scotttyson62
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Well it looks like Kevin could not get the starting job at wssu. That has to suck.
By John Dell Winston-Salem Journal
It felt like the end of an era last season when Winston-Salem State trudged off the turf at Durham County Stadium after a 21-17 loss to Virginia State in the CIAA championship game.
With close to 35 players gone from that team, including all 11 starters on defense, the Rams will have a decidedly new look this season.
The loss to Virginia State was costly because the Rams, even though they went 9-2 last season, missed out on the Division II playoffs for the first time in three seasons.
Despite all the losses and a total of 18 of 22 starters gone from a year ago, coach Kienus Boulware is optimistic. Part of the reason for the optimism is the new talent that he and his assistant coaches brought in. The Rams were still picked to win the CIAA in the preseason coaches’ poll.
“It kind of takes me back to the 2010 season where our defense looked strong but we didn’t know how good we would be overall,” Boulware said about his first season as defensive coordinator after the Rams rejoined the CIAA. “Offensively, we aren’t as bad as it seems because our defense is flying around having fun, so the defense has been in front of the offense this camp.”
The defense has enjoyed a better camp, according to Boulware, but that’s in large part because the offense has been searching for a starting quarterback. Offensive coordinator John Eder and Jason Mai, the quarterbacks coach, appear to have settled on Rod Tinsley, who started the spring game.
Tinsley, Justin Johnson, Reggie Green and Kevin Sousa battled for the job all preseason, but when the Rams open Thursday at UNC Pembroke it’s likely Tinsley will be the starter.
“We are going to be a successful team,” Tinsley said after a recent practice.
Tinsley, a transfer from Gardner-Webb, is listed at 6-1, 175 pounds, and he is in the mode of Kameron Smith, a former WSSU star who is the school’s all-time leading passer.
It’s a stretch to compare Tinsley to Smith at this point, but Tinsley has done a good job of picking up the pro-style offense Eder has installed.
“I feel like we can be the best,” Tinsley said. “We have good athletes, and we are coming together to have that chemistry. I feel like we can be one of the best teams.”
The Rams will be balanced on offense starting with the running game led by senior Tyree Massey. Newcomers Justin Pickett (Tennessee transfer) and Malik Moseley (Old Dominion) and returning backup Bronson Greene give the Rams more depth at running back than they had last season.
Last season with Rudy Johnson and Phillip Sims sharing quarterback duties, the Rams were more of a passing team.
Boulware said that being balanced between the run and the pass will keep opponents guessing.
“On offense we still have guys that are trying to get acclimated to the system,” Boulware said. “We need to cut down on mistakes…”
One of Eder’s trademarks is building his offense starting with linemen. He coaches the linemen himself and has built quality depth heading into the season.
The only returning starter on the offensive line is left tackle is Jac’que Polite. Kevin Ward, a sophomore, is slated for left guard alongside Joshua Wormley, a sophomore from Sacramento, Calif., who should start at center. Also expected to start at guard are Tim Samuels, a sophomore from Charlotte, and tackle Donald Reid, a senior who played last season.
Others who will see playing time are center James Whitner, guard Tevin Clemmons and tackles Deveonte Mackey and Brandon Woodard.
The Rams are in great shape at wide receiver with senior Marcel Caver back and healthy. He suffered a knee injury last season that led to knee surgery. Caver has been catching everything thrown his way during preseason camp and is 100 percent healthy.
Also back at wide receiver is Rashan Williams, who missed last season because of academic issues, and Eric Williams, who started some last season.
Transfers Reggie Wilkins (North Carolina) and Brandon Ojikutu (a former walk-on at Ohio State who graduated in the spring) will give the Rams depth at wide receiver.
The tight end is an important part of Eder’s offense, and Anthony Rook, a transfer from Wake Forest, and Demeeko Jones, give the Rams options there.
Polite said he senses that there aren’t many believers because the Rams lost so many players.
“I think we are going to have an amazing year,” Polite said. “I think we are going to shock a lot of people because even though we lost so many guys from last year we have the talent. It’s going to be a big shock of what we can do.”
