NEMS360: Williams set for ICC debut
Gene Phelps/NEMS Daily Journal

Jon Williams has entered season openers as a head coach and an assistant coach during his 14 previous seasons in football.

Today, he'll have on the head coach's headset when Itawamba Community College hosts Hinds at 7 p.m. at Lambert Stadium in Fulton.

"The biggest difference is that I'm losing sleep over a whole team instead of one position," Williams said, then laughed. "Really, it hasn't been as much stress as I thought it would. Everything's happening so fast."

Williams, who was offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator for the Indians and former head coach Jeff Terrill last season, also credits his assistants for making debut week less difficult.

"This coaching staff has done a phenomenal job," he said.

Williams has a lot of the same opening day concerns as any other coach &45; getting people on and off the field on special teams, drive-stopping penalties and mistakes, and conditioning.

"The first game you always worry about conditioning," he said. "We've really tried to improve our practice habits. We made a concerted effort to simulate the speed of the game in practice.

"We try to condition through practice. Hopefully, that won't be an issue."

ICC, 2-7 in 2009, will open the season with a new quarterback, freshman Andy Wilson from Spring, Texas. He won the job in fall camp over Canden Dallas, a freshman from Pontotoc.

Wilson "makes good decisions," offensive coordinator Gabe Fertitta said on media day. "He understands you don't have to make great, unbelievable plays."

Defensively, sophomore Xavian Evans is expected to be a leader and force. He played tight end last season. Two others second-year players being counted on are linebacker Kelsey Stovall and DB Tevin Blanchard.

"Our goal is not to give up the big play," defensive coordinator Sean Cannon said.

Hinds, 3-6 a year ago, is led by all-star defensive lineman Leon Mackey and wide receiver/quarterback Les Lemons.

ICC sophomore DB named preseason All-American
Adam Gore/ICC Sports Information Department

The preseason accolades continue to roll in for ICC sophomore defensive back Darius Slay.

Along with being named preseason All-MACJC by the Mississippi Gridiron Magazine earlier this month, the Mississippi State commitment has been named to the JC Grid-Wire preseason All-American second team.

"We are proud of Darius because he has worked to achieve this great honor," said first-year head coach Jon Williams. "It is a tribute to his hard work as a freshman and the things he accomplished last year. We just hope at the end of the year he has had the kind of season to earn some postseason honors as well."

Slay, a graduate of Brunswick High School in Georgia, recorded 41 tackles, 36 solo, with 2.5 tackles for loss while forcing two fumbles and picking off three passes for the Indians last season.

ICC will open its 2010 football season at home on September 2 against Hinds Community College.

ICC football establishes award in memory of Bennie Abram
Adam Gore/ICC Sports Information Department

Sophomore wide receiver Alex Thornton has been announced as the 2010 Bennie Abram L.E.G.A.C.Y Award recipient.

The first-ever recipient of the award was chosen by the ICC football coaching staff. The award will annually be given to the player the coaching staff feels best reflects the life and legacy of former Indian defensive back Bennie Abram.

"Bennie was a young man that possessed a lot of great traits that you look for in athletes and people in general," said ICC head coach Jon Williams.

"He displayed a lot of leadership, effort, gratitude, a strong passion for academics, his character was impeccable, and in essence Bennie was a yeoman (a common man). If you were to spell those words out you come up with the acronym 'legacy' and that's why we chose to create this award and call it the Bennie Abram L.E.G.A.C.Y Award."

Abram, who transferred to play football at the University of Mississippi as a junior, passed away in February after collapsing during the first day of team workouts.

Thornton will be honored at halftime of ICC's home-opener against Hinds on Thursday, September 2 in a special presentation from Abram's parents, Bennie and Erma Abram.

"We as coaches feel like Alex represents all the things that Bennie displayed over the course of his life," said Williams. "This award means a lot to us and I'm sure it means a lot to his family. We are just happy to have been able to be a small part of Bennie's life."

The award will be given to a sophomore that maintains a grade point average of 3.0 or above and the recipient will serve as a captain throughout the season. A plaque will be enshrined in the ICC football field house with the players names engraved each year to help preserve the spirit Abram brought to Itawamba Community College.

