters: 4

Likely toughest opponent: Potomac
Offensive strengths: Athleticism

Offensive weaknesses: Inexperience

Defensive strengths: Youth
Defensive weaknesses: Inexperience

Offensive Outlook: With the majority of last year’s team graduat- ing, the Hornets will have a very young team coming into this season. The good thing is most of those players will be coming from a 5-1 junior varsity team. Junior center Ju- lian Elias will be back in the middle of the line to open holes for the run- ning game and protection for the passing game. Sophomore runningback Jamal Lone is one of the play- ers that Elias will be opening holes for. At 5-foot-10, Lone is fast and very hard to bring down. He likes to burst through that hole head first and takes on contact effortlessly.

 

Defensive Outlook: Patrick Villegas will be the leader on de- fense his senior year. Villegas is a player that can break through blocks to make difficult tackles. He is fast

for his size and can also make open field tackles with ease. Junior Ra- mont Baldwin will hold it down for the secondary this season. Baldwin ran a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash. His speed, patience and tackling skills make him a very dangerous defend- er. He likes to sit back, wait and tackle low, which offensive players are not expecting. Just when they think they have a touchdown, Bald- win will be there to stop them in their tracks.

Coach’s Quote: “I feel good about the guys even though we lost a lot of players. We have a real young team this year. They have a good at- titude, work ethic and are coming from a winning background. These players grew up together playing in boys and girls clubs, so they have football in their background. Many players are coming from JV, and they only had one loss last season to Gwynn Park. They have a good learning curve for the game. Last year, although the numbers didn’t

show it, we competed in every game. We put a good product out there, and hard work pays off.” – Rodney Williams

Scouting report: Villegas could be one of the best defensive tackles in the county this season. The way he avoids blocks to make tackles is unparalleled. With his se- nior year coming up, he will have a huge season with sacks and tackles.

Breakaway Potential: This is a good chance for the Hornets to get back into the playoff mix this sea- son. The program has gone 3-7 the past two seasons, but can now turn over a new page with an entirely new roster. They have a favorable schedule this year and could have a solid season. If everything goes ac- cording to plan, the Hornets could be a team on the rise to watch out for.