One of the changes within the coaching staff was the firing of Daren Hart as co-defensive coordinator. While Richard Hayes is listed as defensive coordinator this season, Boulware has helped a lot with the shaping of that unit.
The defense is led by fifth-year senior Michael Bloomfield, one of the quickest linemen in the CIAA. He’s the only returning player who was listed in the top 10 in tackles from last season.
Bloomfield, a candidate for CIAA Defensive Player of the Year, has quite a legacy to live up to. The Rams have had the defensive player award the last four seasons.
“The new guys that we have on defense have stepped it up, and the guys that are returning are hungry because we didn’t make the playoffs last year,” Bloomfield said. “And that’s a goal for this season.”
Hayes said that even though the Rams lost 11 starters on defense, several are back who played a lot last season. Among those Hayes is looking to for increased production are linemen Quinton Alton and Michael Douglas, along with linebacker Xavier Gregory.
On the line Phillip Williamson and rover P.J. Clyburn, both transfers from North Carolina, will likely start.
Hayes will also be counting on linebackers Jayron Rankin, a freshman from Reidsville, and Brandon Dixon, a redshirt freshman from Charlotte.
“Our inside linebackers are fairly new,” Hayes said. “And our free safety is new, so we have to fix the communication part of it. We are deep but we are young with some new faces.”
Veterans Sidney Lawson and Vernon Brandon, who missed last season because of academic issues, will be a big help in the secondary. Also, free safety James Bullock, a junior college transfer, will likely start in that spot.
The Rams will have one of the strongest special teams in the CIAA led by Will Johnson, a junior who averaged 39 yards a punt last season. Johnson will also be the field-goal kicker and will kick off.
Boulware said that building chemistry was the biggest goal this preseason. Just how much of that chemistry has been built will be known Thursday in the opener at UNC Pembroke.
“That is a tough question,” Boulware said when asked if the Rams have enough talent to win the CIAA. “I’m more focused on Pembroke because that’s our next game, so I haven’t even looked ahead to our conference games. I do know we have to get off to a good start in nonconference games.
“A realistic goal is targeting the CIAA championship, but we have to put all our focus on Pembroke.”
By John Dell Winston-Salem Journal
It felt like the end of an era last season when Winston-Salem State trudged off the turf at Durham County Stadium after a 21-17 loss to Virginia State in the CIAA championship game.
With close to 35 players gone from that team, including all 11 starters on defense, the Rams will have a decidedly new look this season.
The loss to Virginia State was costly because the Rams, even though they went 9-2 last season, missed out on the Division II playoffs for the first time in three seasons.
Despite all the losses and a total of 18 of 22 starters gone from a year ago, coach Kienus Boulware is optimistic. Part of the reason for the optimism is the new talent that he and his assistant coaches brought in. The Rams were still picked to win the CIAA in the preseason coaches’ poll.
“It kind of takes me back to the 2010 season where our defense looked strong but we didn’t know how good we would be overall,” Boulware said about his first season as defensive coordinator after the Rams rejoined the CIAA. “Offensively, we aren’t as bad as it seems because our defense is flying around having fun, so the defense has been in front of the offense this camp.”
The defense has enjoyed a better camp, according to Boulware, but that’s in large part because the offense has been searching for a starting quarterback. Offensive coordinator John Eder and Jason Mai, the quarterbacks coach, appear to have settled on Rod Tinsley, who started the spring game.
Tinsley, Justin Johnson, Reggie Green and Kevin Sousa battled for the job all preseason, but when the Rams open Thursday at UNC Pembroke it’s likely Tinsley will be the starter.
“We are going to be a successful team,” Tinsley said after a recent practice.
Tinsley, a transfer from Gardner-Webb, is listed at 6-1, 175 pounds, and he is in the mode of Kameron Smith, a former WSSU star who is the school’s all-time leading passer.
It’s a stretch to compare Tinsley to Smith at this point, but Tinsley has done a good job of picking up the pro-style offense Eder has installed.
“I feel like we can be the best,” Tinsley said. “We have good athletes, and we are coming together to have that chemistry. I feel like we can be one of the best teams.”
