Berryville prepped for season opener against Huntsville

"We are definitely going to see them," Daniel said following last week's intrasquad affair.

Daniel and his coaching staff did go watch Huntsville last Friday as the Eagles had their wings clipped in a 14-8 loss to Farmington. Daniels said Huntsville was still a formidable opponent, despite the setback.

"They have a very good defense that flies to the ball," Daniel said in a phone interview Monday afternoon. "Offensively, they had some first-game jitters and had some silly penalties. I am sure Coach (Tommy) Tice will have that corrected before we get to them."

Berryville continues preparations for the opener. The Bobcats went full bore in a Monday morning practice. Daniel said he would scale back as the week progresses.

On the heels of a 10-game losing streak, Berryville is looking to win for the first time since the final game of the 2011 season, a 21-20 victory over Pea Ridge. Daniel said the Bobcats have already showed signs of improvement over last year's winless campaign, even before the season kicks off.

He will also have a full compliment of players, unlike last year when three Bobcats suffered season-ending injuries at Huntsville.

Ethan Chapin suffered a wrist injury and Forest Usrey broke his collarbone in three places against the Eagles. Both return more determined this year. Both looked good in the Purple-Gold game.

"When you lose your entire backfield heads start hanging," Daniel admitted.

Usery came off the field after the injury and said his shoulder was hurting. After quick observation on the sidelines, Daniel was informed that Usrey would be unavailable for the remainder of the contest. After a doctor visit, Daniel heard the worst -- Usrey would join the others on the unavailable list for the duration of the season.

"He's planning on finishing the game this time," Daniel said of Usrey. "He's a fighter. He wants to finish his senior year strong. He's worked his tail off all summer. He's gotten stronger and faster. He wants to go out a winner. He has that attitude."

Usrey is one of four quality running backs Daniel has at his disposal this year. The senior fared well in the scrimmage game, as did Chapin, Deonte Payton and Evan Youngblood. Cody Powell and Garrett Stone are expected to rotate at quarterback after showing promise during pre-season drills.

With the educational experience of watching Huntsville last Friday, the Bobcats are primed to put an end to the 10-game skid against the program that aided in last year's sub-par performance.

"We have had the luxury of preparing for this a little longer," Daniel said. "We knew a couple of weeks ago that we weren't going to be playing (against Marshall). So we could focus on this game. We know who they are and they know who we are. We have been preparing for things that we know they are going to do. I feel like the kids are picking up on everything. We just have to go out and execute."