At a glance
The Alfred State College football team will play on campus for the first time in program history in 2008 and the Pioneers hope to make some noise in the Northeast Football Conference. Mick Caba (9th season, 36-44) and his coaching staff believe that an added emphasis on size and speed will pay dividends.
The Alfred State College football team will play on campus for the first time in program history in 2008 and the Pioneers hope to make some noise in the Northeast Football Conference. Mick Caba (9th season, 36-44) and his coaching staff believe that an added emphasis on size and speed will pay dividends.
Coach Caba is excited about this team. "The returners have stepped up to the challenge of becoming leaders and the chemistry between them and a talented group of freshmen is happening quickly. We feel we have improved every aspect of our team. Most importantly we improved our size up front on both sides of the ball to help us match-up better with our opponents and increased our team speed on defense."
Geoff Hicks (Cheektowaga/Cleveland Hill) moves to quarterback after catching 30 passes for 414 yards and four scores as the team's #2 wide receiver last year. Hicks, 6'5, 215 lbs, will lead an offense that the coaching staff hopes to be more balanced.
Hicks' offensive threats include freshman running back DeAndre Johnson (Detroit, MI/Maidson). Johnson, the Michigan Player of the Year in 2007, is just the third person in Michigan history to rush for 7,000 yards in a career.
Returning slot backs, Jason Brand (Springfield, VA/West Springfield) and Robbie Fagan (Coconut Creek, FL/South Broward) are expected to be key offensive contributors. In 2007, Brand accumulated 547 yards of offense while Fagan had 333 yards.
Josh Griffin (Englewood, NJ/Dwight Morrow) a 6'3, 180 lb. wide receiver has stepped up during camp and has impressed the coaching staff. Nick Perez (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury) is vying to play on the opposite side.
Returners Ethan Brooks (Dundee/Dundee), Jeff Gamble (Delavan/Pioneer), and Nate Smith (Clymer/Clymer) bring size -Brooks (6-3, 325), Gamble (6-3, 270), and Smith (6-5, 290)- and experience to the offensive line.
On the defensive side, Willie Burnett (Buffalo/McKinley), Dennis Thomas (Bowie, MD/Bowie), Malcolm Solomon (Rochester/Wilson Magnet), and Ike Iloegbu (Brentwood/Ramapo) will give the team great speed and athleticism at the cornerback position. Rod Streator (Burlington, NJ/Burlington Township) returns after missing all last season with an injury and will play safety.
Nate Williams (Cincinnati, OH/Colerain) - 6-3, 245 - and Brendan Walker (Bridgeport, CT/Bridgeport) - 6-0, 240 - give the Pioneers added size at linebacker. Returners, Clifton Krotz (Cattaraugus/Cattaraugus Little Valley) 43 tackles and two sacks, Andy Eichas (Hilton/Hilton) 46 tackles and three fumble recoveries, and Matt Perry (Belle Vernon, PA/Belle Vernon) 20 tackles and one sack also will be key contributors. Freshman Reggie Spence (Dania, FL/Charles W. Flanagan) will also be in the mix.
Bill Drake (Hornell/Hornell) moves to the nose tackle and will team with Arthur Wilson (Detroit, MI/Madison) to plug up the middle. Jerome Williams (W. Palm Beach, FL/John I Leonard) will give us a speed rush on the outside.
The Pioneers schedule features nine games (five at home) with home NFC contests versus Erie CC, Hudson Valley CC, and Nassau CC. The Blue and Gold travel to Dean College and Lackawanna College in conference play. The non-conference schedule features the home opener versus Stevens Tech, road contests with Williamson Trade and Hartwick College JV, and a home contest versus the Niagara X-Men from Ontario, Canada.
A-State opens up the season on September 6th when they host Stevens Tech in what is scheduled to be the first football game played on the college's new field turf facility.
"Playing on the new field on campus is tremendous not only for our program but for the whole college community. We are looking forward to getting out there and showing people an exciting brand of football."