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Great Expectations: Allen again focused on winning state title
BY Kevin Hageland, khageland@starlocalnews.com
New stadium aside, the Allen football team has a very specific goal in mind for 2012.
It's the same goal the Eagles have every year: to win a state title.
"Of course we want to win state," said Oliver Pierce, Allen senior quarterback. "But I think that's the goal of every team going into a new season."
Pierce was the team's primary slot receiver last season (50 catches for 601 yards and six touchdowns) as well as a kick return and occasional defensive end. He expects to fill plenty of roles again in 2012.
"I'll be wherever the team needs me," Pierce said.
If Pierce rotates to the slot at any point look for sophomore Kyler Murray, who transferred from Lewisville last month, to take some snaps.
"Kyler is a stud," Pierce said. "That kid can run, throw, do it all; he's going to be a Division I quarterback someday."
Pierce isn't the only player Allen loses from last year's receiving corps as Andrew Rodriguez (64 catches for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns last season) has graduated and is at Houston. In place of those two, Allen expects to roll out seniors Troy Knudsen, Cameron Calcote, juniors Kendall Clinton and Cole Carter with junior Grant Finney and sophomore Will Rossy likely to see time as well.
"We feel great with those guys," said Tom Westerberg, Allen head coach. "Troy and Cole were on varsity last year and we had a lot of success with these guys during 7-on-7."
Whatever experience Allen lacks at receiver, it makes up for in the backfield with seniors Jeff Harris and Marcus Ward. Though the Eagles had Arkansas signee Jonathan Williams last season, injuries allowed Harris (469 yards and five touchdowns) and Ward (346 yards) to get plenty of carries.
"Jeff and Marcus are a great 1-2 punch for us," Pierce said.
Those two will run behind an offensive line Pierce calls, "the strongest we've ever had." Pierce means that in terms of weightlifting, but the group could develop into one of the Eagles' strongest units with senior Brad North (a Northwestern commit) at left tackle, senior Kevin Wortham at left guard, junior Tejan Koroma at center, senior John Clark at right guard and senior Cade Camp (a move-in from Mississippi) at right tackle.
"It's a little different than a lot of the groups we've had in that these aren't the biggest kids," Westerberg said. "But they are very athletic and very strong; a lot like the groups we had going back to 2006."
That description could fit the defensive line as well.
Allen will operate out of a three-man front with senior Byron Bonds (a Baylor commit) at nose guard while senior Stone Drulman and junior Marcus Davis line up at defensive end. Look for Lance Williams to get reps on the front line as well.
"I'm extremely confident with our group up front," Westerberg said, "especially when you combine them with (seniors) Nick Cobb and Anthony Walker at linebacker. That is a lot of experience right there."
Cobb is entering his third varsity season, most of which have been spent as a starter.
"I feel like I am one of the leaders on this team," Cobb said. "That means making plays, but also keeping up with positive encouragement for the guys."
That being said, it is some negative encouragement that drives Cobb.
"Our defense feels like we have a lot to prove after last year," he said, "and we want to do that by showing up every single game."
Allen's defense was dominant in spurts last season, but also faltered plenty, including during a 28-21 area playoff loss to Euless Trinity.
"Those guys feel like they have something to prove because their last game last season wasn't their best," Westerberg said.
Aiding in the reclamation project is a defensive backfield among the fastest Allen has ever had with seniors Cameron Hartsfield, Michael Jacob (who played at McKinney Boyd before his transfer waiver was denied and he played JV at Allen as a junior), juniors Mayomi Olootu and Chad Adams (who was the team's leading tackler last season).
"We have so much speed at DB," Cobb said.
And he isn't the only one that thinks so.
"The four fastest guys on our team are probably the DBs," Pierce said.
Allen's special teams will look the same as last year with junior Carlos Arochi as the placekicker and senior Shane Tripucka punting.
That group will get its first test in Week 0 as it hosts defending Class 5A State Champion, and frequent Allen postseason eliminator (most recently in the 2009 area round), Southlake Carroll at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
"You definitely want to win that first game," Pierce said, "and start the season on the right note."
Friday is also the first real game in the new Eagle Stadium.
"I think they said we had 9,000 people at the pep rally last week," Cobb said, "but I'm real excited to see this place full."
Capacity at Eagle Stadium is 18,000, but more tickets have been purchased for the sold-out game then there are seats, so with standing room only the attendance for Friday's game could be closer to 25,000 fans.
"Obviously it's a big deal with the stadium opening, but it's a big game because of the opponent," Westerberg said. "And we want to get our kids in these big game atmospheres so it will prepare them for the next one."
There will likely be plenty of big games in 2012 as Allen fights for its seventh straight district title and fights against the perception this might be a down year for the Eagles.
"I don't really worry about what other people say about our team," Westerberg said. "I focus on making sure our team gets better day-to-day. We want to be better this Friday than we were last Friday and be better next Friday than we were this Friday. If we do that, play to our capabilities and play to our speed, then we'll be just fine."
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