Watson Chapel football team set for new season

Monday was the official first day of fall high school football practice in Arkansas, but for Watson Chapel, it was just another day.

“On the 8th, it will feel like a full day, because we’ll be in pads,” Head Coach Steven Heard said. “We have to switch to the afternoons, because we got (professional development), the in-service for the new teachers, the incoming teachers, so yeah, it’ll feel a little different then, because we’ll be dumping on each other a little bit, but right now, it just feels like a regular day.”

The Wildcats have been working throughout the summer, which is the new norm for high school football. The “start” of football practice in August is now just a continuation of months of work dating back to spring practice.

Watson Chapel didn’t get much spring practice, though. Heard was hired in April, a bit later than usual. Therefore, he said the work the Wildcats did during the summer and will do over the next few weeks is even more important.

“We didn’t do too good our first team camp, but every team camp, we got better and better,” Heard said. “We (are) learning our spacing, learning new plays. Of course, they gotta learn a new offense, plus a new defense. I think they’re coming along. They’re a little bit past where I think they should be at this point, so I’m feeling good about going into the season.”

The summer included several 7-on-7 camps and team camps at various places, including White Hall. Most of the camps were in July, though Watson Chapel hosted Dumas in 7-on-7 in June.

Senior linebacker Brannon Dycus said the Wildcats have made a lot of progress since the start of the summer.

“Everybody’s getting stronger,” he said. “We’re getting smarter. We’re getting faster. Everybody’s learning this new brand of football that he’s brought to us. It’s easy. We’re learning it.”

The Wildcats are transitioning to a spread offense under Heard after being a downhill running team under his predecessor, Maurice Moody. Dycus said though he enjoyed football before, the new offense and defense make it more fun.

Heard said having fun is one of his goals for the team this year, but that comes with grinding every day in practice and learning the new playbook. Watson Chapel has until the Aug. 30 season opener against Helena to learn it.

Junior running back and safety Zy’Kavius Browder said Heard has already taught the players a lot, and he is looking forward to the season.

“We’re just really trying to have fun while you’re playing the game,” Browder said. “Work as a team, play for fun.”

The past few seasons haven’t been fun. Watson Chapel has won one game in the past three years. Heard isn’t naming a target win total for this season, but he said this group of Wildcats can show the state that Watson Chapel is headed back to what it once was.

Heard said the athletes have the talent, but the support from the community has blown him away.

“I put out there to raise $10,000 in the month of August, and I’m halfway there,” Heard said. “We only put it into motion Friday, and we’re halfway to $10,000. Just buying things for the boys as breakfast cereal bars, just the extra things that they need, and we’re halfway there.”