MOUNTAINBURG (KFSM)--Tom Harrell has been head coach at Mountainburg for 29 years. That's not lost on his veteran players.
"The dude's a genius. That's all you can say. He's a genius," senior Austin Taylor said.
Harrell guided the Dragons to a 9-2 record last fall including a wild playoff win over England in the first round of the 2A state tournament. A lot of Mountainburg's recent success has come from a unique style of offense called the double spin cycle.
"It takes all summer, it's chemistry between everybody," Taylor said. "If one person messes up, we all mess up. It has to be perfect every single time and we run through it for probably two hours a day."
Taylor totaled 277 yards and 3 touchdowns in the playoff victory, and was close to 1,000 yards for the season.
The reason Mountainburg's rushing game was so effective comes back to the offensive line, something Harrell emphasizes each summer.
"I preach hitting. If they hit, I'll find them a place to play. It's been that way every year and I let them know that upfront," said Harrell.
"These seniors have had quite a bit of experience in the playoffs so I think we'll be back," senior James Vanourny said.
Mountainburg opens its season against rival Cedarville on August 31.
