Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest Traditions
 Wake Forest Football Season OutlookPosition by position breakdown of the Demon Deacons.
By Sam Walker Running backsCoach Bobby Kennedy, who coached wide receivers last year, has been reassigned to running backs and is bringing a fresh perspective to the offensive backfield. In the past, there was talk of a need to develop running styles within the offensive scheme. Kennedy simply preaches the need for production.The Demon Deacons have the luxury of depth and talent this year, but Wake Forest has yet to prove it can sustain a formidable running attack, which puts pressure on both the offensive line and running backs to show they can move the ball on the ground. Last year Wake Forest rushed for just 65.4 yards-per-game and totaled 719 net yards for the season. Morgan Kane was Wake's leading rusher last season with 454 yards. Tailback Kito Gary and fullback Kane, a converted tailback, bring both experience and speed to the backfield. But there will be fierce competition for playing time with Chris McCoy, Jamie Scott, Jewuan Davis at tailback and Ovie Mughelli and Matt Myers at fullback. "We're as deep as we've ever been," Kennedy said. "Kito and Morgan have been around the program, and we've done a few things differently, but we need production. They've got show they have a presence out there. The way we run the ball they have to make something happen and I want them to become tough, hard-nosed runners. "I think all of the guys know the positions are open," Kennedy said. "Kito and Morgan are penciled in at the number one spots right now, but we want a competitive situation." Returning Starters: Kito Gary, 6-1, 200, Sr.; Morgan Kane, 6-1, 220, Sr. Top Playing Time Candidates: Chris McCoy, 5-7, 216, Jr.; Jamie Scott, 6-0, 214, r-Fr.; Jewuan Davis, 5-9, 195, Jr.; Ovie Mughelli, 6-2, 232, rFr.; Matt Myers, 6-2, 233, So. Wide ReceiversWake Forest has a storied tradition of talented wide receivers and this year's group lives up to the current standards set most recently by Desmond Clark. Clark finished his career at Wake Forest as the ACC's leading receiver with 216 career receptions. Jammie Deese was handed the baton when Clark graduated, and he has set a pace that may well break Clark's conference record. Deese ranked as the team's leading pass catcher last year with 68 catches for 826 yards and scored three touchdowns and was the ACC's second-leading receiver behind former NC State standout Torry Holt. The wide receivers also have a fresh perspective from new coach Gerald Carr, who came to Wake Forest from the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. "It's always good to hear from a fresh voice, and the guys were very responsive to me in the spring," Carr said. "We have a talented group of guys, maybe the most talented I've had in my career, with a strong mixture of depth and speed. But the thing I'd like to do is to get teams not just to fear us because of our speed and ability to catch the ball but also as perimeter blockers. I want us to execute the ability to run after the catch and when we touch the ball we make things happen." Marvin Chalmers, who played in 11 games with three starts last year, teams with Deese at wideout. The supporting cast of receivers is also talented with William Merritt, Ira Williams, Fabian Davis, and Chris Modelski, Jimmy Caldwell, John Stone and Jack Landfried all likely to see a lot of playing time. This may be the deepest position on the 1999 Wake Forest team with seven of the team's top eight pass catchers returning. Returning Starters: Jamie Deese, 6-0, 185, Sr.; Marvin Chalmers 6-2, 203, Sr. Defensive LineThe defensive line suffered the loss of some key individuals last season, which left the team's ability to control the line of scrimmage vulnerable and the pass rush almost non-existent by the end of the schedule. Those injuries forced some young men to grow up real fast and now Coach Theo Lemon agrees that his unit is definitely battle-tested. "I'd say we're battled-tested," Lemon said. "The maturity is there, and now we just need to gain some wisdom." Fred Robbins, who has started the last three years, is the heart of the unit and is an all-ACC candidate this year, according to Lemon. Kelvin Jones returns from injury at tackle and will be challenged by Kelvin Shackleford, who was a starter before a knee injury sidelined him in last year's third game. Da'Vaughn Mellerson, who missed all of last season, should be ready for action this fall. Matt Petz and Brian Ray, both converted linebackers, will be at defensive end and bring speed to the outside positions. Petz finished with 61 tackles and had a team-high six sacks that helped him total 15 stops behind the line of scrimmage. Nate Bolling and Rufus Taylor both played last season and make the defensive line deeper. "The defensive line has to make a dramatic impact," Lemon said. "We expect them to be more mature and more disciplined, and they should make plays they didn't make last year. We have get our pass rush going and shut down the run, something we did the year before last. We've been here long enough, and we're a veteran group." Returning Starters: Fred Robbins, 6-5, 302 