MU football/Spring practice/via MU web site from Greg Viscomi
The full offensive preview is available at the Monmouth web site...as in this case I mention and or copy many of the MU releases here so as to make the topics available for discussion..
I hope to attend Saturday's practie to write a story for Sunday Press.
Sunday's practice looks like a wash out at this stage....
.
MONMOUTH FOOTBALL SPRING PRACTICE: OFFENSIVE PREVIEW
With a handful of spring practices in the books already, Monmouth has already begun to put together the building blocks for a run at their fourth Northeast Conference title in five years. Last season the offense ranked second in the NEC in total offense (353.58 ypg), passing offense (200.75 ypg) and scoring offense (23.38 ppg). Below is a position by position breakdown of the players competing in the spring:
“Spring practice is about developing our players, improving technique and establishing depth in all positions,” said head coach Kevin Callahan. “Offensively, although we graduate some key players, we should be very strong. Obviously, we will need to replace a four-year starter at quarterback, but with All NEC performers in almost every position (OL, TE, RB, WR) we should be poised to exceed last year’s accomplishments.”
I hope to attend Saturday's practie to write a story for Sunday Press.
Sunday's practice looks like a wash out at this stage....
.
MONMOUTH FOOTBALL SPRING PRACTICE: OFFENSIVE PREVIEW
With a handful of spring practices in the books already, Monmouth has already begun to put together the building blocks for a run at their fourth Northeast Conference title in five years. Last season the offense ranked second in the NEC in total offense (353.58 ypg), passing offense (200.75 ypg) and scoring offense (23.38 ppg). Below is a position by position breakdown of the players competing in the spring:
“Spring practice is about developing our players, improving technique and establishing depth in all positions,” said head coach Kevin Callahan. “Offensively, although we graduate some key players, we should be very strong. Obviously, we will need to replace a four-year starter at quarterback, but with All NEC performers in almost every position (OL, TE, RB, WR) we should be poised to exceed last year’s accomplishments.”
posted by Tony Graham at 4:10 PM
2 Comments:
Tony,
Who do you think will be the starter at each position when the fall comes around? I have to think Burke is going to be the starter but i have never seen the kid from Fordham play. Sinisi is a shoe is for sure.
If I could nail each one I have a future in lottery numbers.
As I have stated before QB in my opinion is Burke's job to lose ..let's look closer at Greg's preview:
Quarterback: Replacing All-NEC quarterback and four-year starter Brian Boland will not be easy but the Hawks have a solid group of returning players who are competing for the job. Junior Brett Burke (Wall, N.J./Wall) has showed early promise in the spring, demonstrating a strong knowledge of the offense and a powerful arm. Burke was six-for-10 in passing last season with 56 yards behind iron-man Boland.
Transfer Matt Fullam (Wayne, N.J./Depaul Catholic) comes to the Hawks from Fordham and is still learning the offense. He played in 10 games under center for the Rams, giving him valuable game experience at the Football Championship Series level (formally I-AA) which will makes him an immediate candidate for the starting spot.
I think it's between these two with Burke getting the edge..this is his FOURTH year running this system...
Sophomore Andrew Mandeville (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan) is recovering from an off-season surgery, so his main focus in the spring will be to get healthy. Mandeville is extremely talented athlete and possesses good football knowledge which will also put him in the mix for quarterback.
Junior Kyle Brandon (Neptune, N.J./Red Bank Catholic) has been under the system for three years now and his consistency under center will have him competing for a starting or back up roll. Redshirt freshman Ryan Folsom (Somerdale, N.J./Triton Regional) has been throwing the ball well in the off season as he continues to get better at learning to play the position in the offense.
I'd love to see Mandeville get on the field..he's so athletic..question is .where?
Running Back: Despite losing three senior running backs, the Hawks will once again feature one of the conferences’ most talented backfields. NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year David Sinisi (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) returns for his sophomore season, one year after leading the Blue & White in rushing yards and touchdowns. The shifty tailback was the only player in the FCS last season to score a touchdown in every game, finishing with 14 total scores. The all-purpose back also excels at pass blocking and can catch passes out of the backfield.
