Back in limbo: With WSSU ineligible for MEAC title, Blount says he'll 'sell each game as a championship'
By John Dell, Winston Salem Journal
Winston-Salem State, although technically in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, is facing another season in limbo.
The Rams will play a MEAC schedule but will not be eligible for the conference title or all-conference honors until 2010. That leaves Coach Kermit Blount with a challenge much like the one he had last season - how to motivate a team that, other than pride, has nothing to play for.
“We try to sell each game as a championship,” said Blount, who is in his 15th season at his alma mater.
Quarterback Monte Purvis and defensive end William Hayes first noticed that the Rams weren’t getting much respect from others in the conference during the MEAC’s preseason media day in late July.
“It was like we weren’t even there,” said Purvis, a fifth-year senior. “They had a film on the season outlook for everybody, but we weren’t even included in that. That was kind of a slight, and really there was only one person who said something about us being in the conference (that was Athletics Director Dee Todd of N.C. A&T, who is a WSSU graduate).”
Blount says that motivating his deep and experienced team shouldn’t be a problem, mainly because it did well in 2006, its first season in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA).
“There were a couple of games last year we dropped that we should have won,” Blount said. “They feel the same way. It’s not about championships at this point, it’s about representing who we are, and they are buying into it. We can’t compete for a championship, so we have to play our own championship.”
Nick Calcutta, the new offensive coordinator, has tweaked the offense, and the Rams will try to throw more in an attempt to be more balanced. Purvis says he likes what he has seen so far.
The return of running backs Jed Bines and Brandon McRae should make the offense stronger. Bines, a fifth-year senior, was ineligible last season but is the sixth-leading rusher in school history. McRae had 623 yards on 118 carries last season. Rod Fluellen can also play running back if needed, but he has been moved to slot back to keep him on the field.
The Rams lost two starters on the offensive line, but return center Michael Helton, guard Bennie Barbour and tackle Joe Blanks. Also back is Lonnie Teasley, who missed last season with a knee injury and was academically ineligible in 2005.
Jonathan Battle, a transfer from East Carolina, will probably start on the line, and sophomore Anthony “Bo” Adams (6-4, 320) should see plenty of playing time.
If the Rams are going to throw more and be successful at it - something most die-hard fans will have to see to believe - they will need better play from the wide receivers, who had their share of dropped balls last season.
Sophomore Michael Scarborough, who broke his leg in the preseason and didn’t play last year, is back and should be one of the top receivers. Josh Crawford, Stan Wright and Brad Herring all exhausted their eligibility after last season.
“You are going to see us throw it a lot more than you have in the past,” Blount said with conviction. “I’m a guy that’s always been about running the ball, and I’m sitting here saying we are going to throw it a bunch. Our offensive scheme is now about throwing it to create the run.”
Having a deep backfield that includes freshman Nic Cooper gives Blount more options.
“I think what we have now is we have the capability to throw three or four different backs at teams,” Blount said. “And all of them have different styles of running, so that makes our offensive weapons in the backfield more of a threat.”
Defense was the Rams’ strength last season, and with 10 starters back, it will be again this season. End Jason Holman is gone, but the Rams probably will have at least six seniors in the starting lineup.
Hayes, one of the fastest defensive ends the Rams have had in recent years, is confident about the season.
“I think we can win them all,” he said. “We have such a good support system, especially on defense, because a lot of us have been here four or five years, so that’s going to help us.”
Hayes said that one of the first things he did when camp opened was tell his teammates about the perceived lack of respect at the MEAC media day.
“We are going to try and be at the top of all the statistical categories in the MEAC just to let those teams know that Winston-Salem State is for real,” Hayes said. “I think last year we just played and showed that we could play with them. So we are going to try and whip some teams in the MEAC this year.”
Hayes and Michael Moore lead the defensive line, and linebackers Thad Griffin, Juan Corders, Corey Swinnie and Darrian Bynum were all among the team’s top 10 in tackles last season.
Senior Nate Biggs, a hard-hitting safety, and defensive backs DeRon Middleton, Alex Chandler and Brandon Dow give defensive coordinator Mike Ketchum plenty of options. Dow missed last season with an injury but had an outstanding spring practice.
WSSU suffered its biggest loss when Chad Oakley exhausted his eligibility. He is the best punter in school history, and he also handled place-kicks and kickoffs. However, Blount said that freshman Matt Mitchell has been very good so far.
Photo: Monte Purvis, WSSU
By John Dell, Winston Salem Journal
Winston-Salem State, although technically in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, is facing another season in limbo.
The Rams will play a MEAC schedule but will not be eligible for the conference title or all-conference honors until 2010. That leaves Coach Kermit Blount with a challenge much like the one he had last season - how to motivate a team that, other than pride, has nothing to play for.
“We try to sell each game as a championship,” said Blount, who is in his 15th season at his alma mater.
Quarterback Monte Purvis and defensive end William Hayes first noticed that the Rams weren’t getting much respect from others in the conference during the MEAC’s preseason media day in late July.
“It was like we weren’t even there,” said Purvis, a fifth-year senior. “They had a film on the season outlook for everybody, but we weren’t even included in that. That was kind of a slight, and really there was only one person who said something about us being in the conference (that was Athletics Director Dee Todd of N.C. A&T, who is a WSSU graduate).”
Blount says that motivating his deep and experienced team shouldn’t be a problem, mainly because it did well in 2006, its first season in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA).
