Eagles Lose Key Receiver (Daily News-Record)

Daily News-Record - By Jeremy Cothran

BRIDGEWATER — At first, the hit didn’t seem that dangerous. Turns out, it’s a loss Bridgewater College football coach Michael Clark can hardly afford to stomach.

Blake Warring was running a slant route in practice last week and got bumped hard by linebacker Craig Smith. At first, the junior wide receiver thought nothing of it and returned to practice. After a couple of plays, he noticed the pain wasn’t going away and he retreated to the sidelines.

That’s where he’ll be all season.

Warring suffered a fractured rib and lacerated kidney at the Aug. 22 practice, an injury that will cost him the entire 2006 season.

It won’t be an alien experience for the hard-luck Warring. In 2005, he missed all but two games of the season after tearing the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a 49-20 victory over Shenandoah. Warring also tore a ligament in his left knee during a playoff loss to Washington & Jefferson in 2004.

"It’s real frustrating," Warring said as he watched the Eagles practice Thursday. "I just have to get ready for next year."

With Warring shelved for the year, Clark promoted senior Michael Oaks to start opposite junior Brandon Copeland in the Eagles’ season-opener against McDaniel on Saturday. He knows that finding an able body to replace the 6-foot-1, 180-pound speedster from Miami will not be easy.

"It’s such a tragedy for Blake," Clark said. "He’s about as premier a wide receiver as you can get in Division III football that nobody knows about. Well, McDaniel knows about him because he had a great game against them."

Warring had a field day against the Green Terror last year in BC’s 36-35 loss, catching five balls for 115 yards and a 38-yard touchdown.

Oaks caught 24 passes for 299 yards last year in a limited offensive role. Clark said Oaks needs to step up so defenses don’t smother Copeland.

"It’s the nature of the business," Clark said. "The wide receiver position is one where we have some depth, just not deep-threat depth. We’ll have to see. Somebody has to step up and show us what they can do."

Warring noticed that his injury was more serious than originally thought when he began urinating blood the night he was hurt. He checked into Rockingham Memorial Hospital and was sent by helicopter to the University of Virginia Hospital, where he spent two-plus days before being released on Aug. 25.