2009 - Texas Lutheran Athletics

Photo by Drew Engelke
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2008 SEASON PREVIEW
Jack Moses is slated to start for a
third straight season at linebacker.
start at nose tackle. The fourth starter on the
defensive line will be true freshman Chris Kyle
(Fr.-FY, 6-0, 208, McAllen, Texas/McAllen),
who gets the nod at the other defensive end.
“Eric is tough,” said Castillo. “He hustles
every play, and he’s the hardest worker on our
defense.”
Giving the Bulldogs some depth on the
defensive line will be: Christopher Reyna (So.-
SQ, 5-9, 225, Houston, Texas/Waltrip), Victor
Espinosa (Fr.-FY, 5-11, 225, Killeen,
Texas/Harker Heights), Louie Galvez (Jr.-FY, 5-
8, 230, Houston, Texas/Cypress Fairbanks),
Luis Flores (Fr.-FY, 6-2, 238, Monterrey,
Texas/Sharyland (Texas)), and Roger Cantu (5-
11, 210, So.-FY, McAllen/Memorial).
LINEBACKER
The linebacking unit took a hit when TLU’s
2008 leading tackler Jarrad McAdams did not
return for his junior season, but the Bulldogs
are moving forward with a sleek unit built
upon solid veterans and newcomers. Leading
the group will be junior and two-year starter
Jack Moses (Jr.-2L, 6-1, 215, San Antonio,
Texas/Churchill). Moses played and started in
all 10 games a year ago and finished third on
team in total tackles, with a career-high 63. He
also posted a career-best seven tackles for loss,
for 33 yards in losses and recorded 2.5 sacks
(for 26 yards). He hit double-digits in tackles
in four different games, including a 12-tackle
performance to end the year against Mississippi
College.
“Jack is smart, and he’s our best coverage
linebacker,” said Castillo. “He can get us lined
up and get us out of trouble.”
Moses is being pushed in the preseason by
newcomer Dan Lopez (Jr.-TR, 5-9, 200,
Corpus Christi, Texas/Calallen/Bacone (Okla.)),
a hard-hitting and physical linebacker that
should see plenty of time on the field in 2009.
With Moses and Lopez competing at one
outside linebacking spot, the middle linebacker
position is a battle between returners Jeff Davis
(Sr.-2L, 5-11, 225, Houston, Texas/Alief
Hastings) and Trey Parma (So.-1L, 6-0, 220,
Yorktown, Texas/Yorktown) and first-year
player Jonathan Rodriguez (Fr.-FY, 6-0, 185,
San Antonio/Southwest). Davis missed all of
2008, and Parma earned his first varsity letter
last season. Parma played in eight games and
made six starts (all at linebacker) in 2008. He
finished the year with career-best seven tackles
against Mississippi College.
At the other outside linebacker spot, Joseph
Mendoza (Jr.-1L, 5-9, 195, Houston,
Texas/Bellaire) and Don Gadberry (So.-1L, 5-
11, 228, Dallas, Texas/Duncanville) are in a
battle to start.
“All the (linebacker) spots are basically up in
the air,” said Castillo. “It’s a good problem to
have, and we have some depth with some guys
that can do some different things – whether in
pass coverage or stopping the run.”
SECONDARY
The loss of departed seniors Robert Bonner
and Dwight Bonner creates openings for new
players in the secondary. Among the projected
starters for 2009, only safety Dantrell Anderson
saw time as a starter in 2008.
Anderson (So.-1L, 5-11, 185, Mobile,
Alab./Cedar Hill (Texas)) is the play-maker of
the unit. The starter at strong safety, Anderson
displayed his speed and athletic ability a year
ago when he saw significant time as a
freshman. He posted a career-best 12 tackles,
with three tackles for loss, in the home victory
over Sul Ross State on Oct. 11. His three
tackles for loss (another career high) went for
13 yards and included one of his two sacks on
the year. He also had seven tackles (plus a
tackle for loss) in road win at Howard Payne.
“We’re expecting big things in the secondary
from Dantrell Anderson,” said Castillo. “He’s a
big hitter and athletic. He’s around the ball
quite a bit. We want our strong safety to come
in the box and stop the run, or in a pass
situation to play a deep half or deep third.”
The starting job at free safety is a battle
between two sophomores, Julio Reyes (So.-1L,
The Bulldogs tangled with the Hardin-Simmons Cowboys for Homecoming 2008. In
2009, TLU welcomes Louisiana College to Seguin for the Homecoming game.
Photo by Tim Clark
Photo by Drew Engelke
Billy Hardee (41) and Emmanuel Asahene (4) were two standouts on special
teams in 2008.
