Pope Football’s Top Returners For The 2021 Season

Last season, the Greyhounds of Pope High School may have missed the playoffs, but they managed to compete well and finish with a .500 record, which can almost be viewed as a positive result due to the coronavirus’ impact on high school sports. They finished the season 4-4, with an overall 4-2 record in their region. Their only losses on the season came to high schools such as Walton, Kell, Rabun County, and Allatoona. In the grand scheme of things, the Greyhounds would have certainly liked to have had more success in 2020, but the fact that they made the best of what they had in a hard year can serve as encouragement as they look to attack the 2021 season at full strength, and more time for preparation. As the season gets closer and closer, we want to mention a few of their best players, who are worth taking a look at before the games begin this fall. <strong>Philip Sims Jr-</strong> <em>DB / RB</em> During the 2020 season, Sims finished with a total of 42 tackles, 2 sacks, and 19 carries on offense. Predominantly, we like Sims as a DB due to his aggressive playing style, and physicality. He is unafraid to make contact, lower his shoulder, and use his leverage to make big time tackles. We also like the way that he uses his flexibility to move around the field and make tackles in zone coverage. Along with this, he also has decent footwork, but his burst out of his breaks is something that helps him to have a ton of success. This helps him to be able to position himself well to make plays on the ball, whether this means breaking up passes, or creating turnovers. Sims also does a good job of using his hands, reading the play, and reacting naturally, which results in him being a very instinctual DB. <strong>Bo Hosack-</strong> <em>LB / RB</em> Bo Hosack does not have a problem playing full speed, which can be seen in his performance on both sides of the ball. Not only does he run the ball hard when it is in his hands, but he also leads the way as a FB with just as much steam if needed. Above all of this, his ability to play full speed football can be seen in his defensive play, as he is not afraid to come downhill at times. This, paired with his length, and ability to play in pursuit helps to secure up the middle of the defense. While he can absorb some of the tackles at times, we feel the way he is able to read the run is definitely a key to the Greyhounds defense. If he can begin to learn to read plays faster, and to be able to use his feet to get out of his breaks better, he will start to see a jump in his production. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33902" first="Cheikh" last="Koita"]-</strong> <em>DT</em> The first thing that jumps off of the tape about Koita is his ability to fire off of the football and wreck havoc. Not only is he aggressive with his hand use, but he uses the power from his legs as he rolls his hips into OL, causing them to be off balance as he rushes the passer. Koita has a good use of hands and arms as well, which helps to gain separation from linemen as he looks to make tackles. While he can be a bit raw and stiff at times, we like his overall length and frame. This only adds on to his game, making it easier for him to make tackles at awkward angles, and in pursuit. In 2021, we would love to see him work on his footwork, and the consistency in his bend. <strong>Brian Baumann-</strong> <em>OL</em> For an OL, Baumann has a decent size and build for his age. This helps him to wall off defenders, protect his QB, and create holes when running the football. While he stance is very raw, and he can be seen to lean at times, he does display power in his lower, and upper body. This can be seen as he gets off of the ball, and holds his blocks. Baumann buzzes his feet well, and shows raw athleticism as he moves, but his use of his hands is awesome to watch. His hand placment on blocks, and the way he is able to adjust this is what contributes to his success. Going into next season, we would like to see Baumann work on his overall flexibility, and the base in which he plays at. If he can manage to clean this up and have consistency in these areas, he can start seeing more flashes of talent in his game.