Hawks 'Optimistic' About Season With only nine starters returning to the lineup, the North Buncombe Biack Hawks will feature many new faces when they kickoff the 1968 season Friday night against the Madison High Patriots at Reeves Stadium. Led by their new head coach, Tom Mclntyre, the Black Hawks are looking to improve following back-to-back 1-9 seasons. The Hawks' new head coach, a veteran of 30 years coaching in South Carolina, has installed new offense and defense formations for the young Black Hawks. With 12 juniors and eight sophomores on the roster, the Black Hawks will be short on ex perience as they open the season, ,. but Mclntyre hopes to be building for the future with the underclassmen. The Hawk offense will be directed by a sophomore, Allen Fisher, who transferred from Madison High School during the summer. Until his departure, the 5'U" sophomore had figured in the Patriots' plans for 1988 and beyond. Fisher's father, John, is (he Black Hawks' defensive coor dinator. Backiiu up Fisher at quarter back win be another sophomore, Stuart Saye. Both young quarter backs saw action Friday night in a pre-season scrimmage with Moun tain Heritage. Although lacking an experienced passer, the Black Hawks backfield will feature seniors Scott Whitt, Darren Fender and Joey Davis. Whitt. a 511". 180-pound senior, will see action on both offense and defense, doubling as the Hawks' tailback and free safety. Mclntyre regards Whitt as a college prospect at free safety. Davis, a 510", 170-pound senior, will also see double duty as the Black Hawks fullback and linebacker. The new head coach is counting on a trio of wide receivers to spark the the Black Hawk passing game in 1968. \mong the receivers who will see action are Eric Haynes, a 5'9", 137-pound senior; Wally Ponder, a 6'1", 160-pound senior who tranfer red from Mitchell County High School and David Hensley, a 5'8", 145-pound senior. "Haynes and Hensley are like two peas in a pod," Mclntyre says. 'They both have great hands." Senior Keith Briggs and junior Ted Farmer will share duties in the tight end slot. The 1968 Black Hawks can boast a wealth of experience up front, with four returning lettermen an choring both the offensive and defensive front lines. Seniors Blake Allen, Michell Fisher, Scott Wilson and Lance Stewart will provide North Bun combe with a seasoned front four this fall. Mclntyre describes Fisher as a "big kid with a world of ability, " but says the 6*2" 213-pound senior is sometimes "not as agressive as he needs to be." The Hawks will also be counting on seniors Lee Pack and Keith Briggs this season. Briggs will see action as a linebacker this fall. Good Luck in this Football Season Young's Tractor & Equipment Rt. 2, Burnsville (Hwy. 19E) 675-4365 THE YOGURT GALLERY WMvcrvUk Plaza - ?U-?330