Greyhounds head coach Mike Chastain and former JCHS head football coach Bubba Williams have at least one common thread between the two of them.
Going into the summer, both are tied for the most wins in program history with 46.
But there’s another linking the two, one that made it quite ironic recently when Chastain noted Williams had just walked in the room he was in while recapping the Greyhounds’ recent spring game.
Call it “Iron Hound” football, going both ways, playing players on both sides or anything else. That bottom line is that the Greyhounds are not just dipping their toes into playing multiple players on both sides of the ball this fall. They are embracing it.
It’s a new concept for Chastain, but as he observed, not for the coach who also previously led the Greyhounds from 1984 to 1993.
“We’re figuring out more about it every day. Bubba Williams actually just waked in, and I’ll probably ask him about how they used to do it, playing people both ways,” Chastain said.
Chastain figures that, coming away from the spring, Jones County has about five or six players playing offense and defense, including receiver Jaivon Solomon, who has seen time as defensive back, and linebacker DJ Ingram, who has lined up in the offensive backfield.
“I think they’ve been competing well on both sides of the ball. We have five or six going both ways,” Chastain said. “They’ve all done a great job with it.”
One adjustment that has brought? Practice structure.
“There’s a lot of things that we’re having to adjust. We’re probably practicing a hair longer, not much,” Chastain said.
Still, an instant upside to players going both ways is adding more depth. With more players logging experience at different positions, they are able to be cross-trained as needs present themselves to give others a rest or replace in the case of injuries.
“It’s been a fun new thing for me. I’ve never been part of a team that’s had to play both ways,” Chastain said. “It’s been different, but I like how we’ve practiced this spring and am looking forward to continuing working toward that this summer. I really feel like that’s the best thing for us.”