The player selected for the award will also wear a patch with Abram's number "30" on it while the team will wear a "BA" logo on their helmet in honor of their fallen teammate this season.

ICC Indians' sophomore back where he wants to be
by Gene Phelps/NEMS Daily Journal

Arturo Hernandez is where he wants to be - playing center this season for the Itawamba Community College football team.

His position coach, Alex Atkins, certainly wants the 6-foot-2, 295-pound third-year player as the anchor of his offensive line.

"He's the coach of the offensive line," Atkins said at Wednesday's media day. "He's like my eyes on the field. I like his knowledge, his experience. You need a guy like him in the middle."

Hernandez, a sophomore from Olive Branch, received a medical redshirt from the NJCAA after suffering a knee injury in last season's second game.

"I suffered an MCL tear," he said of the injury that sidelined him. "I was scoped and had my cartilage smoothed out. I was able to practice in the spring. The knee's good now, I'm ready to go."

And Hernandez will go at center, where he played as a freshman at ICC and as a senior in high school. Atkins made the move following spring practice.

"I like him at center," he said. "He makes all the calls for our run and pass assignments."

Hernandez, who carries a 3.6 GPA and plans to major in accounting, doesn't mind the responsibility of determining and calling the line's blocking assignments.

"On every play I look at the defensive front to see how many players are lined up," he said. "It could change our play calls some. We make our adjustments according to how many are lined up.

"I also look at the linebackers and determined how they'll be blocked. My job is to let the offensive line know what we're going to do."

Hernandez hopes a blend of his performance on the field and his good work in the classroom will earn him a scholarship to a four-year program.

"I'm working here to improve my skills and get ready for the season," he said. "I'm also keeping my academics high. I know that will help me down the road."

Wilson gets the nod

Freshman quarterback Andy Wilson from Spring, Texas, will be the starter when the Indians kick off their season at home Sept. 2 against Hinds.

Wilson beat out Pontotoc freshman Canden Dallas.

"It was a tough decision," offensive coordinator Gabe Fertitta said. "Andy started to distance himself because of his natural ability. He makes good decisions.

"He knows he doesn't have to be the one to win the game, just be the one who can manage it."

On the receiving end

Wilson will have plenty of targets when he looks to the air, including Kentucky commitment Justin Bean, a sophomore from Tupelo.

"Andy's got a great arm; he knows how to fit a ball in the hole," Bean said. "He can put speed on it or take speed off."

Bean's former Golden Wave teammate, Garrian Heard, and Shannon's 5-7 William Green are also in the mix, along with five others.

"We've got great talent," Bean said. "Even though I'd like to catch 40 to 45 balls, I'm sure we'll spread it out throughout the receiving corps. I just want to help the team."

Bean signed with UK out of high school, but came to ICC when he didn't meet academic requirements.

The Wildcats made contact with him in the spring and told him they were still interested.

Hutchins seeking his boom
Brad Locke/NEMS Daily Journal

STARKVILLE - Heath Hutchins didn't want to make any excuses, didn't want to blame his struggles on an injury.

So when asked late last season what was wrong, the Mississippi State punter simply said he'd "lost my mojo," but there was more to it than that. After averaging 42.6 yards per punt through the first four games of the 2009 season, Hutchins' average dropped significantly.

But mojo had little or nothing to do with it. It was a ripped tendon in his hip that robbed his kicks of their normal "boom."

It happened when an LSU player plowed into him in the fourth game of the season.

"I don't want to be an excuse-maker," said Hutchins, a senior who starred at Saltillo High School and later at ICC. "It was like a dead (baseball) bat. I just had to try so hard. It's not natural, and then you overdo it, and then it just gets worse, and then your form is bad."

It's not in Hutchins' nature to just shut it down for a little tendon problem. And now, after some offseason rehab with strength coach Matt Balis - "Coach Balis had me doing a bunch of weird hip lifts" - and plenty of time in the training room, Hutchins feels like his old self, like the punter who averaged 44 yards a kick at ICC.

"This year is going to be real good," he said. "So far I'm hitting the ball just like I did at the beginning of last year before I kind of tweaked my hip."

A big role

Hutchins' health is especially important considering his backup, Baker Swedenburg, is out with a foot injury. Placekickers Sean Brauchle and Derek DePasquale have been working at punter just in case.

