Waiting for Football With Bated Breath
Football, for all its appeal, has no phrase to match baseball’s four most magical words in the English language.
Pitchers and catchers report.
Even the day players are scheduled to report for fall practice—which is Wednesday at Wake Forest—has lost its suspense. Everybody who is anybody is already on campus attending the second semester of summer school, which will run through Aug. 11. So the Deacons will only be required to walk across campus and check in with Bonnie Rae, Jim Grobe’s executive secretary, if that’s not too much to ask.
And as bated as our breath might be for football, we’ll still have to wait until next week to see some real head-knocking. Under what is known as the NCAA acclimatization process, teams practice the first two days of preseason with the helmet as the only protective equipment allowed, and the two after that in helmets and shoulder pads. Not until the the fifth day will the Deacons be in full pads.
So most of the answers I’ll really be looking for as I hang out with the wall birds and stroll around the different practice stations won’t come until next week—at the earliest. But in the meantime I’ll share the main questions I have for Grobe and his players as they grind into shape for the 2010 football season scheduled to begin Sept. 2 at home against Presbyterian.
No. 1 (the obvious): Who’s the quarterback? Riley Skinner answered that one four straight years, but he’s gone. Junior Skylar Jones emerged from spring practices as first team, but Grobe said the issue won’t be settled until August. Well it’s August, and Jones will be trying to hold off the challenges from sophomore Ted Stachitas, redshirt freshman Brendan Cross and possibly first-year freshman Tanner Price.
No. 2: How can the Deacons best utilize the deepest and very possibly most talented position group on the roster, the wide receivers? Sophomore Lovell (Scooby) Jackson and redshirt freshman Michael Campanaro are actually listed as running backs, but with senior Josh Adams and junior Brandon Pendergrass ahead of them on the depth chart, I imagine Grobe and offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke will look for chances to get their fastest and most explosive players on the field whenever possible. Nobody looked more explosive early last August than Terence Davis, before he tore a knee ligament and was lost for the season. He’s back in the picture now as a sophomore to compete against senior Marshall Williams, junior Devon Brown, sophomore Chris Givens, senior Jordan Williams, junior Danny Dembry and redshirt freshman Quan Rucker. Whoever emerges as quarterback shouldn’t be short on available targets.
No. 3: Is this the season the Deacons shore up their once dominant offensive line? There are two reasons Adams’ production has slipped from 953 yards rushing as a freshman to 541 as a junior. He has battled one injury after another while running behind an offensive line that has been only a shadow of those that opened holes during Grobe’s first six years as head coach, back when the Deacons regularly ranked among the nation’s best in rushing. Grobe has spoke glowingly of the athleticism and overall talent level of the linemen he has in the program, but truth is, only senior center Russell Nenon and junior guard Joe Looney have really established themselves in the ACC trenches. And Nenon is coming off a shoulder injury that sidelined him during the spring. As fall practices begin, redshirt freshman Steven Chase is listed ahead of junior Dennis Godfrey at left tackle, sophomore Gabe Irby is running ahead of junior Michael Hoag at right guard and junior Doug Weaver is first team in front of redshirt freshman Devin Bolling at right tackle. Look for Chase-Godfrey, Irby-Hoag and Weaver-Bolling to be three of the best battles of preseason.
No. 4: How devastating will the loss of tackles John Russell, Boo Robinson and Michael Lockett be to the defensive line? The ends look solid, with the return of junior Kyle Wilber from a broken leg and the continued development of senior Tristan Dorty. But other than Ramon Booi, who played sparingly last season as a freshman behind three seniors, all the defensive tackles will be brand new. Redshirt freshman Frank Souza, a weight-room star, is listed first team at the tackle opposite Booi. Redshirt freshman Nikita Whitlock, a 5-11, 235-pound whirling dervish who had a great spring, is listed behind Souza. Redshirt freshman John Gallagher, who like Souza, Booi and three others on the roster played at Nease High School in Florida, is listed behind Booi. There should be some great battles to watch there as well.
No. 5: Can Jimmy Newman’s consistency catch up with his ability? We all knew Sam Swank was good when he kicked four straight seasons. And we’ve seen what Grobe can do with a great kicker. The last year and a half—since Swank’s senior season headed south with a pulled quadriceps—have proven just how valuable that Swank was in his prime. Newman appears to have the leg. Does he have Swank’s cool head?
I have other questions, and I’m sure you do as well. Suggestions are being accepted.