Shepherd University Football Coach Monte Cater said he confronts high expectations for his 2014 season but he doesn’t let the team look beyond its next challenge.
“A great start means nothing tomorrow,” Coach Cater said during a Chalk Talk meeting Friday at the Wellness Center. With two wins under his belt so far, Cater said he focuses on preparing the team each week and practicing.
“I can’t say enough about the preparation of the players and staff.” Cater said.
In order to achieve these goals, the team will have to replace the production from the seniors who are no longer on the team. One of the hardest tasks will be replacing the defensive line consisting of Robert Hayes, Howard Jones and Xavier Tyler.
Hayes led the Mountain East Conference in sacks with 10, according to their website. The next closest person only had seven. Hayes also had 11 tackles for loss, which was sixth in the conference.
Jones recorded seven sacks and had 10 tackles for loss. He also forced two fumbles. His play would be recognized by the NFL and he became the first Shepherd Ram to receive an invite to the NFL Combine. Though he did not get drafted, he would be signed to the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad.
Xavier Tyler also recorded seven sacks and nine tackles for loss. Tyler was also tied for third in the Mountain East Conference with three forced fumbles.
The trio were all ranked in the top five in sacks in the Mountain East Conference.
Another key member of the defense was linebacker Dominique Dixon. He recorded 10 tackles for loss and recovered two fumbles while forcing one.
The Rams do have a lot of returning starters from last year, especially on offense. The running back tandem of junior Allen Cross and sophomore Jabre Lolley will continue to keep defenses on their toes. Cross rushed for 1116 yards, which was third in the MEC, and 13 touchdowns, second in the conference. Lolley was fifth in the conference in rushing yards with 959 and punched in 16 touchdowns, which put him number one ahead of Cross.
Sophomore CJ Davis plays defensive back but does a lot of damage on special teams. Last year, he returned two punts for touchdowns as well as taking one kickoff to the house.
Sophomore inside linebacker Octavius Thomas had a team high 72 tackles last season. He also recorded five sacks, 12 tackles for loss and two interceptions.
Other players returning include sophomore quarterback Jeff Ziemba, wide receiver William McKenzie, offensive lineman Isaiah Shelton, outside linebacker De’Ontre Johnson and inside linebacker Levi Barber, all of which are seniors.
All of these players had vital roles in the team’s success last season and they will look to build off their strong performances into something even better this year.
During the first couple of games, a few new faces have already made a name for themselves. One of those players is redshirt-freshman James Gupton, who has 11 total tackles, which is second on the team. Freshman Trenton Cannon and redshirt-freshman Malik Harleston both have over 100 rushing yards and three combined touchdowns to open the season.
The team is off to a hot start, winning both games in convincing fashion. The Rams won their opener against West Liberty on the road by a score of 38-13. Shepherd then returned home and shutout Fairmont State 56-0.