Some things change, and some things stay the same. As the William Fleming Colonels begin their preseason practices, they’ll be hoping those words ring true as they look to surpass their winning 2008 campaign, while facing major questions on both sides of the football.
Last year’s undefeated Western Valley District champions were virtually unstoppable on offense, featuring a “triple threat” of sorts with quarterback Derek Brown, tailback LaCalvin Hickman and wide receiver A.J. Johnson.
Unfortunately for the Colonels, all three players were lost to graduation. And while replacing such invaluable talent might seem a daunting task for any team, Fleming Coach Rob Senseney seems unconcerned.
“We’re going to have to replace some really good players, there’s no doubt about it,” Senseney said. “But I think we’ve got some guys ready to come in and play well for us.”
At quarterback, senior Devin Dean will try to fill the void vacated by Brown. It might not be too much of an adjustment for the rest of the offense. Senseney describes Dean as a “Brown prototype,” a dual-threat who can make plays with his legs when the pocket collapses around him. “I think he’s actually faster than Brown,” Senseney said. “And he took some snaps last year, so it’s not like he’ll be coming into this cold or anything.”
To replace Hickman, the Colonels may utilize a “running back by committee” approach, featuring Devin Richardson, Malcolm Hardy, and Miles Henderson. Senseney’s confidence in the offensive line, coupled with the unique skills of each of the tailbacks, cemented the decision.
“I feel that we are really deep at running back,” Senseney said. “Hardy might be the strongest player on the team pound-for-pound, and Richardson and Henderson have great speed and vision. Plus, I think that since we’re so good up front, it’ll always be to our advantage to have a fresh running back in there.”
The key to the offense’s production will likely be the play of the wide receivers. Last season, the ability of Johnson and Shaquan Manning to get open downfield prevented teams from stacking the box to stop Hickman, opening tons of running room for the tailback and keeping opposing defenses off balance.
“Teams will try to load up on us and stop the running game, so we’ll need those guys to step up for us,” Senseney said. Though it’s not set in stone, the top candidates to replace Johnson and Manning are seniors Marcus Redd and Daunte Barber.
“They’re good athletes and good route runners,” Senseney said. “Neither one is a burner or anything, but I think they’ll do a good job for us.”
Despite the many new faces, Senesney is adamant that the offense will be fine. “I like us a lot on that side of the ball – I actually think we’re further along then we were at this point last year,” he said.
Defensively, the Colonels will have to fill another major void created by the departure of their entire corps of linebackers.
“It’s gonna be a mixed group of newcomers and veterans in terms of who is going to fill those roles,” Senseney said. Former defensive end Deonte Foster will make the switch to linebacker, and will be joined by Jonathan Hagans.
But the cupboard is not bare – the Colonels still have senior defensive tackle Carlton Crossgill, an All-District performer last season.
To be sure, the big question for William Fleming as they look to repeat as Western Valley District Champions will be how the newcomers adjust to their new roles. Will there be a prolonged learning curve? Will they be overwhelmed by the high bar set by their predecessors?
Senseney seems confident that when it’s all said and done, his team will have more than its share of success.
“I mean, there will definitely be a learning curve, but we try to minimize that in the offseason, with all the work we do in 7 v. 7 and all of that, so that when the kids get to camp there is a certain comfort level,” he said.
“Our philosophy is to take things one week at a time and gauge where we are bit by bit. I like where we’re at now and I think we’re going to get better and better.”
By Matt Reeve [email protected]