MSU needs a strong year out of Hutchins. Coach Dan Mullen, who also coaches special teams, is a big believer in winning the field-position battle.

Mullen has personally seen to it that Hutchins regains his form, putting him through several drills and breaking down video of his mechanics.

Mullen has actually tried to get Hutchins to dial back the effort a little bit.

"He's a guy that goes out, and he's trying to hit a 60-something-yard punt every single time," Mullen said. "We're settling into, let's hit a 45-, 50-yard punt every time, but do it every time. Not a 60 and a 20; let's be consistent with our kicks."

While he has a good reason for last season's struggles, Hutchins doesn't accept the results. He wound up averaging 39.7 yards per kick, paltry by his standards, and not good by SEC standards either.

Hutchins said Mullen has told him that there is no reason MSU shouldn't lead the nation in net punting yardage this fall.

"I'm just going to let everybody think I'm a letdown like I was last year," Hutchins said, "and then they're going to be, 'Where the hell did this guy come from this year?' That's what I plan on doing."

Contact Brad Locke at 678-1571 or brad.locke@djournal.com.

Former two-time ICC All-American named to Bednarik and Hendricks Watch Lists
Adam Gore/ICC Sports Information Department

All eyes will be on former two-time ICC All-American defensive end Pernell McPhee in his final season with the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

The Maxwell Football Club announced McPhee has been named to the 2010 Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List. The award, which has been given to the nation's top defensive player since 1995, will be presented on December 9th as part of the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show.

The Ted Hendricks Foundation also recently announced McPhee has been named to the 2010 Ted Hendricks Award Watch List. The award, which was first presented in 2002, is given annually to college football's top defensive end.

McPhee, who was named to the Lombardi Award Watch List in April, has been rated as one of the top NFL draft prospects in the SEC according to ESPN's NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper. In June, ESPN's SEC blogger Chris Low ranked the former ICC Indian as the ninth best player in his list of the Top 25 SEC players.

While at ICC, McPhee led the MACJC in quarterback sacks both as a freshman and sophomore. He led the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) with 19.5 sacks while recording 37 tackles for loss as a freshman and added a nation-leading 13.5 sacks and added 23.5 tackles for loss in his final season in Fulton.

The Florida native was named first-team National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American in 2008 after earning second-team NJCAA All-American honors in 2007. McPhee was named All-State and All-Region 23 after both seasons with the Indians.

In his first season as a Bulldog, McPhee earned All-Southeastern Conference honors from both the coaches and the media. He twice earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors, and finished the year with a team-leading 12.0 tackles for loss, team-high 5.0 sacks, and had 56 total tackles, one of the highest totals in the SEC for defensive lineman.

ICC defensive back earns Mississippi Gridiron Magazine preseason honors
Adam Gore/ICC Sports Information Department


ICC defensive back and Mississippi State commitment Darius Slay was named preseason All-MACJC by the Mississippi Gridiron Magazine.

Slay, a graduate of Brunswick High School in Georgia, recorded 41 tackles, 36 solo, with 2.5 tackles for loss while forcing two fumbles and picking off three passes for the Indians last season.

ICC will open its 2010 football season at home against Hinds Community College on September 2.

Free safety Kareem Moore has come a long way and now is making quite an impression on the Redskins
By Rick Maese/Washington Post Staff Writer

His path has been untraditional, if not unlikely, but when Washington Redskins safety Kareem Moore takes the field Friday night, fans will get a chance to see something players and coaches have been noticing in practice for a couple of years now.

"We've been seeing it. We're used to it," fellow safety LaRon Landry said. "For everyone that's hasn't, though, now's the time."

Moore, who has been a breakout performer in the early days of training camp, is slated to start at free safety when the Redskins open their preseason schedule against Buffalo on Friday. It has been a long climb for a player who was lost on the depth chart since joining the Redskins, hopped around between colleges before that, and almost bypassed football altogether in high school.

Moore was a basketball player at Okolona (Miss.) High and didn't put on a pair of pads until the football coach begged him prior to his senior year.

"I always loved football," Moore said. "I used to always watch it. But I never really wanted to play it seriously. But when I finally did, I just fell in love. It felt like second nature to me."

