OZARK-The tough non-conference portion of the Charleston Tigers’ football schedule continues this week when coach Ricky May takes his Tigers to north Franklin County to play the Ozark Hillbillies. The annual “Battle of Franklin County” will resume on Friday and is guaranteed to once again be a hard-hitting, very good football game between two proud programs. Kickoff in Ozark is scheduled for 7 p.m.
At deadline time for this story, Charleston was preparing to take the field for their season opener against Elkins, and Ozark was preparing to play their second game of the season against Booneville. In “zero week” that was played on August 25, Ozark defeated the Panthers at Clarksville by the score of 35-7. Ozark will be playing their third game of the season against Charleston, and the Tigers will be playing their second game.
The Hillbillies’ offense will feature junior quarterback Koby Wilbanks who played wide receiver a year ago where he had 16 receptions for 280 yards and four touchdowns. His history as a wide receiver makes him suitable for possible plays where the Hillbillies may throw back to him after passing or handing the ball off. In the tradition of the great Ozark quarterbacks, Wilbanks too possess good running ability that makes him a dual threat at his position.
Wilbanks will be joined on offense by senior Brandon Miner who is a very good utility player who can play multiple positions, including running back, “H back” and quarterback, if needed.
Ozark coach Jeremie Burns is high on his team this year but states his concern that although the team has excellent skill position talent, they appear not to have the depth at those positions that they have had in the past.
Ozark will be especially tough on the line of scrimmage. On offense, the line is led by senior tackle Charles Vandenberg who was an All-State select a season ago. Junior Logan Hitcher has been a solid addition at center. The line features a pair of super sophomores, Braydon Sampley, who bench presses 305 lbs, and Eli Sampley, who are cousins, will contribute this year.
On defense, Gavin Gilbreath, who plays running back on offense, also had 73 tackles on defense in 2022. He is very quick and moves from sideline to sideline very well on defense. Brayden Miner also plays on defense between the nose guard and linebacker positions. Senior strong safety Jacob Della was an all-conference performer in 2022 making 59 tackles on the season.
The Hillbillies play in the Class 4A -1 conference that includes Elkins, Gravette, Gentry, Lincoln, Huntsville, Green Forest, and Berryville. A year ago, two of their three losses came at the hands of 3A-1 non-conference opponents Booneville and Charleston. At the end of the season, the Hillbillies dropped a conference game to Elkins who Charleston defeated in week one in their non-conference game in week one.
The Charleston Tigers will be looking for their first win on the road in the young season. The Tigers opened with Elkins in week one, and the gauntlet continues this week in Ozark. Charleston will make the long trip to Nashville in week three to play a return game with the Scrappers from the 4A-7 conference. We will have more on the Nashville game next week. RNN Sports will be in Nashville on September 15 to cover this game as our “Game of the Week.”
Having started their season on August 25, Ozark will be off for a bye week next week. The Hillbillies will return to the field for their next game on September 22 when they travel to Berryville.
Charleston will be looking to add to last year’s 34-20 victory from a year ago that helped propel them to a big start that would end with a state championship. There is a lot of history and tradition to this game, and fans can expect both teams to play hard and with great passion.
Watch for a post-game story on this game on Sunday on RNN Sports’ website at residentnewsnetwork.com
We’ll see you at the stadium!
