Football Team Kicks off Season
Sports

Football Team Kicks-Off the Season With the Familiar Taste of a Loss

Hawk football is back after a disappointing 2010. The preseason rankings predict the Hawks to finish sixth in the Northeast Conference.

The Hawks have a much different team in 2011 than they did last year. “This year we’re certainly not as old or as experienced as we were a year ago,” said Coach Callahan. The 2010 squad had 22 seniors who are no longer here.

With 22 players from last year gone, some new guys are going to have to step up. The offense lost some of their best playmakers. 

“A lot of the younger guys stepped up, we had a veteran group last year, we only have two kids returning, Mitchell Pollard and Darvin Henderson, but Lamar Davenport and Neil Sterling have definitely stepped up. We got a transfer in, Tristan Roberts, who stepped up, I think all of them can really help the team out,” said senior QB Kyle Frazier when asked about which receivers will help the team replace some graduates.

Elijah Phillips was hurt last season and is ready to get back on the field. He believes he is hungry after sitting a year and is mentally and physically stronger than ever. Coach Callahan expects him to play at a high level. With Phillips coming back and star safety Jose Gumbs in his senior year, the Hawks should have a secondary that will give teams problems.

The Hawks have some tough out-of-conference games this season. They face nationally ranked Lehigh and Villanova to start the year, then Colgate a few weeks later. Coach Callahan points to a number of reasons as to why they play these teams.

First, it prepares the team for league play in the Northeast Conference. Secondly, they want to face post season caliber competition before the playoffs so they are better prepared. Lastly, it helps the team recruit, because high school football players know they will be matched up against good competition if they come to play for the Blue and White.

With plenty of time to dwell on last season and the four losses that were decided in the final minutes of games, the team expects a much better year. Coach Callahan expects to win the NEC and represent the league in the playoffs.

The opening day crowd in West Long Branch saw Monmouth get dominated in their debut against Lehigh University. The Hawks were outscored 4924 by the thirteenth ranked team in the nation.

Monmouth showed promise early in the game. On their opening drive, QB Kyle Frazier made great decisions and converted some key third downs to keep the chains moving. Running back Pete Nagy forced his way into the end zone for a two-yard touchdown.  

From here on out it was all Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks’ QB Chris Lum had a great game. Lum threw for 346 yards and four touchdowns. He was active in and out of the pocket and kept Monmouth defenders chasing him all day long.

Monmouth had trouble stopping local product Ryan Spadola. From Howell, New Jersey, Spadola is a nationally recognized player to watch this season. He couldn’t have hoped for a better homecoming game. Spadola tallied six receptions for 148 yards and two touchdowns, including a 73-yard score.

The 73yard toss from Lum to Spadola gave the Mountain Hawks their first lead, and they never looked back.

“It started with some breakdowns in the secondary that allowed some big pass plays, kind of got them out to a 217 lead and it was just an uphill battle from there,” said Callahan after the loss.

It was more than just breakdowns in the secondary, however.

At this point in the season, Monmouth just couldn’t contain a team like the one they faced. Lehigh is the thirteenth ranked team in the country and has very talented players, especially at the receiver position.

Aside from Spadola, Jake Drwal had a fantastic game. Drwal grabbed eight receptions for 117 yards and a fantastic touchdown grab that brought the Lehigh fans to their feet.

Monmouth scored a couple fourth quarter touchdowns, but it was too little too late to stage a comeback on opening day.

One bright spot for the Hawks in this one was the play of cornerback Elijah Phillips. Phillips showed a lot of heart fighting for yards and breaking a long punt return. He also grabbed an interception in the contest.

Coach Callahan and Kyle Frazier are both happy to have a bye week following this loss. An extra week to correct mistakes and prepare for another nationally recognized opponent will help the Hawks get this season back on track.

Monmouth travels to Villanova on September 17 to take on the Wildcats.

PHOTO COURTESY of Jim Reme