NEXT GAME FILM ON SCOTS WILL BE THE FIRST

Who has the hardest job in college football this week? It just might be Jim Louis.

The third-year assistant at Wartburg has the unenviable task of providing a scouting report on Monmouth College’s offense in advance of Saturday’s season opener for both teams at Bobby Woll Memorial Field. Kickoff for the Community Day game is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Making Louis’ job extremely difficult is the fact that there’s more reliable footage of the Kennedy assassination in existence than there is of Fighting Scots’ starting skill players in action.

Heading into his eighth season as Monmouth’s head coach, Steve Bell has never had to rely on as many unproven players to drive his well-conceived offense. The two-deep chart for Saturday includes four wide receivers and two tight ends who have never caught a collegiate pass, a starting tailback who has never carried the ball at Monmouth and a quarterback who is yet to throw an official pass as a Fighting Scot.

Only senior fullback Jess Miller (Monmouth, Ill./Monmouth), who had two carries and five receptions, and second-string tailback Jeff Davis (Oswego, Ill./Oswego), who ran the ball 23 times, posted offensive statistics during Monmouth’s 7-3 season last fall.

Making Louis’ job somewhat easier is the game film from last season’s Monmouth-Wartburg contest, when the host Knights topped the Scots 20-0. The game was actually closer than the final score indicated, though, as Monmouth standout Dante Daniels fumbled the ball at the end of a long third-quarter run with Wartburg leading 6-0. The Scots went from knocking on the door of a go-ahead TD to watching the Knights slowly drive 93 yards the other direction for a game-deciding score.

In fact, said Bell, the Wartburg coaching staff might not be worried at all about Monmouth’s new blood, simply choosing to stick with their regular game plan of flying to the football and playing fast.

"Wartburg is coached extremely well in regard to getting a lot of hats on the ball," said Bell of the Knights defense, which never yielded more than 17 points in a game during last fall’s 8-2 campaign. "They play at a very high tempo defensively. They bring guys from all over the place and do a good job of stopping the run. Last year, they did what they do best, and we didn’t see anything from them that we didn’t expect. They feel confident in the schemes they run. They feel they can stop people, and I don’t think the fact that we’ll have a freshman quarterback will determine what they do."

And, despite his pedigree as a high school all-stater on the gridiron, the son of an M Club Hall of Famer and the brother of a professional quarterback, Alex Tanney (Lexington, Ill./Lexington) is just that, a freshman.

"He’s still a freshman," Bell replied, when asked if Tanney’s considerable football experiences might help him shed that rookie status. "It’s a process. You don’t just jump in and it all happens for you. It’s going to be a game-to-game, even a snap-to-snap learning process for him."

That being said, Bell clearly thinks the son of Don Tanney and the brother of Mitch Tanney is the right man for the job.

"He had a consistent level of play in the preseason," said Bell. "He did a nice job of picking up what we want our quarterback to do. That allows his physical talents to come out. From the first scrimmage on, you could tell the job was going to be his."

That was not the case at the other skill positions, but Clay Bricker (Avon, Ill./Bushnell-Prairie City) has won the No. 1 tailback spot, sophomores Nick Wright (Canton, Ill./Canton) and Robert Garcia (Princeville, Ill./Princeville) are the top receivers and freshman Kramer Matzen (Orion, Ill./Orion) will start at tight end. Sophomore Kyle Wantland (Fisher, Ill./Fisher) and freshmen Michael Blodgett (Appleton, Wis./North) and Matt Shepherd (Leesburg, Fla./Leesburg) will also see plenty of action in Bell’s multi-receiver sets, while sophomore Alec Harrison (West Dundee, Ill./Jacobs) is the No. 2 tight end.

"No one’s earned the respect that (career receiving leader Evan) Haffner had," said Bell, when asked if one of those receivers had emerged as a go-to guy. "They’re all talented in their own way. We’ll try to get the football to as many different receivers as possible."

Of Matzen, who leaped over Harrison during the preseason to take the starting spot, Bell said, "We think he’s going to be a very, very good one. He’s a very good athlete. Let’s throw him into the fire now. Why wait?"

Wartburg’s offensive coordinator, head coach Eric Koehler, should have a much easier time deciphering his Monmouth game film. The Scots have plenty of returners on that side of the ball, including junior all-conference end Wes Levy (Yorkville, Ill./Plano), tackle machines T.C. Olsen (Amboy, Ill./Amboy) and Danny Weiden (Oglesby, Ill./LaSalle-Peru) and a veteran secondary, led by senior corner Aaron Payette (Shannon, Ill./Eastland).

"We feel pretty good about our defense," said Bell. "One of the big keys is going to be our defensive line play. We are also telling the guys that we’re going to need to be very physical. We’ll have to be ready to strap it up, because Wartburg will bring it."

A year ago, reserve running back Josh Van Rees rushed for 124 yards and a score vs. the Scots. He will team in the backfield with Neil Suckow, a transfer from Coe who ran for 445 yards for the Kohawks last fall.

