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Kim Patterson Mesa Legend |
Marcus Sigars hones his skills for the T-bird football season. |
Depth and experience will be the keys to success as the MCC Thunderbirds embark on the 2004 football season.
The Thunderbirds finished 3-7 last year as they were hampered by a late-arriving coaching staff, limited recruiting, and a lack of experience.
Head football coach, Dan Dunn, said that his team’s biggest weakness was a “lack of numbers.” By the end the year, there were a lot of freshman receiving substantial playing time.
Despite the circumstances, Coach Dunn expects the knowledge gained by last year’s players to start paying dividends on the field this season.
Even though they finished with a losing record, Dunn was still satisfied with the way his team performed last season.
“We had to take the kids that were here and try and make due those guys, and I thought they did a real good job,” Dunn said.
Dunn pointed out that three of the seven losses that the team suffered were extremely winnable games.
The Thunderbirds were not lacking talent last year. The team had a number of players move on to big-time division I programs including Yimin Bauman (University of New Mexico), Joe Tomanagi (University of California), and Jeremy Parker (Washington State).
Even though the team had solid core players, the lack of depth prevented the Thunderbirds from having an equally strong supporting cast.
Dunn expects that to change this year.
According to Dunn, the offense should be the most improved side of the ball this year.
The offense will be led by running backs, Jeremiah White and Austin Collins, and wide receivers, Greg Nielsen and Larue Burley. Dunn said that those players are returning “with quite a bit of experience.”
The offense should also benefit from a beefed up offensive line, anchored by Ed Pulda and Brad Smith. This year the line has an average weight of 300 pounds, compared with 245 lbs last year.
On the defensive side of the ball, the team should be led by defensive tackle, Justin Douglas (who was an all-region performer last year), and linebacker, Nick Trevillian.
Dunn also expects his team to be stronger, thanks to a conditioning class that the players took part in during the spring and summer.
Even with the improvements to be made this year, there will still be question marks.
Dunn is concerned about his kicking game, which features some untested players.
“Until you get some heat on those guys, you won’t know exactly what they can do,” Dunn said.
Dunn also said that his defensive secondary was untested. Dunn believes, however, that they can be as good as or even better than last year.
Overall, Dunn believes that his team not only has a chance to improve their record, but he also believes that they are good enough to play in the Valley of the Sun bowl.
In addition to directing his team to more victories, he will also be responsible for taking the athletics department in a new direction.
Dunn has been named interim Athletics Director for this year, taking the position that was left vacant by Allen Benedict, who retired.
As Athletics Director, Dunn will gain more exposure to the administrative side of athletics.
He will also have the opportunity to institute some of his own programs. The coach is currently attempting to put a program back into effect that helps the athletes pay for their textbooks.
Dunn would organize fundraisers that would raise money to fund the program. He already has a similar program for the football team.
Overall, Dunn wants an athletic program that's a cut above the rest."
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