LambuthFootball.com 2009 Season Review

[T.C.]

2009 Lambuth Football Season Review

The 2009 season is behind us and what a season it was! The Lambuth University Eagles completed a record-breaking regular season by winning all 11 games and hosted a home playoff game for the first time since 1996. Despite losing in the second round, the Eagles ascended to the #6 ranking in the NAIA and should be proud of their accomplishments. Let's take a look at all three phases of this historic season.

Offense

Quarterbacks
Hugh Freeze's spread offense was high powered once again in 2009. Sophomore quarterback Adam Wiese broke Lambuth's single-season TD passing record by tossing 32 total TDs on the year. He also completed 253 passes on 387 attempts for 3,422 yards. In week four against Virginia-Wise, Wiese set the single-game passing record by going 32 of 42 (76.2%) for 440 yards and 6 TDs. He was named MSC player of the week for his efforts. Wiese ranked in the top 10 nationally in multiple offensive categories. Freshman QB Kelvin Martin also had an impressive year, mostly in relief or in the wildcat formation. Despite playing behind Wiese, the MSC-West 1st team All-Conference selection, Martin had 8 total TDs and rushed for 312 yards and threw for 413 yards. The majority of Martin's contributions came late in the season, though he saw extensive time in many games and scored the game winning TD in overtime vs. Bethel. The combo of Wiese and Martin should bring a dynamic feel to the Lambuth QB position for years to come. The wildcard at the QB position, though, is freshman Nathan Jolley. Jolley was a highly touted recruit that was a late addition to the 2009 recruiting class. The development of Jolley could be interesting in the offseason.

Running backs
The stats for Coach Derek Morales' running backs don't pop out at anyone, but the RBs contributions were absolutely crucial. Senior transfer Ben Stallings set a bruising, grinding tone to the LU running game. Stallings, a two-time D2 All-American as a fullback, transferred to Lambuth and became a bruising TB. Stallings rushed for 567 yards on 116 attempts (4.9 ypc) and 9 TDs. A Lambuth trip to the red zone was commonly capitalized by a Stallings TD. Unfortunately, Stallings' season was cut short by a fractured foot after nine games. Stallings' injury thrust SR Victor Robinson into the spotlight and Robinson responded. After losing Stallings in the first half of the Belhaven game, Victor exploded for 100 yards, mostly in the second half, and put the game away by controlling the clock with 21 carries, 100 yards, and a TD. The following game at Georgetown was no different. Robinson was the workhorse the Eagles needed, carrying the ball 32 times for 152 yards and a TD in a game where the passing game struggled. Robinson produced crucial big plays in games against Shorter, KCU, and West Georgia as well. Sophomore FB B.A. Davis didn't get many touches, but when he did he produced by scoring 5 total TDs (4 rush, 1 receiving). Davis is the quiet giant, the heart and soul of the LU RB corps and opened holes for the other RBs and protected the QBs in passing situations. JR Marquis Williams ended the year on a high note and was most productive at the end of the season. Williams provided the lone bright spot for the LU offense in the playoff loss in Chicago when he broke free for a 56 yard TD run late in the game. FR RBs D'Nico Best and Will Johnson look to be future stars for the LU offense.

Receivers
One of the biggest question marks coming in to the season revolved around the replacements for Landon Talley and Shane Smith. Well, Grant Heard's WRs on the roster responded. JUCO transfer Rodrick Jefferson emerged as one of the NAIA's elite pass catchers this year. The 6'6, 232 lbs JR caught 80 passes for 1249 yards and 12 TDs, ranking him in the top 10 in the entire NAIA. Jefferson ("The Predator" as nicknamed by LU faithful) will return next year as a sure-fire All-American candidate. SRs Jesse Ferrell and Brandon Okechukwu conclude their Lambuth careers in impressive fashion, as well. Ferrell provided spark and athleticism to both Lambuth's offense and special teams, and scored a total of 3 TDs on 48 receptions and 622 yards. Okechukwu was second on the team in TD receptions, pulling in 8 TD passes on 47 receptions and 570 yards. Both seniors have been with the program through good times and bad and leave the team in better shape than when they arrived. SR E.J. Adams, a Kentucky transfer, contributed nicely in the special teams game and on offense. Adams pulled in 33 receptions for 537 yards and 4 TDs. E.J. also contributed as a rugby-style punter and changed the field position game vs. West Alabama that quite possibly sealed the win for Lambuth against the D2 opponent. Sophomore speed demon Donovan Maxwell also shows a high degree of promise and could emerge as a huge threat for the Lambuth offense in the future. Joshua Wimbley, also a sophomore, contributed two TDs on the season while underclassmen Jimmy Cole, T.J. Dollard, and Harley Deline contributed throughout the season. TE Clint Anderson graduates and leaves a big hole at the TE position. It will be interesting to see who will replace the productive SR at the end of the line.