The Rams will be balanced on offense starting with the running game led by senior Tyree Massey. Newcomers Justin Pickett (Tennessee transfer) and Malik Moseley (Old Dominion) and returning backup Bronson Greene give the Rams more depth at running back than they had last season.
Last season with Rudy Johnson and Phillip Sims sharing quarterback duties, the Rams were more of a passing team.
Boulware said that being balanced between the run and the pass will keep opponents guessing.
“On offense we still have guys that are trying to get acclimated to the system,” Boulware said. “We need to cut down on mistakes…”
One of Eder’s trademarks is building his offense starting with linemen. He coaches the linemen himself and has built quality depth heading into the season.
The only returning starter on the offensive line is left tackle is Jac’que Polite. Kevin Ward, a sophomore, is slated for left guard alongside Joshua Wormley, a sophomore from Sacramento, Calif., who should start at center. Also expected to start at guard are Tim Samuels, a sophomore from Charlotte, and tackle Donald Reid, a senior who played last season.
Others who will see playing time are center James Whitner, guard Tevin Clemmons and tackles Deveonte Mackey and Brandon Woodard.
The Rams are in great shape at wide receiver with senior Marcel Caver back and healthy. He suffered a knee injury last season that led to knee surgery. Caver has been catching everything thrown his way during preseason camp and is 100 percent healthy.
Also back at wide receiver is Rashan Williams, who missed last season because of academic issues, and Eric Williams, who started some last season.
Transfers Reggie Wilkins (North Carolina) and Brandon Ojikutu (a former walk-on at Ohio State who graduated in the spring) will give the Rams depth at wide receiver.
The tight end is an important part of Eder’s offense, and Anthony Rook, a transfer from Wake Forest, and Demeeko Jones, give the Rams options there.
Polite said he senses that there aren’t many believers because the Rams lost so many players.
“I think we are going to have an amazing year,” Polite said. “I think we are going to shock a lot of people because even though we lost so many guys from last year we have the talent. It’s going to be a big shock of what we can do.”
One of the changes within the coaching staff was the firing of Daren Hart as co-defensive coordinator. While Richard Hayes is listed as defensive coordinator this season, Boulware has helped a lot with the shaping of that unit.
The defense is led by fifth-year senior Michael Bloomfield, one of the quickest linemen in the CIAA. He’s the only returning player who was listed in the top 10 in tackles from last season.
Bloomfield, a candidate for CIAA Defensive Player of the Year, has quite a legacy to live up to. The Rams have had the defensive player award the last four seasons.
“The new guys that we have on defense have stepped it up, and the guys that are returning are hungry because we didn’t make the playoffs last year,” Bloomfield said. “And that’s a goal for this season.”
Hayes said that even though the Rams lost 11 starters on defense, several are back who played a lot last season. Among those Hayes is looking to for increased production are linemen Quinton Alton and Michael Douglas, along with linebacker Xavier Gregory.
On the line Phillip Williamson and rover P.J. Clyburn, both transfers from North Carolina, will likely start.
Hayes will also be counting on linebackers Jayron Rankin, a freshman from Reidsville, and Brandon Dixon, a redshirt freshman from Charlotte.
“Our inside linebackers are fairly new,” Hayes said. “And our free safety is new, so we have to fix the communication part of it. We are deep but we are young with some new faces.”
Veterans Sidney Lawson and Vernon Brandon, who missed last season because of academic issues, will be a big help in the secondary. Also, free safety James Bullock, a junior college transfer, will likely start in that spot.
The Rams will have one of the strongest special teams in the CIAA led by Will Johnson, a junior who averaged 39 yards a punt last season. Johnson will also be the field-goal kicker and will kick off.
Boulware said that building chemistry was the biggest goal this preseason. Just how much of that chemistry has been built will be known Thursday in the opener at UNC Pembroke.
“That is a tough question,” Boulware said when asked if the Rams have enough talent to win the CIAA. “I’m more focused on Pembroke because that’s our next game, so I haven’t even looked ahead to our conference games. I do know we have to get off to a good start in nonconference games.
“A realistic goal is targeting the CIAA championship, but we have to put all our focus on Pembroke.”
