Football Preview
The football team will have some new faces on the field and the sidelines this season. The 04 team finished 8-3 overall. The only home loss was to eventual national champions Valdosta State. The weaknesses , in this writer’s opinion, seemed to be on the defensive side of the ball and being overly aggressive in the red zone (specifically against Valdosta St.) last season. This season, the defense should become a strength. If the offense remains as potent as most of Coach Conque’s have been, this could be a good year for the Bears.
OFFENSE
This years team will find new leadership under center. The starting QB position may still be up for grabs, but after spring practice, Chris Reil still looks to be the leader. Reil sat out spring practices, but in a recent Log Cabin article said he learned a lot from the sidelines this spring. The backfield is loaded with returning talent with tailbacks Kentrell Rogers, Willie Hopson, and Ross Brown. Joseph Walker should start at fullback. The wide receiver position will also be filled with familiar faces. It shouldn’t take too long for senior Michael Norvell to break the school’s career receptions record. Norvell is joined by Jr. Aaron Fairooz and Sr. Ben Faires, second and third in receptions in 2004. An experienced offensive line returns to win the always-cliched “battle of the trenches.” The only newcomer is sophomore Ronnie Lee. At 6’5″, 315 pounds, Lee is also the biggest projected started on the O-Line. Austin Cade should be back as the starting tight end.
DEFENSE
The defensive line is one area with a new coach. And if you like emotion on the sidelines, Coach Keith Wagner was about as entertaining as the entire spring scrimmage. If his new defensive lineman play with that kind of emotion, the absence of most of last years starters might not be as difficult to overcome. The new d-line should be exciting to watch. The linebacker position returns last season’s top three tacklers: Quentin Maxfield, JR Henderson, and Robert Virgil. Add to these three two immediate impact junior college outside linebackers and the position should be solid. The defensive backfield intercepted 6 passes in 04 and return a strong nucleus. Cory Cangelosi and Leroy Hamilton return to the safety position and bring with them 113 tackles from last year. The d-backs return experienced, but the key to their success may be staying injury free.
KEYS
- Find a reliable QB early. Although Tennessee-Martin isn’t a Division I-AA power, the bears only have two weeks before GSC play starts. A slow start might mean not starting at all in this league.
- Stay injury free. It’s pretty self-explanatory, but it doesn’t matter what the team looks like on paper in the preseason. If the team is as beat up early in the season as they were after playing UAPB two years ago, it could be a long season.
- Continue to be a balanced offense. The 04 team showed something Conque’s offenses hadn’t had to in the past- a very powerful running game. With the loaded backfield and experienced offensive line this year, there’s no reason UCA can’t finish will tailbacks as the #3 and #4 rushing leaders in the conference again.