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8 Friday, August 25, 2000 UNC Football Releases Depth Chart Starting defensive players Errol Hood and Brandon Spoon are candidates for postseason position awards. By Mike Ogle Assistant Sports Editor The depth chart might be ready, but questions still remain as to whether North Carolina is. One day after its third scrimmage of the summer, the Tar Heels released the depth chart for the season-opening game against Tulsa on Sept. 2. The lineup provided few surprises outside of the backfield, in which junior Rufus Brown was not present. The rest of the card comprised some inexperienced players, particularly in special teams, who will get chances to solidify their preseason standings against the Golden Hurricane at 6 p.m. at Kenan Stadium. Senior Jeff Reed replaces place-kick er Josh McGee, who set the school record for career field goals and scored the second-most points in UNC history. “I know I have big shoes to fill,” said Reed, a walk-on from Charlotte. “That’s in the back of my mind, but this is this year, and that’s in the past. I’ve just got to go out there, get my mind right and get the job done.” Freshman Blake Ferguson and sophomore John Lafferty are still bat tling to replace All-American Brian ff Mm 'MJm Ci jMfgfSKgBF M ■MSB : . WMJ m JHf Am L ** J -I m ■ - iff Mm > ■ ■ m DTH/JEFF POULAND Freshman running back Willie Parker was listed as the first-team tailback on the UNC depth chart, which was released Thursday. Parker rushed for 35 yards on five attempts in North Carolina's scrimmage Wednesday. Aerobics, New Diet Help Wagstaff Trim His Figure By Will Kimmey Sport Saturday Editor Rarely can the words slim and 345 pounds be used in the same sentence. But North Carolina football coach Carl Torbush boldly went where few others have dared when describing James Wagstaff, his starting right tackle. “We’re talking about a slim 345- pound guy who is not fat,” Torbush said. “Have y’all seen Wagstaff? He is just a big human being, just a big guy.” The 6-foot-3 senior, who has “Big Wags" tattooed on his left biceps, tipped the scales at more than 360 pounds last season. He started all 11 regular-season games at left tackle in 1998 but lost his job to converted tight end Allen Mogridge in ’99. The knock on the big guy was that he needed to be more aggressive. “What he has been at times is too nice on the field,” Torbush said. “He’s a great young man- you would like to take him home every day. When you get on the football field, you need to have a litde bit of nastiness, and he has not done that probably as much as he would probably need to. “I think he’s prepared to do that this year. I’ve seen a tremendous amount of maturity and improvement in him both in the spring and in the fall.” A big reason for Wagstaffs improve ment on the field has been his condi tioning work off it. George “Bulldog” Smith, the team’s strength coach, has been behind him every step of the way. “He sent me over to a nutritionist from Student Health,” Wagstaff said. “I met with her, we went to the grocery store over the summer, and she showed me how to shop and eat right.” She was Tausha Robertson. She got Big Wags off ground beef and hot dogs, replacing them with ground turkey, poultry and fish. She helped him cut comers wherever possible, replacing the W B gg IBik M | DTH/MARC A. WHITE Senior linebacker Brandon Spoon was named to the 2000 Butkus Award Watch List. He is the first player to make that list four consecutive years. Schmitz as the team’s punter. Schmitz’s shoes are even more difficult to fill. He averaged an ACC-record 47.8 yards per punt in 1999 and holds the career con ference mark at 44.4 yards a boot. “We have not seen them play and perform in front of a crowd, and some times that makes a world of difference,” coach Carl Torbush said of his new, inconsistent kickers. “I’ve seen so many times, especially in the kicking game, a j 2 percent milk in his refrigerator with skim milk. Wagstaff said he doesn’t mind his new diet, but he still has cravings at times. “I miss eating hamburgers,” Wagstaff said. Wagstaff also slimmed down by participating in “fat man aerobics” starting last win ter. Smith set up Offensive tackle James Wagstaff slimmed down to 345 pounds and regained his starting spot. this work as well. He got the offensive and defensive linemen, as