2011 Prep Football Preview: South Bulldogs Look To Break Losing Ways

Back in 2007, the  varsity football team was off to a fantastic start.

The Bulldogs won the first seven games of the season in increasingly impressive fashion that year, and even earned rankings spots in some of local prep football polls.

But then things turned south on South real quick.

The Bulldogs lost the last three games of the season in '07, missing a prime shot at the playoffs in the process. The losses have mounted ever since.

Zumwalt Sout has been on the losing end in 31 of itslast 33 games, after going 0-10 in ’08, and 1-9 in both ’09 and ’10.

Coach Scott Fulton, whose entering his third season as head man of the South program, said he doesn’t spend too much time worrying about the past. He instead would rather focus on the Bulldogs’ future.

“It does stick with you,” Fulton said. “We remember it at the times we need to remember it, but otherwise, we’re moving forward. Anytime you have seasons like that, it motivates me even more to be a better coach, and have higher expectations. You learn from it, but you don’t sit and dwell on it.”

That type of positive attitude has clearly infected the entire program.

Bulldog players and coaches alike have been about as upbeat throughout preseason practice as anyone involved with South football has in a long time. And it’s clear the Bulldogs are focused on becoming a winner again.

“Guys are starting to get a little excited around here, definitely,” Fulton said. “We’ve had some new coaching additions, and the players have been working their (tails) off. Our goal here is to make the playoffs and advance in the playoffs, and as long as we can get the kids to compete, we feel we have a chance to do that.”

A key figure in whatever season plans South has this year, is returning junior running back/receiver Chase Abbington.

A 6-foot-4, 200-pound speedster, Abbington led South in rushing, receiving, and scoring last year, with a combined 650 yards and six touchdowns.

This season, Abbington will serve as the feature back in South’s Nevada-style “Pistol” offense, where the quarterback will line up in tight shotgun formation and Abbington will line up in a deep setback position.

“He’s a special player,” Fulton said. “He’ll do some great things for us. He’s got great skills as a running back and he’s got great acceleration as well. He was third in the GAC 100-meter dash last year, so he’s got some good speed.”

Also returning for the Bulldogs on offense are senior running back Oscar Dillon (6-foot, 185 pounds), junior wide receivers Justin Smith (6-foot-3-inches, 182 pounds) and Evan Perry (6-foot-1-inch, 165 pounds), junior guard Chris Hood (6-foot, 330 pounds), and junior all-conference right tackle Dustin Wood (6-foot-3-inches, 255 pounds).  

“Those guys are mostly all juniors, but most of them played for us last year,” Fulton said. “It’s really great for the future that we’ll have these guys next year too.”

The South defense will be anchored by junior linebacker Nathan Clark (5-foot-11-inches, 175 pounds), senior defensive lineman Jared Ragland (5-foot-10-inches, 210 pounds) and junior defensive lineman Mike Deeds (5-foot-11-inches, 205 pounds), all returning starters from last year.

“Unfortunately, we’re gonna have a lot of kids play both ways,” Fulton said. “Guys like Chase, Evan, Dustin, and Justin, a lot of those guys will play both ways. They’re our best players, so we’ve got to get them out there.”

Fulton also mentioned Dylan Bowman, Tom Hood, Gerald McBurrows, Austin McManus, and Marcus Smith as players new to the South varsity that have shown promise during preseason practice.

“If we stay injury free and work hard, anything can happen,” Fulton said. “We were talking about a turn around from 1-9. Let’s flip those numbers and go 9-1, or let’s run the table. Football is always funner, I know that’s not a word, but it really is funner when you win.”

South will be looking for that first win on opening night, Friday, August 26, when the Bulldogs will host St. Charles West at Jack Ball Stadium at 7 p.m.

2011 FORT ZUMWALT SOUTH BULLDOGS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Aug. 26