August 30, 2019 Issue, Page 13 of 22

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Friday, August 30, 2019 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Page 3, Section B Defense: Line will be 24° strength of Big Elk unit By Don Munsch, Editor Muck and Gavin Chadwick As he reflects on his team, Defense could not come and Joseph Daily all will Beer thinks Elk City can to the rescue for Elk City in play upfront. Linebackers Bryler Nichols brings compete in District 4A-1, 2018. will be Jason Crouse, Cory a top-notch work ethic which features Chickasha, The Elks gave up an aver- Culver and Mason Price, Elgin, Cache, Clinton, New- and feel for the game, age of 45 points a game in Beer said. Elk City head coach their 0-10 campaign, The “The secondary will be castle, Anadarko and Weath- Todd Beer said. Staff closest game Elk City had young,” Beer said. erford. “We worked hard through photo by Don Munsch all year was 15 points - a Bryler Nichols, Alex 41-26 loss to Woodward in Cherry, Day Day Thomp- all the summer,” he said. week two. son and Drake Hughes will “We know that our best But the team hopes for play safety, and then at cor- years are coming. We have better outcomes this year, of ner, Saxon Poole and Larry a lot of sophomores, a lot course. Elk City head foot- Wright will vie for playing of freshmen and some ju- Player to watch: Bryler Nichols ball coach Todd Beer said time. niors, We have a few seniors Elk City is ready to the strength of the defensive “I think we'll be im- unit will be up front. The proved; we’ll probably be a that are pretty good quality. unit will base out of the 4-2- little more aggressive,” Beer We feel like each year we 5 scheme. said about his defense over- should get a little better here Felix Gonzales, Gregory all. through this stretch.” aw ‘shock’ fans in 2019 By Don Munsch, Editor still kind of hung up on the said he hopes to play base- “Today | will 4 what other Elk City senior slot re- ceiver and defensive back fact that we went 0-10, but we went there and we were ball in college after high school. Bryler Nichols makes a pre- WON'T, so tomorrow | can diction about Elk City this competing with some of the best teams in Kansas, some ECHS head football coach Todd Beer praised Nichols season. teams from Missouri were for his leadership and work accomplish what others CAN’T” “T just think that we'll have a 10 times better sea- there — big time schools,” he said. “We were keeping up ethic to the football team. “He’s one of those kids - Jerry Rice, San Francisco 49ers son that everyone’s expect- with them, and we actually who goes 100 percent,” Beer ing us to have, and we're did really well, I thought. So said. “He knows the game, going to shock a whole lot I think after that, the team’s he knows what’s going on. of people, everyone around whole attitude kind of Real coachable. Hard work- district, and we’re not going changed and bought in more er. So, yeah, I think he’s to be a pushover like every- [to program goals].” valuable to our team last one says we’re going to be He said schematic changes year and this year. I feel like this year.” he said. can help the team, he’s always been a key part.” For his part, Nichols “T think we made a lot of Beer appreciated how hopes to give depth to the changes on offense and de- Nichols helped the program slot receiver position, and fense that, I think, will con- weather last year’s storms. as a free safety, he wants to tribute to a lot of success,” he He said what the team will be counted to disrupt the op- said. “And also, last year, we do this year will benefit EMPLOYMENT PROFESSIONALS ponent’s passing game and help stop the running attack. didn’t have as much experi- Nichols and he will make a ence going into it as we do lot of plays. 903 S. 10th, Clinton, OK 73601 * 1110 Hillcrest Dr., Woodward, OK 73801 Nichols likes playing both this year. We have more than “He blocks hard, he runs sides equally. www.expresspros.com “There’s different parts half of our starters returning, which will be a huge plus for the ball hard,” Beer said. “He just does what he’s sup- I like more than than the us. I think that’s pretty much posed to do.” Clinton 580.323.4400 * Woodward 580.256-5433 other, but I can’t really say I the biggest positive going on Beer said Nichols is a like either [position] better,” he said. this season.” “good kid, and if you had Nichols said he thinks the Nichols, a middle infielder a daughter, he’s somebody and I may lose, but on the ECHS baseball team, you’d want her to marry.” secondary can be better this year with its coverages, and he thinks linebackers’ expe- Gage Eastman | will never be defeated.” rience can help this year’s team, especially in how ‘backers can help control —Emmitt smith opponents’ running game. The defensive line also has taken steps forward. And offensively, he ex- |723 §. Merritt Rd. pects more running plays and that the offense will 580-225-6922 take on more of a “ground and pound” personality. He i thinks the new starters on the offensive line will do a Trace Decker American National. ~ good job of replacing the guys who departed from last year. “T just think we'll be more of a physical football team Triple B Oilfield this year than we were last year,” he said. 5195 W. 20th He said players on this year’s team think the team 580-243-6553 has improved, and he can’t wait to see the improvement from last year and perhaps see a playoff run. “Going into team camp [at Pitt State], everyone was Source: DOCTORS BINTZ & ELLIS OPTOMETRIC PI PHYSICIANS MajorReap American National Insurance Company Tyson Trout 920 N. Main Street, 5th and Main St. Hammon, OK Elk City OK 580.339.1733 580-243-1121 [email protected] | Orsbintzandellis.com