WARREN BECOMING DESTRUCTIVE FORCE FOR BEARCATS

Hunter Warren was allowed to focus on tackling opponents Friday. It paid off.

The sophomore linebacker had 11 solo tackles, one of which was a quarterback sack.

“Hunter is really starting to figure it out and is playing really good football right now, what we expected from him all along,” said head coach Doc Crowley.

Since the third quarter of week seven in Mansfield, Warren has had to play basically every play since besides starting at linebacker he is also a special teams standout.

Warren assumed the fullback role in Mansfield due to an injury to Rylen Ray. Though the backup at the position, Warren hand not carried the ball this season to that point.

Going into Friday Warren had 35 carries for 229 yards with a couple of touchdowns, with the first in the game in which Ray was hurt.

“We came into that game and it was a different kind of ready,” Warren said of the Mansfield game.

While playing every down has its advantages Warren was not overly disappointed Ray returned last Friday.

“I like watching him run, and he teaches me a lot of stuff,” Warren said. “When I was playing fullback he would help me.”

The advantage in not playing every down is obviously the breaks.

With Friday’s performance, Warren is at 62 total tackles for the year, which is second on the team only to Dax Goff, who is committed to play linebacker for Harding Academy next year.

Which would Warren prefer if only going one way?

“Hitting somebody,” he said. “I love playing linebacker. It’s exhilarating getting a big hit. I’ve played linebacker my whole life and I’ve loved it.”

Warren, along with Conner Lentz, transitioned to the high school game in week eight last year. At that point of the junior high season Warren had run for 661 yards and 10 touchdowns and had made 46 tackles, with 16 for a loss.

Warren believes the early ascension to the senior high level has paid dividends.

“I understand that if I didn’t move up it would have been more difficult to get up to the speed of the game,” said Warren.

Speed actually became a problem even after Warren was able to play on the senior high level.

Striving for even more speed he suffered a hip injury near the end of track season that took him out district and state track meets, spring football, all of June, and most of July.

“I don’t even know myself,” Warren said of the injury that likely started manifesting itself in Dardanelle.

Apparently the correct terminology is evulsion fracture of the anterior superior iliac spine.

“I told (Coach) Overton I can’t run today. He said ‘you’re fine.’ I ran one (4x100 leg) and I didn’t have a good time . I was slowing down my whole team,” Warren details his first belief something was wrong.

The following week at practice he was slow again and really wanted to skip junior high district meet and rest for the senior high district meet.

Instead he attempted to run another 4x100 sprint which resulted in pain shooting down the leg, a doctor visit, and the season being over.

However Warren went to the district meet and witnessed opponent’s “faces light up when they saw me hurt” – the junior high Bearcats ran away with the title anyway.

Warren was all too happy to see Seth Wilson win the shot put and Chase Shelton take first in the sprints.

During the down time he was able to work on arm strength, but the hip and leg were never far from thought.

Today he does not give much thought to the injury.

“I did first coming back. It was tender at first and I was worrying man what happens if I take a wrong step but now I’m confident in it I’m able to open up the strides and play faster,” said Warren.

“Every time he steps on the field he is the fastest player. He was thinking a little too much early on but he has just started reacting and flying all over the place,” said Crowley

Warren is also a member of the BHS show choir as well.

“I’ve always liked Mr. (Doug) Sanders. In the eighth grade he pointed at me and said ‘you need to come to show choir when you’re in tenth grade.’ I’m okay singing but I’m not the best.”

The choir handles the alma mater at weekly pep rallies and the national anthem at home games – though Warren cannot be there for that – as well as other events like the Veteran’s Day Program with BES third and fourth graders.

Choir member are also expected to be involved in the drama department’s annual productions, which is Peter Pan this year.

Warren is the son of William Warren and Vicki Hattabaugh. His long range goal is to be a physical therapist.

Of course first is the rest of his Bearcat career.

“Hunter is going to be a really special player for the next two seasons. His bet football is in front of him,” said Crowley.