KANSAS, Okla. — Eddie Barnwell has been coaching football for the last 28 years, and this upcoming season will mark his fourth as skipper at Kansas and 16th overall as a head coach.

But with as many years as he’s coached, Barnwell says this year, more than any in several years, have given him a new-found spark.

“I think it’s just the youth of our team has re-energized me and our approach tothe game this year,” Barnwell said. “The first week (of practice) we went at six in the morning before school, showeredwent to school. I just feel like we’re so much further ahead this year at this time than we have been in the previous three.”

Barnwell’s three previous Comet teams have gone 11-19 overall, including last year’s 4-6 team.

Kansas was in the hunt for the fourth and final playoff spot before losing to Adair at Dee Neel Stadium 30-15 in the final week of the season.

The Comets lost several senior starters from last year and will utilize multiple underclassmen in important roles in 2011.

“Our team, we don’t have near the experience,” Barnwell said. “We’re young.

Our quarterback’s just a sophomore. We have several other underclassmen that are playing key positionsfor us.”

The Comets will turn to sophomore Austin Hunt (6-foot, 165) to lead the offense at the quarterback position.

Hunt saw quite a bit of action as a sophomore in 2010, rushing for 242 yards on 24 carries (10.1 yardsper carry) and scoring three touchdowns.

Junior Dylan Collyge transferred to Kansas from Westville, Okla., and will be the backup quarterback as well as playing running backand wide receiver.

Senior running back Cody Bright (5-7, 172) also returns after rushing for 979 yards on 110 carries (8.9 yards per carry) and scoring 13 touchdowns. Bright also caught 10 passes for 151 yards.

“Cody Bright is back for his senior season,” Barnwell said. “He was just under 1,000 yards rushing last year.

He’s an awful good football player and has been for a long time for us.”

Sophomore Casey Armbrister started as a freshman on defense and will add depth to the backfield to go with his defensive responsibilities.

Armbrister rushed for 207 yards on 36 carries (5.8 yards per carry).

Headlining the Comets’ passing game will be theaptly named junior tight end Austin Catcher (6-1, 170), who had seven receptions for 192 yards last year (27.4 yardsper catch. Junior Johnny Lewis (6-2, 170) led all of Kansas receivers in 2010 with 15 receptions for 233 yards (15.5 yards per reception).

Collyge, Armbrister and Bright out of the backfield also present threats in the passing game as well as senior Casey Fencer (5-10, 165) and sophomore Blake Hix (6-0, 160).

The Comets are also looking forward to seeing what newcomer senior Dakota Cowett (5-9, 140) gives them offensively at a running back spot. Cowett has moved from Colcord to Kansas to Jay before finally arriving back at Kansas his senioryear.

“He’s an awfully good athlete for us,” Barnwell said.

Freshman Tyler Potter (6-3, 209) willalso get some looks on offense as well.

On the offensive line, the Comets are small but probably as quick as they’ve ever been. Only two lineman are in excess of 200 pounds.

“The last two or three years we’ve had big, strong offensive linemen,” Barnwell said. “We don’t now. We’re young. We’re quick. We’ve revamped the offense a little bit. Instead of trying to block somebody and whip somebody, we try to read more.”

Senior guard Christian Sizer (6-1, 187) and senior guard James Warren (6-3, 245) are the Comets’ only returning starters.

Senior Chris Boster (6-0,160) volunteered to move from tight end to offensive line to give the Comets some bigger bodies up front.

“We were inneed of linemen, and he volunteered,” Barnwell said of Boster. “He doesn’t look like an offensive lineman. He’s not big enough to be an offensive lineman, but he’s a pretty good offensive lineman. He’s unselfish, and when I think of our team that’s what I think of.”

Junior C.J. Parsons (6-0, 203) and Boster will make up the tackle positions. Junior Jesse Dozier (5-7, 175) is the center.

Warren is the only returning starter on the defensive line and will play nose guard. Boster and Parsons will play defensive end as the Comets will give a threeman front.

Armbrister, Cowett and Sizer will man the linebacker spots.

Bright and Catcher will play outside linebacker.

In the secondary, a combination of Lewis, Hunt, Collyge and Siloam Springs sophomore transfer Austin Baccus (5-5, 140) will play the corner and safety positions.

Armbrister was second on the team last year with 83 total tackles, while Sizer had 63 and Warren had 58. Bright had 53 tackles while Boster had 46 and Johnny Lewis 42.

“Even if we list someone as a starter, we’re probably going to play - good gracious - 20 plus kids,” Barnwell said. “A lot of kids will play.”

Collyge will handle the kicking duties for the Comets.

Sports, Pages 52 on 08/31/2011