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Gators Look to Experience at Start of 2007 Season
August 30, 2007
Football Game Notes (PDF)
MEADVILLE, Pa. – As the Gators enter into the 2007 season, they will look to the leadership of 27 seniors to help them achieve what they hope will be another successful season at Allegheny. The last time Allegheny had a senior class of this size, was in 2003, the last season Allegheny earned a spot in the NCAA Division III Playoffs.
“Those guys have been fantastic,” said Allegheny head coach Mark Matlak. “They’re all involved – I don’t think there is a senior on the team that’s not involved in special teams, offense or defense. That is a good example for your younger guys, it gets them to understand that if they pay the price, we’re going to get them in there. I really feel that our group of captains is fantastic and have been good examples, even the guys who have seen limited playing time, for the rest of the squad.”
Coming into the season opener against Westminster, a team Allegheny has not beaten at home since 1995, the Gators will look to the experience from a few key positions to help the Blue and Gold onto victory. The Gators return three offensive linemen and six wide receivers on the offensive end, while bringing back three of four starting linebackers and three of four starters in the secondary. It is the trenches, however, that worries Matlak. While he returns three former starters on the offensive line, the remaining two contributors have seen little or no action in previous years. The defensive line will likely see three new starters on Saturday.
“We have only have two or three guys on the offensive line with any significant playing experience,” said Matlak, referring to seniors Andy Fleming, Dan Cephas and Rob Flick. “The other two guys, even though they are seniors, saw very limited to no playing time last year. We struggled in that area to start our camp sessions, and we have to find out who can solidify those spots to help us get a solid performance from the quarterback, running backs, and wide out positions. On the defensive line we will have two sophomore ends and a junior nose guard. One of our tackles (Doug Macik) is a transfer and is new to the system, and our defensive end (Greg Waples) moved from the offensive line last season. We have some experience back at the linebacker position and in the secondary, which really helps, but as we all know games are won at the line of scrimmage.”
Leading the aforementioned group of linebackers and defensive backs are seniors Mateo Villa at middle linebacker and Curt Anderson at safety, two of the team’s four captains along with Fleming and wide receiver James Jones. A season ago Villa led the team in tackles with 80, while bookending the season with interceptions in the season opener and finale. Adding depth to the linebacker position is Ross Simcoe, also a senior, who was second on the team in tackles with 68, while tying for the team lead with a pair of quarterback sacks. Senior Michael Cox (34 tackles, 2 interceptions) and junior Craig Lawrence (24 tackles, 3 tackles for loss as a backup last year) look to fill in at the other two linebacker slots.
Anderson, who last season was named to the All-North Coast Athletic Conference First Team, finished third on the squad in tackles with 54, while breaking up a team-best five passes. Cornerbacks Jon Buggey (52 tackles), J.J. Davis (three interceptions) and Nick Jones (37 tackles) all return for their senior year while senior Andy Toner also returns after picking off five passes a season ago from his nickel-back role in the secondary.
Excited about the season opener, Matlak compared opening day to a holiday. “Sometimes you are surprised at the present you get,” said the head coach. “Some of the times your disappointed at things you get. You will get an entire range of emotions through the entire day. This is especially true in the first game because any time you have a new team there is going to be an unknown factor – how they are going to compete, how they’re going to handle adversity, how things are going to go – that makes it an adventure, makes it fun.”
The game, the culmination of months of preparation and work, kicks off on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. at Frank B. Fuhrer Field on the campus of Allegheny College.