Offensive Line
The big boys up front never get any credit, but this year's offensive line was a big part of LU's record-breaking offense. The OL experienced a great deal of injuries over the year, but the men playing in relief, coached by Don Pitt, didn't miss a beat all season. The incredible thing about the OL is that it was anchored by one senior while the remaining players were underclassmen. SR Justin Spiller, a Lane transfer, will move on, but the remainder of the OL will return. Leading the LU offense will be JRs (rising SRs) Bobby Ingalls, Jacob Yandell, and Josh Profit, who was an All-MSC Honorable Mention selection. SO Jerod Harrell (All-MSC First Team), Carlos Jones and Tyler Smothers will be JRs next year, while Jackson North Side product Juan Cox leads an impressive group of FR including Bobby Sexton, Chuck Jetton, and Chris Wedgeworth. George Morin (also an LB) and Clint Rogers, an All-MSC All Academic selection, return as well and will handle long-snapping duties while Rogers competes for a starting position on the OL.

2010 Offensive Outlook
The 2010 offense has the potential to outpace the 2008 and 2009 editions. QB Adam Wiese will be in his third year in the system and will threaten, if not break, multiple passing records in only his junior year. Rod Jefferson could be a preseason All-American. The Predator will be heavily leaned upon in the passing game, as will speedster Donovan Maxwell and Joshua Wimbley. All Lambuth fans will be rooting for the return of FR WRs Dayne Mullins and Fletcher Cleaves. RBs Marquis Williams, D'Nico Best, and Will Johnson will be counted on to provide the yards on the ground, but could be pushed by a number of talented redshirts. B.A. Davis, who will be a junior, will provide the heart and soul of the offense with his face mask bending style of play. Can QB Kelvin Martin be the dual threat Lambuth had with Josh Garza? Early returns say yes, which is an exciting proposition. Nearly the entire offensive line, including all the number 2s, returns which will greatly benefit the QB and RBs. Coach John Thompson will continue to mold the mashers up front in the offseason conditioning program. Overall, the Lambuth offense has far fewer question marks going into the 2010 season than it did in 2009. One point of emphasis, however, will be the elimination of costly turnovers.


Defense


Lambuth had a great deal of success on defense this year. In fact, this year's defense will be considered one of the best to take the field wearing the Blue and White. Coach Tom Allen's squad routinely shut down opposing offenses and garnered two shutouts on the season. Here are the men that made that possible.

Defensive Line
Coached by David Carter, the success of the "sharks" starts up front with a sensational group of defensive linemen. Led by SRs Sterling Williams, Jonathan Holston, and "Big" Ben Aigamaua, the DLine set the tone by stopping the run and rushing the passer. Williams was an All-MSC First team pick and tallied 2.0 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss. Despite only playing in 9 games, Holston finished with 7 TFLs and 3.0 sacks and 1 fumble recovery. Aigamaua finished a stellar LU career with 5.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, and hauled in an INT from his DE spot. The remaining DL will return next year and will be led by All-MSC First Team selection Luis Doray. Doray, the sophomore DT, is an All-American candidate and led the MSC with 8.5 sacks on the season. Another player that is a star in the making is SO DE Victor Pena. Pena has a flair for the dramatic and finished the season second on the team in TFLs with 11 and tied for third with 3.0 sacks. JR Donn Rutherford and FRs Wayne Lauderdale, Andrew Dodd, and Deshon Collins were also productive on the season by combining for 12 TFLs and 5.5 sacks. SO Jeremy Jones and an impressive stable of RS FR await their turn to shine in 2010.