well as tight ends, to head to the Student Recreation Center at 6 a.m. three times a week to meet with an aerobics instructor. It paid off, especially for Big Wags. “I’m feeling good, I’m moving quick er,” Wagstaff said. “I’U be able to stay in longer, my stamina is pretty good. Overall, it will help my game out a lot.” His teammates are taking notice, too. “He is unbelievable,” senior linebacker Brandon Spoon said. “He has done a complete 180. His ability, he’s more agile. He’s dominating people in practice. It’s exactly what everybody thought he could have been when he first got here.” Wagstaff said he’s come a long way since he first stepped on campus in 1996 as a little more than a big body. Now, he’s finally filling out - or slimming down - the tackle position the way the Tar Heel coaches hoped he would when they recruited him. And he just might be working his way to the next level. “He’s die perfect size for an NFL offensive tackle,” Torbush said. “So if he plays like we think he can, he’ll have a shot.” The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu. kicker in practice can kick it out of the end zone, but he gets in a ball game, and all of a sudden he tightens up.” Sophomore wide receiver Sam Aiken looks to do most of the kick returning as he heads the list for kickoff and punt returns. He took much of that role on his shoulders toward the end of last season to relieve the struggling Kory Bailey. Other fresh faces atop their positions for now include Bosley Allen (wide Tough Schedule Awaits Talented Tar Heels North Carolina field hockey kicks off its new season against Duke at 1 p.m. Saturday at Henry Stadium. By Rachel Carter Assistant Sports Editor Kristen McCann and Jana Toepel haven’t always been best buddies. Growing up in neighboring Pennsylvania towns, the two North Carolina seniors first met up on a field hockey field in the 10th grade. Love at first sight, it wasn’t. Both recall the dislike they had for each other during their high school careers and laugh about how things have changed. “We were rivals,” McCann said. “We came in (freshman year), and we weren’t expecting to be friends at all.” But as their col lege years have passed, old grudges gave way to friendship and a common goal. That goal is to return to the glory of their redshirt freshman season, when the two were integral parts of “I won’t say I did it intentionally, but it’s sometimes difficult to get quality opponents, so I try to get as many as lean. ” Karen Shelton UNC Field Hockey Coach the 1997 NCAA champion Tar Heels. McCann scored two goals in UNC’s victory against Virginia while Toepel started every game in the backfield that season. Now, they’d like another taste of NCAA glory. Together with an older, more experi enced squad, the two face tough chal lenges and a brutal schedule that includes defending national champion Maryland in their journey back to the NCAA finals. “I like to play tough games, and I know the girls do, too,” UNC coach Sports receiver), Louis Marchetti (tackle), Cam Holland (guard), Adam Metis (center), Isaac Morford (guard), James Wagstaff (tackle), Willie Parker (tailback) and Anthony Saunders (fullback) on offense. Anthony Perkins (tackle) and Michael Waddell (comerback) are the lone new defensive starters. Spoon, Hood Nominated Brandon Spoon and Errol Hood were each named to the watch list for the national player of the year award at their respective positions. Spoon became the first linebacker in the 16-year history of the Butkus Award to be named a candidate in four con secutive seasons. Seventy players made the preseason list. Spoon returned for a fifth year after missing almost all of last season with a tom biceps tendon. “I just want to get past the first round now,” Spoon said. “It’s an honor in itself to be nominated. I’m tired of being nominated. I want to get the real deal now. I want to meet Butkus himself.” Hood, a junior comerback who had 58 tackles, 11 pass breakups and five interceptions in 1999, is one of 40 can didates for the Thorpe Award. “I’m more confident,” Hood said. “I’m very observant. I notice things. I remember them. I’ll recognize that same play before it happens. I’m more experienced.” The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu. Thorogood Ahead of Juniors By Bret Strelow Assistant Sports Editor Senior tailback Donte’ Thorogood