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Show 4 Page 6 September, j,7, , Spoitsfacular Wildcats to beef up running game The Weber State rushing attack will gain a new emphasis during the 1979 season, as the Wildcats formulate their offensive playbook with an eye to broadening the scope of their attack. The beefing up of the Wildcat defense should rank among Big Sky's best The three down defensive line positions this year figure to be, like the rest of the Wildcat D, manned by talented, experienced players. The defensive front should develop into a team strong point and should help keep Weber States defense the best overall in the conference. I have been very pleased with the intensity, the good pursuit, and the 100 percent effort that the linemen have shown so far in drills, commented Rich Lopez, the assistant coach in charge of the group. They are all very coachable athletes, with some good experience in the first unit. Behind the three returning starters we have some talented young football players, and we feel very good about our prospects for the year. The Wildcat defensive alignment uses three down linemen, stance. The set in a four-poifrom side to side, flops alignment lining up according to the offensive set. The three positions are designated as nose guard, lining up outside the weakside guard; defensive end, lining outside the weakside tackle; and tackle, aligning on the strong side guard. Defensive strategy is for the linemen to protect their gaps, and force the opponents inside. nt Key man in the tackle position is Mike McLeod, a three-yea- r 218 McLeod is starter. The moving over from the nose position this year, but should make the adjustment with little difficulty. McLeod had excellent statistics last year, including more than 70 tackles and three quarterbacx sbcks. ms suungcai asset may be his pursuit ability he gets to the ball very quickly. Backing up McLeod in the , early-seaso- n depth chart is a talented freshman, Greg Gorman. At 234, Gorman has excellent size and corresponding strength. He is an excellent n bout with flu hitter. A caused him to lose some weight, but he should be fully ready when the season starts. Curtis McGhan to turn in another A outstanding performance. starter last year as a freshman, McGhan has added some weight and strength to his 5 frame, and rates as more of a defensive threat this year. Like McLeod, McGhan has excellent pursuit 6-- toward the football. 215) is a Ralph Jackson (6-junior college transfer who was with the team during the spring season, and rates as an exceptional backup to McGhan. Jackson is very talented, and has gained a good feel for the position. An ambitious weight 3, program over the summer strengthened him considerably. Freshman Randy Hynek (6-216) rates as an excellent candidate for the position as well. Hynek is very quick, and is learning quickly. He will have plenty of time to develop at the position, and should be an outstanding player in the future. The nose position is solid as well with the return to the lineup of talented John Houser. A jaycee transfer last year, Houser was out most of the season with a knee injury, but is listed as 100 percent for the upcoming campaign. Very strong and intelligent, Houser is also perhaps the most aggressive of the Wildcat front three. He and weighs in at 218. Backing up Houser are Stuart Reuter, a journeyman junior, and Bob Nieuwenhuis, a highly-regarde- d freshman. Reuter, who stands 6-- 2 has played several different positions for the Wildcats, has a good knowledge of the game, and is a very hard worker. Nieuwenhuis reported late to camp because of his involvement in a high school all-stgame over the summer, but appears to ar be making up lost ground quickly. Reuters personal while statistics are 218; and Nieuwenhuis stands weighs in at 215. Perhaps more than other 6-- 2, 6-- 3, positions, the defensive line must be adaptable and able to change their game plan in accordance with the offense that they face. The experience level, especially of the starters, and the overall intelligence of the group should allow them to utilize their considerable physical talents to best advantage no matter who lines up on the other side of the line. The first two games should tell the story, with the team facing a strong running veer attack from North Dakota State the first week into the season, then having to adjust to the formidable BYU passing attack on the second Saturday. running game will be a weapon in itself, and will also take some of the defensive pressure off the established passing attack. Ideally, wed like to be up around the mark with our rushing, and we feel that it is absolutely necessary to be over 150 yards, said Jack Eatinger, the assistant coach in charge of the Wildcat We will have more runners. formations this year, and a lot more versatility. We are putting a heavy emphasis on blocking by