War Eagles plan for solid season

2009 in review: The best part about Wagener-Salley's 2009 season is that it's over. The War Eagles went 0-10, and head coach Ryan Russell was replaced midway through the season.

"It was a difficult situation for players and coaches," said athletic director Kenneth Tucker, who stepped in as head coach and is returning in the same capacity this season.

Although the season was checkered with lopsided losses, the team played its best game in the season finale against North. Wagener-Salley rallied from a double-digit deficit, taking a 50-48 lead with about four minutes to play. Although North prevailed in the closing moments, 54-50, the game provided the War Eagles with something to build on. It was a sign that they appear to be headed in the right direction and inspired the returning players to get back on the field for 2010.

Returning stars

Rodriquez Dunbar, Sophomore, CB/KR/QB/WR. Perhaps the War Eagles' most dynamic player, Dunbar will be relied upon to be the team's top playmaker. He has led by example on the field and in the weight room in the off-season, where Tucker described him as one of the team's hardest workers. He possesses great speed and elusiveness which allowed him to make a team-best 14 receptions for 191 yards and a touchdown last season. Dunbar also returned 10 kickoffs for 213 yards, taking one all the way to the house for a touchdown.

Trey Davis, Sophomore, SS/RB. Davis saw limited action in the War Eagles' first eight games but rushed for 246 yards and two touchdowns on 40 carries in Wagener-Salley's last two games. Tucker sees lots of potential in Davis, whom he describes as the fastest player on the team and pound for pound, the strongest.

Bruce Corely, Junior, LB/FB. One of the few players to outperform Davis in the weight room has been Corely, the strongest player on the War Eagles' roster. He's also a leader in the locker room and on the field.

New faces: Jeff Hair, Sophomore, OL. Although he was on the varsity roster last season, Hair missed a significant amount of time because of injuries. He's being counted on to produce along the offensive line. The same can be said for Cecil Furtick, a junior. He didn't play much in 2009 but is also expected to contribute on the offensive line.

Games to watch: No place to start like the beginning, and that's what Tucker is focused on - the Aug. 20 season-opener at Pelion.

"I'm excited about opening the season right," Tucker said. "Excited about getting on the field again."

Another game to watch will be Wagener-Salley's rematch with North on Oct. 15. If it's half as entertaining as last season's contest, it could be the War Eagles' game of the year again, although the Sept. 24 matchup with Ridge Spring-Monetta is a big rivalry game for the region foes and worth watching.

When Wagener-Salley has the ball: The War Eagles expect to primarily be a running team and will use I-formation packages as their base offense. Although Wagener-Salley's focus will be to establish a power running game, it doesn't mean that they won't pass the ball. Dunbar and junior Sam Clarke will split duties at quarterback. Although Clarke isn't the playmaker that Dunbar is, Tucker has confidence in Clarke's ability and is only looking for more consistent play. That goes for the entire offense, which Tucker has tried to simplify this year to allow his players to "line up and play." The main focus will be to instill patience in the War Eagles and have them resist the temptation to attempt to make a big play on every snap.

When the opponent has the ball: Tucker wants the defense to adopt the same simplified approach he's instilling on offense. Wagener-Salley's basic defensive scheme will be the 3-4 package. He's trying to prevent his kids from overly concentrating on reading plays and wants more of the emphasis to be on attacking opposing ball carriers.

"I want them to be aggressive and make tackles," he said.

Among the players he's going to be counting on to deliver on the field are junior linebacker Darryl Bynem, sophomore defensive end Devon Way, sophomore free safety Kavon Mitchell and sophomore Gregg Hicks, who is one of the team's top defensive linemen in spite of his 5-foot-8, 160-pound frame.

Something special: The biggest goal of Wagener-Salley's special teams unit is playing consistently. Tucker will sacrifice spectacular plays for routine execution. That will prevent opponents from getting good field position and reduce turnovers.

"You never want to lose a game because of special teams," Tucker said. "It can turn things around quickly."

Clarke is in line to be the punter, Bynem the place kicker and Brandon Medlin will serve as the long snapper. The wildcard is Dunbar, who has proven he's capable of making plays as the kick returner.

Overall outlook: Wagener-Salley hasn't had a winning season since 1995 and only has seven wins over the past five seasons. Following last season's winless campaign, there's only room for improvement. It's unlikely that the War Eagles will contend for a region title this season, but a good, young core of players should post a few victories. The main thing is making progress on a week-to-week basis. If that happens, the wins will eventually follow.

The man in charge:

Name: Kenneth Tucker

Years at Wagener-Salley: First full season as football coach

Accomplishments: Served as assistant coach at Midland Valley from 1993-2001, was an assistant at Williston-Elko from 2002-03, served as head coach at Latta from 2006-07 before coming to Wagener-Salley.

Best coaching memory: Winning the school's first region championship at Midland Valley.

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