Valley View

The 2022 Valley View High School Blazers.

Kevin Turbeville | The Sun

Valley View ready for 5A playoff victory

By Kevin Turbeville Sun staff writer kturbeville@jonesborosun.com

JONESBORO — Valley View football has developed to the point where coach Sean Cockrell says the expectations are essentially the same every season. The Blazers anticipate being among the contenders for the 5A-East conference crown. They not only want to make the state playoffs this fall, they want to win at least one game in the postseason for the first time at the 5A level. “The expectations are high just because of the kind of program we have now,” Cockrell said. “I do think there’s some other coaches and other teams that maybe think we’re supposed to be better than what we are, but people don’t realize we lost 26 seniors from a really good class of kids, and have only five and five starters coming back. “But, in saying that, we have had some success with junior high teams and those kids are moving up and developing. Our expectations as a staff and a team are really high.” Valley View finished third in the 5A-East last fall after losing hard-fought games against Nettleton and Wynne, the conference’s top two teams in 2021. The Blazers finished 7-4 after a 42-14 loss at Magnolia in the first round of the state playoffs. Cockrell said winning in the state playoffs is his team’s biggest goal this fall. Valley View has made the playoffs the last five seasons, but has yet to advance at the 5A level. “We’ve had undefeated seasons, we’ve had conference championship seasons, but we just haven’t gotten over that hump,” Cockrell said. “That’s something we’re really looking forward to because at the end of the day, those are great, but your eventual goal is to win a state championship and if you can’t win a playoff game, you’re never going to get there.” Five starters return on each side of the ball and the Blazers add a strong sophomore class from another stout junior high team. Valley View’s last two junior high squads, featuring the juniors and sophomores on this year’s high school roster, had a combined 19-1 record. The Blazers have altered their offensive approach in hopes of better utilizing junior quarterback Carson Turley (5-11, 160). Turley was Valley View’s leading rusher last year with 591 yards and 10 touchdowns, also completing 56.7 percent of his passes for 941 yards and four touchdowns. “I think it all starts with Carson at quarterback. He’s a little more developed, he’s a little more mature,” Cockrell said. “He won seven games as a sophomore and had a really good season, but we feel like he’s going to be more prepared, make better decisions in the passing game.” Cockrell said the Blazers will look much the same, operating mainly out of the shotgun with four wide receivers, but they want to run the football more and feature Turley on rollout passes that will give him a chance to use his speed. Junior running back Slade Caldwell (5-8, 165) gives Valley View another breakaway threat to go with Turley. “You put those two guys in the backfield together and a lot can happen,” Cockrell said. “I feel like we have a lot of depth at running back. I’m coaching running backs this year, so I feel

really good about it. I feel like we have six or seven guys who can carry the ball at any time. A lot of them will be playing defense as well, so we’re going to have to limit their carries.” Valley View’s running back depth includes seniors Matt McMullen (5-11, 170) and Kaden Perkins (6-0, 190), juniors Zane Guthrie (5-9, 155) and Lejavian Ervin (5-7, 255), and sophomore Anthony Feliz (5-8, 150). Senior Jackson Harmon (6-5, 185) returns at wide receiver after catching 14 passes for 166 yards last season. The Blazers have another tall target at outside receiver in senior Cal Richardson (6-5, 202). Senior Beau Smith (6-0, 185) will help in the slot, Cockrell said, along with senior De’Kwon Gallaway (5-9, 160) and junior Zahki Ervin (5-7, 150). Senior Jay Morman (6-4, 185), juniors Gavin Tice (5-5, 150) and TJ Starks (6-1, 170), and sophomore Andrew Jones (5-11, 135) are also in the picture. “All these guys can go get a ball and make plays,” Cockrell said. “It’s the most depth we’ve ever had at receiver.” Valley View returns three starting linemen in junior center Avery Wood (5-9, 230), senior right tackle Jackson Hogard (6-1, 220) and senior left guard Hayden Ross (5-11, 220). Cockrell said senior left tackle Nate Kincannon (6-2, 225) and senior right guard Mason Roberts (5-11, 240) also played significant snaps last season. Defensively the Blazers lost three all-state players in end Mario Crawford, an Air Force signee, along with linebackers Jaden Hamilton-Wells and Cooper Lutz. Junior linebacker Brian Huff (6-3, 225) was Valley View’s third-leading tackler with 72 and interception leader with three. Cockrell said Huff, the Best Under The Sun Newcomer of the Year last fall, has offers from Arkansas, Arkansas State and Memphis as well as interest from Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Ole Miss. “He’s a presence. He takes away half the field,” Cockrell said. “That’s why we want to keep him at outside linebacker. He can also come down and play on the tight end. He’s just dynamic, just does a lot for us. He’s the most physical guy we have, hands down.” Lejavian Ervin returns at nose guard after a strong sophomore season. The Blazers also have plenty of experience in the secondary with Gallaway at cornerback and senior Carson Winters (6-2, 180) at free safety. Morman, a starting defensive back the last two years, moved from safety to outside linebacker during preseason drills. Winters, who will also play a role offensively at quarterback, was Valley View’s fourthleading tackler last season with 65. Morman has already verbally committed to Harding and Gallaway knocked down seven passes at his position last season. “Defense has been our mainstay for the last five, six, seven years now,” Cockrell said. “We don’t expect to drop off, but there is less experience there. “I think you start with the secondary where you have three returners coming back, and with Jay Morman (at linebacker) and Carson Winters at safety, we feel really good. De’Kwon is unbelievable at corner, locks down everybody, a really physical player.” Perkins and senior Ian Garner (5-11, 205) are the inside linebackers, with Morman joining Huff at outside linebacker. Seniors Joe Orey (5-9, 215) and Atlas Wilbanks (6-1, 210) are the ends. Junior Zaelon Ervin (5-6,

NEA Football Preview, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022 — 57 145) is the cornerback opposite Gallaway and McMullen takes over at strong safety. Sophomore Brody Dix and junior Wyatt Oldham have been competing for the placekicking role. Turley will serve as the punter. Cockrell sees Wynne as the preseason favorite in the 5A-East and expects Nettleton to be near the top of the league as well. “The conference has changed a little bit with Tech going out and Southside moving in. The biggest thing, I think, is there are five new head coaches in our conference,” Cockrell said. “That gives you a little bit of a question mark as far as what you’re going to see, but I think we expect to be in the top (half) and we expect to go to the playoffs. “Anything short of that will be tough to swallow. We’re going to try to get them there, try to develop them and try to get them prepared, and hopefully we’ll be in the top four and get a playoff shot.”

Valley View 2022 Schedule

Aug. 26 HARDING ACADEMY 7 p.m. Sept. 2 at Poplar Bluff (Mo.) 7 p.m. Sept. 9 at Rivercrest 7 p.m. Sept. 23 PARAGOULD* 7 p.m. Sept. 30 at Forrest City* 7 p.m. Oct. 7 WYNNE* 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at Brookland* 7 p.m. Oct. 21 SOUTHSIDE* 7 p.m. Oct. 28 NETTLETON* 7 p.m. Nov. 4 at Batesville* 7 p.m.

*Conference games.

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