The Hillsborough Terriers will have some adjustments to make following the departure of their heralded QB Dwayne Lawson for Virginia Tech. Lawson was good for over 3,300 yards through the ground and the air along with 38 touchdowns for the Terriers en route to a 9-2 season that ended with a playoff loss to Venice in the first round.

With last season behind them, the Big Red look for players to step up collectively to help Hillsborough maintain the level of success that their fans and alumni have come to expect from them through the years. There’s plenty of guys who can step up like Rudy Dawson III, (1,144 all-purpose and 8TD’s), receiver Mike Hampton who caught 30 passes for 591 yards and three touchdowns and on defense players like Zach Carter and Armand Chalk who combined for over 100 tackles in 2014 for Hillsborough.

One of the two-way athletes that will play a vital role for HHS this year is ATH Duran Bell Jr. This member of the class of 2017 checks-in at 5-foot-11, 170-pounds and was a major factor at Safety last season with 80 tackles, 48 of those solo, along with an interception and two pass deflections. On offense, this versatile young man rushed 61 times for 376 yards and a touchdown along with hauling in six passes for 33 yards. Bell Jr’s skill set has begun to blossom this offseason and his grind this summer hasn’t gone unnoticed.

The Terriers will need Bell Jr’s contributions right off the bat when they host run-heavy East Bay in their preseason classic at Carlos Huerta Field. Hillsborough then heads on the road three of the first four weeks when they are at Durant, at Plant, home to Gaither then on the road to open their district schedule at King.

Following their district opener with the Lions, Hillsborough will head home to face Spoto, then head back on the road to face Chamberlain in their second district game. Week seven sees the Terriers pitted against the Dragons of Jefferson High School at home in a non-district tilt that’s produced fireworks in recent years. Week eight, the Big Red at back out on the road for the final time to face Blake in a District 6A-7 game. They’ll come home to face Brandon in what could be a winner-take-all scenario in advance of their final game of the season and perhaps potential district championship game versus Armwood on the 30th of October.

For highlights of Duran Bell Jr’s performance at BCP’s The Xecutives, click the link BELOW—>