FB: Center 'Riders Season Preview
Like most coaches, Center head football coach and athletics director Kevin Goodwin is always chompin' at the bit to get preseason drills underway. And after the success that the Roughriders experienced in 2009, he could hardly contain himself as training camp approached for his squad.
Goodwin says he came back to his hometown of Center to build a program. And whether he expected it or not, the immediate success of that football last season has just made his athletes hungry for more.
No, the Roughriders didn't capture a district championship in his first season; nor did they finish runner-up in the league. But what occurred was the Roughriders claiming a playoff spot and then making the most of it by advancing to the second round of the Class 3A state playoffs and giving those athletes a taste of what they can be.
That means 2010 is a season of higher expectations as Goodwin has told his squad that he wants them to shoot for playing football after Thanksgiving; meaning they'll advance further in the playoffs than a year ago when they were eliminated just before the turkey holiday.
To do that Goodwin is going to have to fill some big shoes left by graduating seniors. But at the same time, the coach feels that he has some very capable players ready to step in and take over.
One intangible that Goodwin has working in his favor is the simple fact that he was in Center last year and he knows the capabilities of his team and his players know what their coach can produce. Despite that, Goodwin went right back to 'square one' when training camp began on Aug. 2 because he wanted to make sure all his players - newcomers and veterans - were all on the same page.
"As long as we're in Center, Texas, we're going to start the first day with the same script that we ran from '09," Goodwin noted. "We'll use it from here on out because we start from 'ground zero' and we start teaching it again.
"If you teach and re-teach, teach and re-teach, what they've grabbed is great, but when you re-teach it they're going to grab something extra and then you're going to be able to put in more reads and more blocking schemes when they really understand it."
CENTER OFFENSE
Quarterback
Probably the most noticeable shoes to fill will be at the quarterback spot. Gone is DeAndre Simmons, who was injured in the sixth game of the season, but set a standard from an athlete who came a long way in a short time. The product that is now playing at Tyler Junior College emerged from a group of talented athletes and led the team early. He completed 63-of-110 passes (57.3%) for 805 yards and 11 TDs and seven picks.
After Simmons' season-ending injury against Carthage, Jaelyn Short (51-of-80, 7 int, 5 TD) stepped in and led the Roughriders to the second round of the postseason and helped the team to a third-place finish in District 18-3A and an 8-4 season mark.
Filling the quarterback spot is one of the top priorities in training camp. With some talented receivers waiting to catch passes, Goodwin is looking for the 'cream' to once again rise to the top. He is counting on that because of the fact that Center quarterbacks completed 60% (123-of-205) of their passes a year ago for 1,644 yards.
Two of the possible quarterbacks on varsity received considerable playing time at other positions last year. Senior wide receivers Ryan Goodwin (no relation) and Se'Ryan Netherly both saw time at the QB spot in training camp a year ago and ended up playing at the receiver spots. Also look for a pair of former junior varsity players in sophomore Cody Carleton and junior Cameron Cloudy to battle for time.
Coach Goodwin said the athletes that don't get the starting nod at the quarterback spot will be used in other skill positions.
"Finding the right quarterback is a matter of timing and seeing who will make the plays," Goodwin reasoned. "Just like last year, De'Andre had never taken a snap in an offense like this. But reps - you can't replace it. We can talk about it forever, but until they get out there and have the opportunity to do it with those 'bees' flying by their heads and people running and trying to chase them down, you really don't know what you have.
"What we have at the quarterback spot are some young men that are playmakers. If you do that, something bad might happen, but the fans would never know because they'll look up and there's a touchdown because we have a playmaker in that position. We'll just see how the 'cream' rises to the top."
Running Back
At the running back spot there is another slew of talent, led by senior Tre Sudds. Sudds led the Roughriders with 853 yards rushing a year ago, averaging 4.8-yards per carry. He picked up 71.1 yards per game and scored 12 touchdowns.
Sudds will get 'pushed' from his younger brother, Johnny Sudds. The younger Sudds was a dominant player on the junior varsity last year, leading the team in rushing. He's already scored on a 70-yard pass reception this season in the first scrimmage.
"Tre will have to fight Johnny," Goodwin noted. "That's the best thing about building through competition because it will make both players work harder and the whole team benefits.
"Both players have two totally different styles of running and that could be two more weapons we have. Johnny has a little more of the tackle-breaking ability, where Tre is elusive. Tre will slide by you, where Johnny will break the tackle and go."
Goodwin said senior Sekendrick Calhoun can also step in and play as well, giving the 'Riders yet another threat. There are also several others that could get playing time.
Wide Receiver
At the receiver spot, the talented lineup begins with senior Ty Hubbard. Hubbard, who has already verbally committed to play college ball at McNeese State in Lake Charles, La., was the leading receiver on the squad in 2009 with 704 yards and 12 touchdowns on 36 receptions. He averaged 19.6-yards per reception.
"As everyone says, it starts with Ty," Goodwin commented. "Everyone's going to know he's out there. That's good, but what we need to do is find another receiver to put across from him to keep defenses from rolling to him."
Ryan Goodwin is one, if he's not playing quarterback. Last season Goodwin was the No.2 receiver with 263 yards on 21 catches and a 12.5-yard average.
Also look for Cloudy and Netherly to be used. Netherly was third on the team with 17 grabs for 155 yards and a pair of scores last year.
Offensive Line
On the offensive line, the Center coach said there should be a little more 'beef' across the front this season, which might allow the Roughriders to run at people more than just around them.
Seniors Miguel Onate and Michael Smith are two young men that haven't seen the field on Friday night, but could make an impact, according to the coach. Also look for returning senior Nathan Vaughn to anchor that part of the line, with former junior varsity players Kaleb Hudspeth (senior), Daniel Hernandez (junior), Morgan Bailey (senior) and returning letterman Nathan Sears (junior) getting some reps.
CENTER DEFENSE
Look for the Roughrider defensive front to lead the way for Center in 2010. With returning all-state defensive tackle Justin Lovett leading the way, the CHS defense might be tough to penetrate this season. Surrounding the 5-7, 150-pound pack of dynamite is senior nose guard Quincy Ratcliff, senior DT Kevinski Pitts and senior linebacker Sekendrick Calhoun. And don't forget outside linebacker J'Von Jones (senior).
"It goes without saying that our defense begins with our D-line," Goodwin stated. "We're going to need all these kids up front to make the plays early so the young kids behind them can come along and grow."
With the graduation of Jeremy Small (Ouachita Baptist), Jerome Davis (SFA), Demarcus Brown (Lon Morris) and Damian Bolton (Lon Morris), the Roughrider secondary will be one area in need of growth in 2010.
But Goodwin says he hopes that the added size of his squad with some overall team speed could be a great combination for an even better 2010. It all goes into the long-term growth plans the AD has for not just the football program, but all the programs at CHS. He says that he's expecting greatness from his team in the always-tough District 18-3A race.