2011 schedule - MediaSpan
2011 schedule - MediaSpan
2011 schedule - MediaSpan
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, <strong>2011</strong><br />
FOOTBALL <strong>2011</strong><br />
AMERICAN PRESS<br />
49<br />
OBERLIN<br />
Oberlin has holes to fill on offense<br />
RACHEL WHITTAKER<br />
AMERICAN PRESS<br />
The Oberlin Tigers lost<br />
nearly 90 percent of their<br />
rushing production from the<br />
2010 season to graduation,<br />
and that has coach Pat Miller<br />
worried.<br />
Cedric Skinner<br />
District<br />
5-1A<br />
and Ronkeith<br />
Alfred combined to<br />
rack up 4,823 rushing<br />
yards and 64<br />
touchdowns in Oberlin’s 13-1<br />
campaign in which the team<br />
won its district for the second<br />
straight year and advanced to<br />
the Class 1A semifinals. But<br />
the Tigers could not extend<br />
their playoff run further as<br />
they suffered their first loss of<br />
the season at the hands of<br />
White Castle, 20-0.<br />
In the game, the Tigers did<br />
not complete a pass and<br />
threw two interceptions.<br />
Skinner also rushed for a season-low<br />
92 yards after finishing<br />
with no fewer than 192<br />
rushing yards in a game all<br />
year.<br />
Regarding how Oberlin’s<br />
offense will fare this season,<br />
Miller simply said, “We need<br />
a lot of work.”<br />
“We need to find 5,000<br />
rushing yards,” Miller said.<br />
“We have about six (running)<br />
backs with a lot of potential,<br />
so we really need them to<br />
carry the load.”<br />
One of those is fullback<br />
Lance Frank, a 5-foot-8, 210-<br />
pound sophomore, who<br />
rushed for 230 yards on 51 carries<br />
in 13 games last season.<br />
Desmond Antoine also added<br />
to that production with 17<br />
carries for 100 yards, and<br />
Miller said both players will<br />
be featured in the Tigers’ double<br />
wing/spread offense.<br />
“We have a lot of depth,<br />
but no one has the big-game<br />
experience like Cedric<br />
Skinner and Ronkeith<br />
Alfred,” Miller said. “We are<br />
counting on Frank and<br />
Antoine this year at running<br />
back; they know what it’s like<br />
to win.”<br />
When it comes to replacing<br />
Skinner at quarterback,<br />
Miller is confident in junior<br />
Mark Fontenot to fill the slot<br />
and anchor the Oberlin<br />
offense, which ranked No. 1 in<br />
District 5-1A with 40 points<br />
and 435 yards per game.<br />
Fontenot has some game<br />
experience as a starter in the<br />
double-wing set last season<br />
while Skinner was the featured<br />
quarterback in the<br />
spread formation. But<br />
Fontenot only threw 10 total<br />
passes, completing five for 148<br />
yards and throwing two interceptions.<br />
Markeith Guillory, Tony Fontenot, Desmond Antoine and<br />
LaRobert Cason will look to extend Oberlin’s dominance.<br />
BRAD PUCKETT / AMERICAN PRESS<br />
This year Fontenot will<br />
also be Oberlin’s punter and<br />
kicker, taking over for<br />
Skinner who averaged 33.7<br />
yards per punt.<br />
“Mark is doing a good job,<br />
getting better and better each<br />
day,” Miller said. “I don’t<br />
expect many problems (at<br />
quarterback).”<br />
Defensively, the Tigers<br />
have three first-team All-<br />
District players back —<br />
Frank, Antoine and defensive<br />
end Tony Fontenot — and one<br />
second-team honoree in cornerback<br />
Markeith Guillory.<br />
Frank was Oberlin’s leading<br />
tackler in 2010, racking up<br />
98 solo tackles, 42 assists and<br />
four sacks in his freshman<br />
season. In week seven against<br />
Basile, Frank also returned a<br />
32-yard interception for a<br />
touchdown and a blocked<br />
punt 40 yards for another<br />
score.<br />
Antoine led the Tigers in<br />
interceptions with four and<br />
returned a fumble 44 yards<br />
for a touchdown in a 60-16<br />
rout of Merryville to end the<br />
regular season.<br />
Miller is relying on these<br />
four returning starters to propel<br />
an Oberlin unit that<br />
AT A GLANCE<br />
■ HEAD COACH: Pat<br />
Miller<br />
■ DISTRICT: 5-1A<br />
■ LAST YEAR: 13-1, 5-0<br />
(first in district; lost in semifinals<br />
of playoffs)<br />
■ OFFENSE: TE Jose Botely<br />
(5-10, 160, Jr.); TE Cameron<br />
Durio (6-4, 190, Jr.); LT SAM<br />
McMAHON (6-1, 260, Jr.); LG<br />
Eric Sandifer (5-10, 190, Jr.); C<br />
Hunter Ardoin (5-9, 230, Jr.);<br />
RG ZACH MONTOU (6-0, 245,<br />
So.); RT LaRobert Cason (5-10,<br />
215, Sr.); QB MARK<br />
FONTENOT (5-10, 155, Jr.); WB<br />
Desmond Antoine (6-0, 175,<br />
Sr.); FB LANCE FRANK (5-8,<br />
210, So.); WB Austin<br />
Darbonne (5-9, 160, So.)<br />
■ DEFENSE: DT Jose<br />
Botely (5-10, 160, Jr.); DT Sam<br />
McMahon (6-1, 260, Jr.); DE<br />
TONY FONTENOT (6-0, 185,<br />
Sr.); DE LaRobert Cason (5-10,<br />
215, Sr.); SS Cameron Durio<br />
(6-4, 190, Jr.); SS Austin<br />
Darbonne (5-9, 160, So.); LB<br />
LANCE FRANK (5-8, 210, So.);<br />
(Jr.); CB MARKEITH GUILLORY<br />
(5-9, 150, Sr.); (Jr.); FS<br />
DESMOND ANTOINE (6-0,<br />
175, Sr.)<br />
■ SPECIALISTS: P/K Mark<br />
Fontenot (5-10, 155, Jr.)<br />
allowed 16.5 points per game<br />
in its 4-2-5 set, second only to<br />
Elton’s 16.3 points allowed in<br />
its district.<br />
“Our bright spot is on<br />
defense,” Miller said. “We got<br />
a lot of games under our belt<br />
last season, got to play a lot of<br />
kids in 14 games. Hopefully<br />
their winning mentality carries<br />
over.”<br />
Sept. 2<br />
Sept. 9<br />
Sept. 16<br />
Sept. 23<br />
Sept. 30<br />
<strong>2011</strong><br />
OBERLIN TIGERS<br />
SCHEDULE<br />
at Sacred<br />
Heart-<br />
Ville Platte<br />
North Caddo<br />
at Vinton<br />
at Vermilion<br />
Catholic<br />
Iota<br />
Oct. 6<br />
Oct. 14<br />
Oct. 21<br />
Oct. 28<br />
Nov. 4<br />
at South<br />
Cameron*<br />
at Merryville*<br />
at Elton*<br />
Basile*<br />
Hamilton<br />
Christian*<br />
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