By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

HURLEY — Beginning with the 2014 season, the East Central football team, which qualified for the South State playoffs just six times in the first four decades of a state-wide playoff system, reeled off a streak of nine consecutive postseason appearances.

However, under the direction of head coach Sam Huff, who enters his fourth season at the helm of his hometown Hornets, the playoff cupboard has been bare the past two years.

This season, East Central, which went just 2-8 last year, looks to not only return to their winning ways of the recent past but punch that elusive ticket back into the South State playoffs as well.

“The Spring went great for us. We were implementing some new things on offense and I was pleased with how the kids reacted,” Huff, who has been a part of the ECHS staff for close to 20 years. now, said. “And our attendance was great during the Summer with a lot of participation. We’ve a lot of energy going into the Fall.”

Huff indicated that while the Hornets will remain a ground control-oriented type of offense, they’ll look to possibly hit the airwaves a little bit more as well this year as indicated by his troops taking part in a few 7-on-7 camps this Summer.

The bellcow of the once vaunted Hornet backfield this season is expected to be junior tailback Adrian Marsalis. Last year, he made some noise as a sophomore and gained 311 yards in support of the now-departed senior Taye Guyton, who eclipsed the magical 1,000 yard rushing mark.

Up front, senior Jeffrey Jackson will be counted upon to blow open some holes for Marsalis from his left tackle spot as he moves over from the defensive side of the ball. He registered a pair of sacks last season.

“We still want to control the line of scrimmage, but hopefully we can take advantage of some opportunities to throw the ball as well,” Huff added.

Hayden Flowers, also a senior, is expected to see a lot of action at tight end while also seeing some time with the defensive unit as well.

Also defensively, Logan Lizana returns to patrol the secondary after making 69 total tackles and grabbing an interception, as does fellow defensive back Pacey Baria who recorded 55 total stops and also had an interception.

All in all, ECHS returns seven starters on offense and six on defense from last season.

“I think we’ve got a team full of tough football players,” Huff concluded. “Everybody’s excited. We’re looking forward to getting started.”

The Hornets are coming off their worst regular season record since 2013 when they went 1-10 and also their 1-4 Region 4-5A mark was their worst league record in 12 years in that same 2013 season as well.

The combined 5-15 record for ECHS over the past two seasons is also the worst for a two year span since 2012-2013, when the Hornets went 4-18.

East Central returns to a revamped Region 4-5A this season that again includes Vancleave, Stone and Wayne County. New to the league this season is Northeast Jones and Purvis, who replace Laurel and Gautier.

The Hornets kick off the new season on Fri., Aug. 29th at home against Greene County.