Post by Aggie One on Sept 3, 2015 18:11:50 GMT -5
BDV 2015 Sneak Preview - Part 3
by Craig R. Turner
bluedeathvalley.com
Welcome to Bluedeathvalley.com for another exciting year of N.C. A&T football from the diehard fan’s prospective. The Aggies surpassed most prognosticator’s expectations by grabbing a share of the 2014 MEAC title after being picked third in last season’s preseason polls. A&T had a shot at winning the title outright on the last game of the season but a disappointing 21-14 road loss to rival NCCU dropped the Aggies into a 5-way tie for first place.
Still, considering where this program was just four years ago to where it is today, head coach Rod Broadway and his staff have made literally unbelievable strides bringing the program from somewhere beyond dead last to being picked as the MEAC’s odds on favorite to take it all in 2015.
The program has been rebuilt from the ground up and the right way, not with shortcuts or gimmicks, but buy investment of capital resources, recruiting character student athletes, and having a fan base that for the most part has stayed in touch with reality and has been realistic in their expectations throughout the entire revitalization process.
Now we’ll find out not only if A&T will be rewarded with a second straight conference championship but this time with the added bonus of a December holiday trip to Atlanta, a nationally televised Bowl Game, and a half million dollar purse to boot.
This is the final installment of our annual sneak preview look at the Aggies by position as we countdown toward the September 5th home and season opener against CIAA opponent Shaw University in Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, NC.
Today we look at the A&T special teams so let’s get a straight in-depth look into Aggie Football. Enjoy!
Kickers
The Aggies may be one of the more fortunate teams in the MEAC this year because of the potential output from its special teams and kicking game. A banner season is anticipated from junior placekicker Cody Jones (5-11, 143). Jones earned first team all-MEAC honors in 2014 and returns again as the top place kicker in the league and one of the more accurate and consistent kickers in the FCS.
The Gastonia native was pretty much automatic on his PATs a year ago going 45-47 and a remarkable 75-78 for his career thus far at A&T. Jones was 15-19 on his field goal attempts in 2014 with a long of 47yards and has amassed 24-32 on attempts over two years for a 75 percent success rate which leads the MEAC.
Averaging just over 59 yards on kickoff placements, Jones pulled doubled duty as the team’s punter a year ago when injuries took cropped up just before midseason. Although not his forte, Jones managed to still average a very serviceable 39.2 yards over 33 punts to cap his season.
Punters
With Domonic Fescura deciding not to return to the team and head back to the west coast, highly regarded freshman Steven Sawicki enters the 2015 season as number one punter after committing to A&T in the first hours on national signing day. Sawicki played at Gray’s Creek HS in Saint Paul’s, NC where he was all-Conference, all-Region, and was the Cape Fear Valley 3-A conference’s Special Teams Player of the Year as a punter averaging 36.7 yards per punt with an impressive 4.9 hang time while scoring 61 points as a placekicker.
The 6-4, 215 pounder is also an honors student and standout soccer player as well. His credentials are impressive, winning three consecutive NC punting championships with the Chris Sailer Kicking Camp and the Dan Dorner National Camp Series and a all-state 3-A selection by NC Preps.Com. A&T also garnered the local services of Southern Guilford kicker Isaac Parks (5-11, 180, Fr.) who averaged 41.3 yards per punt for the state 3-A semifinalist a year ago.
Specialists
There is hardly ever any talk about gunners on special teams but A&T has one particular standout in that regard in Jerome Beatty. Beatty is a 5-10, 163 pound sophomore from Charlotte who made all sorts of noise on special teams a year ago. Beatty is like a one man wrecking crew as he blocked four punts, recovered three fumbles, made 13 unassisted tackles with seven assists, and one touchdown last season – all on special teams.
While A&T’s kicking fortunes are in great shape, at press time, strongman Corbin Martin (6-0,235,FB, Jr.)appears to be the front runner as the primary long snapper but several candidates are being looked over including reserve junior tackle Charles Jones from Greensboro, NC.
The Return Game
The return game will not have world class sprinter Desmond Lawrence this season but A&T won’t be lacking any speed as MEAC’s preseason pick for return specialist Tony McRae (5-10, 175, 4.43) returns for his senior year. McRae averaged close to 25 yards per kickoff return with his longest being a 95 yarder for a touchdown and nearly broke three others resulting in 40 plus yards on each return.
Along with him will be sophomore Khris Gardin (5-9, 165, 4.43), one of the most electrifying punt returners to put on an Aggie Uniform in quite some time, and red shirt freshman Caleb Gabriel 95-10.168), is a blazingly fast and extremely explosive track star who also happens to be a top flight football player that runs a 10.29 sec. 100 meters.
Freshman receiver Javious Nixon (5-10,188, 4.45) from Wilson, N.C. is the newcomer to this group of specialists and he too has a blue blood return pedigree after returning four punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns his senior year at Beddingfield HS. With that kind of speed on hand on for kick returns, the quick strike capability to change field position or an entire game overnight certainly exists on each change of possession.
