MonticelloLive

Coach Gwaine Mathews and the University of Arkansas at Monticello Boll Weevils football team will cap a successful spring practice session with Saturday’s Green and White Game, kicking off at 5 p.m. at Convoy Leslie-Cotton Boll Stadium.

“We’re coming off the best offseason I’ve ever had as a coach,” said Mathews. “We are a very physically strong football team. Nobody will be stronger than us, and that is going to be a huge plus for us.

For many teams, injuries can put a damper on the enthusiasm the coaches feel going in to the new season. However, the Weevils have been able to hold serious injuries to a minimum this spring, losing just two players to injury; wideout Jamie Dunn and offensive lineman Cody Malone. The status of linebacker Jordan Wisener is unknown for the fall with uncertainty surrounding his national guard unit, but Mathews is hopeful that the 2007 Boll Weevils will be up to the task of replacing these key players and achieving success on the field.

One of the hallmarks of Mathews’ squads throughout his coaching career has been toughness, and this year’s Weevils squad has shown plenty of that through the spring thus far. “Our scrimmages have been real bloodlettings,” said Mathews. “Our defense is getting to the ball better than we ever have.”

On Mathews’ last two teams, the Weevils have relied on a late infusion of talent from junior college players coming in at the beginning of the fall semester. This year, says Mathews, the talent is already in place.

“We’ve got a lot of talent back, and we’ve brought in some exceptional players that will really help us out,” said Mathews. “We won’t have to rely on players that come into the program so close to us taking the field. We have guys that have been here through the spring and have had a chance to mesh.”

Mathews points to several players on defense that he expects to make an impact this season. “Wes Ables is back and really looks to be ready to take over as a leader on defense,” says Mathews. “Larry White started for me at Chattanooga. He is going to be ready, but he needs to get just a little bit quicker before the season.”

“In the secondary, we’ve got a lot of talent coming back. Brett Naquan started at Louisiana Tech, and he will be among the top new players in the league,” continued Mathews. “And Baron Lemar will be a stopper for us.”

The Weevils’ offense under the guidance of new offensive coordinator Will Hall has been a subject of conversation amongst the UAM faithful. Hall is confident he can turn around what was an anemic offense in 2006, averaging just 213.8 yards and 11.3 points per game, into a unit that will allow the Weevils to be competitive.

“The first thing we wanted to do when the new offensive staff got here was change the attitude,” said Hall. “I told the guys they needed to wipe the beat-down looks off their faces, because we were going to get a lot better.”

“If you don’t have faith and believe in what you’re doing, it’s hard to be successful.”

Hall’s positive outlook has only been amplified by his unit’s performance in spring workouts thus far. “Our off-season workouts were great. We had competitions between the offense and defense, and came out on top of a lot of them,” said Hall. “That’s carried onto the field. Schematically, we’ve had few turnovers. Elijah McDonald has had a good spring. Other players have stepped up as well.”

The 2007 Boll Weevil offense will be designed to work around the talent the Weevils bring to the field. “We’re not going to try to fit a round peg into a square hole,” added Hall. “We’re going to have a big tool box; we aren’t going to use everything we’ve got every game. We’re going to do a lot of different things on offense, but namely we’re going to put guys in a position to be successful. We’re going to get the guys who can make the plays the ball.”

Through the spring the signal-calling duties have once again been handed to McDonald. “He’s had a great spring throwing and running,” said Hall. “He’ll have some stiff competition this fall. We’ve signed three good quarterbacks and the best one will be on the field.”

The team’s biggest playmaker for the past two seasons has been tailback John L. Williams. Williams returns and once again figures to play a key role in the UAM offense. “John L. has had a great spring,” said Hall. “He really busted his butt all through the workouts. What we do offensively is really going to suit him.”

Taking over primary blocking duties will be sophomore fullback Andrew Martin. Martin has impressed the coaches both on the field and in the weight room. “Andrew can do a lot,” said Hall. “He’s a good blocker with great hands.”

When the Weevils decide to take to the air, there will be plenty of options at wide receiver and tight end. Wideout Tim Harris will return this fall from a season-ending injury in 2006, and will be joined by a talented cast, including returns Jywin Ceasar, Johnny Polite, Quenton Arnett and Jaleel Harris; as well as tight end Josh Green. “Jywin has had as good a spring as anyone, as has Johnny,” said Hall. “Quenton Arnett is incredibly fast out there while Jaleel is more of a technician. With what Josh Green can do out of the tight end spot, he could be a possible All-America candidate.”

All will be pressed this fall by the addition of three new freshmen and one junior college transfer, who all come to the UAM program highly-touted. “We’ve got guys coming in that will add depth, and add competition to the picture,” said Hall.

The biggest transition for the Weevils has come on the offensive front, according to Hall. “We do difficult things up front. Our protections are advanced. Everyone has progressed well,” said Hall. “Coach Gregg has done a great job. We’ve got a senior-laden group up front that wants to win. LaQuinton Peterson and Justin Waltz have both stood out this spring.”

The Weevils will conclude spring drills at 5 p.m. Saturday with the annual Green and White game at Convoy Leslie-Cotton Boll Stadium. The scrimmage will run approximately 120 plays.