CBA has strong replacements

23 August 2007 — Despite losing four key starters to graduation last year, Aycock’s varsity football team anticipates having the right mix of players to have a very successful season.

As is the case with high school football, a new season means a new team learning to adapt to the skills of each individual player. But Aycock Head Coach Randy Pinkowski says he is impressed by how his team has handled that feat. The team’s first scrimmage of the season left Coach Pink astounded by his team’s performance, both in technical play and in coming together as a team.

The Falcons had 16 seniors to graduate last year, and among them were four of the team’s key starters. Tailback Dontay Taylor, quarterback Thomas Pilkington, and receiver Montez Ham finished their high school careers leading the league and the county in their respective positions. Linebacker Travis Milligan, who was named defensive player of the year in Wayne County, also graduated last year.

“That’s four big players right there to lose all in one season,” said Coach Pink.

But because of the strategy Coach Pink uses to build his teams from year to year, he said he has confidence in another successful season for the Falcons this year.

Sixteen of the team’s 37 players are returning seniors. Coach Pink said he feels the team’s returning players will form a strong nucleus for the team, while allowing younger players to develop their skills as well.

“We really try to not be top-heavy with seniors every year,” he said. “Our varsity team the last three or four years have been about half seniors and half juniors, so it makes it a little easier every year to transition.”

This year’s roster also features three sophomore players – an uncommon thing for Coach Pink’s teams. Anderson Barnes, Tyheim Pitt, and Devin Sanders will all move up from the junior varsity squad.

“I generally don’t like to play sophomores on the varsity, but this particular class of sophomores is pretty strong,” he said. We have a lot of players on the JV and the ninth grade team, and there were a few of the sophomore players that were ready to play on the varsity level.”

Coach Pink is doing something else he normally doesn’t do with his team this year. He said he has several two-way starters on the roster this season.

“Most people know I’m not a big fan of playing both sides of the football,” he said.

Michael King will start at line backer and wide out, and Jarrett Covar will do double duty on both the offensive and defensive lines.

“They’ve been with me all through the program and they’re good solid football players. I feel pretty good about them going both ways,” he said.

As far as changes in play for the coming year, Coach Pink said a little variation is to be expected.

“At this level playing high school ball, every year you have to do things a little differently offensively and defensively to accommodate the personnel that you do have,” he said. “I can’t do the same things with this group that I did with Thomas and Dontay, and Travis and Montez, so we’re doing a few different things with this group this year that fits their personalities and their athletic abilities better.”

The most notable change will occur with the offense, where the Falcon’s new starting quarterback Steven Strouse will allow the team to go back to running the option.

“The last couple of years we didn’t run the option as much because we felt like Thomas was a better passer. We felt like we could get the things we wanted by throwing the ball with Thomas,” he said. “With Steven Strouse as quarterback, he’s very strong on running the option. Anytime I have the opportunity to run an option style offense I very quickly get into it.”

Coach Pink hesistates to make too many predictions on how the team will fare in the conference this season, but he is confident in his team’s ability to have a successful season.

Last year, the Falcons survived to the second round of the playoffs and finished their season with an overall record of 8-5 and a 2-3 conference record. Coach Pink said this year’s team is capable of doing great things this season. But he says it’s too early to judge how they stand in the conference.

“If it was about all the things we could control, I’d tell you we’d be conference champions,” he said. “But I cannot control injuries, I cannot control the weather, and I cannot control the judgment of officials.”

Coach Pink also credits his coaching staff with the success he anticipates for the team this year.

“These guys are just so strong at what they do, and they love coaching football at Aycock,” he said.