July 21

Elevated Expectations in ’06 for Adrian College Football

For Adrian College Football, the 2006 season brings many exciting opportunities. The team will open their season in a brand-new $6.5 million stadium on Sept. 9, and will close the careers of an exceptional senior class when the Bulldogs travel to rival Alma College on Nov. 11.

Head coach Jim Lyall, in his 17th season at the helm of AC Football, recognizes that with a new facility, and a recent history of success, expectations have changed.

“There is a real sense of urgency this year. We have a great group of seniors that have had success over their first three seasons, but no championship. This is their last opportunity. I have told them, ‘You better enjoy this,’” said Lyall.

That senior class includes All-American linebacker Taz Wallace, the school’s all-time leading tackler. Over the past three seasons, the Bulldogs have gone 22-8, while Wallace has garnered numerous honors and totaled 293 tackles. Each season, however, AC has slipped up at inopportune times, costing themselves a shot at the MIAA crown.

“This is a beginning in many ways but, in a sense, also the last opportunity for the seniors to make the most of their final season,” Lyall said.

The expectations are coupled with a great excitement, not only around the Adrian community, but also in the Bulldog locker room. There is a palpable sense that the Bulldogs are on the verge of a big climb toward national prominence.

“We are in a unique situation,” stated Lyall. “We have a group of coaches and players that are all looking in the same direction, wanting to be champions. With the new facilities, there is no reason that we cannot be one of the best programs in the nation.”

Improvements to AC Football do not stop with facilities. The coaching staff has undergone a significant change, going from essentially one full-time football coach in Lyall, to seven full-timers, and three part-time coaches.

Commenting on the coaching staff, Lyall said, “We have a great staff of seven full-time coaches and three part-time coaches that treat it like a full-time job.”

“I am very pleased with their knowledge, passion and teaching ability,” Lyall concluded.

AC offensive coordinator Ken Calhoun enters his sixth season leading the Bulldog offense, while Aaron Klotz enters his fifth year as the squad’s defensive coordinator.

Calhoun came to Adrian College after an extremely successful stint at Adrian High School.

“Ken Calhoun’s record speaks for itself. He is a Hall of Fame coach in the state of Michigan. He is consumed with the game of football. It is who he is. He has very high standards for the offense,” said Lyall.

Klotz is building an impressive resume of his own. His platoon led the MIAA in total defense last season.

Lyall spoke of what Klotz brings to the AC staff.

“I recruited Aaron to Adrian College and he went on to be an All-MIAA defensive back and league MVP in baseball. He is extremely well-organized. He craves challenges. He is motivated to be the best. I hired him because he is a great person and he has done a great job. As the assistant head coach he has taken on additional responsibilities.”

Lyall’s assignment has also changed with the exponential growth of the staff. The head coach will no longer coach a position, but will focus on the overall direction and attitude of the team.

“The position coaches teach technique and strategy. As the head coach, I make sure that the effort is there. If a player makes a mistake, but is giving great effort, I can live with that,” explained the AC mentor.

As the leader of Bulldog Football, Lyall has charged his staff with building an environment that breeds success.

“I feel we have a strong team. The challenge of coaching is to not have your players play to their potential, but to have you team rise above their expectations and perform above what they think they are capable of.”

From a fan’s perspective, a major hurdle the Bulldogs must clear to win their first MIAA title since 1997, is replace All-American defensive end Mike Lewis, whose speed and power were an impossible match-up for opposing offensive lines. Lyall sees it differently.

“We expect great play no matter who is on the field. Even Mike said that we must now compete on the national level. Our expectations are not to replace Mike Lewis. Our expectations are even higher than they were for him. I want the guy that steps up to replace Mike to be better than he was, as tough as that may sound,” Lyall explained.

The road to their goal is as tough as it gets. Not only must the Bulldogs find a way to maneuver through the brutal MIAA and come out with the league’s best record, but they will also face a barrage of dangerous non-conference opponents to start the season.

