Sunday, August 11, 1996

ACU footballers prepare for practices

By Reporter OnLine Sports

First-year coach Jack Kiser will welcome squad members today for his first Wildcat football team at Abilene Christian University and the beginning of preseason workouts Monday.

The 1996 Wildcat squad is expected to be improved from last year's 4-7 record with the return of 35 letterman, including 13 starters, and the addition of another promising recruiting class. As many as five transfers, including quarterback Mitch Alvarado from the University of Missouri, could start on offense.

ACU players will begin two-a-day workouts Monday at 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. After three weeks of practice, the Wildcats will play its season opener Saturday, Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. in Shotwell Stadium against New Mexico Highlands.

"We've got a lot of people back," Kiser said, "and we replaced a lot of the people gone with players just as good or better. The quality of our recruits has gone up. We could be pretty good."

The Wildcat defense will be without all-America end Victor Randolph, but all three starting linebackers and three of hte four starting defensive backs return. Kiser thinks the 1996 defense could perform as well as the 1993 unit which led the Lone Star Conference and ranked sixth in NCAA Division II in total defense.

Linebackers Jody Brown of Stephenville, Shay Favors and Robert Lewis and backs Stacy Brown, Ramon Paul and Vic Burke return on defense. Brown led ACU in tackles (92), and Favors, Brown and Burke earned all-LSC honors. Top newcomers include highly recruited junior college transfers Junior Filikitonga and Ra'Shard Tinnon from Ranger College.

Last year, the ACU offense averaged only 16.1 points and 272.7 yards per game, but the addition of Alvarado and at last four other transfers is expected to produce better results. Top newcomers include 300-pound linemen Derek Delk and Milton Powell, fullback O'Day Colbert and wide receiver Craig Cole.

Tailbacks Sammie Overton and David Bennett will give ACU a solid rushing attack. Overton led ACU with 811 yards last season, and Bennett returns after an injury ended his promising freshman season (6.2 yards per carry) in the fourth game.

Place-kicker Brandon Baker from Abilene High returns, and ACU coaches added former all-state punter Bubba Moore from Texas-El Paso.

Other Abilene area lettermen include defensive linemen James Hunter from Cooper and Mitch Copeland from Stephenville, fullback Shane Freels from Stephenville and linebacker Jason Shea from Jim Ned.

The Wildcats are picked to finish sixth in the preseason LSC poll behind defending champ Texas A&M-Kingsville, Angelo State, East Texas State, Central Oklahoma and Eastern New Mexico.
Kiser is taking his first head coaching assignment. A former assistant coach at Texas, Texas Tech and Southwest Texas State, the Abilene High and ACU graduate had been defensive coordinator at ACU the last three seasons.