Henderson State begins its quest for a fourth Great American Conference title in six years with a big test on Thursday night, when the Reddies kick off the season against defending GAC champion and 15^th-ranked Harding at 7 p.m. in First Security Stadium in Searcy, Ark.
 
        The Reddies return two talented quarterbacks from 2016 in junior Andrew Black and senior Evan Lassiter. Black, who started in 10 of 11 games last season, finished second in the GAC in passing efficiency after completing 64 percent of his passes for 2000 yards and 13 touchdowns, and also finished sixth in the conference in total offense, averaging 223.6 total yards per game. In addition to his arm, Black proved to be a dangerous weapon with his feet as well last year, rushing for 570 yards and three scores.
 
        Lassiter, who started and led the Reddies to a win against Arkansas Tech, saw action in all 11 games for the Reddies in 2016, completing 64.4 percent of his passes for 1249 yards, eight touchdowns and just one interception.  
 
        With the loss of 2nd Team All-GAC receiver Courtney Whitehead and former All-American Al Lasker, the Reddies will turn to old faces to step up in the passing attack. Seniors Jacoby Lewis, Austin Bennett and Darion Gray return after combining for 72 catches, 765 yards and three scores last season, as does junior big-play threat Ben Johnson, who averaged 25.3 yards per catch in 2016. 
       
        The Reddies' offensive line brings back four starters from last year's group, which allowed just 15 total sacks, the fifth-best mark in the conference. Senior All-GAC selection Justin Carpenter, along with seniors John Laubacher, Cory Stitle and Jojo Grant will anchor an experienced front for the Henderson offense.           
 
        Defensively, Henderson returns playmakers all over the field, beginning with First Team All-Region linebacker Cameron Sonnier, who led the Reddies with 15 tackles for loss last season. He will be backed up in the secondary by senior ball-hawking safety Sheldon Watson, a Second Team All-GAC selection who scored two defensive touchdowns last season and picked off four passes to lead the back end of the defense.
 
        Up front, the Reddies have one of the best pass rushers in the GAC in senior defensive end Sam Johnson, who was a First Team All-GAC honoree last year after finishing second in the league in sacks with six.
 
        Henderson also returns punter Cody Mikell was tops in the Great American Conference in 2016 averaging 42.6 yards per kick. The senior from Poplarville, Miss. totaled 34 punts and recorded eight boots inside the 20 and seven kicks of 50 yards or more including a 59-yard punt against East Central.
 
    There are several newcomers that could have a big impact this year including linebacker Paul Whitmill. Whitmill is graduate transfer from TCU where he played four years under Gary Patterson in Fort Worth, Texas. The native of Bastrop, Texas was ranked as the No. 5 outside linebacker in Texas coming out of high school. Whitmill saw action in 37 games during his career with the Horned Frogs recording 15 tackles while recovering two fumbles. The experienced linebacker will be leaned on to make plays in the middle of the Reddies' defense.
 
    Cornerback Byron Miller transfers from GAC rival Arkansas-Monticello where he made 59 tackles, four for loss, and broke up five passes with one interception and one fumble recovery. The senior from Little Rock sat out the 2016 season after transferring from UAM. Miller is a versatile athlete who can play multiple positions in the secondary and will see time at both corner and safety.
 
    A pair of rookies could light up the board offensively in freshmen running backs Blake Faulk and Cobra Jones.
 
    Faulk was an all-state performer in football and soccer at Prairie Grove High School playing for former Reddie Danny Abshier. Faulk rushed for 2150 yards and scored 40 touchdowns his senior year in leading the Tigers to a state runner-up finish.
 
    Jones was a two-time all-district selection at LaPorte (Texas) High School. During his senior season, Jones carried the ball 137 times for 883 yards and 11 touchdowns.

    The Bisons enter 2017 riding high after capturing their first-ever GAC title last year. Harding rode a dominant defense and a machine-like triple option attack to a 13-1 record, which included two victories in the NCAA Tournament over Central Missouri and Sioux Falls, before falling in the NCAA Quarterfinals to eventual National Champion Northwest Missouri State.
 
    In order to defend their GAC title, the Bisons will have big shoes to fill on both sides of the ball, including GAC Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Park Parish, Defensive Player of the Year, defensive end Trevon Bigelow, and All-GAC First Teamers, fullback Michael Latu, offensive lineman Eric Mitchell, defensive tackle Jensen Jackson, linebackers Daylan Skidmore and Scott Middleton, and cornerback Corey Bassett.
 
    Perhaps the biggest departure for the Bisons, however, is that of former head coach Ronnie Huckeba, who retired following the 2016 campaign after compiling a 69-40 record in his time with Harding and racking up 47 of those wins in the last five seasons. Stepping into the head role in Searcy is former defensive coordinator Paul Simmons, who has been on staff at Harding for the past 11 years and has been in charge of the defense since 2010.
 
    Despite the departures of many key players and their head coach, the Bisons still have a great deal of talent coming back from a team that finished first in both scoring offense and total defense in 2016.
 
    Returning for Harding are First Team All-GAC selections senior running back Zach Shelley, who has rushed for 1811 yards and 17 touchdowns in his career, senior safety Daylon Markham, who recorded 76 tackles and three interceptions last season, and offensive linemen Bryce Bray and Gavin De Los Santos, who were two of the bedrocks of the Bisons' rushing attack in 2016.
 
    Henderson State was the last team to beat Harding in First Security Stadium back on Oct. 10, 2015, when then-freshman quarterback Andrew Black scored late to give the Reddies a 22-17 victory. Since then, the Bisons have won nine-straight contests on their home field in Searcy.
 
    Last year, Henderson State was plagued by five first-half turnovers as the No. 5 Reddies lost to No. 16 Harding 35-3. Harding scored 21 points off of Henderson's turnovers including two defensive scores.    
 
    Harding and Henderson meet for the 53rd time in a series which dates back to 1926. The Reddies lead the series 32-19-1 including having won five of the last seven games against the Bisons. Last year Harding won 35-3 in Arkadelphia. The visiting team has won the last six games of the series. Coach Scott Maxfield has an 8-4 record against the Bisons. The Bisons hold a 13-11-1 advantage against the Reddies in games played in Searcy.
 
    Scott Maxfield begins his 13^th season as head coach of the Reddies having compiled an 88-43 record at Henderson. Maxfield's 88 victories rank second most in program history. Sporty Carpenter holds the all-time record for wins with 119 in 19 seasons at Henderson.
 
    Since 2010, the winningest coach in GAC history has led his teams to four conference championships, three NCAA postseason appearances, and has compiled a 62-17, the best among all four-year Arkansas institutions.  Maxfield has also led the Reddies to a 48-7 GAC record which included a 27 straight game winning streak from 2011 to 2014.
 
    Fans unable to attend Thursday's game can follow the game courtesy of the Henderson State Sports Network with 106.9 FM KYXK in Arkadelphia being the flagship station.
 
    In addition, affiliates 99.7 FM KWPS which covers Hot Springs, as well as 100.9 KDEL in Arkadelphia, KZYP 1310 AM and 104.1 FM in Malvern, and 93.7 FM and 690 AM in Benton will cover this week's game.
 
    The Henderson State Sports Network will be also available on-line at hsusports.com.
 
    Fans can also watch the game at Slim and Shorty's - the official home for "The Reddies Road Game Watch Parties."   
 
    The broadcast team of Phil Elson, RJ Hawk and Cyrus Wittig will call all the action of Reddies football with the Domino's Pregame Show set for 6 p.m.
 
    Live stats and live video will also be available on-line at www.hsusports.com.
 
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