Preps Football Preview: Walker Valley Mustangs

Walker Valley quarterback Kolten Gibson drops back to pass.
Walker Valley quarterback Kolten Gibson drops back to pass.

Region 4-5A // 750 Lauderdale Memorial Highway, Cleveland, TN 37312

At the helm

Glen Ryan

(25-29 in five years here; 75-76 overall)

Heroes assemble!

The Mustangs return 4 off., 4 def. starters.

Super powers

Senior Kolten Gibson (6-2, 175), a dual-threat QB, holds all of the Mustangs' passing records, setting the single-season yardage mark (3,004) last year. He also completed 62 percent of his passes. His primary target will be Zeke Westfield (6-4, 195).

Possible kryptonite

The Mustangs lost all of their WRs (one to Tennessee and another to UTC) with the exception of Westfield, and they're reloading the back seven on defense.

Spidey sense tingling

There's always hope with Gibson present. He directed one of the area's highest-scoring offenses a year ago. The question is whether Walker Valley has been able to develop other capable targets to replace Cooper Melton, Bryce Nunnelly and Zach Eslinger. Five region teams will go after four postseason playoff spots, and Ryan is confident one of those will go to the Mustangs.

Here I come to save the day!

Gibson is the key to Walker Valley's season.

Up, up and away!

The Mustangs' seven-win season in 2016 matched the school's best-ever record and was the first winning season since 2008. They advanced to the playoffs' second round for the first time in school history.

If they are to do it again, yes, Gibson will play a key part, but so too will Westfield and, Ryan hopes, RB Kole Hall (5-9, 165). Hall will seek to replace departed hard-nosed runner Alex King.

A couple of likely WR starters are Luke Wallace (6-3, 190) and Brock Gibson (6-2, 175), and both need to contribute if for no other reason than to keep defenses from double-covering Westfield.

The line in front of Gibson looks fairly solid despite the loss of junior G Spencer Wilson, who would've been a third-year starter. Wilson suffered a torn ACL in the Mustangs' spring game.

Yet Ryan felt good enough about the guys up front that he moved former starting OT Sam Clements (6-2, 240) to H-back. Clements had been a two-year starter at tackle.

"I still feel like we'll be able to score," Ryan said. "It's the defense I'm concerned about."

The front four are back: DEs Cody Duggan (6-0, 205) and Chris Crenshaw (6-2, 190), DT Isaiah Alston (6-1, 290) and NG Chris Crenshaw (6-2, 190). After that it's anybody's guess.

"That's been our emphasis. We lost all of our linebackers and all of our secondary from a defense that was porous last year. We had guys that were better than what we have starting now," Ryan said.

Asked how that was coming, he replied: "Slowly. We could wind up with some freshmen in there."

Two freshman LBs who have impressed already are Heath Tanksley (5-9, 165) and Kallum Lowe (5-9, 180).

"They're making mistakes, but they're aggressive mistakes," Ryan said.

Freshmen are in abundance, with 44 on the Mustangs' 95-man roster.

2016 Results

Aug. 18 Bradley Central lost, 40-28

Aug. 26 Hixson won, 59-7

Sep. 2 McMinn County lost, 24-21

Sep. 9 Coffee County won, 49-28

Sep. 23 Tyner won, 59-6

Sep. 30 Cleveland won, 68-36

Oct. 6 Soddy-Daisy won, 61-28

Oct. 14 White County won, 42-7

Oct. 21 Rhea County lost, 35-34

Oct. 28 Ooltewah lost, 63-35

Nov. 4 Oak Ridge won, 35-27 (first round)

Nov. 11 Ooltewah lost, 45-20

(second round)

7-5, 3-3 Region 4-5A

2017 Schedule

(All times 7:30 Eastern)

Aug. 18 at Central

Aug. 25 Bradley Central

Sep. 1 Rhea County

Sep. 8 at Stone Memorial

Sep. 22 at Cleveland

Sep. 29 at Lenoir City

Oct. 6 at Red Bank

Oct. 13 Knox Catholic

Oct. 20 McMinn County

Oct. 27 at Soddy-Daisy

Region 4-5A games in bold

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