Post by treese on Mar 13, 2008 8:30:17 GMT -5
Guard trims roster down
By Sammy Batten
Staff writer
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The Fayetteville Guard is now ready to start preparing for their 2008 American Indoor Football Association opener after making some difficult roster decisions.
Thirty players, including 40-year-old quarterback Earl Harvey, survived the final cut and 20 of those will represent the Guard on March 22 in Tupelo, Miss., in the season opener against the Mississippi Mudcats. The AIFA allows each of its 16 teams to have 20 players active for each game while keeping 10 others on a reserve list.
First-year head coach Reggie Pinkney had to eliminate seven players after Sunday’s pre-season game against a South Carolina semi-pro team. Pinkney said he agonized over all of those decisions, especially the final two that involved quarterback Felix Diaz and wide receiver Franklin Willoughby.
Diaz was the quarterback just last season at Seventy-First High School where he’s still enrolled.
“Felix had worked with us and done well all summer,’’ Pinkney said. “But we just decided to keep two quarterbacks, Jasun Thompson and Earl Harvey. We also cut (quarterback) Taj Harris, and that was difficult.
“Franklin is an outstanding talent and we will still keep in touch with him. We may need to bring him back during the season if he’s available. But wide receiver is a position where we’re very deep.’’
Ten of the players selected by Pinkney are veterans from last year’s unbeaten Guard squad. Seven of those return on the defensive unit, including the entire front line of Quincy Malloy, Ken Brown and Joe Morrison.
“What I’m most confident about at this stage is our defense,’’ Pinkney said. “That front line is absolutely awesome and that’s because of experience. They’ve been there before and they’ve played as a unit.’’
Only one starter from a year ago returns on offense in receiver-kick returner Walter Ford.
Notable newcomers to the roster are Harvey, a record-setting quarterback in the 1980s at N.C. Central who hasn’t taken a snap in an organized game in more than 14 years, veteran arena receiver Sammy Henderson, ex-East Carolina defensive lineman Dontre Brown, former Fayetteville State receiver Darryl Bright, running back Chris Johnson who is making the jump from the semi-pro Fayetteville Ruff Riders to the Guard, and former All-CIAA offensive linemen Gary Battle and Brandon Daughtry.
Pinkney did not keep a kicker on the 30-man roster, but could add former Terry Sanford all-conference player Rob Avriett at some point. Avriett was slated to be the Guard’s kicker, but suffered a fractured wrist attempting to make a tackle in Sunday’s preseason game.
“Right now we’re leaving that spot open and a couple of offensive people will kick off,’’ Pinkney said. “You can tell everybody right now we’ll be going for two.’’
Guard general manager Stephenie Brockish said Tuesday, however, that Avriett had indicated to her that his arm would be in a cast, but he will be ready for the March 22 opener.
“He has to provide a doctor’s letter to me first,’’ Brockish said. “Once we get the letter, he’s good to go.’’
Guard roster
Billy Bachtel OL (South View HS/Greensboro)
Garry Battle OL (South View HS/Fayetteville State)
Troy Bennett OL (Tar Heel HS)
Daryl Bright WR (Seventy-First HS/Fayetteville State)
Dontre Brown DL (Douglas Byrd HS/East Carolina)
Ken Brown DL (Seventy-First HS)*
Clenton Cochran LB (E.E. Smith/ECU/Fayetteville State)*
Brandon Daughtry OL (Western Guilford HS/Fayetteville State)
Deron Donald DB (Fayetteville State)*
Robert Duncan OL (Winston-Salem Parkland HS/N.C. Central)
Corey Ellis DL (Virginia Union)
Walter Ford WR (Hampton, Va., HS/Virginia Tech)*
Howard Fuller RB (South View HS/Methodist)
Donte Goins WR (Terry Sanford HS/Shaw)
J.R. Hair DB (Cape Fear HS/Greensboro)
Earl Harvey QB (Douglas Byrd HS/N.C. Central)
Kelvin Haywood DB (South View HS/N.C. A&T)
Sammy Henderson WR (Northeast Guilford HS/N.C. A&T)
Toryeon Hester WR (Hillside HS/N.C. A&T/N.C. Central)
Brian Holliday LB (Douglas Byrd HS/Fayetteville State)
Chris Johnson RB (
Dennis Jones DB (Hoke County HS
Daryl Lawrence LB (White Oak HS/Methodist)
Jamaal Legette DL (Dixon HS/Methodist)*
Quincy Malloy DL (Marlboro County, S.C., HS/Methodist)*
Corey McDowell WR (South View HS*
Joe Morrison DL (Aurora, Ohio, HS/none)*
Jasun Thompson QB (E.E. Smith HS/Virginia Union)*
Carnell Thornton LB (Homestead, Fla., HS/Fayetteville State)
Corey Williams DB (Scotland HS/Chowan)*
*Denotes returning player
Staff writer Sammy Batten can be reached at battens@fayobserver.com or 486-3534.
