Horner ready to run the show in Year 2 as Hanford QB

Last year, the Hanford High School football team held an open competition to fill its quarterback position, and a skinny sophomore named Garret Horner prevailed and started all 10 games for the Falcons.

After an off-season spent in the weight room, Horner will roll into the Falcons’ Sept. 1 opener at home against Davis about 15 pounds heavier (up to 155) and two inches taller. But aside from just looking the part, the junior signal caller said he is mentally prepared to improve upon a prolific 2016 campaign (second in the Mid-Columbia Conference with 2,197 passing yards and 27 touchdowns) in his second year running the Hanford offense.

“Last year we were putting everything in, making sure everyone knew all the plays, and this year we’re just fine-tuning the little details and stuff like that,” Horner said. “I’m a lot more comfortable with it. I’m trusting my line more. I’ve got good relationships with all these guys.”

With a seasoned quarterback comes a more nuanced passing game, which suits the playbook of third-year head coach Brett Jay just fine.

“The first year with Garret, we kind of just stuck to the quick game, which is just get the ball out of the hand quickly, basic slant, hitch-and-go stuff,” Jay said. “This year, we’re going to be able to do some more intermediate routes and get him through his progression.”

The Falcons are hoping their downfield passing attack will still fly after graduating one of the most explosive players in the state.

Joseph Gauthier led the MCC in receptions (45) and receiving yards (853) while hauling in 10 touchdown catches last season to earn first team all-conference and all-area honors. He followed that up on the track by winning the state 100-meter title in the spring and earning All-American honors by finishing fifth at the USATF Hershey National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships in Lawrence, Kan., in July.

While the speed and skill of Gauthier — who will run track at Eastern Washington University — are irreplaceable, the Falcons appear to have enough depth and talent on the outside to still move the ball effectively.

“We feel we’re more well-rounded as a wide receiving core, so we’ll have more guys that balance the field better,” Jay said. “When you have one guy that’s getting all the touches, defensively it’s easier to game plan. So we’ll be more balanced and make it tougher for defenses.”

Both Horner and Jay said they expect senior slot receivers Dimitri Kennedy-Woody and Thomas Kitchens to be the team’s top targets this season.

The Falcons graduated their top lineman — 6-foot-6, 290-pound Brock Wellsfry, who is now at Oregon State — but return four regulars up front, including All-MCC honorable mention Gavin Cooper, a 6-2, 230-pound tackle who also plays defensive end.

Run, Falcons, run!

Hanford boasted the No. 2 passing offense in the conference last season, but it came at the cost of the run game (114.9 yards/game, second to last in the league) as Horner threw more passes than anybody (30.9 attempts/game). Passing will always be the bread and butter of Jay’s offense, but the Falcons are hoping to strike a bit more balance with senior running backs Drezdyn O’Daol-Lyons and Jared Devine.

“We have two running backs that are much more consistent, and that’s important to us, having a consistent run game,” Jay said. “We’d like to be 50/50 like anybody, we feel that’s important for our offense.”

Setting the tone

While Hanford is primarily known for its ability to move the ball, the team’s defense likely will determine how far it can go this season. Senior linebackers AJ Wiegand (third-year starter, second-team All-MCC last season) and O’Daol-Lyons will anchor a Falcons defense that ranked sixth in the MCC against the run (188 yards/game) and fifth against the pass (169.2).

The Falcons have gone 4-6 overall and 2-5 in conference play in each of their first two seasons under Jay.

This story was originally published August 21, 2017 at 4:32 PM with the headline "Horner ready to run the show in Year 2 as Hanford QB."