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Sewanee kicks off vs. Jays

By: Ron Bush
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Sewanee’s only football victory last year was in its season opener at home against Westminster from Fulton, Mo., and the Blue Jays certainly recall that 30-21 setback that ultimately cost them a .500 record.

Westminster went 4-6 overall and is picked to finish third as it moves back into the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference this season.

But Sewanee coach Robert Black is hopeful that his Tigers can beat the Jays in another opener this Saturday in Missouri — based on more depth, more experience and more size and speed even for his returning players.

“They’ve worked hard from last winter to right now, and we’ve practiced well,” Black said Thursday. “From what I’ve seen, and I appreciate it so much, we’re a lunch-pail type team. They come to work each day, and they have a lot of fun with each other but they’re very businesslike when they get out there.

“I continue to be pleased with our upperclassmen,” he added, “and we’ve got some new players who are going to help us.”

Andrew Gordon and Zeke Gordon are freshmen from Georgia manning the H spot in the pro-style offense, and aside from No. 1 middle linebacker Clayton Harrisonfrom Ridgeland High and fellow junior Matt Moore from Charleston, S.C., the top four linebackers are freshmen: Alfonza Knight from Nashville; Preston Stone from Mount Pleasant, S.C.; Henry Johnson from Kerrville, Texas, and Andrew Walters from Madison, Ala.

Black cited the return of Blake Satterfield, who redshirted because of an injury as a freshman last year, as a big help in the secondary and backing up return specialists Chris Murphy and Chalankis Brown.

Sophomore Baylor School graduate McLain Still backs up junior Henry Gass at one defensive end, while Ridgeland’s Brient Hobbs has playing experience as the No. 2 quarterback behind junior Patrick Shelton. Derrick Hogans is a freshman wide receiver from David Brainerd.

In the Sewanee starting offense, junior Trey Reliford is the tailback with senior Murphy and junior David Craig at the X and Z receiver positions and junior Rascoe Dean at tight end. Senior center Ben Scott and senior right tackle Andy Jarrett are joined in the line by junior left-siders Ben Pless and Hutch Hutchings and sophomore right guard David Allen.

The Tigers’ all-junior defensive front includes Jeremy Character and Karl Rogers with Bakari Faulkner at the end opposite Gass, and talented sophomore Brown is a secondary starter with senior safety Tyler Brantley and juniors Start Rast and Charles Lapeyre.

Murray County graduate Andrew Gould is back for his third season as place-kicker, and sophomore Geoff Marolda is the punter.

“We’ve had some guys banged up, but we’re fairly healthy,” Black said. “It’s rather daunting with no film to look at it (on Westminster) except last year’s game tape, but I think we’re two similar, young teams.

“They’ve got guys who can run at quarterback and running back,” he noted, citing senior Ryan Evers and even more mobile Daniel Eidson, a junior, at quarterback and Chris Baker behind them.

“Baker is a fine, fine running back. At our level he’s as fine a back as they come.

“If we can get it done up there, that will be a big boost for our kids,” Black said. “I really love this group, and I think they deserve to win.”

Sewanee’s home opener will be next Saturday afternoon against Washington & Lee.

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