When a team enters a season full of youth, it is easy to get more excited about the future than the present.
Pine Bluff High School football coach Micheal Williams said though he expects his big group of sophomores will be great as juniors and seniors, he isn’t thinking about the future just yet.
“Some days, I be like, ‘Oh, we may make a run this year,'” Williams said. “But then some days, I’m like, ‘Ah, I forgot they’re still young,’ because they make young mistakes. But I think, even this year, we’re going to make some noise in our conference and if not in our state. I’m not even thinking about next year. … I feel like we can win right now, especially if they grow up a little fast.”
The Zebras will have underclassmen all over the field this fall. Although they are young and inexperienced, he said this sophomore class has the potential to be as good as the class that led Pine Bluff to a state semifinal as seniors two years ago.
Jamar Morrow is expected to start at quarterback, and Williams said the sophomore already has a strong arm. He said Dedrick Dunn, who can play receiver and safety, is the best all-around player.
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Other young receivers will include the speedy Kyeran Culclager and Rayshun Reed. Williams said Reed reminds him of former Zebra and current University of Arkansas wide receiver Courtney Crutchfield, one of the top recruits in the state two years ago.
Williams listed several others, including freshman offensive tackle Ferbia Allen, who is already getting interest from UA.
But while there will be a lot of underclassmen playing significant snaps for Pine Bluff, the seniors will still need to lead them.
One of those seniors, defensive lineman Emmanuel Hudson, said he wants to bring the young guys along with him.
“They just freakishly talented,” Hudson said. “They want to win, and they want to work hard. They look up to the people that work hard, so they’ll be good by the time they in 11th and 12th grade.”
Hudson and the rest of his senior class were finishing up eighth grade when Williams arrived in Pine Bluff in the spring of 2022. They were sophomores when Crutchfield’s class led the Zebras to a Conference 5A Central championship in 2023.
Williams said Hudson, a two-time all-conference selection, is due a tremendous senior season.
“Emmanuel clearly is the best defensive lineman in the state of Arkansas, and actually, he’s probably one of the best D-linemen I’ve ever been around,” Williams said. “This kid has worked his butt off tirelessly this spring and this fall. … I wish Emmanuel was four inches taller. He’d be the No. 1 recruit for Alabama. I hope somebody take a chance on him.”
The top star on offense is receiver Quinton Roy. The multi-sport athlete is already committed to Georgia State out of roughly 14-16 offers, though Williams said more offers could come this fall.
Pine Bluff is coming off a 3-7 season after losing its large senior class of 2023 to graduation. The Zebras had two one-possession losses in conference play which helped keep them out of the playoffs, though they went 2-0 against their fellow Jefferson County teams, Watson Chapel and White Hall.
Roy said his goal for his senior season is to lead Pine Bluff, which has won 23 state championships in its history, back to the title game.
“We take a lot of pride in it,” Roy said. “It’s an expectation. It’s a goal to get it done.”