Linebackers
One of the most abused phrases in sports is "best ever," but Tom Allen's 2009 edition of the Lambuth LB corps is definitely in the conversation as the best group of LBs to ever play at Lambuth. Led by SR Jason Ware, this group of LBs, from top to bottom, is absolutely outstanding. Ware will leave his mark on the Lambuth program as a guy that played with guts on and off the field, and he's the model for a Lambuth football player off the field. Ware finished the season with 63 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT, and 5 pass break ups. Named as an All-MSC West First Team selection, Ware fought through personal adversity to lead the Lambuth defense. Thank you for your contributions, Jason. SR Lee Yandell has accumulated an astounding number of tackles in his Lambuth career and has himself overcome a great deal of personal adversity to continue playing the sport he loves. Yandell finished the season with 36 tackles, 5 TFLs, and 1 sack and was always reliable when called upon. SR Stephen Moten was highly productive as well. Moten was a highly versatile guy and was capable of playing all over the field. Moten finished the year with 52 tackles, 4.0 TFLS, 2 INTs, and a fumble recovery. The star of the Lambuth defense is SO LB Jamie Payton. In his second season, Payton emerged as a potential All-American. His combination of size and speed allowed him to tally 97 tackles, 15 TFLs (for a loss of 79.5 yards), 7.5 sacks, 2 INTs, 7 pass break ups, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 forced fumble. He was also selected to the All-MSC West First Team. Payton might be the best defender LU has ever had. SO Adam Hom, from Honolulu, Hawaii routinely annihilated opposing ball carriers and plays with incredible tenacity. Hom battled through injury for much of the year, but a lasting image of his toughness will be the way he continued to play late in the season despite his injuries. FR Dee Hawkins, a highly touted recruit, came in and immediately contributed on defense. Hawkins made a name for himself by destroying a UVA-Wise ball carrier and is easily one of the hardest hitters on the team. Hawkins battled a neck injury for much of the year but will be in the starting mix in 2010. FR Ethan Cooper also had a nice FR year and collected 25 tackles and 2.5 TFLs. SO Adam Cranford will also had some nice contributions on the season.

Secondary
Easily the most improved unit on the year was the Eagle secondary. Mentored by coaching legend Ron Dickerson and anchored by SRs Dominique Bowman, Anton Anderson, and Chris Mitchell, the secondary took the 2008 playoff loss personally and it showed in a big way. Bowman was third on the team in tackles with 57 (2.5 TFL) and had a 54 yard fumble return for a TD. Mitchell was sixth on the team in tackles with 52, had 4.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack, 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery, and had 4 pass break ups. Anderson was the enforcer of the secondary. Although he didn't pull down an INT, Anderson had 8 TFLs and routinely put ball carriers and receivers on their backs with bone-crushing hits. Anton was an honorable mention All-MSC West pick. SO Rashad Taylor emerged as one of the best safeties in the country in 2009. Taylor, starting opposite of Bowman, produced more turnovers than any other Eagle this season. In fact, if there was a single play in 2009 that contributed the most to a win, it was produced by the SO from Dyersburg. In the fourth quarter of the Bethel game, the Bethel offense was driving for a decisive score when Taylor put a hat on the ball, causing a fumble that was recovered by Lambuth. Had Taylor not forced the fumble, Lambuth likely would have lost and would have had to share the MSC West championship with the rival Wildcats. Taylor also pulled down 6 INTs on the season and was a first team All-MSC West selection. JR Lamar Alston, a Western Kentucky transfer, was an important contributor late and produced two forced fumbles on the year with his physical style of play. Alston could be a star CB for Lambuth next season. FR Jordan Jackson and Zeke Pigg were significant contributors in their first season at Lambuth, especially on special teams. Jackson is one of the most athletic freshmen brought in last year's recruiting class while Pigg is relentless. SRs Rodney Daniel and Ben DiChiara added experience and maturity and their contributions will be missed.

Kicking Game
Florida State Transfer Nathan O'Jibway handled all kicking duties for the Eagles in 2009 and he proved to be a valuable commodity. "Jibby" was 10/17 on FGs with a long of 47. His two most important kicks came to force overtime and a second overtime at Bethel. On PATs, Nathan was 61 for 66 (92%). In the punting game, O'Jibway punted 46 times for a 38.1 yard average and a long of 59, with only one touchback and 19 being downed inside the 20. J.T. O'Donovan handled the majority of holding duties while George Morin and Clint Rogers handled long snapping duties. SR Ryan Nanney, the starter for the previous three seasons, leaves Lambuth as one of the top scoring kickers in program history.

2010 Defensive Outlook
Despite losing some outstanding seniors, the 2010 season brings greater expectations. "The Sharks" return an incredible nucleus of players that led the defense in 2009 including All MSC performers Jamie Payton, Luis Doray, and Rashad Taylor (all sophomores). Victor Pena, also a sophomore, had a breakout season and will take one of the DE positions full-time in 2010. Sunday Meaole battled through injuries this year, but he will be leaned upon as a SR leader in the secondary next to Lamar Alston. Jordan Jackson and Zeke Pigg are expected to be sophomore leaders in the secondary as well. FR Dee Hawkins and Ethan Cooper will compete for a starting LB position after an impressive first season and FR DL Wayne Lauderdale, Andrew Dodd, and DeShon Collins will continue the excellence on the defensive line. The Eagles also redshirted a number of excellent players and it will be interesting to see who emerges from the large number of players that didn't see the field this year. This defense should be the deepest crew of defenders in quite some time at L.L. Fonville.

