2006 Season Preview: Continuing Tradition

Albeit only six years worth. The 2000 squad won the school's first NCAA playoff game. The 2001 offense put up 43 points a game on their way to the Division III national championship game. The defenses in 2002 and 2003 held 22 of 26 opponents to 20 points or less. The six teams before prior to this season continued the all-division best 35-game conference win streak. With 77 returners and a group of 69 newcomers at the start of camp, this team has all the ingredients to be as good (or better) than their predecessors. For the second consecutive year, Bridgewater is ranked a concensus top 20 team by the five preseason polls.

New to the website this year is the Bridgewater News Blog and the Player Diaries. Graphics and links for both are located at the top of this page.

Peggy Erwin will be BridgewaterFootball.com's photographer for the third straight season. Her website - BridgewaterPhotos.com - currently hosts over 25,000 Bridgewater football pictures from the past three seasons.

The rest of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) must be smiling.

Bridgewater’s largest and third-most dominant class of players in program history graduated, only eight starters return, and offensive coordinator Bob Colbert left after eight seasons to take on the head coaching role at startup St. Vincent.

But fresh off their fifth consecutive ODAC championship, sixth straight season in the NCAA playoffs, and extension of an ODAC record 35 straight conference wins, the Eagles aren’t ready to hand over the reigns quite yet. “Until someone beats us, we’re still the [ODAC] champion,” said head coach Mike Clark.

Similar to 2002 – the year after the National Championship appearance – the Eagles will have just as many newcomers as they will returnees. Over 140 kids will report to camp on August 12.

To Clark, there will be three ingredients to having a successful roster for 2006. First there are franchise type players, who when on, can win you a game. Next, there are program kids, who played behind a heck of a senior class. And finally, the newcomers, who he hopes is as good as the recruiting class from four years ago.

The Eagles showed a lot of grit last season, especially with injuries. Losing an all-conference linebacker during preseason camp, their deep-threat receiver in the second game of the year, and their starting quarterback and running back while down by two scores during a key ODAC game on the road. Yet, when the dust settled, two other linebackers earned all-conference honors, another receiver stepped up and averaged 18 yards a catch, and they won that game versus Washington & Lee in route to another undefeated conference season.

At quarterback, junior Jeff Highfill is coming off a 2005 campaign having started four of the last five games, including all three playoff contests. In his four starts, he was 46-for-77 passing for 557 yards and five touchdowns, leading the Eagles to the NCAA quarterfinals. Currently at backup is senior Nick Lincoln, who Clark says understands the system. “The other kids haven’t taken a college snap, so we’ll see come August,” said Clark.

All-Conference Winston Young brings career marks of 2,019 rushing yards and 34 total touchdowns into his senior year at running back, being only 11 scores short of setting a school record for career points. Impressive, considering he has only started in five games. “What has made us good has been our productive depth at this position – tailback by committee,” says Clark. After Young, Clark is hoping junior Phillip Carter, sophomore Rocket Gadsden, or one of new recruits helps with the load. “Carter is a physical back, Gadsden has raw talent, and our recruits at this position have a lot of promise.”

With the return of All-Conference senior Robbie Matthews, the fullback position will look to be a potent weapon once again. In 36 career games, Matthews has racked up 1,102 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns. His career 7.16 yards per carry is second best in Bridgewater history. “We’ve gotten spoiled with our fullbacks having tailback speed over the last couple years,” said Clark. Junior Tyler Thomas ran with the first unit this spring.

Clark believes the receivers will be the deepest position for the Eagles in 2006. With the return of junior Blake Warring from injury last season, Bridgewater will once again be able to keep the field spread for whoever is in the backfield. “We have quantity and quality at wide receiver, and we recruited solidly there,” says Clark. “We have three or four kids who opponents won’t be able to go one on one with without running the risk of giving up a big play.” Warring was averaging a startling 27.5 yards per catch last season. Junior Brandon Copeland caught 27 passes for 484 yards and five touchdowns, including a school record 99-yard reception during the playoffs. Michael Oakes brings 429 career receiving yards into his final year.

The tight end position is wide open with the graduation of Corey Hulsebus and Julian Pierre. Senior Jeff Jones, a former defensive end, took most of the snaps during spring practice, but some of Bridgewater’s top recruits are tight ends. “This position is wide open,” says Clark.

Eight different offensive linemen started at least one game last season. Four are returning in seniors Matthew Capriani and Henry Thode, and juniors Anthony Cotton and Keaton Culver. Junior Grant Holsinger also saw extensive playing time last year. “We will look to develop the young kids we’re bringing in,” said Clark. “And we have third-year kids like Marcus and Marcel Anderson who – if they worked hard during the off-season – could give us good volume again.”

In 2005, the defense had to face four of the top six passing offenses in the country. Even though they gave up an average of 30 points against those opponents, they were 4-0 in those games. Because of the pass-happy ODAC, and the graduation of five of Bridgewater’s top eight defensive backs, the coaching staff put a lot of emphasis on that area during recruiting. “The defensive back position has been well recruited,” said Clark. “Half the time, we have to have five of them in the backfield. We need to develop half a dozen secondary kids in three weeks because of the teams we play.”

All-Conference senior Josh Knight recorded 53 tackles, 11 pass breakups, six interceptions and three blocked kicks in 2005. Knight will be joined in the secondary rotation by seniors Derrick Burroughs and Desmond Jalloh, and junior Earl Chaptman, who combined for 95 tackles, 11 pass breakups and two interceptions last season.

The defensive line lost three to graduation, taking 17 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks with them. But All-Conference senior defensive end David Clements returns, having led the team last season with 11.5 tackles of loss and 4.5 sacks. Seniors Tony Burt and Josh King both started more than half the games in 2005, combining for 13 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Juniors Carlton Morrison and Brandon Orndorff also received significant playing time last year. Balance at this position should provide stiff in house competition.

The coaches were excited about the linebackers returning this season, with three all-conference performers in seniors Brandon Borst and Craig Smith, and junior Antwaine Campo. Clark felt this group of linebackers could have been just as good – or better – than the trio from the 2001 Stagg Bowl in Gary Nelson, Lonnie Parker and Jermaine Taylor. Nice compliment seeing that all three of them were All-Americans. Then the coaching staff learned that Campo injured himself playing basketball this summer, losing him for 2006. “It’s never a good thing to lose a first team all-conference player and your best pass rusher,” said Clark. “He was a big play linebacker.” But senior Brandon Kelley saw plenty of action last season to vie for a starting role. “Then you have kids like Venancio Biela who have worked hard for three years and waited their turn,” says Clark. “Not to mention this position has been well recruited.”

Special teams will continue to give the Eagles an edge in 2006. The return of junior Kyle Beach, all-conference four years ago, will replace a graduated All-Conference kicker David Blackwell. Beach only played two years (2002 and 2003) before transferring, but placed himself in the record books with 72 career made extra points. Senior returning starter Colin Owens and sophomore Scott Ruebush will be called upon for the punting duties. “Those two have the leg strength to change field position in a game,” says Clark.

Young and Copeland will likely be the kick and punt returners for 2006. Young averaged 22.4 yards on 10 kickoff returns last season. Opponents are happy to see the graduation of All-Region performer Brian Awkard and All-American Marcus Washington. Awkard is Bridgewater’s all-time leader in punt return yards with 1,149, while Washington set a school record of 28.7 yards per kickoff return for his career. The two combined for seven return touchdowns.