[Dungy]

Found this article on the upcoming year.

Sunday, May 8
Dragons expecting improvement in 2011 with balanced attack

By JOHN HENSON

Harlan County Sports.com

WIth 15 of 22 starters returning, the Harlan Green Dragons have big plans for themselves in the 2011 season and got off to a good start in realizing those goals during the two-week spring practice session.

"We have a lot of returning players, so I think spring practice went smoother," Harlan coach J.B. Donahue said. "We were able to make adjustments and change some things defensively. We had a lot of kids participate for a school our size."

Known for its ground game during Donahue's tenure as coach, Harlan opened up its offense last season with sophomore Ty Saragas at the controls and the results were promising.

Saragas completed 145 of 238 passes for 1,877 yards with 25 touchdowns and only seven interceptions while spreading the ball around to several receivers. Vince Bianch, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound junior, caught 40 passes for 509 yards last year and was followed closely by sophomore Dakota Morris, who had 34 catches for 623 yards, sophomore David Allen with 27 receptions for 248 yards and sophomore Cody Logan with 18 catches for 263 yards. Allen and Bianchi each had seven touchdown catches.

"I think our balance offensively will be a strength. I think it makes us a little tougher to defend and helps us out offensively," Donahue said.

Sophomore Demarcus WIlliams provides the Dragons' top ground threat with 753 yards rushing and five touchdows last year

Finding the right combination on both the offensive and defensive fronts will be crucial for the Dragons, with three of the four seniors last season starting on the line

"I think that's the key to our season, how well our line plays," Donahue said.

Juniors Dylan Chasteen (6-0, 210), at tackle, and Christian Turbyfill (5-7, 200), at guard, are returning starters. Sophomore Stephen Jones (5-9, 240), the brother of former standout lineman Aaron Jones, will take over at center. Junior Okey Boggs (5-9, 190) is expected to play guard. There are several candidates at the other tackle spot, including senior Kenny WItt (6-0, 210), sophomore Andrew Brock (6-0, 175) and sophomore Kaleb Enlow (5-11, 225).

Harlan will switch from a 50 to a 43 on defense and former Harlan star John Luttrell, who was the head coach at Cawood in the 1990s, will help the unit.

"We're trying use our personel the best we can," Donahue said. "We want to get more people out on the field who can run so we can be a little more aggressive defensively."

Keeping sophomore linebacker Dalton Overbay healthy will be important to the success of the defense. Overbay started the past two years but has been slowed by injuries. The linebacking corps will also include sophomore Ryan Jones and Turbyfill.

The Dragons will be strong in the secondary where everyone returns, including Bianchi, whose eight interceptions last season was the second best total in the state. Morris also returns at safety with sophomore Dawson Charles and Logan returning on the corners.

The defensive front will feature Chasteen and Witt at the tackles and Boggs and Casey Gambrel at the ends.

Hazard, the defending district and regional champs, remains the favorite in District 7 with Harlan trying to break out of the No. 2 position it has held for several years.

"I think everybody is still looking at Hazard as the team to beat," Donahue said. "They lost their quarterback and some other good players, but they have most of their weapons coming back."

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Unless Donahue can find a late addition, next year's schedule will include only nine teams with Appalachia, Va., scheduled to merge with Powell Valley, Va., as part of a countywide consolidation in Wise County.

"I've tried five or six teams - Appalachia, Thomas Walker, Ervinton, Hurley, J.J. Kelly…" Donahue said. "It's not an ideal situation but there may not be anything we can do about it."