2011 schedule - MediaSpan

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2011 FOOTBALL 2011 AMERICAN PRESS 45 OAKDALE Oakdale counting on young line BY JIM GAZZOLO AMERICAN PRESS Just a little bit of time is all Kevin Manuel is asking for. The Oakdale head coach wants his young offensive line to be just good enough so he can unleash his skilled players on defense. Just a little bit of time. “That is going to be the District 5-2A story of our season,” Manuel said. “Can we give our quarterback just enough time to throw. Can we open up just enough of a hole for our speed guys to make some plays.” After a 5-5, 3-3 season that saw the Warriors miss the playoffs for the second straight year and just the third time in the last 10, Manuel is looking for a rebound campaign. “We have to do the little things to make it work,” Manuel said. Injuries proved costly a season ago, as Manuel was unable to use his spread offense effectively. An injury to Resi Philson (5-10, 180) limited the moving parts. Philson is healthy now and as a sophomore will be counted on to make plays at receiver, running back and quarterback. Before his injury last fall he was battling for the starting quarterback job. “He gives us some options, as do some other guys,” Manuel said. “We have some pieces that we can move around.” Those other guys include Damien Ward, who ran for 906 yards and scored 17 touchdowns while sharing the spotlight with Thomas Fisher, who graduated. “We have a lot of young kids who played, but not many back who started,” Manuel said. “You just don’t know how they are going to handle that.” Ward, a 6-foot, 185-pound senior, will be all over the field for the Warriors, as will quarterback Rush Williams. “We want people who can be moved into different places so we can get the best matchups,” Manuel said. “We have some talent on offense that can make plays.” Williams threw for 656 yards on 44-of-90 passing last season. He tossed six touchdowns and just two interceptions. “We will be counting on his experience,” Manuel said. “He has to make the right From left, Damien Ward, Aaron Welch, Rush Williams and Michael Holmes lead the Oakdale Warriors. BRAD PUCKETT / AMERICAN PRESS decisions back there in this offense.” Williams will also be counted on to play defense, as both he and Ward anchor the Warrior secondary. With seven starters returning on that side of the ball, Manuel hopes the defense will be able to keep Oakdale going until the offense comes around. “We are really confident in our defense,” Manuel said. “We have some guys who are going to be able to make some plays over there.” Seniors Stacy Poullard (5- 10, 180) and Mike Holmes (6-0, 250) bring plenty of experience to the Oakdale line. “We are counting on them and our linebackers to have big years,” Manuel said. But with only four starters on offense and just three-year starter Trevor Staehle back on that line, it is a matter of giving the skilled players time and space to make plays. “At the end of the day it is who is going to play right guard, right tackle, left tackle and who is going to play left guard,” Manuel said. “We are going to have to go with the guys we put there and see what they can do.” The group will likely include three sophomores AT A GLANCE ■ HEAD COACH: Kevin Manuel ■ DISTRICT: 5-2A ■ LAST YEAR: 5-5, 3-3 (third in district) ■ OFFENSE: TE Aaron Welch (6-0, 175, Sr.); SE MAR- CAS DIAZ (6-0, 170, Sr.) OR Melvin Statcher (5-10, 160, So.); WR Hunter Willis (5-10, 170, Sr.); LT Dylan Clark (5-10, 220, So.); LG Markus Santamaria (5-10, 185, Jr.); C TREVOR STAEHLE (5-11, 210, Sr.) OR Jarad Brabham (5-11, 180, Jr.); RG Chase Ware (5-5, 240, So.); RT Jovian Kennedy (6-1, 260, So.); QB RUSH WILLIAMS (6-0, 185, Sr.) OR Resi Philson (5-10, 180, So.); TB Curly Blount (5-10, 160, So.); TB DAMIEN WARD (6-0, 185, Sr.); FB Mariciu Robertson (5-11, 190, Sr.) ■ DEFENSE: DB DAMIEN WARD (6-0, 185, Sr.); DB RUSH WILLIAMS (6-0, 185, Sr.); DB Resi Philson (5-10, 180, So.); DB LOGAN CARRUTH (5-10, 170, Jr.) OR Curly Blount (5- 10, 160, So.); DB Melvin Statcher (5-10, 160, So.); SS Aaron Welch (6-0, 175, Sr.); SS Josh Arp (5-10, 175, So.); DL MIKE HOLMES (6-0, 250, Sr.); DL STACY POULLARD (5-10, 180, Sr.); DL Alphonso Davis (6-0, 175, Sr.); LB B.J. ALLISON (6-0, 185, So.); LB DEONDRE PINKSTON (6-0, 180, Sr.) and a junior. “They have talent, but until they play you just don’t know,” said Manuel. What he hopes for is time, just a little time. 2011 SCHEDULE Sept. 2 Many Oct. 14 at Iota Sept. 9 Avoyelles Oct. 21 Mamou* Sept. 15 Kinder Oct. 28 at Bunkie* Sept. 23 at Northwest Nov. 3 at Ville Platte* Sept. 30 at Jena Oct. 7 Pine Prairie* 00701235