2010 Recruiting
The biggest question for the Eagles in recruiting is: Where are the holes in the roster? It doesn't appear that the Eagles will have a glaring need with the roster they currently have, although the biggest losses on the team are at RB, WR, and in the secondary. There are current and potential stars at each position in question, but back-end depth is a question mark. The TE position is also up in the air with the graduation of the only TE on the active roster. Coach Lee Wilbanks has done a fabulous job building a roster through the past two recruiting classes and given another year to build, the prospects of building a championship team are very exciting and, frankly, very attainable. If the next crop of Eagles is as good as the last couple, Lambuth fans can look forward to football prosperity for years to come, including the D2 transition.

2010 Overall
The Eagles will continue their transition to NCAA Division II. An astounding number of 2009 sophomores will return with experience and a winning attitude. They'll need that attitude as the Eagles will be playing a tougher schedule against tougher opponents. Lambuth is moving out of the Mid-South Conference and will be an NAIA independent in 2010 and the schedule will include opponents such as Northwest Oklahoma State on the road, Georgia State (NCAA FCS) in the Georgia Dome, and additional Gulf South Conference opponents are being added to the schedule. This could also be the final year of competition at L.L. Fonville field, as the Eagles are expected to begin playing in Pringles Park full time in 2011. It is possible that games could be played at Pringles Park in 2010, as well. If the returning core of players can continue their pursuit of excellence, 2010 could be even more special than 2009.

Summary
The 2009 will always be one to remembered. It was Lambuth's final year as a member of the MSC and we went out on top. It was year marred with tragedy and adversity, but the Eagles were able to prevail throughout all of the turmoil. This season will definitely be a standard of excellence that future teams will be measured against. To all of the Lambuth seniors, thank you and good luck with your careers. Continue your support of LU after your graduation. To the coaching staff, thank you for your tireless efforts. To Coach Hillie Walton, Tim Doggett, Ethan Allen, Martino Theus, Michael Ragan, Bob Monica, Jesse Batchelor, and the remainder of the football staff, thanks for doing the thankless jobs no one sees you do. To Diamond Dave McCulley and Hal Freeman, thanks for being the voice of the Eagles. The LambuthFootball.com shout outs are greatly appreciated.

Congratulations on an outstanding 2009 and here's to a better 2010.

[MATRIX66]

Excellent year end summary. Toby and TC have done a fantastic job and put forth a lot of effort to keep us informed and a forum to discuss our various topics.

Thanks guys--

Don't forget people--bandwith is not free--send donations!

[BA'S DAD]

Originally Posted by MATRIX66

Excellent year end summary. Toby and TC have done a fantastic job and put forth a lot of effort to keep us informed and a forum to discuss our various topics.

Thanks guys--

Don't forget people--bandwith is not free--send donations!

ABSOLUTELY !!!!! "KUDOS" to T & T !!!! Thanks for givin an old man a new lease on "BALL TALK" !!!
GO EAGLES !!!!
LOOKIN' FOR 1 - 0

[T.C.]

Had a couple of errors, mistakenly listed Marquis Williams as a senior. He's a junior this year, which is good news for the running game.

I also put Jesse Batchelor with the football staff. Can't forget about ol' Jesse.

[C.Hill]

Did you write this TC? How many schools have people that give a crap enough about the team to put something like that together...especially on this level.

Nice work. Your efforts are appreciated.

[Harley60]

Great analysis. I enjoyed the read.

[Toby]

Originally Posted by C.Hill

Did you write this TC? How many schools have people that give a crap enough about the team to put something like that together...especially on this level.

Nice work. Your efforts are appreciated.

This was all TC's effort. Outstanding job.

[T.C.]

Thanks. Had some time to burn after completing a project. Didn't take as long as you'd think. I enjoyed it and look forward to writing more. Our team is easy to like. They're a good group of guys and deserve more recognition than they get.

[mbrogers]

As sad as I have been over the season being over, reading the season in review has me excited and wishing next season was already here. Clint is enjoying some duck and deer hunting right now, but continues to lift weight to stay ready for spring practice and next year. GO EAGLES!!

[T.C.]

Bump.

[T.C.]

Time to put the 2009 season to bed. It was memorable and historic.

Here's to more (and even better) memories in 2010 and beyond. The 2010 Season Preview will be coming in the weeks to come.