Mullins football team hopes to continue improvement
Auctioneers went from winless 2023 season to 7-4 record in 2024
Mullins – The Mullins High School football team made a drastic turn for the positive last season. After going winless in Marc Lowery’s first year as head coach, the Auctioneers put together a 7-4 season last year.
That has the players carrying an air of confidence heading into the 2025 season, which doesn’t bother Lowery. However, he wants the Auctioneers to take a step back and consider everything.
“Yes,” was Lowery’s response when asked if the team believed in itself. “That is a good thing, but at the same time we have to understand that we haven’t done anything yet and need to put the work in and focus on all the little things that help make a team successful.”
The Auctioneers, who opened their season on August 29 with a 26-20 loss to Lake View, won all four of its non-region games but went just 3-3 in Region 7-AA. That was good for fifth place and a berth in the state playoffs. They lost to Philip Simmons in the first round.
Senior KaNazzion Bethea is back at quarterback. He threw for 1,284 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. Lowery hopes to see an even better Bethea this year.
“He made all-region in 2023 and 2024, but he still has not played to the level that we know he can,” Lowery said. “He has put in a lot of work this offseason to get better at all aspects of the QB position. If he does a better job taking what the defense gives him, there is no telling how good he could be.
“He was also the team’s leading rusher last season. He should end the season as one of the best QBs in the state.”
Mullins has four key players back for Bethea’s targets in senior Ayntwain Crawford, senior tight end Braden Hughes, senior Amir Lee and senior Justin Reaves.
“This is our most experienced group,” Lowery said. “We have four returning starters that bring a lot of speed and size. All play basketball and all have started the past two years.”
Junior Keith Bridgett will also be part of the receiving corps.
The Auctioneers are having to replace four starters on the offensive line. Junior Jyrell Pee is the only returning starter, but this will be his third season as a starter. Lowery sees good things, but he knows the line has to prove itself on the field.
“We do like the OL’s progress at this time, yet it is still an unknown as to how good they can be,” the third-year head coach said. “If they can gel early and play consistently, there is no telling how far this group can go.”
The Auctioneers will have a different look defensively. They will be operating out of a 3-4 formation this year.
“We moved to a 3-4 defense to take advantage of our skill positions and to get more athletes on the field,” Lowery said. “If we play assignment football and do our jobs, we could have a very talented group.”
Mullins will be inexperienced on the defensive line as well. However, it will have a massive anchor at noseguard in 6-foor-3-inch, 305-pounds DeAndre Stackhouse.
With the formation change, Crawford and Hughes went from ends to outside linebackers. Andre Littlejohn and Nathan Peracki will return to the middle spots. The secondary will include senior Terrion Grant, senior Deyon Ford and junior Da’Kari Worley.
