Kats Getting Set for Saturday opener
8/25/2013 8:16:00 AM | Football
With the 2013 season opener six days away, the Sam Houston football coaching staff and players are settling in to their regular weekly routine.
The Bearkats play host to Houston Baptist Saturday at 6 p.m. at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium. For the past three weeks, the 95-man squad has been working hard in preseason camp and the coaches have been fine-tuning the lineup.
HBU, a first-year program, will be playing its inaugural game. On the other hand, the Bearkats will be looking to start a third consecutive run to a conference championship and the NCAA playoffs.
Sam Houston earned back-to-back Southland Conference titles, winning 13 of 14 league games while out-scoring foes 643 to 168 the past two years.
In 2013, the Bearkats return 40 lettermen including 11 starters back from the 11-4 championship team plus six other players who have started at least one game in the careers and have plenty of experience in reserve rolls.
“We have some outstanding juniors and seniors returning to lead the team,” Fritz said. “They've done a nice job of helping a talented group of newcomers step in and learn the system.”
Heading the list of six returning starters on offense are running back Timothy Flanders, quarterback Brian Bell and wide receiver/wildkat back Richard Sincere.
Flanders in Sam Houston's all-time rushing and scoring leader. Bell is the program's top career passer. Sincere ranks in the top 10 in Bearkat all-purpose yards.
Running backs Keshawn Hill, Ryan Wilson and Ridgeway Frank, who combined for 951 yards and 10 touchdowns, also return.
Sophomore Chance Nelson and senior Torrance Williams give the Kats deep threats. Nelson caught 35 passes for 671 yards and nine TDs as a freshman in 2012. Williams has totaled 1,294 career all-purpose yards in three years.
Sophomores Brandon Wilkerson and Stephen Williams and junior Rickey Smith also return at wide receiver.
Donald Jackson III, who was an honorable mention all-league selection last year, and Matt Boyles started five games both are back in the offensive line.
Junior guard John Trotter, sophomore center Zachary Stevens and redshirt freshman tackle Brandon DeWitt have earned the other three starting berths.
Defensively, the Bearkat have been looking to replace six players who earned All-Southland honors a total of 15 times in the past three seasons including two-time league “Defensive Player-of-the-Year” Darnell Taylor.
Defensive ends Jarrett Brown(21 career starts) and Andrew Weaver (17 career starts) and tackle Gary Lorance (34 career starts) bring experience to the front line as seniors. Linebacker Jesse Beauchamp and cornerback Bookie Sneed both received All-Southland honors in 2012.
Linebacker Eric Fieilo, who missed the 2012 season with an injury, has 105 tackles to his credit as a three-year letterman.
Nose tackle Forbes Baggett, cornerbacks De'Antrey Loche and Desmond Fite and safety Michael Wade step in as starters with plenty of experience as reserves on the 2012 title team.
Two transfers, safety Johntel Franklin from Texas A&M and linebacker Tanner Brock from TCU, will be on the field for the Kat defense.
Sam Houston will have a new look on special teams with freshman Luc Swimberghe handling the place kicking chores and Brad Dunavant and Lachain Edwards as the Kats' punters. Dunavant is a transfer from Toledo while Edwards comes from Ballarat University in Australia.
Both reserved bench season tickets and single game seats for all seven of the 2013 home games at Bowers Stadium and the 88th “Battle of the Piney Woods” with SFA at Reliant Stadium Saturday Nov. 2 are now on sale online at www.gobearkats.com .
Tickets also may be purchased by contacting the SHSU athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House in the south end zone of Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hour are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
Gates will open Saturday for the SHSU vs. HBU game an hour-and-a-half before kickoff.
