RiverHawks Open Spring Football Practice
TAHLEQUAH, OKLA. – Northeastern State head football coach Kenny Evans will greet 90 players Tuesday afternoon to kickoff the opening of the RiverHawks first of 15 drills for spring football practice.
Evans, who is beginning his third season at the helm of the RiverHawks will have 18 returning starters and his first senior class, which numbers 20.
“I’ve been here two years now and we have 37 of our top 40 players coming back from last fall and we will now have some players with experience going into next season,” said Evans. “The biggest focus for us will be the attitude (winning) of this football program.
“We will be trying to develop that, plus work ethic, habits. Those three things are a huge for us. We need guys to step up as leaders at this point in our program and understand what it takes to win at this level. We have been close against some good competition, but we just haven’t gotten there.”
It has been nine years since the RiverHawks have had a winning season and Evans is determined to break that cycle in the 2010 football season which opens on Sept. 2 against the defending Lone Star Conference champions Tarleton State.
“The overall attitude of the team is the No. 1 emphasis this spring. I believe it will be easier to break (losing attitude) now because we have players here that weren’t two years ago. We have a whole different attitude from two years ago and it has me excited too.
“Our guys are looking forward to the schedule next fall even though it may be the toughest Northeastern State has ever faced. I think it’s because we are developing the right kind of attitude in the program.”
Evans said this is the largest group of players that he has ever had for a spring drill at any level of his coaching career, with the exception when he was at the University of Florida.
“I’ve never worked with such large numbers, but that’s because we’ve been such a young football team. Right now there are only 9 guys who were a part of our football team two years ago when I walked out on the field for spring practice,” said Evans.
“It’s not from running guys off, we didn’t do that, but from signing guys who wanted to play the game of football, especially college football, the way its suppose to be played.”
Evans said during spring drills that the RiverHawks will look to get much better in the Red Zone area (inside the 20) on both sides of the football. That’s an area where the RiverHawks missed several opportunities to score last fall and prevent the opposition from scoring.
“We have to get much better in the Red Zone,” said Evans. “We got the ball inside the 20 numerous times last season and didn’t get 6 points on the board and sometimes we didn’t even get the three. That’s going to be a big concentration for us on both sides of the ball.”
The RiverHawks will also stress the kicking game with the graduation of both the kicker (Jared Homer) and All-American punter Joe Kok.
The RiverHawks may have found a kicker in Cody Lenz, a transfer from Trinity Valley Community College where he was an All-Conference selection. and was a junior college pre-season All-American selection.
Lenz will also be the top punter during spring drills, but Evans will be waiting for freshman Drew Patton next fall to handle the punting chores. Patton will arrive from Fayetteville, Ark. High School, and is expected to handle the punting duties.
The battle for the starting quarterback job will be fierce, but going into the spring drills, it’s Kenny Davis’ job to lose. Davis, who came in for the injured Woody Wilson, before going down with an injury himself, is listed as the No. 1 quarterback on the depth chart. Wilson will not take part in spring drills, but will return in the fall.
“Based on last fall’s performance, right now, its Kenny Davis’ job to lose,” said Evans. “He’s going into the spring as the starting quarterback with Pat Cook or Cale Fulps as the backup. And it may be one of the others.
“Woody (Woods) won’t be there, but he will have his opportunity in the fall coming in as the backup. But with his athletic ability we may move him to another position, possibly wide receiver or defensive back,” said Evans.
The RiverHawks running back position appears to be solid with Chris Davis, Prince McKinney and LaRon Elmer all returning, along with Josh Lewis. At fullback will be John Stelly, an all-conference performer, who may see limited duty during the spring.
Evans said that several players will be held out of spring drills for precautionary reasons in order for them to completely heal from minor surgeries to be ready for the fall season.