5-10, 160, Houston, Texas/South Houston) and
Devin Davis (So.-1L, 6-1, 195, San Antonio,
Texas/Converse Judson).
The Bulldogs will have new starting
cornerbacks in Acie Washington (Fr.-TR, 6-0,
200, Houston, Texas/Milby/West Texas A&M)
and Leonard Durand (Fr.-RS, 5-8, 175,
Galveston, Texas/Ball). Durand is a dynamic
athlete that burst onto the Bulldogs’ radar in
his first collegiate game a year ago. In the
second game of the year, a contest played at
Trinity University, Durand (playing wide
receiver) hustled back to make a fumblecausing
hit after a Trinity interception.
Unfortunately, Durand was lost for the season
with a knee injury shortly after that play and
received a medical redshirt. For 2009, Durand
brings his speed and hard-hitting ability to the
corner.
Other defensive backs vying for significant
playing time are: Zack Weathersby (Jr.-TR, 5-
7, 165, Jackson, Miss./Forest/Mississippi
College), Joshua Arce (So.-TR, 5-11, 205, San
Antonio, Texas/Warren/Texas State), and
Caston Boyd (So.-1L, 5-10, 170, La Marque,
Texas/La Marque).
SPECIAL TEAMS
The special teams unit will be headed by
Parker in 2009. At his disposal he’ll have, in
his opinion, the best punter in the conference
(Frank Vera). With the Bulldogs set at punter,
Parker and kicking coach Buzzy Keller need to
find a starting kicker. Parker lists kicker as one
of the top needs entering the season.
“We’ll have the best punter in the
conference, and the best kick return and best
punt return in the conference,” said Parker.
“And if we don’t have good performances at
quarterback, we’ll need a kicker and a strong
kicking game to compensate for not being as
good at quarterback. The kicking game will be
critical.”
PUNTER
Frank Vera (Sr.-3L, 5-9, 150, Laredo,
Texas/Nixon) is the unquestioned starter at
punter. A threat to do something special on
trick plays (as a holder, punter, or wing back)
with his arm or legs, Vera most importantly has
improved each year as a punter. And now he
clearly ranks as one of the league’s best, if not
the best punter, entering ’09. After an ASC
Honorable Mention selection in 2008, Vera is
poised to make 2009 an All-ASC season (or
possibly better). Vera started all 10 games again
as the team’s starting punter and holder and
was the team’s Special Teams Player of the Year
for a second straight year after averaging 39.4
yards per punt. He had a long punt of 66 in
the overtime win at Sul Ross State, and he put
15 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
PLACE-KICKER
The battle for starting kicker will come
down to two freshmen - Allen Cain (Fr.-FY, 6-
2, 165, San Antonio, Texas/Stevens) and Justin
Guerrero (Fr.-FY, 5-11, 190, Alice, Texas/Alice).
The Bulldogs need improvement from the
position from the numbers put forth in 2008.
The Bulldogs of last year made just four of 10
field goal attempts and were just 1-for-5 in
attempts over 40 yards.
PUNT RETURN
Punt return duties will be manned by Brian
Box (So.-SQ, 5-9, 165, Beaumont,
Texas/Hardin-Jefferson) and Leonard Durand
(Fr.-RS, 5-8, 175, Galveston, Texas/Ball).
Box and Durand, two of the fastest players
on the team, could provide big boosts to a
special teams unit that averaged only 5.4 yards
per return a year ago.
KICK RETURN
Anthony Smith will anchor the kick return
unit in 2009. If Smith returns to his 2007 form
as a kickoff returner (the year he returned 27
kicks for 579 yards – an average of 21.4 per
return), that type of performance would have a
great impact in the Bulldogs’ overall offensive
efforts. Smith has the ability to go the distance
with each kickoff return. He took the opening
kickoff of 2007 back 92 yards for a TD against
Sul Ross State.
Box, Eddie Pitts (Fr.-FY, 5-10, 220, San
Antonio, Texas/Madison), and Quinnten
Cleveland (Jr.-SQ, 5-9, 190, Galveston,
Texas/Ball) also could see time at kick return in
2009.
HOLDER / DEEP SNAPPER
Vera will start again as the holder, and he
always poses the threat of a trick play or two
from that position. Because he is a good
scrambler and an able passer of the football,
opposing teams in the ASC always have to
keep a special eye on Vera.
The deep snapping starting job will be a
battle between freshman Andrew Wroth (Fr.-
FY, 6-1, 160, Friendswood/Friendswood) and
Billy Hardee (5-10, 205, Houston/Marine
Military Academy). Hardee saw time at deep
snapper last season.
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