2007 Kansas Wesleyan Football Outlook -- Compete and Finish
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Coming off of consecutive 8-2 seasons, Dave Dallas and the Kansas Wesleyan Football staff are looking to improve on that mark, and hopefully return to the top of the Kansas Conference with a KCAC Championship, something that has eluded the Coyotes since the 2002 season.

The Coyotes were close in 2006, finishing in a tie for third place behind Co-Champions Friends and Bethel.

Dallas feels that the Coyotes have assembled a group of student-athletes that will give Wesleyan the chance to compete for that elusive title in 2007.

A lot of new faces dot the roster for Kansas Wesleyan in 2007, but not all are unfamiliar with Salina, and KWU for that matter. Several Salina area natives have returned home to don the purple and gold for the Coyotes this season.

Despite some significant losses on both sides of the ball, Dallas expects the Coyotes to be pretty good in 2007.

“We have a chance to be a pretty good football team this year,” he said. “It’s just got to all come together.”

One of the things Dallas points to as key is the large amount of players that remained in Salina over the summer, working out together.

“We had a lot of our guys here this spring that have stayed over the summer, and that’s always exciting to have that many guys around working for one common goal,” he said. “That goal is to go out and compete in every game, and finish the run.”

Wesleyan opened the 2006 season 7-0, but lost two of their last three games to finish 8-2 overall, and tied with Sterling for third place in the conference.

OFFENSIVE OUTLOOK -- 8 RETURNING PLAYERS WITH STARTING EXPERIENCE

There are several obvious holes to fill on the offensive side of the ball. Gone from 2006 are quarterback Justin Schropp, and tailback Darell Grames. Grames and Schropp accounted for over 76 percent of the Coyote total offense in 2006.

Grames, a former NAIA All-American and two-time All-KCAC player, rushed for 1,328 yards in 2006, and finished with 2,956 yards rushing for his career, third best all-time at KWU.

“Losing what we lost definitely gives us some holes to fill,” Dallas said. “I do expect several players to step up and accept the challenge to be the type of player we need them to be.”

Dallas said despite the losses, his teams have always had a strong running presence and this year’s team will be no different.

Transfers Steven Valliere (5-10, 200, Jr., RB, Redding, Calif. / Shasta (Calif.)), Brad Cintas (6-0, 225, Jr., RB, Santa Clara, Calif. / Gavilan (Calif.)), Anthony Mendoza (6-0, 210, Jr., RB, Salinas, Calif. / Hartnell (Calif.)) and Preston McCorkle (6-1, 225, Jr., RB, Stratton, Colo. / Ft. Hays State (Kan.)) along with returner Ryan Walker (6-0, 190, So., RB, Kansas City, Mo. / Lee’s Summit West) and incoming freshman Rodney Cooper (5-9, 190, Fr., RB, Red Oak, Texas / Red Oak) all have chances at the tailback position.

The Coyotes return three starters on the offensive line from the 2006 team. Dallas feels this experience will give Wesleyan a chance to be very strong up front.

“With the guys we have coming back, and the guys we brought in, we have a chance to be pretty good up front,” he said.

Dustin Pugh (6-4, 270, Sr., OL, Grapeland, Texas / Blinn (Texas)), Matt Fulton (6-3, 300, Sr., OL, Ridgecrest, Calif. / Victor Valley (Calif.)) and Aaron Gay (6-0, 295, Sr., OL, Pago Pago, Amer. Samoa / Cabrillo (Calif.)) all saw considerable action last year, and will be aided by the return of Bobby Brubaker (6-1, 270, Sr., OL, Lawrence, Kan. / Highland CC (Kan.)) who is coming off a knee injury last season.

“All four of those players contributed to our offensive line play last year,” Dallas said.

Dallas also expects newcomers Mark Robinson (6-1, 275, Jr., OL, Gardena, Calif. / LA Harbor (Calif.)) and Schuyler Wilson (6-1, 302, So., OL, Shasta Lake, Calif. / Shasta (Calif.)) to fit into the mix on the offensive line.

Dallas made no qualms about touting the 2007 receiving corps as one of the best during his time at KWU.

“We’ve got a very talented group at the receiver position,” he said. “Maybe one of the more talented groups we have ever had.”

Marcus Lowe (6-2, 185, Jr., WR, Orlando, Fla. / Graceland (Iowa)) returns after leading the Coyotes with 21 catches for 392 yards and five touchdowns, while Michael Donald (6-1, 170, Jr., WR, Kansas City, Kan. / Coffeyville CC (Kan.)) also returns for the Coyotes.

“The addition of Jason Dolan, Bryan Cooper and Darryl Hill, Tim Abbott as transfers will all fit into that mix well,” Dallas said.

Cooper (5-11, 170, So., WR, Salina, Kan. / Salina Central) is no stranger to the Coyotes, starring as a freshman in 2004 for Wesleyan, catching 37 balls for 573 yards and eight touchdowns while earning First Team All-KCAC honors.

Dolan (6-0, 180, Jr., WR, Salina, Kan. / Ft. Hays State (Kan.)) spent the last two seasons at Fort Hays State, seeing limited action after having a stellar career at Salina South.

Hill (6-0, 170, Sr., WR, Las Vegas, Nev. / Moorpark (Calif.)) comes to Wesleyan after playing at Moorpark College and Abbott (5-10, 180, Jr., WR, Morgan Hill, Calif. / Gavilan (Calif.)) comes to the Coyotes after two years at Gavilan College in California.

