SEASON PREVIEW - FVSU Football Calls Upon Experienced Core to Lead 2019 Charge

9/3/2019 9:23:00 AM

By: Chris Myers

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FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The coming of another college football season brings optimism, excitement and expectations with all being found on the Fort Valley State campus. With a solid and at many spots experienced core taking the field, the 2019 Wildcats are eager to tackle their season schedule and show the program's progress.

Following a tough and disappointing 2-8 finish a year ago, FVSU head coach Kevin Porter and his Wildcat staff is set for to lead his fourth team in The Valley. The FVSU coaches are ready to take the team back to Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference prominence where it won the 2016 Conference title and played host to the 2017 league championship game. The experienced Wildcats returners look to show their spring hard work and will spearhead their team and mix with the new influx of talent across the board.

"Our optimism comes out of the spring (practices)," explained Porter. "We spent a lot of time focusing on the little things being the difference in being successful or not. All teams are different, but we hope to accept the challenge of where we have been and where we are going. Our attitude made a lot of progress and it is time to take another step, which is encompassed by their approach to the work and challenge."

The accepting of the 2019 challenge will fall on the leadership of the over 50 Wildcats returning from last year. Of the returners, FVSU will have the pair of Preseason All-SIAC members in First Team offensive lineman junior Darrius Hicks (Camilla, Ga.) and Second Team defensive back junior Zach Anderson (Cairo, Ga.) leading the charge.

Hicks, Anderson and the Wildcats will have the challenge of being a bit of 'Road Warriors' this fall. FVSU plays two of its first three games at Wildcat Stadium, including the season opener against defending SIAC champion Miles College (Sept. 7) in a non-conference meeting and Shorter University (Sept. 21). The Wildcats, then, play six of their final seven on the road with two key neutral site SIAC East Division games against Benedict (in Greenville, S.C. for the Upstate HBCU Classic on Sept. 28) and end the season at the 30^th Annual Fountain City Classic against rival Albany State in Columbus, Ga., on Nov. 9. The lone other FVSU home game is the biggest of the fall in the Homecoming clash against Morehouse College on Oct. 19.

"We have to be ready in the first half of the season. It will be a challenge with our road games, especially at Central State (Oct. 12), which is a tough place to play and they are getting better. Florida Tech, a non-SIAC road game on Oct. 5, will be good and Savannah State coming into the league makes the Division tougher." noted Porter. "We have been able to consistently compete with everyone, but we want to take it to another level."

The Wildcats head coach continued, "Everything starts in our Division for the road to the (SIAC) Championship game (which will be played at the SIAC East regular season champion). We have to control what we can control on our side of the bracket."

On the offense, Hicks will anchor the Wildcat attack up front and he will be a main part of the pocket protection for what is predicted to be a strong position area at quarterback. The FVSU quarterback spot was one where four different players saw time due to injury and trying to find the right combination after it last fall.

All four Wildcats signal callers return to the roster with the three seniors of Slade Jarman (Pensacola, Fla.), Garrel Quainton (Dublin, Ga.) and Demontay Jones (Quitman, Ga.) battling for the starting nod.

"I feel good on the (position) progress. All three had the opportunity for full spring reps where they all competed very hard," said Porter. "It will be one of the more solid positions we feel we have."

After helping FVSU to the 2017 SIAC Championship game, Jarman started again last year under center. The lefty-throwing quarterback suffered an early-game, season-ending injury in the third game of the season at Miles, but he played the rest of the game and led the game-winning final drive in the 21-19 victory.

In 13 games as a Wildcat, Jarman has passed for 2,314 yards and a 178.0 yards per game average on 178 of 308 attempts (57.8%) with 22 touchdowns to eight interceptions. The quarterback threw for 636 yards on 53 of 85 tries at a 62.4% completion rate in the first three contests last year.

Taking over for Jarman in game four, Quainton saw action in each of the last seven Wildcats games. The lanky right-hander passed for his season-high 232 yards on 19 of 28 passes with a touchdown against Virginia-Lynchburg. For the year, Quainton went 71 for 134 for a 53.0-percent completion percentage covering 794 yards and three scores.

Jones moved from the defensive secondary to quarterback where he played in four games. Against nationally-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne, the senior passed for his top outing of 199 yards with a touchdown. In the four contests, Jones completed 19 of 49 attempts for 338 yards and three scores.

Turning to the running backs behind the three senior quarterbacks, senior Jamari Clark (Stockbridge, Ga.) looks to be the top carrier in the running game.

"He played a bunch and has a great deal of experience. He understands our offensive, is versatile, who can run both inside and outside, and can get the ball out of the backfield," said Porter.

Over six games last year only due to injury, Clark still posted FVSU's highest run-total of 234 yards on 51 rushes at a 4.6-yard per carry average. His final 2018 game produced his best day of 10 carries for 89 yards against Clark Atlanta. In the last two seasons, Clark has totaled 446 yards on 114 carries for a 3.9-yard average in 16 games. The running back has also caught 31 passes out of the backfield for 294 yards with years of 16 and 15 receptions a year.

Joining Clark, junior running back Jeremy McCants (Anniston, Ala.) will add another experienced rusher. The junior ran for 193 yards on 59 carries with three scores. H-Back Jaylen Lowder (Kathleen, Ga.), a junior, will again be called upon to clear the path for the Wildcats rushers.

It will be a crowded FVSU receiving corps. The Wildcats quarterbacks will have plenty of talented options led by junior Jeffery Mack (Athens, Ga.).

