News, Analysis and Opinion from Bonesville's Denny O'Brien

Pirate Notebook No. 115
Friday, March 14, 2003

By Denny O'Brien
Staff Writer and Columnist

Spring drills open with a new twist at East Carolina Tuesday. For fans needing a football fix to tide them over to Fall, new Pirates coach John Thompson has opened practice to the public.

It should be one of the more interesting Springs in years as the new staff interacts with the players on the field for the first time. New coaches also means a new system, and the Pirates have three weeks to cram before the return of the Spring Game April 12.

All starting jobs are up for grabs, so first impressions will mean everything. Perhaps the most compelling storyline will be the battle for the starting quarterback spot, which last year was manned by Paul Troth.

By far the most crucial battle this spring, with four candidates — Troth, Desmond Robinson, James Pinkney, and Kort Shankweiler — vying for time.

Troth started every game for the Pirates last season and took an overwhelming majority of the snaps. His experience would appear to give him the upper hand, but the rising junior isn't approaching it that way.

"I’m going into spring — my job’s up in the air," Troth said. "That’s how everybody’s going in. Everybody knows that. I’m going in and competing for the job. Hopefully, I’ll come out on top because I’m pretty confident that I can."

Pinkney, who will be a redshirt freshman next fall appears to be his most serious challenger. With offensive coordinator Rick Stockstill placing a heavy emphasis on a vertical passing game, the 6'3", 200-pound Florida native has the physical stature and arm strength to compete with the Pirates incumbent.

Robinson is the quickest of the bunch and is probably better suited as a situational QB, while Shankweiler, who played high school locally at Greenville Rose, may be a long shot.

The running game will have a different look, but should again remain strong. The Pirates will shift from their one-back approach, using more two-back looks, as Stockstill will counter his vertical passing game with a power rushing attack.

Vonta Leach, who has spent much of his career on defense, is expected to shift over to offense full-time. Running backs coach Jerry McManus says the rising senior has all the tools to make it at the next level.

"Vonta has a chance to be an NFL fullback," McManus said. "I really believe he will stay with me (as a running back) and he will have a more significant role this year than he did last year.

"He didn't really carry the ball much last year, but I can see him being a very good inside runner, especially in short yardage and goal line (situations). He will be more involved in the offense this year."

Art Brown should be the greatest beneficiary of Leach's punishing blocks and hopes to capitalize on an outstanding junior campaign. The Winston-Salem native slashed his way to a 1,029-yard, 14-touchdown performance, despite missing the Pirates' last two games with a groin injury.

Brown is also a capable receiver (26-181-3) but desperately needs a capable backup to emerge. The Pirates staff often said he carried the ball too much last year and the additional wear and tear took its toll.

Pirates fans are still waiting for Marvin Townes to break out, but flashes of brilliance have been overshadowed by lingering injuries. If he can't step up, help is on the way in the shape of Kevin Fain, a big, fast runner Thompson swiped from the junior college ranks. He has the size to power through the middle and the speed to accelerate in the open field.

One word describes the receiving corps' over the past couple of seasons: Inconsistent.

What's more, the Pirates must replace their top two receivers from last year — Torey Morris and Richard Alston.

Terrance Copper is the most likely to emerge as the Pirates' top target. He runs good routes, possesses solid hands, has good speed, and the physique to overpower smaller defensive backs.

Marcus White has been plagued with a shoulder injury throughout his career, which has slowed his progress. Richard Hourigan has the best hands, but is more of a possession-type receiver reminiscent of former standouts Hunter Gallimore and Pete Zophy.

There is great potential among the Pirates' underclassmen, led by Mickey McCoy and Bryson Bowling, both of whom saw action as true freshmen last season. However, Iverick Harris, who sat out last season as a partial qualifier, may be this group's gem.

An additional task will be to identify a tight end, which has been missing from the offense the past two seasons.

The frontline, without question, is expected to be the Pirates' strength on offense, with all but one returning off the two-deep chart from last year. In new offensive line coach J.B. Grimes, the ECU O-line will have one of the game's best mentors, which should make for an excellent combination.

