Optimism is high for The Apprentice School Builders who finished
their 2006 season with four straight victories to fashioin a 7-3
record. Now, 15 starters return, including six All-Atlantic Central
Football Conference performers.
That contingent helped extensively to produce a tie for second
place in the ACFC, which is loaded with perennial post-season
teams, including two-time South Region Champion Wesley College. The
league mark of 2-2 saw both triumphs accomplished on the road at
Frostburg State and Brockport State.
Phil Janaro, now entering his sixth year in his second stint as
the Builders head coach, feels that the goal of the team is to
establish consistent, quality play year-in and year-out for the
Builder program.
Quarterback
Senior Kyle Franklin returns after a strong junior season that saw
him earn second team All-ACFC honors. The Hampton native threw for
1,344 yards, completing 106-of-184 attempts and 12 touchdowns.
Franklin started the season strong, throwing for 213 yards in a
come-from-behind 21-20 victory over N.C. Wesleyan. He ended with
two touchdowns in each of the last three games. Sophomore Phillip
Caralla, who also returns as the punter, will push Franklin for
playing time.
Offensive Backfield
This is one area that will provide a new look for the Builders as
they lost both starting tailback Bruce Freeman (854 yards and nine
touchdowns) and starting fullback Ben Brown (17 receptions, 144
yards, one touchdown) to graduation. Two returnees who saw action
at tailback will have early cracks at the starting slot. Junior
Kenneth Pittman and sophomore Sam Arnold got some carries in 2006
and will lead a battle for the starting tailback against a group of
freshmen.
At fullback, juniors J'Michael Swain and Ryan Soult join senior
Mike Burris in fighting for the position with some freshmen pushing
the trio. Burris is a tight end while Swain and Soult saw limited
action last year. Swain did score two touchdowns in the first half
against Chowan University.
Wide Receiver
One of the all-time bests in Apprentice School football, senior
Travis Reid enters his last year with a chance at all receiving
records for the school. The Goose Creek, S.C. native set the modern
era single season receptions mark last year with 48 for 798 yards
and seven touchdowns in route to being a first-team All-ACFC
selection. He has tied the modern era school career touchdown
record with 20 and is 41 receptions and 700 yards from the career
records in those categories.
Wide receiver should be one of the strong spots on the offense
as three of the top five in total receptions return. Juniors Markim
Gordon (16 receptions, 212 yards, 3 TD's) and Lawrence Frost (10
receptions, 96 yards, 1 TD) along with sophomore Shelby Robinson,
who was a sparkplug in key games down the stretch last year, also
return to give Franklin plenty of speedy, talented options.
Offensive Line
The most experienced offensive line in Janaro's second tenure with
the Builders returns for 2007. Seniors Jonathon Gladden, Josh Baker
and Travis Moultrie join with juniors Chauncy Jones and Mike York
on a line that helped propel the Builders' offense to some of its
most glittering statistics in years. Sophomore Lamar Johnson,
started three games last year, provided an excellent backup and
will push this experienced group for playing time. Gladden earned
first team All-ACFC honors while Baker was named to the second
team.
"Games are won and lost in the trenches and with this
group I feel they should give us a solid chance to do well," said
Janaro. "This group has been in place now with O-Line coach Matt
Lacy throughout their careers and they all know how to get the job
done."
Defensive Line
This will be an area that will test the Builders early. Plenty of
experienced players will look to take over on a defensive line that
helped the Builders lead the ACFC in total defense in 2006. Seniors
Noah Wiggens and Wes Sherman will see time at nose tackle and a
defensive end. Juniors Edgar McKinney and Walt Stanford are
battling for one defensive end spot, while sophomores Marcus Glover
and Daryn Odoms are fighting for one defensive tackle position.
Linebacker
While there will be new starters in the linebacker corps, don't
think the group will be inexperienced. Two talented outside
linebackers return along with one who was solid in the middle in
2005 to take over the charge in 2007. Sophomore Jeremy Smith shared
the team lead in sacks with five and had 28 tackles from one
outside spot. Sophomore Thomas Moultrie, another outside linebacker
started his career in a big way forcing a fumble late in the fourth
quarter in his opening game to save a 21-20 victory over N.C.
Wesleyan. Junior Mike Hogan didn't play in 2006, but had 35 tackles
and a sack in 2005 in the middle linebacker spot.
Secondary
The secondary returns in tact after accounting for eight of the 10
interceptions in 2006. Senior Tony Scott is a two-time, first-team
All-ACFC selection who not only had four pass breakups and three
forced fumbles, he blocked three kicks as a cornerback. Franako
Smith, a senior from Georgia, had 26 tackles, three pass breakups
and one interception in the other corner spot.
At safety, senior Quentin Forbes had 48 tackles, three sacks and
three interceptions, earning first-team All-ACFC honors and
third-team All-South Region honors by D3football.com. Fellow senior
Joseph Bruce started his career as a tailback and moved to safety,
recording 29 tackles, three pass breakups, one forced fumble and
one fumble recovery.
Special Teams
Both punter and place kicker return for the Builders as sophomores
Phillip Caralla and Matt Edelen will handle those duties. Caralla
averaged almost 34 yards per punt last year, including a pair of
50-yarders against N.C. Wesleyan and Maritime College, NY. He
earned ACFC Rookie of the Week honors after a strong performance in
a road victory at Brockport in November where his punting kept the
Golden Eagles pinned deep in their territory most of the day. His
athleticism allows him to get punts off quickly and he also can
play quarterback.
Edelen followed that the next week by winning ACFC Special Teams
Player of the Week after averaging 50 yards per kickoff in the
Builders 31-0 victory over Chowan University in the Oyster Bowl
game. In his first collegiate outing at N.C. Wesleyan, his kicking
proved to be the difference as he made a 30-yard field goal in his
first attempt and the Builders scored a 21-20 victory. He showed
great poise as a freshman, improving his depth and accuracy as the
season went along.
