Hampden-Sydney Football Tigers Look to “Prove It”
by: Jarrod Ficklin '11Experienced leadership and talented newcomers seek to defend preseason top ranking
Team captain Corey Sedlar will lead
the Tigers in ODAC crown pursuit
The Hampden-Sydney Football Tigers will compete for their 2nd ODAC championship in the last 3 years this fall. There is much pressure on the Tigers to reclaim the coveted ODAC crown after last year’s disappointing loss to Randolph Macon, and the Tigers will have to replace All-ODAC running back Josh Simpson.
The Preseason ODAC Coaches Poll even has the Tigers slotted to win the conference this year. However, because of that disappointing finish to last year, senior leadership and experience, and a talented class of freshman, the Tigers believe they can live up to the preseason hype and capture the school’s 6th ODAC title.
If you were at Lewis C. Everett Stadium on November 15, 2008, you, like all other Tiger fans, players, and coaches, remember the sting the Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets provided to the season of the Hampden-Sydney Tigers. The Tigers had the ODAC crown in their grasps and Randolph-Macon came into town and simply stole it away from them, the same fate the Tigers provided to the Yellow Jackets the year before.
Although last year is behind them, Head Coach Marty Favret says, “We’re fooling ourselves if we don’t acknowledge that the sting from that defeat is a big motivating factor for the ’09 Tigers.” The motivation factor is so prevalent that in the middle of the Tigers’ locker room hangs a shirt that simply reads “Prove It: R-MC 31 H-SC 21”. This year, the Tigers look forward to doing exactly that every week: proving it.
On the offensive side of the ball the Tigers will be led by Captain Corey Sedlar. Sedlar definitely has the experience to lead the Tigers, considering he decided to return for a 5th year, averaged 360 yards per game through the air last year, and threw for 23 touchdowns.
Sedlar will also have talent around him to help boost his own statistics. Leading yardage receiver Adam Gillette returns along with seniors Anthony Mancini and E.K. Smock. Senior H-back Craig Warnement also adds another receiving weapon coming out of the backfield. Adding to the threat each senior poses, sophomore receivers Sean Cavanaugh and Kyle Vance simply look, as Daft Punk or Kanye would put it, much “stronger, better, faster, stronger”. Junior Andy Bruckner also adds another tall threat at receiver.
The playmakers the Tigers have this year obviously pose a big threat to opposing defenses, but we all know an offense cannot run properly without the big boys up front. Leading the offensive line will be sophomore and 1st team All-ODAC center Ben Rogers.
Although the Tigers have plenty of playmakers this year, one obvious question still looms: Who will replace touchdown machine Josh Simpson? Fortunately for the Tigers, they believe they have found just the man to fill that void in sophomore running back Kirk Rohle. Rohle has impressed the coaches during the preseason with his vastly improved vision, acceleration, and cutting ability- all essential features in a dominating running back.
If the promise lies in the Tiger offense, the leadership definitely lies in the Tiger defense, where three of the four captains play: All-ODAC linebacker Josh Miller, 5th year senior linebacker Andrew Sellers, and senior defensive end Ty Condrey. Add even more experience to the Tiger defense when you put in linebacker Trevor Ikwild, who tallied over 60 tackles last year.
On top of that add two lock down corners in Boaz Young-el and Michael Ware and two hard hitting safeties in Bill Doody and Thomas Hovis, who all four combined for 10 interceptions last year.For a team that has historically been known as an offensive scoring machine, the Tigers certainly look to solidify themselves as a multiple shutout defensive team. They certainly have the pieces of the puzzle to achieve that goal this year.
Adding to the talent of this year’s team will be a very talented group of freshman. Coach Favret is excited about the entire class of 2013, but two freshmen have stood out in preseason more than any others: running back Evan King and defensive back/kick returner Steven Fogleman.
“Both Evan and Steven are big time recruits that we have high hopes for. I expect both of them to contribute right away. Some local products- Regis Craft (RB from Nottoway) and Dimitri and Mikhail Walton (DBs from Cumberland) have also turned some heads this camp,” says Coach Favret.
Hampden-Sydney kicks off the season at 1:00 on September 5th at Lewis C. Everett Stadium against the Battling Bishops of North Carolina Wesleyan. The Tigers will certainly be on the prowl this year for their 6th ODAC title in school history.
Yes, they have pressure to be successful this year, but Coach Favret and the rest of the Tigers know that they are “mature enough to realize the pre-season hype doesn’t mean a whole lot once the ball is kicked in the air September 5th.” The Tigers want to do exactly what that shirt hanging in the middle of the locker room says: “Prove It”. They want to prove it to the fans, the rest of the ODAC, and, most importantly, themselves.
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