[March 28, 2008]

SAU FB Spring Practice Schedule.pdf

By: Houston Taylor

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas coach Steve Quinn and staff are set to begin spring football practice Monday, with the allotted 15 practices concluding Saturday, April 26, with the annual blue-gold game.

The Muleriders will practice four days, Monday through Thursday, in each of the first two weeks, will go Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday the third week, and Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and the spring game on Saturday during the final week. Opposing teams for the blue-gold game will be conducted on “draft day” on Thursday of the final week of practice. Practice each day is scheduled for 4 p.m., and the blue-gold game is slated for 9:30 a.m.

Eleven starters return for SAU, three on offense and eight on defense. They also return sophomore place-kicker Noe΄ Cuevas (5-8, 153, Pasadena, Texas) and sophomore punter Zach Massingill (6-0, 190, Hawkins, Texas).

Returning offensively are junior left tackle Joshua Bradley (6-2, 269, Nashville), junior left guard William Kitchen (6-1, 287, Grand Prairie, Texas), and sophomore right guard Johnathan Moore (6-2, 329, Greenwood, Miss.).

Returning defensive starters are junior all-conference left end Ryan Terry (5-11, 234, Houston, Texas) and sophomore Cedric Thornton (6-4, 233, Star City), who split starting duties last year. Senior DeRalph Guy (6-0, 283, Houston, Texas) returns at nose guard, and sophomore Quentin Taylor (6-0, 258, Balch Springs, Texas) is back at right end. Returning at linebacker are sophomore Simeon Oston (6-0, 210, Dallas, Texas) and senior Steven Dauenhauer (6-1, 215, Waveland, Miss.). In the secondary, senior all-conference Roland Perkins (5-11, 175, Baton Rouge, La.) is back at left cornerback, and senior Clarence Wright (6-0, 195, Olive Branch, Miss.) holds down the tiger spot in the backfield.

Former starting defensive back Rickey Wright (6-0, 205, Sr., Courtland, Miss.), who missed last season, also returns and will man the rover position.

Other than experience returning at one of the halfback spots, Southern Arkansas must replace all its skill positions on offense. The offensive line should remain solid, returning at least seven players who saw time last year. Defensively, the Muleriders will look to shore up one of the linebacker spots and build depth in the secondary and line.

Quinn and his staff are excited to get underway. “We’re looking forward to getting started with spring football after a good off-season. Our players have worked hard in the weight room and with conditioning and we’re anxious to put it on the field. It will be interesting to see how our younger players develop. We have a lot of work to get done and must give great effort every day,” stated the coach.