Said Bobby Ford, Moore's high school coach and Okolona's athletic director: "He's a fast learner. It just never took him long to pick up on things."

And it didn't take long for others to notice either. Playing just one year of high school football, Moore accepted a scholarship to the University of Mississippi. But after two seasons, Ole Miss overhauled its coaching staff, and Moore saw his playing time shrink. He transferred to Itawamba (Miss.) Community College, which is where Steve Ellis, the former defensive coordinator at Nicholls State, spotted him. But Ellis noticed him on the basketball court, not a football field.

"I was probably there for like five minutes, and he must've had 20 dunks," says Ellis, now the cornerbacks coach at Middle Tennessee State. "This guy was above the rim the whole time. He was physical and just incredibly athletic and competitive."

Ellis saw tape of Moore playing safety and tried to persuade Moore that Nicholls State was his best option. Other area programs were also making their pitches, including bigger schools such as Mississippi State. Moore had NFL aspirations, though, and wasn't sure a bigger school wouldn't be the better option. So he called his cousin, Tim Bowens, who also started at Itawamba and eventually enjoyed a 11-year career with the Miami Dolphins that included two Pro Bowls.

"I just told him, it's all about what you do on the field. It doesn't matter what school you're in; it matters what you do on that field," said the former defensive tackle, who retired from the NFL in 2004.

While Moore enjoyed an impressive two years at Nicholls State - in one 2007 game, he and Baltimore Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb each returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a half - NFL scouts weren't quite drooling. Moore didn't receive an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine and had to beg his way into the Texas vs. the Nation annual all-star game. But in the days leading up to the game, he tore a knee ligament and over the course of further pre-draft workouts, the pain grew until he finally opted for surgery.

In the 2008 NFL draft, Moore, who had been told he had late second- or early third-round talent, didn't hear his name called until the sixth round. Then-Washington defensive coordinator Greg Blache called to share the good news.

"And then 10 minutes later," Moore said, "they called back and said, 'You're gonna be on a plane to Alabama to have surgery in the morning.' "

James Andrews performed a second arthroscopic knee surgery, and Moore began his Redskins' career on crutches. When he was finally getting steady repetitions midway through his first training camp, he was stuck playing behind Landry, who had a firm grip on the starting job.

With Landry playing free safety, Moore had little opportunity to showcase his skills. Last season, for example, he averaged fewer than 10 plays per game, not earning a start until the inconsequential season finale at San Diego.

"I was just trying to be patient, working on my craft," Moore said. "You know, if you're not getting better, you're getting worse. So I just kept trying to get better."

When the new coaching staff took over this year, they were immediately taken with the third-year safety. When they moved Landry to strong safety, it created a big opportunity for Moore.
Moore's the only true free safety on the roster, and he made his mark quickly in the team's offseason organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamps.

"The guy's got great body control," said Steve Atwater, the former free safety who played in eight Pro Bowls as a Denver Bronco and is currently serving as a coaching intern on Mike Shanahan's staff. "He has great ball skills in terms of accelerating to the ball. He's made some great plays here in camp."

Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett wants a unit that will wreak more havoc and cause more turnovers. Moore fits right into that plan. Haslett calls him a "ball magnet" and compares him with O.J. Atogwe, a safety Haslett coached in St. Louis. With the Rams, Atogwe's career also was slow to start, but he has had 18 interceptions in the past four years.

"[Moore's] always around the ball," Haslett said. "That's the kind of guy you like around the back end: guys who make interceptions."
Moore has shown that during practice - last week, he intercepted quarterback Donovan McNabb twice in three plays - but starting Friday night, coaches want to see it translate to games.
"I do love the ball," said Moore, who turns 26 years old Friday. "I like to catch it, and I want to score with it every time."

QB battle shaping up at ICC
Gene Phelps/NEMS Daily Journal

Philadelphia Phillies fans remember mid-1980s outfielder Glenn Wilson as "The Gun" because of his strong arm.

Itawamba Community College football insiders are wondering if the 10-year MLB veteran's son, Indians freshman quarterback Andy Wilson, inherited his dad's powerful cannon.

"I hope I did inherit it," Andy Wilson said, then smiled. "I'm blessed to have had a father who played Major League Baseball. I've learned a lot from him.

