Bulldogs hope to bounce back in 2014

Janelle Jessen/Herald-Leader The Decatur Bulldogs look to bounce back in 2014 after finishing 2-8 in 2013.
Janelle Jessen/Herald-Leader The Decatur Bulldogs look to bounce back in 2014 after finishing 2-8 in 2013.

DECATUR -- The Decatur football team definitely felt the absence of Victor Urquidi in 2013. The Bulldogs are happy to have him back this season.

Urquidi, a 6-foot, 200-pound senior quarterback, led the Bulldogs to the Class 2A state playoffs as a sophomore in 2012 but missed all of his junior season after undergoing season ending shoulder surgery last August.

The results followed on the football field. Decatur, which won six games in 2012, limped to a 2-8 season in 2013.

"We get back a leader," said Decatur coach Shane Holland. "He's a big-time leader. Those guys will follow him. They're not going to outwork him. They believe in him."

Urquidi rushed for 1,222 yards and 18 touchdowns, while passing for 798 yards and eight touchdowns. On defense he also had 140 total tackles.

Holland said last year was tough on the team but also on Urquidi.

"It was very difficult for him," Holland said. "He's always been the guy. I don't think he'd ever been injured before. He kind of has that bullet-proof attitude. He's going to compete. When you take away a kid like that, it's really, really tough on him in a lot of ways."

Holland said Urquidi will be the Bulldogs' focal point on offense. However, the coach said Urquidi doesn't have to carry the load by himself.

Senior Allan Castaneda (5-6, 152) returns at running back after rushing for nearly 1,000 yards last year.

"And we didn't really block a lot of people last year," Holland said. "We struggled in the offensive line and he still had a lot of yards."

Holland said Castaneda understands what the Bulldogs want to do offensively.

"He can see the cuts and the zone play," Holland said. "I think we're better at running back than we were two years ago."

The Bulldogs may be better at running back, but they're not very deep at the position.

Holland said if they had to, the Bulldogs could move Urquidi to running back and have sophomore Leng Lee (5-6, 131) play quarterback.

"We're trying to find depth," Holland said. "We're pretty thin at that position."

At wide receiver, the Bulldogs have senior Brody Funk (5-11, 155), who moved to the position at the end of last year.

"It was a good move," Holland said.

Lee, who plays wide receiver, is a shifty player that can make moves in space.

"We like to use him like the (Denver) Broncos use Wes Welker," Holland said of Lee. "He's a go-to guy."

The Bulldogs hope to get senior tight end Terry Kell (5-10, 185) back from injury. Kell, who's a two-year starter, hurt a foot in the summer and could miss the first several weeks.

Junior Tyler Riddle (6-0, 171) gives Decatur a big target to throw to. Senior Joey Barnes (5-2, 115) also plays wide receiver for the Bulldogs.

On the offensive line, the Bulldogs are very young, but Holland said the group has shown signs of promise.

Sophomore Brandon Coker (5-9, 213) is slated to start at left tackle.

"He's a good athlete," Holland said of Coker. "Yeah he's a sophomore, and he's going to have some lessons to learn, but he's really strong. He has decent size."

Senior left guard Hector Aguilar (5-7, 182), one of the elders on the offensive line, is a two-year starter.

"He's played a lot of football," Holland said.

Sophomore Cameron Shaffer (5-6, 181) is projected to be the Bulldogs' starting center.

"She's smart," Holland said. "She's a sophomore and she started for me in junior high for three years also."

Senior right guard Jesse Bruce (5-9, 191) is the other veteran offensive lineman for the Bulldogs, while freshman Chuck Wofford (5-10, 165) is the starting right tackle.

"I think our line will be better than we were a year ago," Holland said. "We're very, very young, but I think we may be a little more athletic there than we were."

Junior Jesse Collins (6-3, 230) has good size and could help on the offensive line. Senior Jerry Green (5-6, 155) also could see action there.

On defense, the Bulldogs are changing schemes.

"We've been a four-man front forever," Holland. "I've been an even-front guy for the last 20 years."

The Bulldogs are moving to an odd-front.

"It doesn't really change our coverage scheme, but what it does do is it allows us to put more speed on the field," Holland said. "We've got some guys that aren't really big guys, but one thing that we do well is run. We don't run like the guys in the south part of the state but we don't run too bad.

"I watch a lot of football, spent 30 years in Oklahoma. But with the spread fronts you see today, you can line up easier out of an odd front. I think it can help your stunts."

The Bulldogs will show a three-man defensive line look.

Collins will start at nose guard in the middle, while sophomore Fabian Batres (5-8, 215) and Shaffer can also play the nose guard.

At defensive end, Bruce and Aguilar will man those positions. Kell will also play defensive end when he returns. Kell runs the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds and will provide speed off the edge, Holland said.

"Speed kills -- there's no substitute," he said.

The Bulldogs will play four linebackers -- two inside and two outside.

Urquidi will play one of the inside linebacker spots, and Holland said that may be where he's best at.

"He's probably a better defensive player than offensive," Holland said. "He is a very, very fine linebacker."

Sophomore Jaffett Puga (5-10, 155) will play the other inside linebacker position and runs well.

Funk will start at an outside linebacker spot after moving from safety. Riddle plays the other linebacker spot. Sophomore Troy Kell (5-7, 142) could be used at linebacker as well if the Bulldogs needed to shuffle players around.

"We don't have a lot of linebackers, but we've got some good ones," Holland said.

In the secondary, Mario Urquidi, Victor's 6-5 twin brother and a two-year starter for Decatur, decided not to play football and concentrate on basketball.

"That hurt us losing Mario. I won't lie," Holland said. "But we feel like he has a very good chance to be a scholarship player in basketball."

Without the other Urquidi brother patrolling at safety, Holland said Castaneda will likely play that position after being the Bulldogs' second-leading tackler last year at outside linebacker.

Sophomore Ryan Shaffer (5-11, 150) also will play safety.

"They always say you lose one game for every sophomore you play," Holland said. "I hope they're wrong because we're going to play a few."

Lee is slated to play one cornerback position for Decatur, while Barnes and senior Eddie Lucio are battling for the other cornerback spot.

The Bulldogs expect to begin the season with around 23 players, Holland said. They were picked by the 4-2A Conference coaches to finish fourth and qualify for the state playoffs.

"If we can keep people healthy, we expect to be in that talk," Holland said. "We have a good senior class. They expect to go win, and they'll compete."

Decatur opens the season at home against Berryville on Sept. 5.

Sports on 08/27/2014