Sr.; Brian Ray, 6-3, 250, Jr.; Kelvin Shackleford, 6-1, 287, Sr.; Kelvin Jones, 6-1, 275, Sr.; Matt Petz 6-3, 255, Jr. Offensive LineFour of five starters return on the offensive line, and seven players have some starting experience. The Deacons are still big up front with all seven "experienced" players averaging just over 300 pounds. But Coach George Belu insists that it's not just their size, but their agility and ability to control the line of scrimmage that will make them successful in 1999. The Deacons had perhaps the biggest offensive line in the ACC last year but failed to prove they could run the ball. The big guys up front are out to prove they can help the run this year. Sam Settar and Brian Wolverton, both guards, played all 786 snaps last season and will line up beside center Vince Azzolina, who played well after Marlon Curtis sustained a shoulder injury last year during the Maryland game. Curtis returns but will be at short tackle, according to Belu. Michael Collins, Todd Hollowell, and Willie Lam are also experienced tackles. "When you look for leaders in this group, you look at Wolverton and Settar," Belu said. "They possess a lot of strength. We're expecting good things from this bunch. They have to control the line of scrimmage at the point of attack. That's on their shoulders this year. They've done a good job this spring." Michael Moosbrugger, another 300-pounder, should see some playing time this year, giving the Deacons a little depth to the versatile group they have already assembled, and Masanori Toguchi and Marcus Kisner will be waiting in the wings to challenge for playing time. Returning Starters: Vince Azzolina, 6-4, 302, So.; Brian Wolverton, 6-5, 310, Sr.; Sam Settar, 6-4, 320, Sr.; Michael Collins, 6-6, 318, So.; Marlon Curtis, 6-3, 300, Jr.; Todd Hollowell, 6-7, 300, Sr.; Willie Lam, 6-4, 305, Sr. QuarterbacksCoach Jim Caldwell convinced perhaps the best prep quarterback in the country to come to Wake Forest when he landed C.J. Leak from Charlotte last year. But Leak will have to contend with three quality arms and a lot of experience in order to play this season. There's no question Leak is an outstanding talent, but senior Ben Sankey has waited his turn behind Brian Kuklick over the last three years, and he is slated to start under center for Caldwell this fall. Sankey played in five games last fall and started the final two games of the 1997 season when Kuklick was injured. Sankey has 105 career completions and has passed for over 1,200 yards. "Ben has proven a lot, and he knows our system," Coach Jamie Barresi said. "He does a lot of things well. He throws well on the run and is accurate, and he possesses a lot of athletic ability." Sankey adds a different dimension to the Wake Forest attack because of his elusive running ability. He ranked as Wake's third leading rusher last season with only five appearances, and Barresi believes Sankey allows Wake to do more things because he can be a threat to run the ball. James MacPherson, a redshirt freshman, is slated as the No. 2 quarterback, and he possess the best throwing arm of all the quarterbacks, according to Barresi. He has a strong arm and is consistently accurate with his passes, Barresi said. "He does some things naturally that you can't coach," Barresi said. "He's an intense competitor, and he studies the game to better himself." Dan Bradley, a senior, knows the Wake Forest offense and also has a strong arm. Leak is an immense talent according Barresi, but he admits that he's dealing with a learning curve and wants to be careful how the team uses Leak's talents. Leak has only taken practice snaps and more will be learned as preseason practice gets under way. "He'll take it in and play a little this year, and I have confidence in him," Barresi said. Top Playing Time Candidates: Ben Sankey, 6-3, 209, Sr.; Dan Bradley, 6-5, 227, Sr.,; James MacPherson, 6-2, 195, rFr.; C.J. Leak, 6-4, 220, Fr. Inside LinebackersInjuries changed the inside linebacker position from one of the Deacons' strongest positions into one of their weakest, but three heralded players will return, and those who received more playing time than they had probably originally expected last season will give Wake Forest precious depth.Kelvin Moses, who has 321 career tackles, will be back after missing all but 12 plays of 1998. Moses had knee surgery in August 1998, and the injury, according to Coach Mel Foels, simply took a lot of time to heal. Foels said all indications point toward a healthy Moses this season. The NCAA granted Moses a sixth year of eligibility. Dustin Lyman also returns after having surgery on a torn ACL. Lyman still finished fourth on the team in tackles last season but will tandem with Moses to produce perhaps the most formidable inside linebacker teams in the ACC. Both players have the chance to play at the NFL level in Foels' opinion. Abdul Guice received a chance to show what he could do and finished tied for second on the team in tackles with 71 while playing in what would have been Moses' spot. He proved himself to Foels. "Dustin and Kelvin have the most ability, but I'm not afraid to play Abdul," Foels said. Add backups Marquis Hopkins, Nick Bender, Ed Kargbookorogie