46 AMERICAN PRESS FOOTBALL 2011 THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2011 IOTA Lege’ returns to young Iota team BY JIM GAZZOLO AMERICAN PRESS Neal Lege’ returns to the Iota High School sidelines this fall, and he is hoping the earlymorning summer workouts will set the tone for the season. Lege’, who last coached the District 5-2A Bulldogs in 2005, had his players running during the morning hours both to get them in shape and bring them together. “We had great participation and I like what I have seen,” Lege’ said. How much he likes watching this year’s team will depend on how quickly the underclassmen respond. Iota returns just four seniors to the roster and have only 10 juniors. That means the sophomores will be counted on to fill a lot of holes left by last year’s graduation. “I like our sophomore class,” Lege’ said. “We have a lot of talented players here and some good freshmen. They have some skills.” But... “They are just sophomores and freshmen,” he continued. “They have no real experience so you never know exactly what you are going to get week in and week out. “Some weeks they are going to be very good and some weeks they are going to play like sophomores.” So Lege’ admits his staff will be doing a lot of “coaching on the fly” during games. What the coach hopes to do is develop enough talent so he doesn’t have the younger players going both ways too much. He wants to rotate more than usual to keep them fresh. He says next to experience, depth is his biggest concern. “If you have too many of those young guys working both sides of the ball, you really have a chance to wear them down,” Lege’ said. “I don’t think we can do that, especially early in the season when the weather is hot. We have to keep as many people as we can fresh.” One player the Bulldogs Iota seniors Taylor Duhon (left) and Ryan Chapman are two veterans on an Iota team rife with young players. will be counting on this fall is junior quarterback Thomas Murrell, who is one of just five returning starters. Murrell threw for exactly 500 yards a year ago, connecting on 31-of-80 passes with nine touchdowns and just two interceptions. However, it is his decisions on the option KAREN WINK / AMERICAN PRESS that will be more important for the Bulldogs. “He has to make the key decisions for us,” Lege’ said. “We like what we have seen from him in the drills.” When asked about the possibilities of him opening up the offense, Lege’ said it’s not just about the quarterback. AT A GLANCE ■ HEAD COACH: Neal Lege’ (22-15, fourth year) ■ DISTRICT: 5-2A ■ LAST YEAR: 4-6, 3-3 (fourth in district) OFFENSE: Pro-I/veer (three starters returning) TE Wyatt Steen (6-0, 180, Jr.); WR Ruan Chapman (5-10, 170, Sr.); LT Trevor Guillory (So.); LG Jake Scott (5-9, 270, So.); C Logan Hebert (5-10, 225, So.); RG Billy Bean (6-1, 210, Jr.); RT TAYLOR DUHON (5-11, 255, Sr.); QB THOMAS MURRELL (6- 0, 255, Jr.); TB BRANDON FANTROY (6-0, 165, Jr.); RB Mike Thevis (5-9, 160, So.); WR Conner Myers (6-0, 150, Sr.) ■ DEFENSE: 4-3 (three starters returning) DE Jarrete Fontenot (6-1, 220, So.); DT TAYLOR DUHON (5-11, 255, Sr.); DT John Pinson (6-1, 280, Jr.); DE Wyatt Steen (6-0, 180, Jr.); LB Billy Bean (6-1, 210, Jr.); LB Brennan Bobbett (5-8, 160, So.); OLB CONNOR MEYER (6- 0, 145, Sr.); CB RYAN CHAP- MAN (6-0, 180, Sr.); CB Nick Sloane (5-9, 170, So.) FS Brandon Fantroy (6-0, 165, Jr.); SS Trevor Fruge (5-11, 160, Sr.) “We are working on getting some receivers to learn routes and learn reads,” Lege’ See IOTA Page 47 BULLDOGS (337)-779-3425 Go Bulldogs! Monday-Friday 8:00 - 5:00 Sat. 8 -Noon GOOD LUCK WYATT STEEN #22 Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 2011 SCHEDULE Vinton Oct. 7 at St. Edmund Oct. 14 Lake Arthur Oct. 21 South Beauregard Oct. 28 at Oberlin Nov. 4 at Bunkie* Oakdale* at Pine Prairie* Ville Platte* at Mamou* 00701105
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