There’s plenty of reason for optimism around the Centre College football camp, and some of it has rubbed off on the Colonels’ coach.
With a number of key players returning from one of the school’s best seasons ever, coach Andy Frye has reason to believe this could be another big year for the Colonels. But with an untested quarterback, questions about the defense and a tough opening-day opponent, there is also at least a little cause for concern.
Still, Frye said things have gone well for the Colonels in the preseason, and he’s excited about what could happen Saturday when they kick off the season at Bethany (W.Va.).
“I think we’ve done pretty well,” Frye said. “This is obviously our first test, and I’m optimistically guarded.”
After going 9-2 and earning its first playoff berth last season, Centre has been ranked in some preseason polls this summer — No. 12 by Lindy's Sports 2012 College Football and No. 18 by Beyond Sports Network, for example — and is expected to contend for the championship of its new conference, the Southern Athletic Association.
And the biggest preseason question for the Colonels — the issue of who will start at quarterback — has been settled. Sophomore Heath Haden has won the job over junior Kyle Cook in what Frye said was a good competition.
“It came right down to, really, this week, and I think it was good for the team and good for the quarterbacks to compete,” Frye said. “They’re both, I think pretty good quarterbacks, it’s just that right now I think Heath might have a little better strength in the arm, which means we can do more things in the passing game, and Heath is a little quicker.”
The 6-1, 177-pound Haden threw for 1,767 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions and ran for 1,126 yards and 16 touchdowns in his senior season at Sullivan South High School in Kingsport, Tenn. He joins an offense rich with returning starters both on the offensive line and at skill positions, and Frye said he hopes that will put both they and him more at ease.
“I think right now, you want to see our kids develop the confidence around him, and I think the quarterback had to feel comfortable as well,” Frye said.
Running back returns after rushing for 813 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, along with last year’s leaders in receptions (Rob Melillo, 42) and receiving yardage (Jason Osterman, 496) and four senior starters on the offensive line — Billy Douglas, Robert Morris, Bobby Bruggeman and Oakley Watkins.
There are five returning starters on defense, including end Paul Megilligan, a Boyle County High School graduate, and back Thomas Kent, the top returning tackler with 72 last season.
The Colonels scrimmaged Mount St. Joseph last Saturday, but Frye said the first teams only played for one half, and it wasn’t enough to give him a good indication of where the defense stands.
“Defensively, we’re getting to the point where we haven’t really been tested,” he said. “I don’t know where we are defensively until they have to play a full game. I do know we’ve got to stay healthy on that side of the ball. We’ve got some younger guys in backup roles.”
Centre will have an edge over most opponents in the kicking game thanks to Jordan Gay, a Danville High School graduate who was the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference special teams player of the year last season after making 11 field goals and averaging 41.3 yards per punt.
Frye said that’s the only area where he’s pretty sure the Colonels have an advantage against Bethany.
The Bison haven’t had a winning season since 2001 but are coming off a second consecutive 5-5 season and return 17 starters and 21 seniors.
“I think they’re a good football team,” Frye said. “On film they have a lot of talent, they’ve got a lot of weapons. They match up really well at some positions, and they’ve probably got more talent at other positions than we do.”
Matt Grimard, Bethany’s 6-4, 240-pound quarterback, returns after throwing for a school-record 2,685 yards last season and is protected by four returning offensive linemen. There are five seniors on defense, including three-time all-conference linebacker Kyle Arrington.
Centre has opened the past four seasons against nearby Hanover, but Frye said Saturday’s trip to West Virginia will give the Colonels a more challenging opener.
“This is probably the best and biggest test we’ve had as an opener, at least since I’ve been here,” he said. “We’re going to have to play our ‘A’ game. We’ll find out how good we are.”
With a number of key players returning from one of the school’s best seasons ever, coach Andy Frye has reason to believe this could be another big year for the Colonels. But with an untested quarterback, questions about the defense and a tough opening-day opponent, there is also at least a little cause for concern.
Still, Frye said things have gone well for the Colonels in the preseason, and he’s excited about what could happen Saturday when they kick off the season at Bethany (W.Va.).
“I think we’ve done pretty well,” Frye said. “This is obviously our first test, and I’m optimistically guarded.”
After going 9-2 and earning its first playoff berth last season, Centre has been ranked in some preseason polls this summer — No. 12 by Lindy's Sports 2012 College Football and No. 18 by Beyond Sports Network, for example — and is expected to contend for the championship of its new conference, the Southern Athletic Association.
And the biggest preseason question for the Colonels — the issue of who will start at quarterback — has been settled. Sophomore Heath Haden has won the job over junior Kyle Cook in what Frye said was a good competition.
“It came right down to, really, this week, and I think it was good for the team and good for the quarterbacks to compete,” Frye said. “They’re both, I think pretty good quarterbacks, it’s just that right now I think Heath might have a little better strength in the arm, which means we can do more things in the passing game, and Heath is a little quicker.”
The 6-1, 177-pound Haden threw for 1,767 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions and ran for 1,126 yards and 16 touchdowns in his senior season at Sullivan South High School in Kingsport, Tenn. He joins an offense rich with returning starters both on the offensive line and at skill positions, and Frye said he hopes that will put both they and him more at ease.
“I think right now, you want to see our kids develop the confidence around him, and I think the quarterback had to feel comfortable as well,” Frye said.
Running back returns after rushing for 813 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, along with last year’s leaders in receptions (Rob Melillo, 42) and receiving yardage (Jason Osterman, 496) and four senior starters on the offensive line — Billy Douglas, Robert Morris, Bobby Bruggeman and Oakley Watkins.
There are five returning starters on defense, including end Paul Megilligan, a Boyle County High School graduate, and back Thomas Kent, the top returning tackler with 72 last season.
The Colonels scrimmaged Mount St. Joseph last Saturday, but Frye said the first teams only played for one half, and it wasn’t enough to give him a good indication of where the defense stands.
“Defensively, we’re getting to the point where we haven’t really been tested,” he said. “I don’t know where we are defensively until they have to play a full game. I do know we’ve got to stay healthy on that side of the ball. We’ve got some younger guys in backup roles.”
Centre will have an edge over most opponents in the kicking game thanks to Jordan Gay, a Danville High School graduate who was the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference special teams player of the year last season after making 11 field goals and averaging 41.3 yards per punt.
Frye said that’s the only area where he’s pretty sure the Colonels have an advantage against Bethany.
The Bison haven’t had a winning season since 2001 but are coming off a second consecutive 5-5 season and return 17 starters and 21 seniors.
“I think they’re a good football team,” Frye said. “On film they have a lot of talent, they’ve got a lot of weapons. They match up really well at some positions, and they’ve probably got more talent at other positions than we do.”
Matt Grimard, Bethany’s 6-4, 240-pound quarterback, returns after throwing for a school-record 2,685 yards last season and is protected by four returning offensive linemen. There are five seniors on defense, including three-time all-conference linebacker Kyle Arrington.
Centre has opened the past four seasons against nearby Hanover, but Frye said Saturday’s trip to West Virginia will give the Colonels a more challenging opener.
“This is probably the best and biggest test we’ve had as an opener, at least since I’ve been here,” he said. “We’re going to have to play our ‘A’ game. We’ll find out how good we are.”
