Prep football preview: Great expectations for CHS

PALMER - Local prep football pundits are calling the Colony Knights one of the teams to beat in the powerful Railbelt Conference and possibly one of the top teams with a shot at the state title.

And while coach Jamie Mayo acknowledges there's a lot of returning talent on the Knights, he stops short of making his own predictions about the 2006 season. As a football coach and a realist, he knows that a team's prospects on paper and how it executes on the field often can be very different.

&#8220We haven't done anything,” Mayo said. &#8220We were 5-4 last year, and we have a lot to prove. We're going to play one game at a time and evaluate ourselves after every game. We're taking baby steps, and I like it that way, because nobody is going to get complacent.”

While he proceeds with caution, he's also enthusiastic about the attitude and talent of his returning players, a group who spent the second half of last year taking their lumps.

Cleansing their palate is the plan for Colony this season. The Knights didn't like the taste of so many defeats toward the end of the 2005 campaign.

&#8220We'd like to finish stronger,” said Mayo, who is in his second year as the Colony head coach.

The Knights did post a 5-4 record, qualifying for the playoffs. But losing four of their last five games took some of the luster off another successful year.

&#8220The only bright side of how we finished is that three of our losses came at the hands of the team that played for the state championship,” Mayo said. &#8220Juneau and Palmer were good teams last year.”

Mayo added that his players have already circled the dates for rematches against the Moose and Crimson Bears on the schedule.

&#8220Those are important games for us,” Mayo said. &#8220We play them on homecoming night and senior night, which are already big games. Facing a big opponent just adds to it.”

Despite losing 13 seniors to graduation, Mayo is excited about the depth his team has heading into the season.

&#8220We've got maybe 20 seniors back who were on varsity last season,” Mayo said. &#8220We lost two starters on both offense and defense. We're basically the same team as last year, but with depth on the bench.

&#8220That our biggest strength this season,” Mayo continued. &#8220In seasons past we were maybe two deep in a handful of positions. This year I'd say that with the players who moved up from JV challenging the varsity players for playing time, that we're two and maybe three deep in every position.”

The Knights will miss quarterback Tim Egger and standout wide receiver Austin Manelick, who both graduated, taking with them a big piece of the offensive pie.

But Colony still has some firepower. Senior Chebon Jimenez (6-foot, 200 pounds) returns after leading the Knights ground attack. He'll also play safety, and will likely see duty return punts and kickoffs.

After rushing for 770 yards and six TDs last season, Jimenez won't surprise anyone this season.

What might surprise people however, are the five players who line up in front of him for each play.

&#8220Our offensive line is improved over last year,” Jimenez said. &#8220They're much more athletic and have improved their down field blocking. That should open up more running lanes and cuts for all of our backs this

season.”

Leading the charge up front will be Wade Bowen and James Savage. Bowen (6-8, 320 pounds) plays right guard for the Knights and is currently being recruited by several top Division I colleges. Savage, who played varsity as a freshman and sophomore, returns to the team after missing his junior season.

Finding a replacement for graduated kicker/punter Egger is on the agenda for Mayo, but the Knights seem on the verge of another enjoyable ride.

Overall, Mayo believes his team exhibits a promising mix of talent and experience. He's just cautious about saddling them with the pressure that accompanies high expectations.

Colony opens the season Saturday, hosting Soldotna at 6 p.m.

&#8220Our coaching staff is just concentrating on the season opener against Soldotna,” Mayo said. &#8220If the kids do things right and execute what we're teaching in practices and in games, good things will come.”

Contact Darrell L. Breese at 352-2267 or at darrell.breese@

frontiersman.com.