can’t begin to describe how good he felt after blocking a punt against Wake Forest in 1998. Jomo Legins picked up the ball and returned it six yards for a touchdown to give North Carolina a first-quarter lead. Thorogood also can’t recollect anoth er time that he has touched the ball in a game for the Tar Heels. “Never,” said Thorogood, a fifth-year senior. “I’ve wanted to.” UNC coach Carl Torbush might grant Thorogood’s wish this season. Thorogood is one of three players listed as the No. 2 tailback behind starter Willie Parker on the team’s latest depth chart, which was released Thursday. That’s bad news for juniors Rufus Brown and Domonique Williams, who were also competing at tailback. Williams was listed with Ronnie Robinson as a back-up at fullback, while Brown was left off the depth chart entirely. Torbush said after practice Thursday that Russell will back-up Parker, and Karen Shelton said. “This is a really challenging schedule. I won’t say that I did it intentionally, but it’s sometimes difficult to get quality opponents, so I try to get as many as I can.” First challenge on the list is ACC opponent Duke, which will be trying very hard Saturday at 1 p.m. to be the first team to hand the Tar Heels an “L.” But history’s not with Duke. The Blue Devils haven’t won against the Tar Heels in UNC back Alison Stewart’s entire lifetime. Stewart was bom on Jan. 26, 1982. The last Duke victory was months before on Oct 13,1981. Last season the Tar Heels (16-6, 2-2 ACC) didn’t even give up a goal to Duke. So barring the end of nearly 20 years of dominance, UNC’s other challengers will find a team with one win under its belt. The Tar Heels’ second game of the season is against Michigan, one of five teams picked by ESPN.com to watch for. UNC is also one of those teams. In fact, the only member of ESPN.corn’s “Teams to Watch For” list UNC won’t play in the regular season is Connecticut. Despite the difficult schedule, UNC still expects to be playing in the NCAA tournament. “We expect everything,” McCann said. “We expect to win every game.” To win every game, the Tar Heels will have to increase their offensive output. Last year UNC had only 57 goals, and the team’s leading scorer was a back. Shelton said it won’t happen again. “If you look at our statistics last year, (forward) Abbey Woolley only had four goals,” Shelton said. “She’s going to have more goals this season, I’ll guaran tee you. She may even score four goals Preseason Positioning The North Carolina football team released its two-deep depth chart Thursday afternoon. OFFENSE WIDE RECEIVER 3 Bosley Allen (6-1,190, So.) 88 Sam Aiken (6-2,190, So.) LEFT TACKLE 70 Louis Marchetti (6-6,280, Sr.) 69 Greg Woofter (6-5,270, Fr.*) LEFT GUARD 66 Cam Holland (6-2,305, Sr.) 71 Jupiter Wilson (6-2,300, Fr.*) CENTER 60 Adam Metis (6-1,270, Jr.) 67 Marcus Wilson (6-2,270, Fr.*) RIGHT GUARD 78 Isaac Morford (6-3,300, So.) 63 Don Peters (6-2,305, So.) RIGHT TACKLE 73 James Wagstaff (6-3,345, Sr.) 74 Bryant Malloy (6-3,310, So.) TIGHT END 82 Alge Crumpler (6-3,260, Sr.) 83 Dauntae’ Finger (6-4,265, Sr.) QUARTERBACK 1 Ronald Curry (6-2,200, Jr.) 14Antwon Black (5-11,190, Sr.) OR 9 Luke Huard (6-4,220, So.) TAILBACK 15 Willie Parker (5-10,200, Fr.*) 31 Brandon Russell (5-11,185, Fr.) FULLBACK 20 Anthony Saunders (6-1,225, Jr.) 32 Ronnie Robinson (6-1,245, Sr.) WIDE RECEIVER 12 Kory Bailey (6-1,190, Jr.) 8 Jamal Jones (6-0,200, Fr.*) PLACE-KICKER 92 Jeff Reed (6-0,200, Sr.) 95 Chris Bender (6-0,180, Sr.) Andre’ Williams will be the third tailback. He said Thorogood could also slide into the third spot. “Every year you say he can’t do this and he can’t do that, and he’s always hang ing around and helping on special teams throughout his career,” Torbush said. Thorogood Senior walk-on Donte' Thorogood was one of three players listed as the second-team tailback behind Willie Parker. o rushed for six yards on three carries dur ing a scrimmage on Wednesday. Parker rushed five times for 35 yards, while Russell and Andre’ Williams combined for 42 yards on nine carries. Brown and Domonique Williams did n’t have a rushing attempt. Torbush said his two juniors have been improving. He also said Brown is healthy for the first time in 2 1/2 years. “These other three we haven’t seen play in a game,” Torbush said. “So if Field Hockey 2000 Date Opponent Time Aug. 26 Duke 1 