At the tight end position, the Coyotes lose the services of Drew Phillips to graduation, but expect newcomers Eric Thrush (6-5, 255, Jr., TE, Janesville, Calif. / Shasta (Calif.)), Dan Fox (6-4, 255, Fr., TE, Salina, Kan. / Coffeyville CC (Kan.)) and Dustin Stroud (6-3, 250, Fr., TE, Rosenberg, Texas / Lamar) to compete for time along with returner Steve Berklund (6-0, 200, So., TE, Manhattan, Kan. / Manhattan).

“We lost Drew Phillips who played a lot for us last year, but Eric Thrush came in at semester and should be pretty good, along with Dan Fox and Dustin Stroud and Steve Berklund, who returns, should all do well for us at the tight end position,” Dallas said.

Dallas expects Drew Dallas (6-3, 200, Jr., QB, Salina, Kan. / Ft. Hays State (Kan.)) and senior Brad Manning (6-3, 210, Sr., QB, Houston, Texas / Westside) to compete for the starting job at the quarterback position. Dallas comes to KWU after playing two seasons at Fort Hays State.

“Drew and Brad are at the top of the heap at quarterback,” Dallas said. “We have several younger guys that have a chance to step up at that position as well.”

DEFENSIVE OUTLOOK -- 8 RETURNING PLAYERS WITH STARTING EXPERIENCE

KWU returns eight players with starting experience on the defensive side of the ball in 2007, and have a chance to be very strong this season according to Dallas.

“Defensively, I think we have the opportunity to be very good,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of guys back that played a lot for us last year, and I think we have the chance to be very strong on that side of the ball.”

On the defensive line, the Coyotes do have to deal with the loss of NAIA All-American Eric Williams, but Dallas feels that returners Scott Moore (6-5, 260, Sr., DL, Chicago, Ill. / Canyons (Calif.)) , Matt Case (6-4, 225, Jr., DL, Nunn, Colo. / Highland) and Andrew Stroud (6-2, 240, Sr., DL, Glenpool, Okla. / Glenpool) will be stand out players in 2007. Dallas also expects several transfers to fit into the system on the defensive line.

“I don’t know if you can ever replace a player like Eric Williams,” Dallas said. “You just fill the void, and let other people step up into those roles.”

“Dustin Trimble (6-0, 235, Jr., DE, Hopland, Calif. / Mendocino (Calif.)), Darin Souza (6-2, 270, Jr., DL, Williams, Calif. / American River (Calif.)), Joe Risher (6-1, 270, Jr., DL, Salinas, Calif. / Hartnell (Calif.)) will all be welcome additions to the line,” Dallas said.

At the linebacker position, the Coyotes return leading tackler and First Team All-KCAC selection Colten Campbell (6-1, 205, Sr., LB, Amarillo, Texas / Amarillo) along with Brandon McGinn (6-4, 205, Sr., LB, Humble, Texas / Humble).

“McGinn had a really great spring. He really rose to the top,” Dallas said.

Dallas also said that Michael Vaughn (5-11, 205, So., LB, Richardson, Texas / Richardson) and Patrick Shelton (6-3, 210, So., LB, Palm Harbor, Fla. / Palm Harbor) will battle for a position, as Matt Myers will not return due to a arm injury he received last spring.

The defensive backfield will be anchored by returner Willie Johnson (6-1, 190, Sr., DB, Redding, Calif. / Shasta (Calif.)), who led the KCAC interceptions a year ago with six and finished the year ranked fifth in the NAIA, while earning First Team All-KCAC honors. Returners Reyes Olmo (5-9, 170, Sr., DB, Colorado Springs, Colo. / Harrison), Josh Cronkite (5-11, 180, Sr., DB, Riverside, Calif. / Orange Coast (Calif.)), Seth Franklin (6-3, 200, Sr., DB, Houston, Texas / St. Thomas) and Dustin Cain (6-0, 160, So., DB, Coppell, Texas / Coppell) should fit into the mix as well as newcomer Ryan Dolan (6-2, 185, Jr., DB, Salina, Kan. / Ft. Hays State (Kan.)) who played at Fort Hays State last season. Dallas also expects transfers Alan Fleming (6-1, 195, So., DB, Magalia, Calif. / Shasta (Calif.)), Nick Sisco (5-9, 185, Jr., DB, San Diego, Calif. / Central Lakes (Minn.)) and Xavier Hayward (6-1, 185, Fr., DB, Houston, Texas / Washington) to compete for spots.

SPECIAL TEAMS OUTLOOK

Anthony Padilla (5-10, 180, Jr., K, Chino, Calif. / Mt San Antonio (Calif.)) returns for the Coyotes and will take over all the place kicking duties this season after being a long distance field goal and kickoff specialist last year. Gone from last season is First Team All-KCAC kicker Michael Barry, who hit 31-of-33 extra point tries on the season last year and was 3-of-3 on field goals.

“Anthony did an exceptional job last season coming over to help us out from the soccer team,” Dallas said. “I expect a lot from him again this year.”

The punter position remains in the air, following the departure of Jarod Fronce, who had punting duties last season and averaged 32.8 yards per punt.

“We need to get the punter situation ironed out in camp,” Dallas said.

Willie Johnson will be a force as kick returner, along with Bryan Cooper, Jason and Ryan Dolan and Derryl Hill.