Junior Dan Bauder returns at quarterback after throwing for 801 yards and four TDs, and his top receivers, Kyle Duchman and Justin Vetter, are also back. On defense, the top three tacklers for the Knights return, including safety Jason Lansing and linebackers Ryan Gerardy and Kyle Goodchild. Josh Faaborg, who picked off four passes last fall, is also in the starting lineup.

"It’s going to be a challenge," said Bell. "We’ve got to play our best game if we want to beat a team like this. I look at it as a 50-50 game, but I’d rather play teams like this. It’s fun."

FOUNDATION IN PLACE FOR MEN’S SOCCER

Perry will get to see how that mix of experience and youth comes together when Monmouth opens its season Saturday with a 3 p.m. match against Eureka at Peacock Park.

So far, the veteran coach likes what he sees.

"I’m very excited about the attitude of every player," said Perry, who has also held head coaching positions at St. Bonaventure, Rochester and Wabash. "The upperclassmen are very enthusiastic about our new players. I couldn’t ask for more from all of them in terms of their work ethic."

Leading the defensive veterans is sophomore Bryan Jackson (Princeton, Ill./Princeton), the lone returning player who saw action in all of the teams’ 16 matches last fall.

"Bryan’s going to be a leader for us in the back," said Perry. "He’s extremely quick to read the game, and he cleans up mistakes really well. He also has a good presence when he moves forward."

Joining Jackson in the center of Perry’s defense will be freshman Joe Howell (St. Louis, Mo./Kirkwood), a "good strong player" whose height will allow Monmouth to be stronger in the air in the back.

Josh Graeber (Bradley, Ill./Bradley-Bourbannais) and Dan Schroeder (Palos Hills, Ill./Marist) were other players who helped Monmouth limit opponents to just over two goals per game during last fall’s 5-8-3 campaign. They will challenge for outside defense positions, along with junior Matt Montgomery (Potomac, Ill./First Baptist Christian), sophomore Garrett White (Woodson, Ill./Jacksonville) and freshman Brendan Wilson (St. Charles, Ill./East).

In the midfield, the Scots are also set in their central roles, with returning starter Patrick Blazer (Franklin Park, Ill./St. Patrick) manning the defensive spot and WIU transfer Danny Davis (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) set to play attacking mid. Blazer had three assists last fall while starting 15 games.

"They’re working very well together," said Perry. "I see them interchanging a lot, and that combination is going to give us a very strong athletic presence in the center of the field."

Spot starter Jeremy Doze (Princeton, Ill./Princeton) and newcomers Lucas Knox (East Moline, Ill./United Township), Adam Buol (South Beloit, Ill./Hononegah) and Daniel Sell (Lake Villa, Ill./Lakes) will contend for playing time at the outside mid position.

One year removed from an all-conference season, during which he scored a team-high six goals, Trevor Neff (Morris, Ill./Coal City) continued to provide some offensive sparks last fall. Perry hopes Neff will be able to mesh with veterans Chris Anderson (East Moline, Ill./United Township) and Joey Schwinger (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South) and newcomer Caleb Brondos (Brookfield, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield) to improve the Scots’ total of 20 goals from a year ago. Schwinger is also the team’s back-up goalkeeper.

The starter in goal is Owen Robinson (Bourbannais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbannais), who saw limited action between the posts last fall. Hofmann, who was a three-year starter for the Scots, will remain with the team as an assistant coach, and Jared Appel is also on Perry’s staff.

"Owen’s a very good reactive goalkeeper," said Perry. "He’s not afraid of coming out to challenges. He’s still learning his distance of responsibility, and as we solidify that, he will combine very well with our strong defenders."

Rounding out Perry’s roster are senior Rob Ruglio (Midlothian, Ill./Oak Forest), sophomore Patrick Mundschenk (Deer Park, Ill./Lake Zurich), freshmen Trevor Rowley (Princeton, Ill./Princeton), Denys Palmer (Naperville, Ill./Central), Jesse Strakis (Princeton, Ill./Princeton) and Kevin Douglas (Fisher, Ill./Fisher) and foreign exchange students Daniel Jansson (Sweden), Emilio Solis (Costa Rica) and Oran McGeady (Northern Ireland).

Following the Scots’ opener, they’ll have three more home games and a road trip to Coe before opening Midwest Conference action Sept. 18 at Grinnell. Perry believes Monmouth can move up in the league standings from last fall’s eighth-place finish and challenge for a postseason berth.

"The goal is to be in the top four and make the playoffs," he said. "Anything less would be disappointing. If that’s not our goal, then there’s something wrong. I think we’ve got some good challenging games leading up to the start of our conference to help get us ready."

Last year, St. Norbert and Beloit were atop the regular season standings at 8-1, and Carroll and Grinnell also reached the playoffs. The Scots lost by just one goal to three of those teams.

Perry concluded, "It’s been a fun preseason. It’s a real pleasure for me to get the opportunity to come out every day to work with the guys."

With only Neff and Schroeder graduating, and with key central players Blazer, Davis, Jackson and Howell in the fold through at least 2009, Perry should get a real pleasure out of coaching this group for years to come.

