Uncertain expectations
Coming off a 2nd straight title-game loss, Matadors enter 2018 young, inexperienced
Tom Minnick’s wife Tiffany has told him over the years that the “worst thing” he’s done in his 11-year tenure as Arizona Western’s football coach was win right off the bat. The Matadors won their firstever Western States Football League title in Minnick’s second season, and five more have since followed. They’ve made nine straight bowl games, and played in three of the past seven national championships.
“Everybody’s expectations for us are so high because we set the bar so high since I’ve been here,” Minnick said. “But there’s going to be years where you’re 7-4, 6-4.”
Minnick certainly hopes this isn’t one of those years, but he isn’t ruling out the possibility.
The Matadors have gone undefeated two straight regular seasons only to lose in the national championship, but enter the 2018 campaign — which they begin tonight against New Mexico Military Institute at Yuma Catholic — surrounded by more uncertainty than usual.
Their projected starting lineup consists of nearly twice as many true freshmen as it does returning starters, and features only two Division I “bounce-backs.”
“This might be the time where we’re looking down and (other WSFL teams) are looking up,” Minnick acknowledged. “It’s not that we’re down. It’s just that we’re so young. Kids haven’t played in the system before.”
Redshirt sophomore safety Bryce Beek- man said the goal is nevertheless the same.
“(Freshmen) know when they got recruited here what the standard is, and that we’ve got to uphold it,” he said. It won’t be easy. “What people don’t realize is it’s so hard to get back (to the national championship),” Minnick said. “It is so hard to win a college football game. It’s a battle to get there, to get junior-college kids up each and every Saturday when you play.”
Here’s a closer look at the 2018 Matadors:
GONE FROM LAST YEAR
Nearly everybody, as AWC returns just two starters on offense and two on defense. More than 20 of last year’s Matadors transferred to four-year schools, including NJCAA All-Americans Greg Bell (RB, Nebras-
ka), Jahmir Johnson (OL, Tennessee), Dominick Wood-Anderson (TE, Tennessee) and Roy Yancey (LB, South Alabama), and All-WSFL selections Jaron Woodyard (WR, Nebraska), Zack Bennett (OL, FAU) and Bryce Perkins (QB, Virginia).
PLAYERS TO WATCH • Bryce Beekman, RS sophomore FS
As a redshirt freshman last season at AWC, Beekman was named All-WSFL First Team and NJCAA All-American Honorable Mention after ranking third in the NJCAA in interceptions with seven.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder from Baton Rouge signed with Utah State in March, but did not graduate in the spring and had to return to AWC.
The three-star prospect currently boasts offers from Washington State, Kansas State, Kansas, Syracuse, Louisiana Lafayette and Southern Miss.
• Elijah Blades, sophomore CB
Blades, the only other returning starter for AWC’s defense besides Beekman, didn’t post big numbers last season (22 tackles, 1 INT), nor did he garner any All-WSFL recognition, but he’s the Matadors’ highest rated JUCO prospect per 247Sports (No. 4 in the country).
The 6-foot-2, 175-pounder out of Pasadena, Calif., verbally committed to the University of Oregon in July over a host of other big-name programs, including Alabama, Florida, Texas and LSU.
• Desmond Bland, RS sophomore OT
After a year away from football due in part to a shoulder injury, Bland has returned to the AWC program with which he earned NJCAA First Team All-American honors as an offensive tackle in 2016. The Matadors flirted with the idea of moving him inside, but he’ll remain at left tackle and be tasked with protecting the quarterback’s blind side.
The 6-foot-3, 290-pound Bland, who hails from Homewood, Ill., is a four-star prospect according to 247Sports who Minnick believes to be the best JUCO offensive lineman in the country, and verbally committed to the University of Nebraska in June.
• Jashua Allen, sophomore LB
Allen, a 6-foot-2, 210-pounder originally from Tigard, Ore., transferred in from Riverside City College in California, and is the No. 6-rated JUCO prospect in the country per 247Sports. He reportedly boasts double-digit offers, and in July announced a top five of Utah, Colorado, Iowa State, Louisville and Washington State.
OFFENSIVE LOWDOWN
Entering preseason camp, Minnick was most concerned about the offense’s running back situation. With the emergence of sophomore Kendon Walker — who played receiver at AWC last year, but has moved to the backfield — and freshman John Oliver, the concern has shifted.
“They ended up being better than what our quarterbacks were, when it’s all said and done,” Minnick said.
Indeed, quarterback is the biggest question mark entering tonight’s opener.
True freshmen El Julian Jordan and Jacquez Carter emerged as the early favorites for the starting job weeks ago, but things have changed following the late addition of redshirt sophomore Logan Byrd, a transfer from North Carolina who joined AWC earlier this week after spending the spring/summer at Mississippi Gulf Coast.
“He’s actually done really well for only being here three days,” Minnick said Wednesday. “He’ll play. He’ll play Friday, and he might start. There’s things he does well. He’s grasped a lot of stuff. He’s pretty smart.”
Carter, a dual-threat as opposed to the pocket-passer Byrd, is the other option to start tonight, but Minnick said that all three quarterbacks — including Jordan — could see the field.
The group that the quarterbacks will be throwing to is young, but talented. All four projected starting receivers, including the tight end, are true freshmen, and Minnick has called the receiving core maybe the strongest he’s had at AWC.
The key for the offense, though? That’ll be the line play, according to Minnick. In addition to Bland, AWC welcomes back 2017 starters Dontae Powell and Ted Hessing at the guard spots.
“If the offensive line can come and play and dominate, we’ll be good,” Minnick said. “If the offensive line shows up with their heads you know where, it’ll be a long day.”
DEFENSIVE LOWDOWN
In recent years, AWC’s strength has been its defense.
Last year, AWC finished ninth in the NJCAA in scoring defense (18.4 PPG) and 11th in total defense (267.4 YPG). In 2016, it finished second in both categories (9.4 PPG, 166.5 YPG). In 2014, it finished top 10 in both.
Though this year’s defense lacks starting experience, it is older than AWC’s offense, as only one projected starter (linebacker Jesse Smith) is a true freshman. All four defensive linemen were on the team last year, and linebacker Christian Gomez (Army) and safety Tobias Gilliam (Kentucky) are Division I transfers.
The unit’s strength, Minnick said, is at the safety position, but not necessarily the secondary as a whole, as he highlighted the corner spot opposite of Blades as the unit’s biggest question mark.
SCHEDULE ANALYSIS
The Matadors’ 11-game schedule features eight versus WSFL opponents and three non-conference opponents. Three of their opponents are ranked in the NJCAA Preseason Poll: No. 4 Snow (Oct. 27), No. 15 Georgia Military (Sept. 1) and No. 20 Eastern Arizona, which AWC plays twice (Sept. 15, Nov. 3).
That Georgia Military game, a road contest, comes next week.
“It’s going to play out real quick,” Minnick said. “If we can beat these two teams here the next two weeks, we’ll have a shot.”