By Sammy Batten
Staff writer
ADVERTISEMENT
The Fayetteville Guard is now ready to start preparing for their 2008 American Indoor Football Association opener after making some difficult roster decisions.
Thirty players, including 40-year-old quarterback Earl Harvey, survived the final cut and 20 of those will represent the Guard on March 22 in Tupelo, Miss., in the season opener against the Mississippi Mudcats. The AIFA allows each of its 16 teams to have 20 players active for each game while keeping 10 others on a reserve list.
First-year head coach Reggie Pinkney had to eliminate seven players after Sunday’s pre-season game against a South Carolina semi-pro team. Pinkney said he agonized over all of those decisions, especially the final two that involved quarterback Felix Diaz and wide receiver Franklin Willoughby.
Diaz was the quarterback just last season at Seventy-First High School where he’s still enrolled.
“Felix had worked with us and done well all summer,’’ Pinkney said. “But we just decided to keep two quarterbacks, Jasun Thompson and Earl Harvey. We also cut (quarterback) Taj Harris, and that was difficult.
“Franklin is an outstanding talent and we will still keep in touch with him. We may need to bring him back during the season if he’s available. But wide receiver is a position where we’re very deep.’’
Ten of the players selected by Pinkney are veterans from last year’s unbeaten Guard squad. Seven of those return on the defensive unit, including the entire front line of Quincy Malloy, Ken Brown and Joe Morrison.
“What I’m most confident about at this stage is our defense,’’ Pinkney said. “That front line is absolutely awesome and that’s because of experience. They’ve been there before and they’ve played as a unit.’’
Only one starter from a year ago returns on offense in receiver-kick returner Walter Ford.
Notable newcomers to the roster are Harvey, a record-setting quarterback in the 1980s at N.C. Central who hasn’t taken a snap in an organized game in more than 14 years, veteran arena receiver Sammy Henderson, ex-East Carolina defensive lineman Dontre Brown, former Fayetteville State receiver Darryl Bright, running back Chris Johnson who is making the jump from the semi-pro Fayetteville Ruff Riders to the Guard, and former All-CIAA offensive linemen Gary Battle and Brandon Daughtry.
Pinkney did not keep a kicker on the 30-man roster, but could add former Terry Sanford all-conference player Rob Avriett at some point. Avriett was slated to be the Guard’s kicker, but suffered a fractured wrist attempting to make a tackle in Sunday’s preseason game.
“Right now we’re leaving that spot open and a couple of offensive people will kick off,’’ Pinkney said. “You can tell everybody right now we’ll be going for two.’’
Guard general manager Stephenie Brockish said Tuesday, however, that Avriett had indicated to her that his arm would be in a cast, but he will be ready for the March 22 opener.
“He has to provide a doctor’s letter to me first,’’ Brockish said. “Once we get the letter, he’s good to go.’’
Guard roster
Billy Bachtel OL (South View HS/Greensboro)
Garry Battle OL (South View HS/Fayetteville State)
Troy Bennett OL (Tar Heel HS)
Daryl Bright WR (Seventy-First HS/Fayetteville State)
Dontre Brown DL (Douglas Byrd HS/East Carolina)
Ken Brown DL (Seventy-First HS)*
Clenton Cochran LB (E.E. Smith/ECU/Fayetteville State)*
Brandon Daughtry OL (Western Guilford HS/Fayetteville State)
Deron Donald DB (Fayetteville State)*
Robert Duncan OL (Winston-Salem Parkland HS/N.C. Central)
Corey Ellis DL (Virginia Union)
Walter Ford WR (Hampton, Va., HS/Virginia Tech)*
Howard Fuller RB (South View HS/Methodist)
Donte Goins WR (Terry Sanford HS/Shaw)
J.R. Hair DB (Cape Fear HS/Greensboro)
Earl Harvey QB (Douglas Byrd HS/N.C. Central)
Kelvin Haywood DB (South View HS/N.C. A&T)
Sammy Henderson WR (Northeast Guilford HS/N.C. A&T)
Toryeon Hester WR (Hillside HS/N.C. A&T/N.C. Central)
Brian Holliday LB (Douglas Byrd HS/Fayetteville State)
Chris Johnson RB (
Dennis Jones DB (Hoke County HS
Daryl Lawrence LB (White Oak HS/Methodist)
Jamaal Legette DL (Dixon HS/Methodist)*
Quincy Malloy DL (Marlboro County, S.C., HS/Methodist)*
Corey McDowell WR (South View HS*
Joe Morrison DL (Aurora, Ohio, HS/none)*
Jasun Thompson QB (E.E. Smith HS/Virginia Union)*
Carnell Thornton LB (Homestead, Fla., HS/Fayetteville State)
Corey Williams DB (Scotland HS/Chowan)*
*Denotes returning player
Staff writer Sammy Batten can be reached at battens@fayobserver.com or 486-3534.