"To be a good offensive lineman these days, No. 1, you've got to be pretty big," Grimes said. "A 280-pound guy isn't really that big anymore. If a kid in high school is 280-pounds, he needs to have the potential to be over 300 when he gets to college.

"But being big isn't enough. You've got to be strong and athletic, too. Footwork is so important at this position and (strength coach) Jim Whitten has done such a great job with these guys in that area."

The Pirates have both speed and agility along the offensive front, led by All-America candidate Brian Rimpf at left tackle. Center Doug White was overlooked when postseason awards were handed out, but was widely considered the key to the Pirates' offense last year.

East Carolina has a nice mix of talented youth (Gary Freeman, Eric Graham, David Jorgensen, and Hunter Wood) and seasoned veterans (Charlie Dempsey, Brian Fox, Hagen Mason, Brandon Pope, and Corey Schmidt), giving the Pirates plenty of depth and versatility.

The Pirates' most underrated unit could be one of the team's strengths. The challenge for defensive coordinator Jerry Odom will be to fit the pieces together in East Carolina's new blitzing, attacking schemes.

At 6'7", 300-pounds, Damane Duckett literally towers above his teammates and returns to lead a deep group. He has the size and speed to play inside or out.

Several players should challenge for playing time on the inside, namely Eric Foushee, Derek Helms, Lance Neiz, Eric Terry, Shaunte Hunt, and Dontre' Brown.

Guy Whimper is the name to keep an eye on, though. He has the tools to emerge as one of the Pirates' top sack artists, but must become more durable.

Though athletic and talented, the Pirates linebackers struggled with positioning and toughness at times, both areas Odom will address heavily this Spring.

"I'm a real believer in the fundamentals of the game," Odom said. "I'm a coach's son. I grew up in (football) my whole life.

"If you can't tackle, if you can't shed blocks, or you can't make plays on the ball, then you've got problems. We're going to work on our technique this spring and try to get better at that and just try to improve every day."

Chris Moore and Josh Chisolm were the steadiest of the bunch and should excel in the new system. They are joined by Eric Butler and Jemarcus Veal, both of whom also played in the middle, but don't be surprised of Lorenza Pickett emerges to snatch a starting spot.

Kent Nealy is the most experienced on the outside, which means some of the inside players could be shifted over. Thompson has been very impressed with Ike Emodi during offseason workouts, and his versatility will enable him to shift from outside linebacker to defensive end, depending on the situation.

The greatest challenge here will be for Odom to mesh the group's strengths with the new schemes.

In order for the defense to get better, East Carolina needs significant improvement from its secondary. Last season, the Pirates yielded 239-yards per game through the air, with record-breaking performances by opposing QBs becoming a routine occurrence.

Despite last year's woes, secondary coach Matt Graves seems upbeat about the task ahead.

"I'm excited about turning around the whole defense with Coach Odom," Graves said. "Looking at the tape, we've got some talent here. I don't have any doubt in my mind that there are some guys on this team who can help turn this defense around and be a force to be reckoned with in the secondary."

The secondary loses its two best players — Kelly Hardy and Antwane Yelverton — but plenty of bodies return. Brandon Rainer is the elder statesman of the group and Reicko Jones' baptism by fire last season could play dividends this spring.

Travis Heath anchors the backend and has a knack for making plays. His electrifying fumble return against Texas Christian last season provided the winning score over the No. 22 Frogs.

Donald Whitehead, Markeith McQueen, and Kevin Jackson all saw action in '02 but need to show marked improvement this spring to put themselves in a position to make an impact next season.

The return game should again be solid, with Copper, Townes, and Demarcus Fox all returning. Copper was solid handling punts last season and Fox and Townes have breakaway ability on kickoffs.

Huge question marks loom over the kicking game, where the Pirates must replace their all-time leading scorer, Kevin Miller, as well as standout punter Jarad Preston. The two formed the most consistent kicking tandem in C-USA, and their departure leaves an important void Thompson must fill.

Ryan Dougherty redshirted last season and has a powerful leg. The Orlando, FL, native is the most likely to seize Preston's old job and could handle kickoff duties, too.

Last but not least, Thompson must find a dependable place kicker. So far, no one has emerged as a favorite.