Kris Pickle envisions a time in the not too distant future that his New Hope High School football team will be 100 percent healthy.
While the Trojans slowly move forward to get all of their starters back in the lineup, other players are emerging to create depth Pickle believes will help the team make a push to the postseason.
Pickle hopes New Hope (3-2) will take another step back to 100 percent at 7 tonight when it takes on Caledonia (0-4) in a Lowndes County battle in Caledonia.
New Hope is coming off a 42-22 victory against Aberdeen in which sophomore Braylen Miller rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns and sophomore quarterback Ryan Burt threw for 160 yards and two touchdowns. Burt started at quarterback because Pickle opted to move senior Kyree Fields to running back as the Trojans wait for senior running back Tyran Reed to return from an injury. Fields added 117 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
“We have had to play a bunch (of young kids) because of injuries,” Pickle said. “Braylen Miller has stepped up and gotten better and better every week. We have had to play Ryan Burt at quarterback a little more because Kyree has had a banged up shoulder and an ankle issue. We have been putting those young guys in especially offensively. It seems like every time we turn around we have a new one that goes in and plays. I have been pleased with the way Braylen has handled himself.”
Pickle said he was pleased Miller prepared well even after the Trojans decided to move Fields to running back. He said the development of Miller and Burt figures to give the offense more options when Reed and Fields are healthy. The ability to give defenses more looks also could help free up senior wide receiver Jeremy Tate, who Pickle said has attracted a lot of attention from secondaries this season.
Pickle said he isn’t sure how all of the pieces will fit together when everyone is healthy. He said earlier in the season Reed gives the Trojans a different dimension because of his size and the fact he is a “downhill runner.” Pickle said Fields’ athleticism could work well with Burt in that he could move to several positions during the game to keep defenses on their heels.
“I would like to get them all here to see what we can do,” Pickle said. “We might be able to do more two-back stuff. I think we have four guys who can carry the ball at running back.”
While Miller and Burt earned the headlines last week, Pickle said other sophomores — Ramonte Harris, Jariel Butler, Kobe Chandler — have fared well on defense, which bodes well for the future. Junior transfer Rayshaun Gibson also has done well in his first season with the program, Pickle said.
New Hope enters the game riding a 12-game winning streak in the series. Caledonia’s last victory in the series was a 14-10 decision on Sept. 10, 2004. The Trojans have three one-point wins and six shutouts in that span. Last season, New Hope won 49-10 in Caledonia.
Pickle hopes to have Reed back for the team’s game Oct. 6 against Kosciusko on Homecoming. Next week, New Hope will take on Louisville in Winston County in its Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 4A, Region 4 debut. This is New Hope’s first season in a new classification after moving down from Class 5A. Kosciusko, Leake Central, and Noxubee County are the other Region 4 teams.
Pickle said Fields will play tonight as will senior lineman Jeremiah Hodges.
“I guess if there is any kind of silver lining to the black cloud that has been hanging over us with all of the injuries is we have been able to play some guys in spots to kind of see where we are evolving toward,” Pickle said. “When we get everybody there, I think it will make us a lot more difficult to defend because we have got guys who can play a bunch of different spots.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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