and Tom Allen to the recipe, and Foels can mix and match game-tested talent. "Abdul got his weight up to about 210, which he needed to do," Foels said. "Marquis is quicker, and Ed got a lot of experience last year as a freshman, and he'll be a stand-out on special teams." Returning Starters: Dustin Lyman, 6-4, 248, Sr.,; Kelvin Moses, 6-2, 232, Sr.; Abdul Guice, 6-3, 210, Sr. Defensive BacksThe defensive backfield has some familiar names, but James Bell, the team's defensive coordinator, says he'll simply play the best guy no matter the position. "They play any side, and it's week to week," Bell said. But expect the defensive backfield to be better because of numbers. Last season the defense was shaken up because of injuries, and players were out of their natural position because of necessity. DaLawn Parrish rose to the occasion last season after he was moved from safety to linebacker after the linebacking group was overcome with injuries. He was the team's leading tackler in 1998, and Bell admires Parrish for his thorough knowledge of the defensive scheme. "He's played a lot of games," Bell said. "He started in '95, was injured in '96 and started in '97. Last year he did what we expected him to do when we moved him to linebacker because he has an excellent grasp of our concept. He and Reggie (Austin) will have to help David and Keyshorn (Smith)." Austin returns and was the Deacs leader in interceptions, fumbles recovered and pass break-ups one year ago. Safety David Moore received valuable playing time last season and started four games. Keyshorn Smith is a junior cornerback who has been learning the system and contributing as a special teams player. Michael Clinkscale, Tehran Carpenter and Walter Simmons may see substantial playing time at safety, and Adrian Duncan and Chris Justice, both redshirt sophomores, will be competing for playing time at corner. Justice is a transfer from East Carolina and has outstanding speed and quickness. Returning Starters: Reggie Austin, 5-11, 174, Sr.; DaLawn Parrish, 5-11, 199, Sr.; David Moore, 6-2, 197, Sr.; Keyshorn Smith5-10, 177, Jr. Outside LinebackersThis may be the youngest position on the entire Wake Forest football team. Coach Diron Reynolds is in his third year as a coach with the Wake football program, but this is his first season as a full-time assistant. Reynolds formerly served in a graduate assistant position. Reynolds knows about the rigors of playing linebacker himself because he played the position for Wake Forest. He was a member of the Deacons' last bowl game team and will offer his perspective to Mark DeOrio, Roderick Stephen and Kevin Smith. "We are young," Coach Diron Reynolds said. "But one thing about us being young is that we're learning. We're starting fresh, and hopefully with our talent we will be on the fast track of the learning curve." Smith, a redshirt senior, has quickness, but his worth in terms of knowing the Wake system is immeasurable. "Kevin brings a lot of experience," Reynolds said. "He has taken to his role of being a support person for the group, and he just keeps everybody up." DeOrio is a redshirt sophomore but did receive some quality playing time last season in games against Air Force, Appalachian State and Georgia Tech. DeOrio possesses both strength and speed, which will be needed when he takes on fullbacks and tight ends. Stephen moved from defensive end to linebacker and is athletic and aggressive. This will be his first year of action after having spent last season as a redshirt. Top Playing Time Candidates: Kevin Smith, 6-2, 236, rSr.; Mark DeOrio, 6-1, 216, rSo.; Roderick Stephen, 6-4, 237, rFr. Tight EndsWith Joe Zelenka, a three-year starter, now gone, the tight end position becomes a place where inexperienced players will get a chance to prove themselves. James Lik, a senior, is the most experienced returner, but he is coming off an injury. Lik suffered a broken fibula against Maryland and did not participate in the spring while recovering from that injury. However, there are five players who will vie for the starting job in 1998. Senior Ben Stafford saw some playing time in two-tight end sets last season, according to Coach Ray Rychleski, and is the fastest of the five. Redshirt freshman Ray Thomas has been impressive in practice. "Ray is a new kid who has shown tremendous potential during the spring drills," Rychleski said. "He may vie for the starting job." Rhamen Love-Lane, a local product from nearby West Forsyth High School, has been converted wide receiver, has taken to the weight room and is excited about getting bigger, and has the best hands of the bunch, according to Rychleski. Senior Kit Burkholder, a good blocker, is coming off shoulder surgery, and Rychleski want to see how he responds during preseason drills. "We have a chance to do it by committee this year," Rychleski said. "They've been working hard all summer, and we need to be productive this year. They are eager to show they can help this team win." Top Playing Time Candidates: James Lik, 6-6, 240, Sr.; Ben Stafford, 6-3, 242, Sr.; Ray Thomas, 6-4, 244, rFr.; Rhamen Love-Lane, 6-5, 224, Jr.; Kit Burkholder, 6-1, 225, Sr.
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