Texas Football Magazine profiles 2010 Bearkats
7/20/2010 8:05:00 AM | Football
Texas Football's 2010 Southland Conference forecast places Sam Houston sixth in the eight-team league.
Defending co-champions Stephen F. Austin and McNeese are listed first and second, respectively, in the magazine's predictions. Central Arkansas is tabbed third followed by Texas State, Southeastern Louisiana, Sam Houston, Northwestern State and Nicholls.
Veteran Texas sportswriter Richard Dean points to the Sam Houston's youth and inexperience as a major hurdle for this year's squad in the special feature on the Bearkats.
New head coach Willie Fritz and his staff "will have their work cut out for them, especially on offense," Dean writes. "The Bearkats have to replace quarterback Blake Joseph, their two starting running backs and their six leading receivers. Returning players accounted last year for only eight yards rushing, 13 receptions and 97 passing yards."
The article also notes that Sam Houston returns only 30 of the 62 lettermen from the 5-6 team in 2009 including just nine starters. The fewest returning lettermen before for Sam in its 23-year Southland history was 28 in 1998 when the Kats went 2-5 in league play.
"Junior linebacker Will Henry is the lone returning player among nine Bearkats who made the All-Southland Conference in 2009," Dean reports.
But Fritz, who led Central Missouri to a 97-47 record in 13 years there is not dismayed.
"We're starting from scratch, but I think that's exciting," Fritz told Texas Football. "We had all the positions open during the spring and some guys rose to the challenge and were impressive."
The Bearkats' 14th head football coach is no stranger to Sam Houston State. A graduate assistant at Sam Houston under Ron Randleman in 1984 and '85 and as assistant for Randleman in '91 and '92, Fritz was part of two conference championship teams. The new coach has added more spread elements toa multiple offense that will still make use of the running back and tight end.
"We're going to have a lot of balance," Fritz told Texas Football. "We're not a Texas Tech-type offense. We're not going to throw the ball 50,60 or 70 times a game. I'd like to be as balanced as possible."
Texas Football lists lineback Will Henry (71 tackles in 2009), free safety Kenneth Jenkins (87 tackles), strong safety Darnell Taylor (44 tackles) kicker Miguel Antonio (12 field goals) and offensive lineman Kaleb Hopson as "impact players" for the 2010 Bearkats.
Bryan Randolph earned the starting quarterback job in the spring and his top passing targets will include tight end T. J. Jones and wide receivers Melvis Pride, Brandon Closner, Seth Patterson and Grant Merritt.
While Fritz told Texas Football he prefers to redshirt freshmen, the article says "that won't be the case this year as a number of first-year players will compete for playing time."
Texas Football detailed t he quality of Fritz's new staff of assistant coaches, noting that his coordinators, Bob DeBesse (offense) and Scott Stoker (defense) both are former head coaches in the Southland Conference. DeBesse coached the Bobcats when they were still Southwest Texas in 1997-2002 and Stoker was head coach at Northwestern State from 2002-08.
Sam Houston State players report for preseason camp on August 6. The Bearkats kickoff the 2010 season at Baylor on Sept. 4. The Bearkats' home opener is Sept. 25 with Gardner-Webb at Bowers Stadium.
The highlight of the 2010 season will be the 85th "Battle of the Piney Woods" showdown to be played this year at Reliant Stadium in Houston at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23.
To purchase tickets to the Battle of the Piney Woods, go directly to the ticket page and get your seats reserved today.
For information on football tickets to home games in Huntsville at Bowers Stadium, go to the football ticket link on www.gobearkats.com or visit the Sam Houston Athletic Ticket Office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House in the south end zone of Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
