By Dave Morrison
HINTON – For the first time in his three years as the coach at Summers County, Josh Evans had his quarterback available in fall camp. And he will start the season with Brandon Isaac behind center when the Bobcats host PikeView in the Battle for the Bluestone Thursday night.
That allowed the chips to fall into place.
Kickoff in 7:30 p.m. at Garten Stadium.
“Starting the season with Brandon Isaac back healthy at quarterback, and with Ryan Oliveros at receiver along with Drake Cole and Tyson Adkins (in the backfield) is a great thing for us,” Evans said. “We got everybody where they need to be, and we are ready to go.”
Along with a line some believe is the best ate school in a decade, expectations are high at Summers County.
The key players are hoping for a playoff run.
“We haven’t made the playoffs since I’ve been in high school,” Oliveros said. “I’d like to get (Summers County) back to the playoffs.”
“I never look ahead, one game at a time, but I want to be playing Game 11,” Isaac said. “That’s my goal, playoffs.”
“I totally agree with (playoff talk for the Bobcats),” Cole said. “We’ve been an inexperienced, young team under coach Josh Evans. This year we’re experienced, we’re all old, juniors and seniors and I think this will be the best year so far that we have had.”
Last year coming into the opener at PikeView and with Isaac on the shelf, Oliveros started at quarterback. One of Class A’s top defensive backs, he wanted to be out wide, where he is also a top playmaker. It showed.
But after Isaac returned and Oliveros went back to receiver Summers County won three of its final five games and averaged 30.6 points per game.
Oliveros had 13 catches for 179 yards in those last five games after throwing for just 71 yards and two scores in the first five.
Isaac meanwhile returned to throw for 442 yards (33-66) and three touchdowns. In his first two games he threw for 259 yards, topped 100 yards in both and had a touchdown pass in each game.
As the numbers note, Oliveros was more at home at receiver.
“I was a lot more comfortable out there (at receiver),” Oliveros said. “That (having Isaac back at QB) is a big help. He’s my best friend on and off the field. Me and him have a really good connection. He’s a great leader. He picks everybody else up on the team.”
Isaac said he is glad to be back in uniform.
“It’s a lot better being on the field than on the sideline or having the headset on on the sideline,” Isaac said.
Evans noted the absence had an effect on the start of last season, going 1-3 after beating PikeView in the opener.
“Other than protection, you have to have people you can throw it to, and our number one receiver last year played quarterback the first five games,” Evans said. “Ryan couldn’t throw it to himself. As a run-based team we couldn’t develop any (receivers in the pass game). As the season went along, we were able to develop them. (Isaac) is a very smart kid and he has some good wide receivers to throw it to. You have to get the ball in your playmakers hands, and he is one of them so why not let him turn around and spin it.”
Another playmaker is Cole, a guy who despite a crowded backfield in 2021, got an opportunity and ran with it. Literally.
“He was playing for us, he was starting at split end the first five games of the season,” Summers County coach Josh Evans said of Cole’s breakout midway through 2021. “We had some issues. We ended up moving him back to running back. It was his time to shine, he answered the call, and he hasn’t looked back since.”
Adkins is a leader on defense as a two-time second-team all-state player, and also will have more opportunities to carry the ball as a running back.
Evans said he embraces the expectations.
“These kids are going to play hard,” Evans said. “When you look at it, we were even (5-5) last year, and we lost three of those games by a combined 18 points. If the ball bounces are way, we could have been 8-2 and looking at a postseason berth.”
He is hoping to make amends for that.
The teams have two of the smaller rosters in the area.
Coach Jason Spears said to be successful, PikeView must “execute and finish plays. And stay healthy,’
Quarterback Braiden Mullins got a little run at quarterback last fall.
Mullins made his starting debut behind center against Van when senior Peyton Greer was out with an injury, and he completed 9 of 20 for 146 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another score. He also threw three interceptions.
“It felt good (lining up at quarterback) but I made a lot of mistakes and I’m going to build off that this year,” he said. “I think I’m ready to go this year.”
Peyton Mounts (358 rush yards, five TDs) and Logan Cook, the team’s leading tackler, are also back.
The trio of sophomores are well traveled as far as positions go, despite their youth. Mullins is the quarterback, but he started in the backfield and ended the season at receiver. Mounts started the season at receiver before moving to running back. And Cook can play several spots in the backfield.
