The Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys started 11 seniors on offense in their final game of the 2013 season, a 28-17 loss to Harding.
They begin the 2014 season without a running back from last fall or this spring's drills. The only quarterback on this year's team that saw playing time a year ago threw only six passes. That doesn't mean the offensive cupboard is completely bare when the Wonder Boys open their season tonight at home against Northwestern Oklahoma State, according to their second-year head coach.
At a glance
ARKANSAS TECH WONDER BOYS
COACH Raymond Monica (5-6 in second season with Arkansas Tech, 50-40 in eighth season overall)
LAST YEAR 5-6, 5-5 in Great American Conference
OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH QB Dennis Robertson
DEFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH S Shai Kobayashi
COMMENTS This season is Arkansas Tech’s 100th playing football. … Former West Georgia offensive coordinator Chase Harp is the new offensive coordinator for the Wonder Boys, while Kurt Corbin and Raleigh Jackson were promoted to co-defensive coordinators. Former Texas Tech and Valdosta State assistant Paige Anders joins the staff to coach safeties. … Sophomore Justin Owens is the team’s leading returner in rushing (156 yards, 9 touchdowns). He is now the team’s fourth-team quarterback.
SCHEDULE
DATE;OPPONENT
Tonight;Northwestern Oklahoma*
Sept. 13;at Southwestern Oklahoma*
Sept. 20;Southern Nazarene*
Sept. 27;at McNeese State
Oct. 4;Arkansas-Monticello*
Oct. 11;at Southern Arkansas
Oct. 18;Henderson State*
Oct. 25;at Ouachita Baptist*
Nov. 1;East Central (Okla.)*
Nov. 8;at Southeastern Oklahoma*
Nov. 15;at Harding*
*Great American Conference game
NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE AT ARKANSAS TECH
WHEN 7 p.m.
WHERE Thone Stadium in Russellville
RADIO KWKK-FM, 100.9, in Russellville
INTERNET arkansastechsports.…
RECORDS Arkansas Tech (0-0), Northwestern Oklahoma State (0-0)
COACHES Arkansas Tech: Raymond Monica (5-6 in second season). Northwestern Oklahoma State: Alan Hall (6-16 in third season)
SERIES Arkansas Tech leads 7-4.
LAST MEETING Arkansas Tech won 38-10 in 2013.
NOTEWORTHY Northwestern has dropped four consecutive season openers and six of its past seven. … This is the first of six consecutive games for Northwestern against teams from Arkansas to open the season. … Northwestern’s Brandon Cannon, 30, spent four years in the Marine Corps before returning to football. The junior linebacker from Auburn, Ala., played the past two seasons at Erie Community College in New York. … Northwestern is beginning its final year transitioning to NCAA Division II from NAIA. … The Wonder Boys opened a 24-10 halftime lead and outscored the Rangers 14-0 in the third quarter last year in the season opener in Alva, Okla.
QUOTABLE “My days are messed up this week with the Thursday game, but when the lights come on and we kick the ball off it’s business as usual. Our goals and focus are the same and that’s winning the football game.” Arkansas Tech Coach Raymond Monica
"We're not going to say we're starting from scratch," said Raymond Monica, who went 5-6 in his first season with the Wonder Boys. "We have a lot of receivers who played, so we have people there. We've got two good quarterbacks and a third, Josh Qualls,who was the MVP of the state high school all-star game. So we've got something to work with."
Junior Dennis Robertson, 6-4, 225 pounds, of Gulfport, Miss., will get the start at quarterback tonight against the Rangers. Robertson played two seasons at Holmes (Miss.) Community College and sat out last season with Delta State with a medical redshirt. Curt Ceralde, another junior college transfer, and Qualls, who played in high school at Rogers Heritage, are his back-ups.
Senior fullback Tyler Moon, 5-11, 230, of Euless, Texas, only carried the ball four times last season but was an All-Great American Conference selection for his special teams work. He'll pave the way in the backfield for junior Kelton Smith, 5-11, 205, of Gallman, Miss., and freshman Braden Stringer, 5-9, 180, of Blanchard, Okla.
Junior Jerry Anderson, 6-4, 210, (27 receptions, 355 yards in 2013) of Lakewood, Calif.; senior John Simpson, 6-4, 204, (20-230) of Lancaster, Texas; and sophomore Michael Fine, 6-5, 200, of Springdale Har-Ber (18-197), are the leading returners at receiver.
Sophomore Derrik Fisher, 6-1, 275, of Heber Springs; senior Kendall Thompkins, 6-4, 225, of Pine Bluff; and sophomore Ian Shuttleworth, 6-3, 285, of Bryant anchor the Wonder Boys' offensive line.
"We're working to try to get that continuity with the offensive line, which has been one of our biggest goals," Monica said. "The offensive line has grown tremendously since the spring. They have just gotten better. I really believe they will continue to grow as the year goes along.
"I've been pleased with our running backs and how they are coming along. We just have to get these guys ready to play."
Defensively, the Wonder Boys are led by junior linebacker Logan Genz, 6-2, 200, of West Fork, and senior defensive back Shai Kobayashi, 5-10, 185, of Antioch, Calif. Both were named to the All-GAC second team in 2013 and were named recently to a preseason NCAA Division II All-America second team.
Genz had 106 tackles as a sophomore, including 9 1/2 for loss, and also had an interception and a fumble recovery last year. Kobayashi made 58 tackles and had three interceptions in his first season in 2013.
"Defensively, we're a little ahead of the offense," Monica said. "We've got a lot of guys returning. We've got a lot of experience with Kobayashi at free safety. Overall, just a lot more experience defensively."
Sophomore Trevon Gooden, 5-11, 185, of Texarkana, Texas, returns in the secondary along with Kobayashi. Gooden had 52 tackles, 1 interception and 6 pass break-ups as a freshman for the Wonder Boys.
Tonight's game marks the beginning of the 100th season of football at Arkansas Tech. Monica said adjusting to a Thursday night opener has been different, but he's glad the Wonder Boys are playing it at Thone Stadium in Russellville.
"Last year we had to go to Northwest Oklahoma to open, so we like the fact this one is at home," Monica said. "The thing about Thursday is it helps you for the next week . I think it is good for the players to get away for a little while because they'll watch themselves Friday and put that game to rest. A negative would be you would love to get about two more days in there with practice to fine tune some more things offensively. If I had a preference, I would rather play on Thursday and give these guys a little bit of a rest.
"The biggest thing is I am concerned about is us -- getting ourselves ready to play and getting ready to execute. Offensively we started 11 seniors the last football game we played, so we're pretty young on offensive side with experience in conference games. Third downs will be key, keeping drives going offensively and getting the defense off the field."
Sports on 09/04/2014