Photo by: Kailin Goldstein
2022 Preview: Special Teams
8/24/2022 9:00:00 AM | Football
RETURNERS:Â Seth Morgan, Christian Pavon, Jadon Cardell, Tanner Boston, Zach Stricker
NEWCOMERS:Â Nick Bruce, Keegan Sneedon, Kaden Morgan
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HUNTSVILLE — One of the areas that has made Sam Houston so successful the past two seasons has been strong performances on special teams.
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The kick and return games are just as important as offense and defense when it comes to producing wins on the field. The Bearkats lost two exceptional special teams' contributors to graduation in electrifying punt returner Jequez Ezzard and all-conference punter Matt McRobert.
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There are plenty of battles going on in camp, but the Bearkats do have some talented special teams' players coming back and a successful system in place.
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"Special teams are big because we get 30 to 40 snaps per game," special teams coach Thomas Rocco said. "There is a good program in place. (Special teams analyst) Zach Milliet has been here longer than most people who wear the orange and white. He has a whole tool kit of all the drills we need, he has a great game plan and he and coach Parker (Whiteman) have created this culture where it is important, the guys care about it and I stepped into something great and we are just trying to milk the most out of them."
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The Kats are bringing back one of the best kickers in the nation in sophomore Seth Morgan, who was a first-team All-Southland Conference selection and HERO Sports Freshman All-American during Sam Houston's run to the FCS national championship in the spring of 2021.
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Last season, Morgan was a preseason All-WAC honoree and was named the league's special teams Player of the Week after kicking a 50-yard field goal and making all seven of his PATs in a win over Southeast Missouri. He finished the season 8 for 12 on field goal attempts and was perfect on all 54 of his PATs.
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"Seth has a great foot," Rocco said. "That ball elevates quickly and goes a long way."
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Sam Houston also got some contributions from Christian Pavon. The redshirt freshman stepped in and made five of his six PAT attempts including what proved to be the game winner in a 21-20 come-from-behind victory over Stephen F. Austin in the Battle of the Piney Woods. A big-legged prospect from Willis, Pavon could make an impact early on with his ability in kickoffs, while also providing a solid option behind Morgan on field goals and PATs.
Â
The Kats have some promising players ready to step in for McRobert.Â
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Jadon Cardell is a redshirt freshman from Cedar Hill who averaged 36.5 yards on two punt attempts last season. Also in the mix is Nick Bruce, the latest addition in the Kats' punter pipeline from Australia. Other newcomers include true freshmen Kaden Morgan, younger brother of Seth, from Klein Oak High School and Keegan Sneedon from Seven Lakes High School.
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The guys who are tasked with getting them the ball are long snappers Tanner Boston, a redshirt transfer from UTEP who played in two games for the Kats last season and redshirt freshman Zach Stricker who originally hails from Coppell High School.
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"Our snap, our operation time, is pretty dang good," Rocco said. "We have Tanner Boston and Zach Stricker snapping the football. We have several guys rolling in at punter right now. We have (Bruce) and Jadon who you guys have seen before."
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In the return game, Sam Houston has four guys on the roster who averaged at least 16 yards a kick return last season.
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Kameryn Alexander was the primary return specialist, averaging 19.43 yards on 14 returns. Weston Stephens had four returns for an average of 19.5, Ife Adeyi had one for 24 yards and Noah Smith had one for 16.
"We have some talented people," Rocco said about the return game. "Catching punts after practice is Emon Allen and Noah (Smith) back there. Zach Hrbacek has done a great job with it, Da'Veawn Armstead, so it's open competition but we have some talented people."
Â
Rocco said that one of their priorities this season will be to focus on the kick and punt block aspect of special teams. He said that one of the measures of success of a defensive unit is the number of blocked kicks per season.
NEWCOMERS:Â Nick Bruce, Keegan Sneedon, Kaden Morgan
Â
HUNTSVILLE — One of the areas that has made Sam Houston so successful the past two seasons has been strong performances on special teams.
Â
The kick and return games are just as important as offense and defense when it comes to producing wins on the field. The Bearkats lost two exceptional special teams' contributors to graduation in electrifying punt returner Jequez Ezzard and all-conference punter Matt McRobert.
Â
There are plenty of battles going on in camp, but the Bearkats do have some talented special teams' players coming back and a successful system in place.
Â
"Special teams are big because we get 30 to 40 snaps per game," special teams coach Thomas Rocco said. "There is a good program in place. (Special teams analyst) Zach Milliet has been here longer than most people who wear the orange and white. He has a whole tool kit of all the drills we need, he has a great game plan and he and coach Parker (Whiteman) have created this culture where it is important, the guys care about it and I stepped into something great and we are just trying to milk the most out of them."
Â
The Kats are bringing back one of the best kickers in the nation in sophomore Seth Morgan, who was a first-team All-Southland Conference selection and HERO Sports Freshman All-American during Sam Houston's run to the FCS national championship in the spring of 2021.
Â
Last season, Morgan was a preseason All-WAC honoree and was named the league's special teams Player of the Week after kicking a 50-yard field goal and making all seven of his PATs in a win over Southeast Missouri. He finished the season 8 for 12 on field goal attempts and was perfect on all 54 of his PATs.
Â
"Seth has a great foot," Rocco said. "That ball elevates quickly and goes a long way."
Â
Sam Houston also got some contributions from Christian Pavon. The redshirt freshman stepped in and made five of his six PAT attempts including what proved to be the game winner in a 21-20 come-from-behind victory over Stephen F. Austin in the Battle of the Piney Woods. A big-legged prospect from Willis, Pavon could make an impact early on with his ability in kickoffs, while also providing a solid option behind Morgan on field goals and PATs.
Â
The Kats have some promising players ready to step in for McRobert.Â
Â
Jadon Cardell is a redshirt freshman from Cedar Hill who averaged 36.5 yards on two punt attempts last season. Also in the mix is Nick Bruce, the latest addition in the Kats' punter pipeline from Australia. Other newcomers include true freshmen Kaden Morgan, younger brother of Seth, from Klein Oak High School and Keegan Sneedon from Seven Lakes High School.
Â
The guys who are tasked with getting them the ball are long snappers Tanner Boston, a redshirt transfer from UTEP who played in two games for the Kats last season and redshirt freshman Zach Stricker who originally hails from Coppell High School.
Â
"Our snap, our operation time, is pretty dang good," Rocco said. "We have Tanner Boston and Zach Stricker snapping the football. We have several guys rolling in at punter right now. We have (Bruce) and Jadon who you guys have seen before."
Â
In the return game, Sam Houston has four guys on the roster who averaged at least 16 yards a kick return last season.
Â
Kameryn Alexander was the primary return specialist, averaging 19.43 yards on 14 returns. Weston Stephens had four returns for an average of 19.5, Ife Adeyi had one for 24 yards and Noah Smith had one for 16.
"We have some talented people," Rocco said about the return game. "Catching punts after practice is Emon Allen and Noah (Smith) back there. Zach Hrbacek has done a great job with it, Da'Veawn Armstead, so it's open competition but we have some talented people."
Â
Rocco said that one of their priorities this season will be to focus on the kick and punt block aspect of special teams. He said that one of the measures of success of a defensive unit is the number of blocked kicks per season.
Players Mentioned
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DB
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LS
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P
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K/P
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WR
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RB
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P
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K/P
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K
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K/P
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RB
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K/P
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RB
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LS
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