Defiance College, AC’s first opponent, will be the visitors for the stadium’s dedication on Sept. 9. The Yellow Jackets are a dangerous squad that went 6-1 over their final seven games in ’05.

“Defiance is a traditional rival. We have had some great games over the years, always physical and exciting. I expect this year to be a classic. We respect them. We know what they did at the end of last season,” said Lyall.

The following week the Bulldogs host Bluffton before traveling to Westminster to close out non-MIAA play.

“Bluffton has good team speed and discipline, while Westminster is your classic western Pennsylvania team. They are physical, very similar to our conference opponents,” Lyall mentioned.

The MIAA itself will be a gauntlet of traditional powers and up-and-coming programs. The Bulldog head coach knows the perils that lie ahead.

“Every week in the MIAA is tough with all of the parity in the league. With the traditional rivals of Hope, Olivet and Alma, we see this year as an exciting challenge.”

This strong AC team will go into that challenge with experience and proven ability at every position, save one.

The returning Bulldog quarterbacks have completed a total of 14 passes in their careers.

Lyall sees this as a great opportunity for one of the candidates to lead a talented surrounding cast on offense.

“We have two seniors with some experience and two talented sophomores that are also competing for that starting spot, barring any freshmen that jump into the mix.”

Andy Denryter, a senior from Chippewa Valley High School, is the leading candidate for the starting job. Denryter was 8-for-17 for 159 yards and three touchdowns a year ago.

“Andy Denryter has the most experience. He was voted a captain by his teammates. He is hardworking and intelligent. We just want to put our best person on the field.”

Fellow senior Eric Himich, a Milan High graduate, is next in line with numbers of 6-for-7 for 73 yards and a score in 2005.

At running back, Adrian must fill the loss of another star in graduated tailback Chris Clay, the school’s all-time leading rusher.

T.J. Williams, a Muskegon Oakridge product, had impressive outings in ’05, rushing for 264 yards on 48 carries, and will be counted on to continue such play in his senior campaign.

Lyall addressed the tailback position.

“T.J. Williams played very well at the end of last season. We would like to have a three-tailback rotation. Anthony Tocco, Matt Johnston and several others will also see time running the ball.”

At fullback, Adrian has several options and weapons, including Brandon Cooley, a junior from Adrian, and sophomore Tom Freeman, from Hudson High School.

“Brandon Cooley is an ex-offensive lineman. He runs off tackle very well,” explained Lyall.

The tight end position will see Brian McKenna in his senior year. McKenna, a Dearborn Edsel B. Ford grad, caught seven passes for 116 yards in ’05.

Lyall talked about McKenna’s attributes.

“Brian McKenna is very athletic and poses a tough match-up for linebackers. He is an excellent athlete that runs very well.”

An exciting group of wide receivers may headline the Adrian offense. D.J. Howard, Chester Evans and Desmond Upshaw will test the opponents’ ability to cover.

Howard, a junior All-American return specialist from Adrian, also led the team in receiving a year ago with 712 yards on 50 grabs and four touchdowns. Howard’s main threat, however, comes on punt returns where he took two back for scores and averaged 18.6 yards a year ago.

Evans, a senior from Detroit Cody High School, caught 23 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown last season, while Upshaw, a graduate of Truman High School in Detroit, had seven catches for 170 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore in ’05.

Lyall talked about his corps of receivers that is as deep as it is dangerous.

“We can play 6-to-8 deep at wide receiver. Their speed, ability and work ethic make them one of the best receiving corps in the league.”

The most important unit of them all returns experience and leadership for the ’06 season. The offensive line led the way for 1738 yards rushing and 2295 yards through the air last season.

Anchoring the O-line is senior center Carlos Lozano, from Ypsilanti Lincoln High School.

“We have an experienced offensive line led by Carlos Lozano. Lozano is tenacious and gives consistent effort,” said Lyall.