"The wide receiver rotation is crowded," pointed out the Wildcats coach. "We will have a lot of talent (both returning and newcomers) for options there."

In 2018, Mack finished second on the Wildcats offense with 24 receptions covering 373 yards and a score, while he averaged 15.5 yards per catch. In his first two years, the junior wide out grabbed 30 passes for 467 yards and two touchdowns.

Joining Mack as returning wide outs, four fellow juniors – A.J. Shipman (Palm Beach Garden, Fla.), Jhi'Marre Brown (Perry, Ga.), Adrian Adams (St. Petersburg, Ga.) and Brandon Davis (Sparta, Ga.) – all seek to become bigger parts of the air attack. Shipman led the four with 14 passes for 81 yards, while both Brown and Adams had nine catches for 110 and 101 yards. Davis added seven passes for 90 yards to his credit.

Two-time All-SIAC lineman Hicks will be the backbone of the FVSU offensive line. The left tackle and his Wildcats fellow linemen aim to improve upon the unit's 249.5-yard average of total offense.

In what projects to be a rather young line overall, sophomore Emanuel Boone (Macon, Ga.) returns and is slated to take over at the center position. The completion of the offensive line will be a mix of transfers and newcomers.

"We are looking for some young guys, who we signed, to push the guys already here," added Porter.

Turning to the other side of the ball, the Wildcats defense is projected to be considered a true team strength. Coach Porter stresses his side of the ball is a strength due to it lying in its experience as a unit.

Starting in the defensive secondary, Preseason All-SIAC Second Team selection Anderson will lead the Wildcats charge. The junior helped the FVSU defense hold opponents to 176.2 passing yards a game, while he returns as the top-leading tackler with 64 to go with five tackles for loss and a pair of interceptions. He posted a career-high 18 tackles, 11 solo, against Tuskegee. Anderson added seven-plus tackles in four other contests to highlight his production.

The pair of seniors Aaron Dore (McDonough, Ga.) and Nicco Whigham (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) bring more quality experience to the backfield. Both Wildcats saw action in all 10 games a year ago with Dore posting 47 stops and 5.5 tackles for loss, while Whigham was right behind him with 34 tackles and three pass breakups. In the last two years, Dore was just shy of the 100-tackle mark as he sits with 97 career stops, including a personal best 12 tackles against Miles in 2017. Whigham has 77 tackles in two years to go with 6.5 tackles for loss.

Doing the long snapping duties on special teams last year, Tyler Moore (Ashburn, Ga.) projects as one of the cornerbacks. Moore posted nine special teams tackles last fall.

"We have Anderson, Dore and Nicco (Whigham). Ty Moore found a home at cornerback during the spring, while Khamron Gordon (Augusta, Ga.) and Michael Hicks, Jr. (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) will have a dog fight for the other safety spot," told Porter. "They understand what the expectations is, which is high for them."

Hicks, Jr. and Gordon registered 11 and nine tackles in 2018.

Moving to the linebackers, FVSU again sees some experienced players to turn for production and able to be counted upon. Senior Octavius Hall (Fort Valley, Ga.) is joined by junior Majeste Hansberry (Atlanta, Ga.) as the core of the linebacking group. With these two returners, Coach Porter projects to fit in some good high school athletes the staff signed to complete the position depth.

Hansberry contributed 21 tackles with a tackle in eight of his nine games played. Hall also posted 19 stops with seven coming against Lenoir-Rhyne.

The FVSU defensive front has some producers back, but the unit has to make some adjustments as well.

"We lost a lot of production (with seniors) Niykiem Floyd, Voris Bryant (now a graduate assistant coach) and Juwan Gardner gone," explains Porter. "We return some good players in Jahseari Patterson (Cairo, Ga.), who has shown flashes, Demetrius Harris (Decatur, Ga.) from two years ago, and interior lineman (Malcolm) Garrett (Moncks Corner, S.C.), who when healthy gives us good production. Some freshman have a chance to be really good (to go with them)."

Patterson started strong last season and finished the year with 17 total tackles, which 6.5 were for loss, and three sacks for 25 yards.

Harris earned All-SIAC Second Team honors for the 2017 season. In that year, the junior posted 39 tackles with a team-best 12.5 for loss and three sacks.

Garrett had 21 tackles from his defensive tackle spot with a season-best seven stops against Virginia-Lynchburg.

In the third aspect of the game, the FVSU special teams gives another area of optimism for the Wildcats coaching staff.

"We will be better in the kicking game as we had a huge focus on it during our spring practices," noted Porter.

The kicking aspect will fall on the sophomore shoulders of Eli Mashburn (Warner Robins, Ga.). The second-year punter will add place-kicking duties to his 2019 responsibilities. Mashburn punted 48 times for a 35.5-yard average in his first season, which included seven inside the opponents 20-yardline. The sophomore also had a season-long of 49 yards against Lenoir-Rhyne and a 47-yarder versus both Clark Atlanta and Tuskegee.

In the return game, Mack will be called upon as the top Wildcats punt and kick returner. The wide receiver returned 16 kick-offs for 356 yards for a 22.2-yard per return average with a 41-yard long. He gathered in two punts for 13 yards.

With a good veteran foundation and talent infusion at each position, FVSU is primed to head back up the SIAC ranks and aim at a NCAA Division II Region 2 playoff run.

-Wildcats-

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SEASON PREVIEW - FVSU Football Calls Upon Experienced Core to Lead 2019 Charge