“There were a couple of games last year we dropped that we should have won,” Blount said. “They feel the same way. It’s not about championships at this point, it’s about representing who we are, and they are buying into it. We can’t compete for a championship, so we have to play our own championship.”
Nick Calcutta, the new offensive coordinator, has tweaked the offense, and the Rams will try to throw more in an attempt to be more balanced. Purvis says he likes what he has seen so far.
The return of running backs Jed Bines and Brandon McRae should make the offense stronger. Bines, a fifth-year senior, was ineligible last season but is the sixth-leading rusher in school history. McRae had 623 yards on 118 carries last season. Rod Fluellen can also play running back if needed, but he has been moved to slot back to keep him on the field.
The Rams lost two starters on the offensive line, but return center Michael Helton, guard Bennie Barbour and tackle Joe Blanks. Also back is Lonnie Teasley, who missed last season with a knee injury and was academically ineligible in 2005.
Jonathan Battle, a transfer from East Carolina, will probably start on the line, and sophomore Anthony “Bo” Adams (6-4, 320) should see plenty of playing time.
If the Rams are going to throw more and be successful at it - something most die-hard fans will have to see to believe - they will need better play from the wide receivers, who had their share of dropped balls last season.
Sophomore Michael Scarborough, who broke his leg in the preseason and didn’t play last year, is back and should be one of the top receivers. Josh Crawford, Stan Wright and Brad Herring all exhausted their eligibility after last season.
“You are going to see us throw it a lot more than you have in the past,” Blount said with conviction. “I’m a guy that’s always been about running the ball, and I’m sitting here saying we are going to throw it a bunch. Our offensive scheme is now about throwing it to create the run.”
Having a deep backfield that includes freshman Nic Cooper gives Blount more options.
“I think what we have now is we have the capability to throw three or four different backs at teams,” Blount said. “And all of them have different styles of running, so that makes our offensive weapons in the backfield more of a threat.”
Defense was the Rams’ strength last season, and with 10 starters back, it will be again this season. End Jason Holman is gone, but the Rams probably will have at least six seniors in the starting lineup.
Hayes, one of the fastest defensive ends the Rams have had in recent years, is confident about the season.
“I think we can win them all,” he said. “We have such a good support system, especially on defense, because a lot of us have been here four or five years, so that’s going to help us.”
Hayes said that one of the first things he did when camp opened was tell his teammates about the perceived lack of respect at the MEAC media day.
“We are going to try and be at the top of all the statistical categories in the MEAC just to let those teams know that Winston-Salem State is for real,” Hayes said. “I think last year we just played and showed that we could play with them. So we are going to try and whip some teams in the MEAC this year.”
Hayes and Michael Moore lead the defensive line, and linebackers Thad Griffin, Juan Corders, Corey Swinnie and Darrian Bynum were all among the team’s top 10 in tackles last season.
Senior Nate Biggs, a hard-hitting safety, and defensive backs DeRon Middleton, Alex Chandler and Brandon Dow give defensive coordinator Mike Ketchum plenty of options. Dow missed last season with an injury but had an outstanding spring practice.
WSSU suffered its biggest loss when Chad Oakley exhausted his eligibility. He is the best punter in school history, and he also handled place-kicks and kickoffs. However, Blount said that freshman Matt Mitchell has been very good so far.
Photo: Monte Purvis, WSSU Mitchell will kick off and do the place-kicking, but Blount said that Jermaine Mack, a junior defensive back, will probably be the punter.
Blount says that his goal is to continue to build the program so that WSSU will be ready to contend for the MEAC title in 2010. The Rams had wins against two MEAC teams last season, N.C. A&T and Howard, and near misses against two others, Bethune-Cookman (10-6) and Hampton (13-3). Hampton is the defending MEAC champion.
“What Joe Taylor (the coach at Hampton) said to me last year will stick in my mind a long time,” Blount said. “He said that we were one of the best football teams he had played all year, and when people like Joe make that kind of statement, it lets me know I’m on the right track.”
Winston-Salem State
• Last year’s record: 4-7
• Coach: Kermit Blount (81-64-3 in 14 seasons at WSSU)
• Last bowl appearance: 2000 Pioneer, lost to Tuskegee 12-9
• Strengths: Experience at nearly every position. Depth at running back
• Weaknesses: Freshman kicker. Questions on OL
• Best returning players: QB Monte Purvis, RB Jed Bines (sat out ’06 season), RB Brandon McRae, C Michael Helton, LB Thad Griffin, LB Corey Swinnie, DB Demetrius Rivers, DE William Hayes, DB Nate Biggs
• Best newcomers: PK Matt Mitchell, OL Jonathan Battle, RB Nic Cooper, OL Nazir Levine
• Key losses: WR Stan Wright, P/K Chad Oakley, DL Jason Holman, RB Tionti Powell, OL Michael Champaign
• Keys to the season: Keeping Purvis healthy; getting better production out of the receivers; making the most of the three-back attack of Bines, McRae and Rod Fluellen.
• Big game: With the Rams ineligible for the MEAC title, it will be the season opener Sept. 1 against rival N.C. A&T.
• They’ll beat … N.C. A&T, Morgan State, Howard, Bethune-Cookman, Delaware State, N.C. Central, Norfolk State
• They’ll lose to … Coastal Carolina, S.C. State, Florida A&M, Hampton
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