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As an offensive play-caller, Green Forest coach Greg Tibbitt is a fan of the passing game. But he’s also a fan of putting his team in the best position to win, even if that means adjusting his offensive philosophy.
And with a bruising running back like junior Ridge Gordon-Swofford available, Tibbitt intends to use him.
Gordon- Swofford ran for 716 yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore last season while coming off a torn ACL. Tibbitt said he’s fully healthy coming into this season and has looked impressive all summer.
“He rushed for almost 800 yards last year with a just-repaired ACL and out of shape,” Tibbitt said. “He’s had a really good off-season and a really good fall camp so far.”
Tibbitt said getting the ball in Gordon- Swofford’s hands will be a priority for the Tigers.
“We’re tweaking it a little bit,” he said of Green Forest’s offense. “I guess I’m getting back to my roots. I grew up playing for (longtime Stuttgart coach) George Burke down in south Arkansas. We ran the ball a lot. We’re headed back in that direction. When you’ve got a kid like that, he’s got to touch it 25 or 30 times a game. So we’re going to tweak things a little bit, get him the ball as many times as we can and then throw play-action and boots off of that as well.”
Gordon-Swofford’s presence is sure to make the transition easier for a new starting quarterback, most likely junior Brityn Gilliam.
“Brityn Gilliam’s had a good fall camp,” Tibbitt said. “He’s just kind of stepping in and being a leader for us right now.”
Sophomores Ryne Stone and Mason Meador are also getting snaps at quarterback during practice.
Green Forest is anchored on the offensive line by senior center Victor Cervantes and senior left guard Bradley Davis, a second-team all conference selection last season. Junior Isaiah Lopez suffered a season- ending knee injury midway through last season and had off-season surgery. Tibbitt said Lopez is back in the fold at left tackle.
On the right side of the offensive line, the Tigers are counting on a pair of sophomores, Aksel Ochoa and Luis Bathen.
“Those two guys are going to be thrown in the fire early, but they’ve had a really good camp,” Tibbitt said.
Defensively, Tibbitt said he’s been impressed with sophomore defensive end Colton Fancher and junior cornerback Boris Tobar.
“Kolton Fancher has had a really good camp so far,” Tibbitt said. “Boris Tobar kind of went through some sophomore slumps last year and he’s playing a lot better now.”
Green Forest will open the 2023 season on Aug. 25, traveling to West Fork.
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