Greyhound football opens today at Highland

Fort Scott Community College’s football team has all new assistant coaches and nearly an all-new roster going into today’s season opener at Highland.

Head coach Kale Pick, still the youngest head coach in all of college football, begins his second season at the helm, going 4-6 overall and 2-5 in the Jayhawk Conference in his inaugural campaign.

According to the roster released on www.kjccc.org Friday, only 10 players are back from last season’s team, two of whom redshirted. There are at least five transfers from NCAA Division I schools, including quarterback Justin Agner (6’ 2”, 210, Soph., Woodstock, Ga.) from the Kent State University and running back Kareem Walker (6’ 2”, 225, Soph.,. Irvington, N.J.), who was considered a top-50 recruit in the high school class of 2016, from the University of Michigan. Steven Smothers (5’ 10”, 175, Soph., Baltimore, Md.) is a wide receiver who played one season at West Virginia before transferring to another juco. He did not play there last season due to an injury.

Jamarion Johnson (6’ 2”, 245, Fr., St. Louis) is a tight end who had signed with Missouri out of high school but did not play there. Offensive lineman Ahina Aitogi (6’ 7”, 360, Fr., Kona, Hawaii) initially signed with Long Beach College in California but did not play.

Defensive players who have transferred in are defensive end Dirion Hutchins (6’ 3”, 235, Soph., St. Louis) from Bowling Green and cornerback Charles Peeler (5’ 8”, 170, Fr., Washington, D.C.) from Iowa State.

Desmond Noel (6’ 5”, 310, Soph., Cincinnati) is the only returning offensive lineman for the Greyhounds. However, Agner will have some experienced receivers to throw to. Jaylan Jenkins (5’ 11”, 180, Soph., Jacksonville, Fla.) is Fort Scott’s leading returning receiver, catching 16 passes for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns last season. Darious Abrams (5’ 11”, 215, Soph., Asbury, N.C.) caught 12 passes for 126 yards and a score. He’s also the team’s top returning rusher, gaining 65 yards on the ground last season. Kolby Easley (6’ 3”, 190, Soph., Dothan, Ala.) also is listed as a receiver. Gunner See (6’ 6” 215, Soph., Jefferson City, Mo.) returns as the backup quarterback.

Returning defensively are linebacker Tyson Curry (6’ 2”, 215, Soph., Copperas Cove, Texas), safety Matt Williams (6’ 1”, 185, RS-Fr., Shreveport, La.), cornerback Marquez Delafield (6’ 3”, 180, RS-Fr.), and safety Moe Hill (6’ 1”, 195, Soph., St. Louis). Curry made 40 tackles last season, 31 unassisted.

Three Kansas high school graduates are on the roster. The best of them may be cornerback David Arteaga (5’ 8”, 180), a freshman from Garden City. Also on the roster are Topeka freshman tight end Ryan Luna (6’ 1”, 220) and Iola sophomore defensive tackle Ethan Sigg (6’ 2”, 275).