Prep football preview: New faces, old system at CHS

Aug. 5, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - Program sales should be brisk at Colony High football games this season.

Gone are 22 seniors - including 10 of 11 starters on both the offense and defense - from last year's Railbelt Conference championship team that lost in the state finals to South.

Gone is the Alaska Defensive Player of the Year in defensive end George Percak-Dennett, the state's Offensive Player of the Year, running back Chebon Jimenez, and the Lineman of the Year, Justin Beauchamp.

Also not around are first-team all-state performers - Teddy Babcock, quarterback; Wade Bowen, offensive guard; Ryan Coffman, defensive back; Nathan Kowalczk, linebacker; and lineman James Savage.

So forgive Colony fans if they need some time to get acquainted with this year's Knights.

But according to Colony head coach Jamie Mayo, just because this year's Knights are a bit of an unknown, it doesn't mean Colony can be taken lightly by Railbelt Conference competition.

&#8220We have several back-ups from last year that on normal years at this school would have been good enough to start,” Mayo said during practice earlier this week.

Mayo also pointed out that the Colony junior varsity went undefeated last season, and many of those players are now ready to prove themselves at the varsity level.

&#8220A bunch of those young men have some pretty big shoes to fill,” he said.

Two starters remain from last year's team - defensive back Jaron Murphy and offensive tackle Stewart Krueger - and they'll be among a core group of returning varsity players Mayo will be counting on for leadership this season. Krueger likely will play on both sides of the line, while Murphy will be expected to anchor the defensive secondary while also lining up as the teams primary option at tailback.

Joining Murphy in both backfields will be Bradley Truax, who'll start at both quarterback and safety for the Knights. Mayo said he's counting on his senior leaders to carry much of the load this season on offense, and said Truax in particular could have a breakout season. In fact, Mayo said Truax actually battled Babcock for the starting position up until the final day of pre-season practice.

&#8220That's how close it was,” Mayo said.

While Truax could have been the starter last season, the same can't be said for Murphy, who lined up as a slot receiver while Jimenez racked up 1,682 yards and 18 touchdowns as the state's top running back.

Anyone who questions Murphy might be in for a rude awakening. The senior two-sport star earned a reputation as one of the state's most gritty athletes at last year's state basketball tournament, and has the athletic ability to run past linemen or over defensive backs.

&#8220He's got good acceleration through the hole and he's elusive,” Mayo said.

Also likely to contribute on offense are receivers Chris Scott, a tall junior who didn't play last season, and D.J. Mouton, another newcomer who'll likely line up in the slot and could see some carries out of the backfield.

In a pre-season scrimmage against Service during a jamboree held at Anchorage Football Stadium Saturday, Murphy showed flashes of brilliance, scoring once on offense and intercepting a pass on defense while delivering some of the session's biggest hits.

During the jamboree, Colony lined up in multiple sets and ran motion on nearly every play. Without a showcase back like Jimenez, Mayo said the Knights likely will try to employ some deception on offense.

&#8220We'll run more motion to try to get the defense to move around a little bit more,” Mayo said.

Defensively, Mayo said he doesn't expect to throw any surprises at the opposition. In fact, he noted that the base 4-3, cover 2 system the Knights employ is nearly identical to the one used by many other top teams in the state.

&#8220We're going to run the same thing we've done every year,” Mayo said. &#8220It works,.”

While the system may be sound, Mayo said Colony's success on defense will hinge on finding the right personnel to fill specific roles within the scheme.

&#8220We're very specific about assignment football,” he said.

Heading into the season, he said many defensive positions are still up for grabs, and likely won't be decided until the day before next Saturday's season opener at Eielson.

&#8220There's a significant amount of competition,” Mayo said.

With a week to go before the season starts, Mayo said during Saturday's jamboree that his team still needs work on defense, pointing out that the Knights missed some key tackles during their second scrimmage against East Anchorage. Some of the team's miscues, he said, had much to do with players still learning their assignments and figuring out where to be at all times.

&#8220We've got to make sure our technique is fundamentally sound,” he said.

Despite some lapses, however, Colony looked fairly strong on defense Saturday against Service, which failed to score during its allotted 20 minutes of offensive time. Against East, the Knights were a bit shaky, but mainly because of missed tackles at the initial point of contact.

So while many teams across the state may want to write this year's version of a program that's reached the state playoffs in 12 of the past 13 seasons, Mayo said to do so could be a grave mistake.

&#8220We definitely think there's going to be some big surprises for people,” Mayo said.

And just because this year's names aren't well-known - at least not yet - doesn't mean Colony should be taken lightly.

&#8220If someone does overlook us, shame on them.”

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com.