SEWANEE, Tenn. – With only six seniors and coming off a winless season, the Sewanee football program couldn’t be looking anywhere but up as the 2010 season starts Saturday.
But coach Robert Black and his Tigers are looking up for other reasons. The seniors are quality leaders – including the three captains, cornerback Chalankis Brown for the defense, center McLain Still from Baylor School for the offense and kicker Geoff Marolda for special teams – and the juniors and sophomores who make up the bulk of the team have another year of strengthening and experience.
Then there are the freshmen. Four promising newcomers give the Tigers renewed talent at quarterback, and other rookies will be helping right away. While Black’s three full recruiting classes may come to full fruition in another year or two, he is convinced the 2010 season will be a step back toward the program’s old prominence – even as victories in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference remain hard to come by.
The challenge begins Saturday at Earlham in Richmond, Ky., a team that has just changed conferences after going 5-5 last year.
“It’s going to be a great test for us,” said Still, beginning his second season at center after two at defensive end. “Their record was better, but the SCAC is like the SEC of Division III – tough week in and week out. We’re going up there to show them we’re in a tougher conference.