our backs, and thats our first priority. We should also be able to throw to our backs effectively as we have in the past. The Wildcats return two back-fiel- d starters from last season with Eric Hill at tailback and Willie Glasper at fullback. Everyone else in the backfield, though, is a newcomer to the team. With the season opener against North Dakota State only about two weeks away, the 'cats have three players listed in the depth chart in each running back position. Hill, a talented senior, is the man to watch in the backfield. A second-tea- m selection last year. Hill had three consecutive 100 plus yard games. He averaged four yards per carry throughout the season, and is the top scorer returning this year, having crossed the goal line on six occassions last year. Big (6-202) fast, and blessed with good hands, Hill has the potential to be one of the top running backs in the Big Sky this year. Backing Hill up at tailback are Mark Fiehler and Kelvin Matthews. Fiehler, a junior college transfer, came to the Wildcats 1, during the summer from Palomar Junior College in San Diego. Although not large he is 185 Fiehler is quick and 5-- 8, very strong. He bench presses 335 pounds. Coach Eatinger is very impressed with his hands, and lists them as a major assest. Fiehler will also be used on kick returns, an area where he has proven ability. Kelvin Matthews, a freshman, lacks the experience of Hill and Fiehler, but is seen as an excellent player in the future. He boasts better than average speed, and playing behind two experienced runners this year will allow him to develop in a nopressure situation. The fullback slot will see more running this year, and that should suit Willie Glasper. An excellent athlete, Glasper is already an accomplished blocker and an outstanding pass catcher he grabbed 23 aerials last season for 164 yards. He only carried the ball 39 times last year, though, and with the new emphasis will see more action into the line. Glasper is likely to key to the Wildcat running game this year, and the talented veteran will be counted on heavily to come through. Listed behind Glasper in the depth chart are a pair of yearlings, Wimpy Roberson and Curtis Lambson. Roberson 217) has been impressive in the early going and is seen as another excellent prospect. He has excellent speed to go with his good size, and has the physical build to allow him to be a first-rat- e blocker as well as a hard runner to knock down. Lambson, who has been hobbled in the first week of drills by a strained knee, is a proven runner, having been an outstanding player at his high school in St. Johns, Arizona. Lambson stands 0 and weighs in at 197 pounds. Like Roberson, he needs time to make the transition from a high school to a collegiate pre-seas- (5-1- 6-- runner, but posses excellent physical tools which should allow him to make the transition. The Wildcat running game this year should be much more effective than in the past, and will be more interesting to watch. The variety of formations and an abundance of both experienced and new talent could make it one of the highlights of the overall game plan. It has potential to develop into a true team strong point. 6-- - 6-- pre-seaso- At end, look to sophomore Abdenour gets athletic trainer old Michigan native, has been Tom Abdenour, a named as the new Weber State College athletic trainer.. Abdenour replaces Ben Davidson, who resigned earlier this ' month to move to a similar position at Southern Utah State. Abdenour arrived on the Wildcat campus during the past week, and began his duties immediately. His appointment is subject to final confirmation by the Institutional Council of the school. A graduate of Wayne State University, Abdenour received both a Bachelors and Masters degree from the school. He is a certified athletic trainer with the National Athletic Trainers Association, and was to have been the president of the Michigan Athletic Trainers Society during the coming season after serving as last year. He comes to the Wildcats from Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, where he has been head trainer for the vice-preside- nt past year. He haralso - WayBeSUte-UnivSniff- y ' i Abdenours experience is very broad in the training field. Besides his collegiate positions, he has served for six years as the trainer at the NCAA National Indoor Track and Field Championships in Detroit, was a trainer at the North-Sout- h ir Shrine game held in the Silverdome in 1976, and has worked with professional athletes of the Detroit Junior Red Wings hockey club, the Detroit Pistons basketball team, and with the Detroit summer baseball program. He has been nationally published, with an article doling with knee injuries having been published in Scholastic Coach magazine. Abdenour is single, but is anticipating marriage after the conclusion of the current scholastic year next spring. all-sta- |