Statesmen to the 2000 Gulf South Conference and

2005 STATESMEN FOOTBALL
6
the country, not to mention the experience and the talent of the
other returning starters, that’s a pretty good starting place,”
Rhoades conceded.
“After the 2002 season, I had a definite direction I wanted to
take this offense and I had a definite way I wanted to do it.
We’ve instituted those changes, and they’ve been working.
Our offense this season will not change that much,” he
argued.
And why should it? Scott Eyster is on pace to eclipse almost
every NCAA, Gulf South Conference and Delta State statistical
record by the end of his four-year career, and has already
garnered nominations for the Harlon Hill Trophy and
Daktronics Pre-Season All-American honors.
“Scott has had quite a journey in his two seasons with
Delta State and he’s done an awful lot for us. He’s so
competitive, so intelligent. He has high aspirations and I don’t
see any reason why he can’t achieve those goals. You don’t
have the kind of success Scott has had by accident,”
Rhoades observed.
You don’t have it alone, either, as Eyster will again be joined
in the backfield by the returning senior duo of Radale
Pearson and Jason Snell, who together combined for 1,252
yards rushing with 19 touchdowns.
If there is one kink in the armor of the Delta State offense, it
would be at the wide receiver, as Rhoades admits, “It’s an
unknown right now as to where we will replace the 100
catches Ellis Debrow and Chris Parks gave us a year ago.
Those are big shoes to fill. We just don’t know right now who
will step up and be that guy.”
Robert Davis, a starter in five games last season, returns
with the most receptions behind Parks and Debrow, as Davis,
a 5-10, 164 pound junior wideout, hauled in 38 catches with
four scores a year ago. Davis could team with Chad Ridley,
who in 2004 grabbed 29 receptions for 512 yards, as the two
go-to guys in 2005.
Rhoades is equally anxious to see the progress of redshirt
freshman Patrick Hess, a 6-0, 170 pound receiver from
Navarre, Fla. “I’m asked every year to nominate newcomers of
the year and I’ve never submitted anything. How do you
know?,” he questions retorhically. “We don’t know what they
can do until we get them in the game, but I believe some of
the guys that redshirted for us last season have great
opportunities to make impacts this season, including Patrick
Hess. But he is not the only one.”
Darryl Kelly, a redshirt freshman, is also one of those soanointed
players, as from his linebacker position, the 6-0,
195 pound Niceville, Fla., native has an incredible opportunity
to influence a young, raw defense.
The DSU defense will inherit a new look this season, as
the Statesmen move from a 3-4 defensive scheme to a 3-3
package. “It’s a sophisticated package,” Rhoades admits.
“But, it is easy to learn and we have used this system before.
This package allows our team to take advantage of its
speed.”
Anchoring and providing leadership to a transitioning
defense will be Pete Golding, a Second-Team All-GSC
selection in 2004. The 5-10, 180 pound senior safety started
and played in all 10 games for the Statesmen, despite
breaking his right hand against West Alabama. His teamleading
85 tackles was a career high for the four-year
letterman.
“Pete is so valuable to our defense, particularly with the
leadership and experience he brings to the table. If there was
2005 Season Preview
Senior strong safety Pete Golding anchors a muchimproved
defense in 2005. The Hammond, La. native has
180 career tackles with 20 pass break-ups. In 2004,
Golding led the Statesmen with 85 stops.
one constructive criticism of last year’s team it was the lack of
leadership and with such a small senior class this season,
we will need our player’s council, our seniors and those
impact players to step up and be leaders. We need guys to
step up and say this is the way it is going to be and this is the
way we are going when things begin to push and shove.”
And, there will be some early pushing and shoving as the
Statesmen open their 2005 slate with two perennial
powerhouses in collegiate football, including 2004 NCAA
Division II runner-up Pittsburg State (Kansas) and Division I-AA
Texas State.
“We know going into this thing that there are no chances at a
dry run. Our defense, our guys – they’re going to have jump
right in because our schedule is certainly a mouth full,”
Rhoades continues.
“It is very difficult for us to get games without traveling a long
distance. When the SWAC schools stopped playing Division II
schools, it really hurt us because we had a natural opponent
in Mississippi Valley State University. That rivalry was growing
very intense, so, yes, that hurt us and left us looking. To the
East and to the West is nothing but conference opponents
and to the North are 1-AAs that want nothing to do with us.
“So, we had only one choice in my mind, look for the game
on the national stage and that is what we got with Pittsburg
State. It’s not an ideal schedule by any means. I’m aware of
that. But I think that there is a lot of good to it and I think that
we can play with these teams,” Rhoades finished with the
optimism of a new season still fresh on his face.
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