Morehouse didn't have to worry about a lack of representation Tuesday.
When the preseason All-SIAC teams were announced, eight Maroon Tigers dotted the rosters, with six players named to the first team and two to the second. Morehouse coach Rich Freeman said garnering that much recognition from his coaching peers was "a tremendous accomplishment" for his team.
"We're kind of used to being picked toward the bottom," he said. "Back in 2007 we were the No. 10 team, and we were able to dispel that with what we did during that season [going 7-3], so it provides a little bit of gratitude for us that now we're being congratulated."
Morehouse-rival Clark Atlanta had three players selected, all on the second team. The two Atlanta schools were not the only ones from Georgia with All-SIAC nominations, however. Albany State, the league runner-up last season, had eight players named to the two teams, and Fort Valley State had five.
McNeill excited about talent
Who says the little guys never win? In Clark Atlanta's case, a team coming off a 2-8 season was able to beat several Big Ten schools for one of the top running backs in the Midwest — Antonio Ford. Then again, the Panthers did have an inside edge: Clarence Cooper, a U.S. District Court judge, graduated from Clark Atlanta and is Ford's uncle.
"A lot of people have called us and said, 'You really don't know what you have,'" Clark Atlanta coach Daryl McNeill said. "Looking at him on film, it gets even more impressive the more you watch him."
McNeill was equally excited about Stevon McGill, who transferred to Clark Atlanta in January from Cabot Community College in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Worried about the loss of six starters on defense, McGill quickly became the vocal leader the coach was looking for. More important, McGill has forced his teammates to match his energy level.
"Who's going to be the guy to rally the other guys together? He's that guy," McNeill said of the strong safety. "He's doing a tremendous job rallying guys together and doing the right things. Whereas I had a bunch of kids from the year before who didn't even attempt to learn the alma mater, here's a kid who actually made everybody learn it."
Freeman sees breakout season for QB
No team likes dealing with the pain that comes with replacing a quarterback. But that's what Morehouse must do after Byron Ingram left early by declaring for the NFL draft. Now, the pressure is squarely on the shoulders of Donnay Ragland, who appeared in seven games last season and completed nine of 21 passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns.
Despite his inexperience, Freeman is confident his new signal-caller is up to the challenge.
"I really feel like this is going to be a breakout season for him," Freeman said. "He's an extremely talented kid for the past few years who was pretty much in the shadow of Byron. I look forward to him providing the leadership that we need and to make the plays we need in tough situations."
Coaches comfortable with divisions
Last season was the first season the SIAC split into two divisions for football. After having one season to get used to it, two of the top contenders for this year's championship game — Morehouse and Miles — were pleased with how divisional play turned out in Year 1.
"I've been on both sides, where we play everybody, and doing East and West," Miles coach Reginald Ruffin said. "We previously had to play all the teams, but everybody you look at seems like they're going to the East vs. West format. ... You've got crossover games, and I think it's good that you get the chance to actually play in a championship game, which is great. It's a good morale builder for the guys."
Freeman shared his counterpart's thoughts, calling it a "fair" system. The only downside of divisional play in Freeman's mind was the lack of a break in the middle of a season to heal and catch your breath.
"With the way things are right now, you have to play 10 straight games and then you play the conference championship game and then [you're] into the first round of the playoffs," he said. "It provides a lot of wear and tear on the kids."
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