Petrone

CONWAY, Ark. - Hendrix head coach Buck Buchanan enjoyed what he saw from his Warriors during the team's first preseason practice Tuesday.

After directing the fast-paced, three-hour workout, Buchanan praised his team. Eighty-three student-athletes, including 18 returning starters and 50 letterwinners from last season's squad that went 7-3 overall and 5-3 in the Southern Athletic Association (SAA), pushed through the intense workout at Young-Wise Memorial Stadium..

Buchanan lauded the team's hustle, focus and desire to improve after the practice, saying the session was a good start to the campaign since players had been off-campus for nine months. He also praised the team's overall conditioning level.

Hendrix, dressed in shoulder pads and helmets, pushed hard throughout the workout, which featured more than an hour of position drills and individual instruction, and several periods aimed at introducing and developing schemes.

The Warriors continue their first week of preseason practice with a two-hour session scheduled each afternoon at Young-Wise Memorial Stadium.

New Year, Same Faces
Hendrix returns 18 projected starters, including nine on each side of the ball. On offense, the Warriors welcome back a pair of 2019 All-SAA first team members - running back Kip VanHoose and wide receiver Blake Hinton. Quarterback Miles Thompson, a second team All-SAA selection last season, also returns along with wide receivers Chad McGonigal and Colton Phillips, left tackle Matthew Altrock, left guard Dustin Williams, center Dylan Alexander and right tackle Will Sewell.

The defensive unit is headlined by 2019 D3football.com All-South Region third team defensive end Mason Adams and a pair of All-SAA honorable mention choices - defensive tackle Adonnis Butler and cornerback Matthew Scirto. Other returning starters include defensive tackle John Phillips, linebackers Tanner Hartsfield, Brooks Parham and Mitchell Johnson, cornerback Ronnie McShan and safety Jacob Bremmon.

Alumni Join Coaching Staff
Four assistant coaches are new to Buchanan's staff in 2020-21, and three - Sandy Burks, Mason Doerr and Stone Paul - are his former players. Burks is coaching running backs and kickers, Doerr wide receivers and Paul outside linebackers. Each player lettered for four seasons with the Orange and Black, with Burks playing kicker (2016-19), Doerr quarterback (2016-19) and Paul linebacker and safety (2015-19).

Thomas Eddlemon, also a Hendrix alumnus, has been promoted to defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator and enters his fourth season on the Warriors staff, including third coaching inside linebackers.

Paul and Eddlemon helped the Warriors reach the 2015 National Championship first round in just the third year of existence for the program in the modern era.

Kendrick Marshall, a former standout at NAIA Kansas Wesleyan, joins the staff as special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach after spending last season holding the same titles at Louisiana.

Altrock, Sewell Among Five Working at New Positions
Five Warriors worked at new positions during the session. Altrock moved from right tackle to left tackle and changed from No. 73 to 58. Sewell, a former left guard, moved to right tackle.

Garrett Pritchard, Connor Beard and Anthony Johnson also played new positions: Pritchard from defensive end to tight end, Beard from wide receiver to tight end and Johnson from linebacker to running back.

Solo Act
Hendrix is the only college football team at any level in Arkansas playing a regular season this semester after it was postponed from the fall due to COVID-19. The Warriors, who are set to play a modified five-game SAA schedule, kick off their season Feb. 6 at Millsaps (Miss.).