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In this feature, PalmettoPreps.com speaks with Wren Hurricanes head football coach Jeff Tate and poses three questions about his 2019 squad.
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PALMETTOPREPS: What were your goals this offseason and preseason going into 2019?
TATE: With the kids that we had returning, we knew there were some holes, just like anyone else. We tried to increase our team strength. We were able to compete with everyone we played last year but we lost three games and two of them were to Daniel. I just felt like they were more a little more powerful than us. They were able to run the ball and we weren't able to stop them from running the ball.
Trying to find quality backups at certain positions and trying to develop defensive linemen. We lost our whole front. We have all new faces, the unknown factor with no experience.
We feel good about our skill guys coming back. We have four guys who started on the offensive line coming back and our linebackers and secondary are returning.
PALMETTOPREPS: Defensively, you're replacing a lot of guys up front but you have a lot of known commodities especially on offense. Who are some guys that you're expecting to be your alpha type guys on offense and defense this year?
TATE: We've got a few guys that have played with us since they were freshman. (WR) Tyler Cherry, (DB) Harrison Morgan, and (LB) Carson Galloway. Eli Wilson, who's been our main target of recruitment this spring and summer, who's committed to App State, he's a special player. He came up end of his freshman year and has started last three years. Those guys along with (OL) Colin Kosek, a three-year starter, (OL) Nicholas Earle, three-year starter, they've been in the battles.
Dez Frazier, a linebacker, he's a player. Nick Morgan (DB), the little brother of Harrison, he started as a freshman. He's just a sophomore but he's a special player. Shyiem Scotland, who's being recruited by a lot of Power 5 schools, is a junior outside linebacker who was state high jump champion a great athlete. We've got some players that have proven they're very talented. We play in a pretty tough league. You get in the playoffs, it's a lot about matchups. We've done OK but like anyone else, you want to keep playing until you get to the last one and certainly when you get there you want to win it. That's still the goal. It's going to be difficult like any year but I think it's going to be fun because we do have some depth and quality players.
PALMETTOPREPS: Breaking in a new quarterback, how's he doing?
TATE: Our quarterback is Joe Owens. Joe transferred here from Mauldin in January and has far exceeded what I was hoping he'd be able to do. He's a tough kid, hard worker, very studious, knows the game well. The more he played in the spring, the better he got.The more he played in the summer, the better he got. He'll give us a chance to continue doing what we'd like to do on offense.
