Wildcats hungry for a return to the playoffs

The Enterprise Wildcats are coming off a 5-6 season and an appearance in the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

After winning just four games in the previous two years combined, the Wildcats managed to close out the regular season with three straight wins in 2019 to earn a spot in the playoffs.

One of the big differences in year two of head coach Rick Darlington’s programs has been the attitude and leadership of veteran players. Darlington said that his players are holding themselves accountable more this year rather than making excuses or blaming others.

Darlington brought his single wing offense with him to Enterprise but as the season progressed in 2019, the Wildcats became more of a hybrid offense using variations of the single wing, flex bone, I-formation and spread formations to throw opposing defenses off balance.

“I think we’ll have a natural continuation of what we did down the stretch (last year),” Darlington said. “We’ll do the single wing but we’ll put some spread in there and some option in there and some other things. It will be the same schemes but different presentations. We’ll never be labeled as a team that just runs the spread or just runs the single wing or just runs the flex bone.”

The Wildcats will also be breaking in a new quarterback this season as junior Quentin Hayes takes over the position. Darlington has been impressed with his junior’s natural instincts and playmaking ability at the position, and said that Hayes could end up being a special player at EHS.

The big X-factor for the Wildcat offense, however, is returning senior athlete Josh McCray, who Darlington has said is the Wildcats’ “slash” in the offense, which means he will line up at multiple different positions.

“That’s the thing, we’re a lot more dangerous being able to move Josh around than if we just lined up in the flex bone and ran him between the tackles 20 times,” Darlington said. “We run reverses to him, throw screens, let him go deep. He’s a pretty talented kid that can do a lot of different things.”

In the past, McCray has started at receiver and running back on offense but will line up at tailback, fullback, wing back, receiver and can even be a threat as a “Wildcat” quarterback.

Joining Hayes and McCray as playmakers on offense are running back Mykel Johnson – who rushed for nearly 1,000 yards as a freshman – and speedster receiver Jared Smith. Also, junior Zay’ir Boyd has made strides in the offseason in becoming a factor this season.

“Our offense is a three-headed deal between (Hayes), Josh and Jared but you also have to factor in MJ and Zay’ir Boyd,” Darlington said. “I like where we are on offense.”

The offensive line loses big, bruising blockers like all-state tackle Fernando Diaz and Jayden Brooks, but returns veterans Zach Martin and Cole Killingsworth along with 6-foot-7-inch, 290-pound tackle Nick Cox.

On the defensive side, Enterprise returns leaders like linebacker LZ Leonard, defensive back Jaylon Webster, cornerback Jalen Cunningham and linebacker Justin Winters. Senior linebacker Tanner Rogers is also returning after suffering a broken leg in the preseason last year.

The biggest area of concern, however, will be the lack of size and experience on the defensive line.

“We won’t be as big but we’ll be a lot faster,” Darlington said of the defense. “The concern is the size on the defensive line but we also don’t have a lot of depth at linebacker.”

On the defensive line Xavier Moore is expected to anchor the group as he flips over from offense to defense and brings his 4.7 (40-yard dash) speed along with senior Jermaine Adams.

Despite the concern in size and experience on the defense, defensive coordinator Jed Kennedy is excited about the level of knowledge his group has with finally having some continuity in the coaching staff.

“What I’m excited about is that for the first time in four years these kids are in the same (defensive system) for two years,” Kennedy said. “You can tell just schematically we’re leaps and bounds ahead of where we were even at the end of last year and we haven’t even got to the season yet.

“It’s probably an overused coach’s quote but ‘clear mind equals fast feet’ and I think that’s true here.”

Kennedy said that the leadership Leonard, Cunningham, Webster and Rogers have shown on defense has been helpful but he needs a leader on the line to also step up.

“We’re looking for that leader on the line,” Kenney said. “We have one senior that will take some snaps, so we’re really young there, but we’re really excited bout those kids in that group.”

Kennedy said that playing defense is completely reactive, so his players increase in speed on the field, as well as being able to think faster with knowing the system will be a difference this season.

“Everything defensive is reactive. We make a call and we react to what the offense does. The offense is a predetermined play but we don’t know what we’re going to run until we see what they’re doing and react.

“That’s the big difference I see now with how much faster we’re playing out there. We played pretty good defensively the last four games last year but I think it’s a whole other level we’re playing at this year.”

With Enterprise still lacking in experience and depth across the team, health will be a big factor this season, as it was last year.

“I hate clichés but we have to stay healthy,” Darlington said. “We don’t have a lot of depth and we have to stay healthy until we can build some.”

Things have been complicated and frustrating at times in the offseason as the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled spring practices and hampered summer workouts for a time, but it has also impacted the Enterprise schedule.

The Wildcats were originally scheduled to face Miami-Somerset Academy (Fla.) in the season opener and travel to Navarre to close out the regular season. The pandemic has caused the opener to be cancelled and instead Enterprise will replace its Sept. 25 open date with a matchup against Early County (Ga.). Darlington said that the hope is that Navarre came can still go on as scheduled but that is also in doubt.

Darlington said that his expectations of the 2020 Wildcats are pretty straightforward.

“I expect us to go out there and play hard, compete and care about each other,” Darlington flatly said. “Even in a normal year with spring football and a normal schedule you don’t ever know how it’s going to develop. This time last year I was hopeful we would win every game not knowing how the teams were in the region and I think it took us awhile to get it turned around, but I really think the culture has taken root now.”