HALLER HARD NOT TO NOTICE

Whatever is going on, you can expect Bearcat senior Cutler Haller to want to be in the middle of it.

Haller, who went to school in Booneville through fourth grade, left for Paris, then came back in the middle of his sophomore year, simply loves to be where it, whatever it is, is happening.

Though primarily a defensive tackle, Haller has so far this year logged the first drop kick likely in school history, if not first in the state in decades. He has lobbied his way into the backfield and scored a touchdown.

“Drop kicking is something I did a little bit in practice and I guess (Coach Doc) Crowley just gave in a little bit and let me do it in a game."

That was in West Fork after a touchdown that made it 39-0 and the kick was about as perfect as it could be.

Two weeks later against Lavaca on senior night Haller was handed the football at midfield. He got to the Golden Arrow 1 before being dragged down.

“I didn’t really bug them too much that night but other nights, like West Fork when they let Colton (Taylor) run the ball I was. I thought maybe they would give me a free one but he put me on the 50 so I had to make something happen.

“I did get caught but he did let me get the other yard.”

Of course that dropped his per carry average to 25.

Head coach Doc Crowley said Haller has earned the attention.

“Cutler is one of the hardest working kids I’ve been around. He has an unreal personality,” Crowley said. “He is always going to do his job and do it very well. You could tell him to go fight a grizzly bear and he’s going to do it, no questions asked.”

Most recently Haller was living in the Quitman backfield. He sacked the Bulldog quarterback three times, accounting for half of his tackles on the night.

Besides his recent stint in the backfield, Haller has played plenty of offensive tackle over the last two years, though the coaching staff has been able to prioritize the defensive line when it comes to Haller.

Playing both ways keeps “me in the game,” Haller says but adds, “you definitely have more stamina on defense if you’re not playing offense."

Along with assists on two more, Haller now has 7 sacks. Obviously, Haller hopes to build upon those numbers this week against Rivercrest.

Getting to the Colt quarterback will mean Haller found another way to stand out.

“They’re really big up front,” he said. “And they’ve got a really good wide receiver, he’s pretty tall, pretty lengthy, and if we can get to the quarterback and keep him from catching every ball, we will be alright.”

Haller does have yet another job in that he is the Bearcat punter. Though that is quite often a part time job as there have been only 11 all season, his average is a respectable 33.5 yards per kick.

Even on a rainy night against Mansfield he averaged 31.6 on five, or almost half of his punts for the entire year.

He is, though, still is some disbelief that the rain instigated knee while in punting formation gifted Mansfield half their points.

Friday’s preliminary forecast is calling for rain in Wilson, where the Colts play. But that playing surface is turf.

Haller’s school day includes a college welding course, English, and an internship.

Haller is more than happy that school day is in south Logan County.

“It probably helped,” Haller said of the second enrollment in Booneville. “I had people here who knew me.”

He also got to face former teammates in both his junior and senior seasons as a Bearcat. Did he make himself heard?

“I tried to keep my words to a minimum but you’ve got to let them hear it,” he said.

After high school Haller figures he will slide into the family business and run heavy equipment, clearing land.

But first it is a final football playoff run and baseball in the spring – he also played golf.

Which was the best? That depends on what he is doing when posed the question.

“Right now it is football but if you ask me in baseball season I would probably tell you baseball, but right now the focus in football and I’m not going to worry about baseball until after Christmas."