The other returners upfront are also impressive, including senior Gabe Garcia (Adrian), junior Jeremy Zott (Shelby Eisenhower), junior Corey Hardcastle (Brooklyn Columbia Central), senior Chris Lamb (Toledo Catholic Central), and sophomore John Ahearn (Tecumseh).

The defense will be primed to lead the way in ’06. Wallace’s impact on and off the field has led to an attitude on defense that demands excellence.

Wallace led the nation in tackles as a sophomore in 2004 with 155 and had 133 last season. A two-time first-team All-MIAA selection, Wallace has appeared on three All-American teams to date and is the unquestioned leader of the defensive unit.

Lyall had plenty to say about Wallace’s leadership from his linebacker spot.

“Taz has great character and a great inner drive. He understands the game. He represents Adrian College so well on and off the field. He is what you look for as a coach.”

“He is a consistent student, an All-American, and sets the standard for the underclassmen. He is an effective mentor that will positively affect the next generation of AC players.”

On the field, Wallace is equally impressive, stated Lyall. “He is smart and fast, a great open-field tackler. He makes big plays, which is what it is really all about.”

The linebacker corps also includes A.J. Marry and Aaron Kieltyka. Marry, a senior from Hudson, has 167 career tackles and three sacks. Kieltyka, a senior from Taylor Kennedy High School, had 51 stops, eight sacks and two interceptions a year ago.

“Our linebackers are physical, quick and they are big hitters,” Lyall lauded.

Due to injuries a season ago, the defensive backfield returns nearly intact in ’06. Key returners to the secondary include Mark Westenberg, Brandon Mohney, and Chris Elsey.

“Westenberg is physical. He can cover, but also come up and stop the run,” said Lyall.

Westenberg, a senior from Milford, led the team with five interceptions in 2005, also registering 42 stops and 2 ½ sacks.

Mohney, a junior from Napoleon, was second with three interceptions and had 43 tackles and 2 ½ sacks last season.

Elsey, a junior from Brighton High School, had 34 tackles, an interception and a sack in ’05.

The defensive line also returns some impressive athletes.

Joel Howland, a senior from Adrian, is an imposing force for opponents. He had six sacks, 12 tackles-for-loss, and 43 tackles last season.

“Joel Howland is as big as a house. He can play both end and tackle, which frees us up to do different things on defense,” Lyall added.

Jim Abercrombie, Nick Vandenbosch, and Mike Campbell also return to the mix on the defensive front.

Abercrombie, a senior from Dearborn, had 35 tackles and two sacks last season, while Vandenbosch, a senior from Muskegon Orchard View, had 26 tackles and a sack. Campbell, a senior from Dexter, was credited with 17 tackles a year ago.

“Jim Abercrombie was a heavyweight wrestler in high school. He has great technique and leverage. Nick Vandenbosch will move to end from tackle this year and Mike Campbell is a big strong kid,” said Lyall of his defensive line.

The special teams are a big strength of the Bulldogs, not only because of Howard’s return skills, but also because of two returning specialists and an overall team attitude.

Kicker James Spencer, a senior from Troy, is the school’s all-time leader in field goals with 25, field goal percentage at 86.2%, and he ranks fifth in scoring with 151 career points.

Lyall spoke about the school’s best all-time kicker.

“Jim Spencer takes his job very seriously. He always wants the opportunity to prove himself.”

“He gives us a lot of options from field goals, to pooch kicks and deep-directional kicks.”

Kyle Lindsay, a senior from Toledo Ottawa Hills High School, averaged 36 yards per punt last season, placing eight inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and forcing six fair catches.

“Kyle Lindsay does a great job of placing the ball near the sideline,” said Lyall. “We take special teams very seriously. We put our best players on special teams so that Spencer and Lindsay can do what they do best.”

Finally, Lyall made one simple comment on the direction of the program, stating his mindset for 2006.

“We must expect to win,” finished Lyall.