2023 Team Preview – Hough Huskies

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Hough Huskies have perennially been a strong team within the state of North Carolina, making deep runs into the state playoffs on different occasions. The one thing, however, that has eluded them is a State Championship. This year, the Huskies will look a lot different - gone are some familiar faces to graduation, and the steady hand of former head coach, Matt Jenkins. Deshawn Baker comes in after previously leading Cox Mill to the 2nd round of the state playoffs, and he was also the former Offensive Coordinator at Hough, so there is some familiarity with the program and players. Let's take a look at some key players for the Huskies this season: </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OFFENSE </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Offensively, the Huskies will be led up front by huge Offensive Lineman [player_tooltip player_id='314163' first='Eagan' last='Boyer'] who committed to Penn State during the offseason. Boyer is a massive 6'7'' 260-pound prospect in the 2024 class who plays with excellent technique and has some nastiness to him in both run blocking and pass protection. Of course, losing Tad Hudson at QB to graduation is a massive loss, however, expect talented 2025 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='371459' first='Trey' last='Blakeney'] to get the first shot at filling Hudson's shoes. Trey holds offers from Charlotte and East Carolina and has received Varsity snaps to help prepare him for this moment. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Huskies have a few different options that can run the ball, however [player_tooltip player_id='132419' first='Will' last='Jones'], coming in from Cannon School, has some ACC interest from a recruiting standpoint, and put up big numbers the last couple of years. It will be interesting to see how he can integrate into things. At the receiving spot, Jacob Dossey should be a main target after losing some talented players in Markell Quick and Sequan Osborne to graduation. Dossey stands at 6'0 and 195 pounds, and recently committed to play football at Gardner-Webb on the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Huskies have had a big weapon on Special Teams the past few years that had made the difference in close games, and he will be back once again to be a major weapon in the kicking game. [player_tooltip player_id='117961' first='Nolan' last='Hauser'] has committed to Clemson University and is as dedicated to his craft as any kicker I've ever seen. He is already automatic from 50 and in, and consistently drives kickoffs deep in the end zone to help set up the Huskie defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DEFENSE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Huskies in the back 7 will be a very tough unit to work against with talent all over the field. But, the key will be how the defensive line up front sets the tone, and [player_tooltip player_id='383947' first='Zane' last='Bostick'] will be an important piece of that attack, coming over from West Cabarrus High School. He has looked good in several off-season camps and showcases. The linebacker corps is very stout, led by two individuals in particular. [player_tooltip player_id='870592' first='James' last='Nesta'] had a breakout junior season and became a national recruit, committing to Oklahoma. He is a dominant EDGE player with great size. On the inside of the defense, [player_tooltip player_id='670479' first='Anthony' last='Walker'] is a strong run stopper with pass coverage ability who recently committed to James Madison. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As if that wasn't enough, the Huskies have become known for their talented secondary, and this year should be one of the best. Two corners headline this group - 2026 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='284097' first='Samari' last='Matthews'] just might be the best corner prospect in his class in the nation - he is that good. Nicknamed "Smoke", at 6'1 and 185 pounds - he was tested a lot as a freshman and passed every test that he was presented with. On the other side, 2024 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='620213' first='Xavier' last='McIntyre'] quietly stepped into the spotlight when teams decided not to go at Matthews. He displays excellent technique - especially in man coverage - and is not afraid to come up and support on the run. He recently committed to Coastal Carolina. Supporting both corners at the safety position is [player_tooltip player_id='731031' first='Jaiden' last='Spearman'], a talented 2024 prospect who recently committed to play football at Louisville. At 6'2 and 190 pounds, he is athletic and rangy in space and can fly to the football in both pass coverage and run support. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In conclusion, the Huskies are talented and they know it. They also know that expectations are large on their shoulders and that a team with this much talent will be picked to win their conference more times than not, and also will be a trendy state title contender selection. Baker as head coach will bring a different dynamic from a leadership perspective, and we will see if that will be the thing that helps Hough break through that State Championship barrier. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->