OWENSBORO, Ky. – Week two of preseason is well underway for the Kentucky Wesleyan College football team under first year Head Coach Craig Yeast.
Date – Aug. 20, 2019
Day of Camp – 7
It takes special people to do special things in special situations. That's the mindset this year's special teams, or special forces as Yeast calls it, will carry onto the field.
"We've been getting in a lot of drill work and seeing what situations guys thrive in. We have a lot of young talent and we'll be able to find a good mixture of guys who take pride in their role," commented Special Teams Coordinator Dwight Sutton. "One of the first things we emphasized was the pride of being part of this unit. We're trying to have a unit of special forces that attack their individual role with pride and a sense of urgency."
Kicker Chris Mangold has had a strong camp thus far. The Cincinnati, Ohio native was a two-time All-GMC selection, and earned All-State honors his senior season at Colerain High School.
"Chris is a strong legged kicker with a lot of confidence. I think he can be the all time leading scorer after his four years here," noted Sutton. "He's a great student and everything you want in an athlete. We have expectations for him and he has high expectations for himself. He wants that pressure and will thrive under it."
There's still several guys competing for the punting job. Reagan White, who came to camp as a receiver with some punting experience, has gotten numerous reps at camp.
"Reagan's Father was an All-American punter in high school so we know he has it in him," remarked Sutton. "He has a tough skin and needs to keep a positive attitude. He'll be competing with Alijah McGhee, our starting corner and Chauncey Greer. We need guys that can do multiple things on this team. There's been some good competition and our punting unit will be good for us."
Ty Minton and Thomas Yarbrough have been competing at the long snapper slot.
"Both of those guys have been working really hard, pushing each other. Every day they work together in pre-practice," noted Sutton. "I love the way that they work and compete. It's one of those things where they recognize that they're competing, but as teammates they are trying to push each other and make each other better. They both bring something different to the table so we'll see how it wraps up in the final week of camp."
"The better your special teams unit is, the better chance you'll have to win games. Special teams in often overlooked but we've been putting a lot of time into maximizing our reps. We have a wealth of young talent and a physical group that will make some big play for us."
Stay up to date on all your Panther news by following @KWCpanthers on Twitter and by liking the "Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics" Facebook page.