The 2010 NSU schedule may be the most demanding in RiverHawks history, according to Evans. Following the Thursday night home opener on Sept. 2 with Tarleton State, the RiverHawks then play host to Abilene Christian on Sept. 11, before playing its first ever NCAA Division I opponent North Dakota University at Grand Forks, N.D. on Sept. 18th.
The RiverHawks then go to Durant to play Southeastern State on Sept. 25th to open LSC North Division play, before returning home to play West Texas A&M on Oct. 2 in a noon clash at Gable Field. The Buffaloes played in the first Kanza Bowl in Topeka, Kan., last season defeating Nebraska-Omaha 31-25.
The remainder of the schedule has Texas A&M-Commerce at Gable Field on Oct. 2 followed by Oct. 16th date at Southwestern State, home clash with Central Oklahoma on Oct. 23 with a road test at East Central on Oct. 30th and the final home game o n Nov. 6 with Eastern New Mexico. The RiverHawks conclude the season with a road game at Midwestern State on Nov. 13.
The RiverHawks will conclude spring practice with the Green-White game at Gable Field on Saturday April 24th at 3 p.m. The game which will be played under game-type conditions and will conclude a weekend of activities on the Northeastern State campus.
FOOTBALL SPRING DEPTH CHART
Offense
LT: Phillip Boyd, Dustin Hubble.
LG: Caleb Tripp, Heath Smith.
C: Stephen Anderson, Kirk Wilson, Beau Beane.
RG: Tyler Lannen, Chris Girdner, Michael Shade.
RT: C. Ables, Jared Wise.
TE: Logan Cawyer, Kyle Beam, Stephen Huckaby, Lincon Cooper.
FB: John Stelly, Nick Whitlow, William Pittman, Austin Martin, Cody Hammer.
WR: Trey McVey, Edward Victorian, Ben Randle, Kendall McKellum, Matthew McDougald.
WR: John Turner, Anthony Moody, Shapore Khalief, Stephen Ellefeson, Zack Fierro.
RB: Chris Davis, Prince McKinney, LaRon Elmer, John Lewis.
QB: Kenny Davis, Pat Cook, Cale Fulps, Kaelin Woods, Andrew Rice, Ryan Nolan, Austin Axtell.
Defense
DE: Caom Hanen, Keith Owens, Ed Coleman.
DE: Travis Boswell, Alan Stroup, Kyle Mobley.
NG: Chris Cherry, William Whitfield, Blake Dirteater.
T: Billy Blackard, Bau Beathard.
R: Donald Dangerfield,Nathan Dewberry, Spencer Owens, Tyler Weldon, Austin Major.
MLB: Gus Jones, Chris Myers, Chance Keith, Jack Gray, Kedenan McClellen.
H: Jon Evans, Shantel Mackey, Damon Tennison, Johnny Morton.
C: Troy Adams, Marquin Watts, David Lewis.
C: Brian Johnson, Victor Williams, Donald Butler.
FS: Nick Dobler, Dillon Wagnon, Gage Waffle, Aston Hughes.
SS: Travon Brooks, Ryan Keenom, Carlos Smith, Joe Fate Ransom, Toby Ritz.
K: William Cartwright.
P: Cody Lenz.
DS: Murphy Braden.
Not Available for Spring
Woody Wilson (QB), Javarius Busch (WR), Chris Todd (DL), Jeff Thompson (DL) Ben Beam (OL), Trey Aubert (OL), Matt Kilgore (FB), Jacob Morgan (DL).
NORTHEASTERN STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 2 at Tarleton State (Thursday)
Sept. 11 Abilene Christian 7 p.m.
Sept. 18 at North Dakota (Grand Forks, N.D.)
Sept. 25 at Southeastern State
Oct. 2 West Texas A&M noon
Oct. 9 Texas A&M-Commerce 2 p.m.
Oct. 16 at Southwestern State
Oct. 23 Central Oklahoma 7 p.m.
Oct. 30 at East Central
Nov. 6 Eastern New Mexico 2 p.m.
Nov. 13 at Midwestern State