WOMEN’S SOCCER LOOKS TO MAKE HISTORY

A young but talented women’s soccer team will take the field Saturday at Peacock Park against Eureka to open the 2007 season.

The game will make history on two different levels, serving as the first-ever varsity game for the visiting Red Devils. It will also feature Monmouth’s largest women’s soccer roster in nine years, with 27 players in uniform, including 15 who will be suiting up for the Fighting Scots for the first time.

"We’ve expanded our schedule by two games, so we definitely have our sights set on posting a double-digit win total for the third straight season," said McNamara, whose 2006 squad finished 10-5-1. "To reach the MWC playoffs, we need to finish at least fourth, and we feel that’s within reach as well."

Last year, Monmouth was tied in the second half against three of the league’s four playoff teams. The Scots couldn’t hang on, though, losing twice by 1-0 scores on their way to fifth-place MWC finish.

"We were in every single game we played last year," said McNamara, whose team’s lone non-conference loss was also by a 1-0 score. "I’m hoping we’ll see a similar development this year, as we should be strong enough defensively to stay in the game against everyone we play."

Leading the defense is sophomore sweeper Whitney Ott (Moline, Ill./Alleman), one of two returners who started every game last year. Ott’s speed and hard-nosed style make her a natural for the defensive "quarterback" position, and McNamara is expecting more of the same from her this fall.

The back four’s other central defender figures to be freshman Becca Baur (Jacksonville, Ill./Jacksonville), an IHSSCA All-Sectional pick in the spring.

"Although we lost a great player (Kristin Mertel) to graduation at the stopper position, we feel Becca possesses many of the same talents and should allow us to go forward without missing a beat," said McNamara.

"Lindsay was our starting sweeper for about 15 minutes last year until she got hurt," said McNamara. "If she stays healthy, I expect her to play a big role for us, and she has really looked good so far in practice. Many of the other players are versatile, and if they don’t win a spot in the back four, they’ll be able to help us in the midfield or on offense."

The team’s final line of defense also features an interesting battle, with last year’s spot starter, Kayla Trammell (Peoria, Ill./Richwoods), being challenged by freshmen Sarah Wintersteen (Bloomington, Ill./University) and Kim Howard (Bloomingdale, Ill./Immaculate Conception).

"They all bring different strengths to the table, and I imagine they’ll all see plenty of action through the first few games of the season," said McNamara.

The final position with primarily defensive responsibilities is one of the team’s two central midfielders, and McNamara is happy to welcome back sophomore Lauren Vana (Darien, Ill./Downers Grove South) at that spot.

"Vana was such a big addition for us last year," he said. "She comes from a great high school program, and she is one of our most physical players, in addition to having one of the stronger legs on the team."

The attacking center mid figures to be junior Sarah Kisner (East Moline, Ill./East Moline), who also started all of the team’s 16 games last fall. At the halfway point in her career, she has 13 goals and six assists.

"Sarah has a rocket shot and can also score with her head," said McNamara. "Although she can handle herself well in the back half of the field, we’re going to push her forward as much as we can to get her involved in the offense."

Two players who could flank Vana and Kisner are outside midfielders Lauren "Lolo" Lafond (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) and Holly White (Oswego, Ill./Oswego). Lafond, a senior who will co-captain the team with Kisner, has seven goals and four assists in her college career, while White is a strong player with outstanding ball skills who was slowed by injury last season. Other midfield candidates are sophomores Sally Hayes (Mt. Pleasant, Iowa/Mt. Pleasant), Tina Rohrbach (Dunlap, Ill./Dunlap), Claudia Gomez (Chicago, Ill./Notre Dame) and twins Jessie and Lisa Fetherling (Manteno, Ill./Manteno), who transferred in from Illinois State.

"Lolo really made a big jump for us as a sophomore in the midfield, and we’re hoping that at least one of those five sophomores will make similar strides this fall," said McNamara, who noted that Rohrbach and Hayes are both ahead of their fitness pace from a year ago.

Up front, Monmouth will need to replace a pair of double-digit goalscorers, but McNamara hopes the combination of freshmen Niki Sue Williams (Elmhurst, Ill./Immaculate Conception) and Megan Meeke (Elmhurst, Ill./York) will be able to find the back of the net with regularity. Williams is coming off a 32-goal season in high school, and she and Meeke are former club soccer teammates.

"They are both great athletes who play with a lot of energy, and we’re going to have them on the field together as much as we can," said McNamara.

Parker is also a possibility to see extensive action on offense. Senior Jenny Tunberg (Moline, Ill./Moline), junior Kari Sippel (Peoria, Ill./Central) and sophomore transfer Ashley Swenson (McHenry, Ill./Johnsburg) are also in the mix up top.

"We open with six non-conference games, so we should have a pretty good idea of our team strengths by the time we play our first league game (Sept. 19 at Illinois College)," said McNamara, whose team was picked by league coaches to repeat its fifth-place finish from a year ago. "Right now, I’d guess that we are going to be above-average defensively. If we can find players to finish our offensive chances, we could put together a very special season."