"I think I've got some of his traits."

Wilson produced some big numbers the last two seasons for Klein (Texas) Oak High School, completing 206 of 370 passes for 3,337 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,613 yards in two years.

The younger Wilson played baseball in high school, but says he has come to Mississippi to concentrate on football.

"My dad says he gets more excited for my football games than he does for my baseball," Wilson said. "Football was always my dad's first love."

Wilson (6-0, 215) and another freshman, Pontotoc's Canden Dallas (6-1, 195), are battling in the preseason for the starter's job.

Both players think the competition brings out their best.

"Each one of us has our strengths," said Dallas, who completed 87 of 164 passes for 1,283 yards and 15 touchdowns his senior year. "Competing against someone like Andy only makes you better."

Dallas was also an effective runner in high school, rushing for 377 yards and five TDs his final season.

"Sports is nothing without competition," Wilson said. "Nobody can relax and take plays off. You have to remain focused."

ICC's first-year offensive coordinator, Gabe Fertitta, praised the preseason work by both of his quarterbacks in operating the Indians' spread attack.

"Andy's a student of the game," he said. "He's got a strong arm and he can run. He manages the game well.

"Canden has come a long way. He's showing more confidence throwing the ball and has a grasp for what we're doing. Both of them are picking up the offense well. We're asking them to learn a lot."

Wilson, who logged his high school minutes in talent-rich Texas, has been impressed with his Mississippi and regional teammates.

"You always here that Texas is it for athletes, but what we have here is wild," he said. "We have so many playmakers. Our offensive line is athletic.

"We all know we have something special."

ICC opens its season at 7 p.m. Sept. 2 with a home game against Hinds.

Kareem Moore making the most of his chance at free safety
Jason Reid/The Washington Post

Third-year free safety Kareem Moore, former All-State and All-American defensive back, had two interceptions in a span of three plays Monday during the morning session at Redskins Park.

Moore, who has worked with the first-team defense since organized team activities, first made a nice catch on a deep ball quarterback Donovan McNabb intended for wide receiver Joey Galloway. He then caught a ball McNabb threw to tight end Chris Cooley.

"Just trying to play the defense, to make plays," Moore said as he jogged off the field to lift weights. "Don't try to be too aggressive, man. Just when they come, just make them. You know?"

Considered the only true free safety on the roster, Moore, 25, impressed throughout the offseason program and is expected to start alongside strong safety LaRon Landry. The Redskins did not move Landry, who played free safety the past two seasons, to strong safety to open more playing time for Moore, but Moore is taking advantage of an opening, the Redskins say.

"Kareem is a true free safety," said safeties coach Steve Jackson, who is one of three holdovers from former head coach Jim Zorn's staff. "He was drafted to play free safety, and what happened was he was stuck behind LaRon. He's best suited for free, but he can play both. It was just hard to beat out LaRon."

As a rookie in 2008, Moore played in 14 games, starting one. He played in every game last season with one start. "He has tremendous range in the middle of the field and he has great ball skills," middle linebacker London Fletcher said. "He's a good interceptor of the football. Now, it's just a matter of him getting out there, getting comfortable in what we're doing and just making his calls. He has a lot talent. He's a great athlete."

ICC football adds two SuperPrep All-Americans
Adam Gore/ICC Sports Information Department

ICC head football coach Jon Williams introduced Hawatha Bell and DeAntre Rhodes, a pair of SuperPrep All-Americans, as the newest additions to the roster for the upcoming football season.

Bell, a former four-star commitment to the University of North Carolina, was a member of the North Carolina Shrine Bowl team and was rated the No. 16 Inside Linebacker in the country by Rivals after recording 86 tackles, 39 solo, with 10 going for a loss along with six sacks, one interception returned for a touchdown, and five forced fumbles during his final season as a Butler High School Bulldog. He also earned a spot on the PrepStar's All-American team and the Atlanta Journal's Super Southern 100.

"Hawatha was a very highly recruited guy out of high school. We hit the Carolinas pretty hard and hit the jackpot with him," said Williams, who played football in North Carolina. "We are absolutely thrilled to have him. I know he's going to have solid career here at ICC and move on to bigger and better things."

