Lumberjacks set to open training camp

Dback Jon · August 4th, 2008, 04:56 PM

The 2007 NAU football team ended its season on about as sour of a note as there is.

The Jacks hosted Eastern Washington in their final home game of the season and with a win they still would have had an outside shot at the playoffs. Instead, Eastern Washington hung 28 points on the Jacks in the first quarter en route to a 52-24 win.

Now, nearly eight and a half months later, it's all just a distant memory. The Jacks will take to the practice field today at 11:30 a.m. for their first official practice of the 2008 season.

The Jacks, who return 11 starters from last season, open the year ranked No.18 in the Sporting News FCS Top 25 preseason poll and No. 20 in the USA Today/Sports Weekly preseason poll.

At the heart of the returning starters is senior cornerback K.J. Gerard. Gerard was a third-team All-American last year and led the Big Sky Conference with six interceptions. In July, Gerard was named to the All-Big Sky Preseason First-Team as an unanimous pick.

Joining Gerard in the defensive backfield is fellow senior Cyrus Igono. Igono, who was also an All-Big Sky Preseason First-Team pick, led the Jacks with 79 tackles last season and also registered three interceptions.

Igono began the '07 season buried on the depth chart, but worked his way into the starting lineup once NAU lost a couple of safeties to injuries.

Adam Wright, who was one of those safties, suffered a season-ending injury in the fourth game of the season and was granted a medical redshirt. The senior from Riverside, Calif., returns this season to help bolster an already strong secondary.

In addition to Gerard, Igono and Wright, NAU returns cornerback Josh Luck and safety Kasseem Osheroff, both of whom started a handful of games last season.

If the secondary is the strength of the defense, the defensive line may be the biggest question mark. NAU lost all three starters from last season to graduation. The trio, made up of Blair Boynton, Drew Hoffman and Joshua Williams, combined for 131 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and nine sacks.

Sophomores Kyle Rath and Brandon Vance are expected to start the season as the starting defensive ends. In the middle, senior Stephen Nwogbe will take over for Williams at the nose tackle position. Nwogbe impressed coaches during spring practice after being hobbled with lingering injuries last season.

Newcomers Mike Battisti and Jermaine Jackson should also see significant time on the line. Battisti comes to NAU from Saddleback Junior College in California. He registered 36 tackles and 12 tackles for loss last season at Saddleback. Jackson graduated early from high school and joined the Jacks for spring practice.

On the other side of the ball, the quarterback position will once again be the biggest storyline. Last season Lance Kriesien and Corey Slater battled all the way up until the season opener against Western New Mexico.

Kriesien won the job and started the first game. Slater saw time as well, but suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second game of the season at Arizona.

This year, the two will once again battle for the starting job, but there is also another challenger. Michael Herrick, out of Valencia, Calif., transferred to NAU from the University of Mississippi after the fall semester and was impressive in spring practice. Herrick's high school numbers are jaw-dropping. He threw for more than 11,000 yards at Valencia High and holds California records for completions and attempts.

However, Herrick hasn't played in a regular season game in more than two seasons. He redshirted his first season at Ole Miss and served as a backup last season and never saw game action. Freshman Cary Grossart is also expected to get a look during summer practice.

Whoever wins the job at quarterback won't have to worry about who he's handing the ball off to. Junior Alex Henderson returns after wracking up 899 yards on the ground last season. Henderson, who split time with Lionel Scott last season, will have the No. 1 job to himself this season. The junior out of Calabasas, Calif., joined Gerard and Igono on the All-Big Sky Preseason First-Team.

On the outside, the wide receiver corps will get a big lift as senior Skyler Moore is slated to return after breaking his ankle against Sacramento State last season. Newcomers Ed Berry, Conrad Meadows and Austin Shanks should all see significant time in their first seasons as well as returnees, Davieun Chapman, Ryan Rauschert and Curt Sweeney. Senior Shaun Fitzpatrick will man the tight end position again, after hauling in 28 catches for 360 yards last season.

On the offensive line, NAU will get back two starters from the 2006 season. Kevin Meagher returns after missing the entire '07 season after suffering injuries in a car accident. Trevor Heekin also returns after missing the entire season as well with a knee injury. Returning starters Ryne Holstrom and Kris Poindexter also return after solid '07 campaigns. The offensive line last season was a big reason why NAU led the Big Sky in rushing offense, averaging 232.2 yards per game.

NAU will hold five practices before opening two-a-days on Saturday. The season opener is set for Aug. 30 at Arizona State.