Entering spring ball, there were three main items that WCU football fans were focusing on: offensive line, running back and quarterback. Now that spring ball is completed, how did each of these critical areas turn out? And how about that new wrinkle on defense?
Offensive Line - Five seniors and a wealth of experience concluded their college playing days in November, so there was going to be a lot of changes on the offensive line. Squeezing out as much experience as possible from the current roster has yielded the following starting five: senior Erik Pratt at left tackle, junior Trey Farmer at left guard, senior Brian Margetich at center, senior Blair Gower at right guard and junior Adam Citko at right tackle. As can be expected when a lot of experience leaves a team, depth on the line will be a challenge, meaning there's a lot of opportunities for young players to step up.
Running Back - There was a total of 43 yards net rushing for both teams combined in the spring game. To be fair, the quarterbacks accounted for -50 yards on the ground, but the running game wasn't exactly stellar. For Gold, junior Rondell White gained 26 net yards on 15 carries and transfer James Rosseau had eight carries for 24 yards. Purple was led by transfer Chris Smallwood with 42 net yards on 12 carries. Freshman Brandon Monk did not play in the spring game due to an injury, but he was electric during spring practices. The running game improved in 2011 over the previous two seasons, but it has a way to go to get to the levels it was during the five playoff seasons. The lack of production in the spring game may have been due to the aforementioned new offensive line, or due to the primary offensive focus of the spring - the quarterbacks.
Quarterback - The field of guys battling for the quarterback position cleared early in the spring. Transfer Bret Gillespie left the team and incumbent Matt Carroll moved to defense. The two most experienced signal callers were 2010 starter Mike Mattei and Sean McCartney who took the bulk of the snaps last season. Talk among fans at Farrell Stadium during the spring game was that there was no clear cut leader and subsequent media reports concurred. However, Coach Zwaan has since tabbed McCartney as the starter for the 2012 season.
Offensive Line - Five seniors and a wealth of experience concluded their college playing days in November, so there was going to be a lot of changes on the offensive line. Squeezing out as much experience as possible from the current roster has yielded the following starting five: senior Erik Pratt at left tackle, junior Trey Farmer at left guard, senior Brian Margetich at center, senior Blair Gower at right guard and junior Adam Citko at right tackle. As can be expected when a lot of experience leaves a team, depth on the line will be a challenge, meaning there's a lot of opportunities for young players to step up.
Senior Brian Margetich will serve as center next seasonRunning Back - There was a total of 43 yards net rushing for both teams combined in the spring game. To be fair, the quarterbacks accounted for -50 yards on the ground, but the running game wasn't exactly stellar. For Gold, junior Rondell White gained 26 net yards on 15 carries and transfer James Rosseau had eight carries for 24 yards. Purple was led by transfer Chris Smallwood with 42 net yards on 12 carries. Freshman Brandon Monk did not play in the spring game due to an injury, but he was electric during spring practices. The running game improved in 2011 over the previous two seasons, but it has a way to go to get to the levels it was during the five playoff seasons. The lack of production in the spring game may have been due to the aforementioned new offensive line, or due to the primary offensive focus of the spring - the quarterbacks.
Junior Rondell White will lead the rush next seasonQuarterback - The field of guys battling for the quarterback position cleared early in the spring. Transfer Bret Gillespie left the team and incumbent Matt Carroll moved to defense. The two most experienced signal callers were 2010 starter Mike Mattei and Sean McCartney who took the bulk of the snaps last season. Talk among fans at Farrell Stadium during the spring game was that there was no clear cut leader and subsequent media reports concurred. However, Coach Zwaan has since tabbed McCartney as the starter for the 2012 season.
Junior Sean McCartney has been named starting quarterback for 20124-2-5 Defense - Although the Golden Rams rushing defense improved 17 yards per game from 2010 to 2011, it still was ranked in the bottom third in the country. So for the first time in Zwaan's career, he will play a four-man front on a regular basis. From a personnel perspective, this means that Anthony McCloskey will move from inside linebacker to nose guard and pass rusher Eric Edwers will move from outside linebacker to defensive end. The secondary will be led by single safety and team co-captain John O'Donnell, two cornerbacks and two outside linebackers to complete the umbrella effect. Matt Carroll seems to have made the adjustment to the defensive side of the ball just fine as he had five tackles including a sack and a fumble recovery.
Defensive coordinator Mike Furlong will lead a four-man front in 2012Players report to camp on August 8th to begin preparation for the season opener at Delaware on August 30th. Find the complete 2012 schedule here.
Daily Local News - Zwaan tabs Sean McCartney as West Chester’s starting quarterback