Ryan Skorupka (Sparta, N.J./Sparta), who is having a productive spring, looks to compete for carries after averaging 5.9 yards per carry last season with a touchdown. Junior Marion Easley (Somerville, N.J./Somerville) returns as the starting fullback for the Hawks. Easley is a physical back who is solid at the point of attack especially on the goal line. A standout thrower for Monmouth’s track team, Easley will not be participating in spring ball but is still involved in meetings. Bobby Giles (Burlington, N.J./Burlington) is pound-for-pound Monmouth’s fastest back and is looking to contribute in the spring after redshirting last fall. Redshirt freshman Josh Halladay (Broomall, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) will back up Easley and is rehabbing after missing all of the fall with an injury.
Sinisi, Skorupka, and Giles are the big three in my opinion...
Wide Receiver: Senior Adam San Miguel (North Bergen, N.J./St. Peter’s Prep) returns for his final season as one of the nation’s elite receivers. Last year the speedster proved to be a big play threat while leading the Hawks in receptions with a record setting 73 catches.
From me..now it's a cast of thousands after Adam.
Junior Chris Kiley (Point Pleasant, N.J./Pt. Boro) looks to be another go-to-receiver for the Hawks after having a good year in 2006. The Ocean County, N.J., native has been a model of consistency for the Blue & White which has him competing for a starting job this year.
From me: Kiley - reliable performer has the most experience after San Miguel.
I think Ronnie Lauch has good hands and the size to go with it ..
Junior Steve Dowens (Middletown South) was injured early in the spring but has been a solid contributor in the few practices he has been involved in. Fellow third-year player Ron Lauch (Wall, N.J./Wall) provides a big target for the MU quarterbacks and could get some playing time in the fall depending on his spring and preseason performances.
One player who has had a solid spring to date is redshirt freshman Nick Romeo (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills). Romeo has been working his way in with the first and should contribute quite a bit to the offense. Redshirt freshman Brian Callahan (Congers, N.Y./Don Bosco Prep) continues to show improvement as he rehabs from an ankle injury. The 6-3 receiver has had glimpses of promise in the spring as he continues to pick up the offense.
Junior Korey Yngstrom (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Twp) is a player who does everything asked of him by the coaching staff. The Freehold, N.J., native will help bring a veteran presence to a group of young receivers. After sitting out all of last season with an injury Brendan Mellen (Easton, Conn./Redding Joel Barlow) has been taking non-contact reps in the spring to come back from that setback. Tom Bingham, David Moreno (North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen), Ryan Veselsky (Harrington Park, N.J./Old Tappan) and Brandon Wood (Villas, N.J./Lower Cape May Regional), will add depth to the MU receiving corps.
From me - Callahan came in with an excellent reputation from a big time high school program...
Offensive Line: The Hawks return three of five starting offensive linemen from a unit who gave up just 13 sacks in 12 games last season. MU returns three starters on the offensive line including First Team All-Northeast Conference selection Jon Dunn (Blackwood, N.J./Washington Twp.), senior Nick LoCastro (Wenonah, N.J./Gateway Regional) and Bob Skellenger (Ocean City, N.J./Ocean City).
From me - I would think freshman Shawn Wright (Fort Washington, Md./DeMatha) who played a bit last season before suffering an injury from which he has fully recovered, will slide right in.
As for filling in the rest of the front line - I am not going to list all the candidates - you're guess is as good as mine..
Tight End: John Nalbone (Lawrenceville, N.J./Lawrence) and Brian Frech (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional) are the two tight ends listed on the roster with Kevin Sterling moving over to offensive line.
Nalbone started every game in 2006, earning his second straight Second Team All-Northeast Conference honor after catching 19 passes for 198 yards.
So he Nalbone looks like a lock at the position to me.
From Greg - Frech, a senior should see action in a back-up role and in two tight end sets.
From me - Despite the graduation of Boland I think this offense will put enough points on the board
to at least make a run at the NEC.
But defense is the big question mark as MU looks to replace nine starters...
Now..off to the lottery counter!!
Post a Comment
<< Home