Rhodes, who originally committed to Virginia Tech, was rated the No. 35 defensive tackle prospect in the nation by Rivals after earning numerous honors during his career as a Varina High School Blue Devil including being named to the Mid-Atlantic first team and was an All-Atlantic selection after recording 48 tackles, 14.5 for a loss, while having 4.5 sacks and three forced fumbles as a senior. He was also named to the Virginia High School Coaches Association All-Group AAA second team.

"DeAntre is one of those kids that I think will elevate the level of our defense," said Williams. "He plays with a high motor and he's going to be a solid addition along with Bell. You can tell by a few workouts he's going to be a solid player for us."

ICC opens its 2010 football season on September 2 at home against Hinds Community College.

Slay, Bean commit to play in the SEC next season
Adam Gore/ICC Sports Information Department

ICC head football coach Jon Williams announced two members of the 2010 Indians' football team made commitments to play in the SEC on Thursday.

Darius Slay, a standout 6-foot-1, 195-pound defensive back from Brunswick High school, originally signed with Mississippi State in 2009 and re-committed to the Bulldogs. The Georgia native recorded 41 tackles, 36 solo, with 2.5 going for a loss while forcing two fumbles and picking off three passes for the Indians last season.

"I'm feeling good," said Slay. "I'm excited and the coaches were excited when I talked to them this morning. I'm ready to be a Bulldog."

Bean, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound wide receiver from Tupelo High School, signed with Kentucky in 2009 and also re-committed to the Wildcats. The former Golden Wave multi-sport standout had six catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns after only playing in four games due to injuries last seasons.

"It feels good re-committing and becoming a Wildcat," said Bean. "I've been working hard to get everything taken care of on and off the field so I can transfer in December."

ICC will start the 2010 football season at home against Hinds Community College on September 2.

Former two-time ICC All-American, Pernell McPhee, was named to the preseason defense All-SEC second team by both the league's coaches and the Associated Press on Tuesday during the opening day of SEC Media Days.

The senior defensive end finished last season tied for sixth in the SEC with 12.0 tackles for loss and recorded 56 tackles while leading the Bulldogs with 5.0 sacks.

McPhee led the MACJC in sacks both as a freshman and sophomore, totaling 33 sacks while at ICC. He was a two-time all-state and all-Region XXIII player and earned first-team, All-Region XXIII honors at defensive end after leading the nation with 13.5 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore.

Odie Armstrong, a former ICC Indian running back, scored two touchdowns in the Tulsa's 61-48 victory over the Alabama Vipers to help the Talons win the Arena Football League's American Conference Southwest Division Championship after Cleveland's win over Oklahoma City.

Armstrong score on a one-yard run to make it a 21-13 game in the second quarter and then put the Talons up 42-28 with a one-yard reception from Justin Allgood in the third quarter.

The former Vardaman Ram has played in 14 games and amassed 388 all-purpose yards with 19 touchdowns and has scored 90 points on the season.

Four Itawamba Community College football players have signed to continue their athletic careers with four-year schools.

Marti Shelby, a Clinton native, signed to play at Alcorn State. The 6'0 190 lb wide receiver had 23 catches for an average of 11.5 yards per catch while a member of the ICC Indians' football team.

Jerhushua Williams, a 6'4 230 lb defensive end, will be a member of the Belhaven football. The Grenada native had 20 tackles (14 solo) with five tackles for loss along with two sacks, one quarterback pressures, and a caused fumble.

Former Shannon Red Raider, Michael Ledbetter, is taking his game to Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. The 6'4 195 lb QB saw action in five games as an Indian where he completed 28-of-66 passing for 430 yards and one touchdown.

Another former Shannon Red Raider, offensive lineman Joshua "Bud" Tolliver, will be taking his 6'2 320 lb frame to Miles College in Birmingham, AL.

"We've had 25 players sign with Division-I schools over the past three years and we've had more sign with NAIA and Division-II type schools," said ICC head coach Jon Williams. "Obviously we'd like for all of our players to have the chance to play D1 football, but our goal here at ICC is to provide our athletes with the foundation and skills on the field and in the classroom that will carry them to the next level."

Every sophomore player on last season's team had the opportunity to continue their football career at a four-year school after playing at ICC.