p.m. Sept. 3 Michigan (in St. Louis) Noon Sept. 4 Penn State (in St. Louis) 10 a.m. Sept. 9 lowa (in Philadelphia) 1:30 p.m. Sept. 10 Temple/Towson (in Philadelphia) TBA Sept. 16 Old Dominion Ip.m. Sept. 17 Virginia Ip.m. Sept. 23 at Richmond 1 p.m. Sept. 24 at James Madison 1 p.m. Sept. 30 Wake Forest TBA Oct. 1 at Duke 3 p.m. Oct. 7 Princeton (in Norfolk) 11:30 a.m. Oct, 8 Radford 1 p.m. Oct. 10 at Wake Forest 7 p.m. Oct. 13 Michigan 2 p.m. Oct. 15 at Virginia Ip.m. Oct. 22 at Maryland 1 p.m. Oct. 28 at Old Dominion 1 p.m. Oct. 29 William & Mary (in Norfolk) Noon Nov. 2-5 ACC Tournament (at Maryland) TBA North Carolina field hockey coach Karen Shelton in one game. “I’m optimistic that the offensive players that have all returned for us are significantly better and more powerful ly scorers than they were last year.” Only one of Shelton’s regular starters from last year has not returned. McCann and Woolley will both play the majority of the games, with the final forward spot shifting between Katie McDonald and Kate Sidebottom. Although the forwards are all the same players as last year, the other two lines have a significant change. Last year, Shelton discarded the idea of moving Toepel from sweeper to mid field and Abby Martin from right back to sweeper. But this season, Martin will be start ing in Toepel’s familiar spot while Toepel finds her way in the midfield. Toepel said she is concerned about the change simply because she feels that she is not as good in the midfield. McCann, who has had her share of on Qltfe ioily ©ar Heri DEFENSE END 49 Julius Peppers (6-6,270, So.) 85 Malcolm Stewart (6-3,225, So.) TACKLE 87 Ryan Sims (6-4,285, Jr.) 91 Will Chapman (6-4,255, So.) TACKLE 58 Anthony Perkins (6-5,270, Jr.) 47 Eric Davis (6-3,260, So.) END 68 Ross McAllister (6-5,255, Sr.) 95 Joey Evans (6-5,265, Jr.) LINEBACKER 52 Sedrick Hodge (6-4,235, Sr.) 41 Quincy Monk (6-4,240, Jr.) LINEBACKER 44 Brandon Spoon (6-2,245, Sr.) 55 Robert Harris (6-1,225, So.) LINEBACKER 54 Merceda Perry (6-4,245, Sr.) 30 David Thornton (6-2,210, Sr.) CORNERBACK 18 Michael Waddell (5-11,170, So.) 11 Anthony Anderson (5-9,180, Jr.) SAFETY 42 David Bomar (5-11,190, Sr.) 24 Dexter Reid (5-11,180, Fr.*) SAFETY 28 Billy-Dee Greenwood (6-2,185, Jr.) 25 DeFonte Coleman (6-1,215, So.) CORNERBACK 29 Errol Hood (5-11,195, Jr.) 21 Kevin Knight (5-8,175, So.) PUNTER 38 Blake Ferguson (6-0,170, Fr.) 21 John Lafferty (5-10,180, So.) * denotes redshirt they come out here the first game and can’t handle the pressure of being out there in front of all these people, then we know we’ve got some proven guys.” Thorogood joined the team as a walk on at running back in 1996. His status hasn’t changed. Thorogood said he strug gles to pay for meals and books and can’t work because of the demands of practice. Thorogood, who is 5-foot-7, doesn’t mind playing the role of dark horse. “I know the odds are against me, being a walk-on, being a small guy,” Thorogood said. “I also don’t have any pressure on me.” Thorogood still works with the serj ond-team punt-block unit. But that could change if he maintains his role as one of UNC’s rushing options. Thorogood would love to get a chance to show off his running skills during a game. “It would be a dream come true,” Thorogood said. “I know the first day I would be nervous, but after that I would be all right." The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu. the-field run-ins with the defender Toepel, said her friend is worrying about nothing. “She feels that she’s not as competent in the midfield, but Jana’s great,” McCann said. “She can play wherever. I think it’s going to help our team attack ing-wise.” Martin spent four games last season at sweeper while Toepel was in Australia playing for the U.S. National Team. Martin said she is comfortable with the change. The Tar Heels are committed to the change and will have to hit the ground running to make sure it works before they face their toughest competitors. „ “There are no peaks and valleys $ the entire schedule,” Shelton said. “S|> what we can do is focus on our devel opment and not worry about who playing but worry about us improving as a team.” V * The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edi.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Aug. 25, 2000, edition 1
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