POCATELLO PREDATORS LOCKED, LOADED AND READY TO COMPETE FOR TITLE

 

Team Preview by: Jared Neumeier

 

POCATELLO – The Pocatello Silverbacks, since re-named “Predators” burst onto the RMFL and semi-pro scene in 2001 in style.

 

The 2001 Predators road the right arm of Jeff Belnap, the dangerous presence of Brock Gunter, an imposing defense stocked top to bottom AND a big, powerful and talented offensive line to the title game.  With much of the same cast, they fell 9 yards short of the title in 2002, losing to the Mustangs in probably the best finish to an RMFL Championship game… ever.

 

Since then, the Pocatello program has been slowly going the wrong direction.

 

In 2003, the Predators qualified for the playoffs, even defeating the Mustangs in the regular season, only to seemingly lose interest by playoff time, exiting in the first round, handily by the same Mustangs.  In 2004, after the name change to Predators and gaining some Snake River Rebel talent, they barely missed the playoffs… and seemed all the happier to do so.

 

Last season, they may have began the ascent back to the top, qualifying for the playoffs only to show up in Idaho Falls for the first round game seriously undermanned and eventually overwhelmed.


Not this year.

 

The Predators have finally come full circle, including the re-addition of the 2001 rushing leader, their big, bruising fullback from Ricks College, Tyler Wheatley.  This team will have all of the elements of the 2001 version, and then some… they will also have depth; a word that has been foreign in Pocatello semi-pro football since… since forever.  In fact, the current Predator roster shows 62 players… not all, of course likely to play, but a far healthier start to the season than the usual 30 or so the team usually starts with.

 

After struggling to piece a line together in front of what I consider to be the second best quarterback in the RMFL, Jeff Belnap the past few years, the Predators have succeeded in 2006.  Eric Hancock (6’5, 290) is back.  They have picked up Travis Hobson (6’6, 330), James Ward (6’5, 310) and ex-ISU product, Steve Burch (6’6, 320).  This line will resemble the original Predator offensive line… only even bigger.

 

The defense has become equally stocked up, with much of the talent of past years returning and some great new talent, including some key pick ups from the 2005 Magic Valley Bulldawgs like stars Jeff May and Kelly Nebeker sets this team up to be solid from top to bottom.

 

A new coaching staff has also been added in Preston Schweitzer and Willie Walker who will have the enviable task of harnessing all of the Predators defensive talent and go for the league’s top defense.  Offensively, Belnap, team GM, Travis Goodwin and former defensive standout, Trent Sutton will be working together to create the most formidable and dominating offense possible.  With game-breakers on the outside and the horses they have on the inside, I’m not about to doubt their ability to do it.

 

KEY ADDITIONS:

 

Tyler Wheatley – Running Back

Travis Hobson – Offensive/Defensive Line

Eric Hancock – Offensive Line

Greg Hillary – Running Back

Jeff May – Defensive Back/Wide Receiver

Steve Burch – Offensive Line

James Ward – Offensive Line

Yusuf Omar – Place-kicker

Kelly Nebeker – Wide Receiver/Defensive Back

 

OFFENSE:

 

It is definitely “old home season” in Pocatello, Idaho.  When Jeff Belnap walks up to the offensive line for the first time against the Idaho Matadors, he will have Tyler Wheatley behind him, Brock Gunter split out and Eric Hancock moving bodies around; many of the same cast that worked so successfully 5 years ago for an RMFL Championship.  Split opposite Gunter in 2001 was Cameron Hicks… Hicks is back with the team, but will be starting in the defensive secondary. 3-time RMFL Offensive MVP, Predators 7-time all-star receiver, Brock Gunter, now has former Magic Valley Bulldawgs star receiver, Kelly Nebeker AS WELL AS ex-Snake River Rebel star receiver, Travis Goodwin to work the opposite side, keeping defenses honest as they can no longer continue to double-team Gunter in every passing situation.  Last season, Gunter had another solid season, finishing second to eventual MVP winner, Nate Brown in receiving.  Nebeker finished 10th, including 7 touchdown catches and Goodwin finished a respectable 17th as Pocatello’s second option.   Belnap finished with a very respectable 90.7 quarterback efficiency rating, tossing 15 touchdowns to only 7 interceptions; and that coming behind a usually make-shift offensive line.  Tyler Wheatley returns to the team for, hopefully a full season. The last time he was playing full-time for Pocatello, he lead the RMFL in rushing behind a big, strong, powerful offensive line, rushing for an incredible 9.6 yard per carry average!  Joining him will be new arrival, Greg Hillary. Hillary is not only fast, but is a load himself at 6’, 230 pounds.  With Hilary (230 pounds) and Wheatley (250 pounds) running behind an offensive line that average more than 300 pounds, this offense could be tough to stop.  Casey Neilson , another former Magic Valley Bulldawg that now resides in Pocatello will revive his old position as tight end for the Predators. At 6’3, 245 pounds, Neilson will be a big target and a blocking load himself.  Along the offensive line front will be the 4 bodies mentioned in the intro, Hobson, Burch, Ward and Hancock.  The fifth position, as well as significant line depth never before heard of in Pocatello will be either, Tory Trahant (6’5, 290), Brad Samora (6’4, 320), Sonny Wilkinson (6’2, 305) or even another player returning from the early years, Chris Howerton (6’1, 330). Howerton was actually a linebacker in 2001 and 2nd in the league in tackles and tied for first in sacks; now in a much larger frame will be more suited to line work either on the offensive or defensive side.  The Predators also picked up a new place kicker in Yusuf Omar. Omar is a consistent, experienced kicker that could kick the Predators to a win in ’06.   The only thing holding me back from picking this as the best offense in the RMFL in 2006 is that I believe that Madison’s style of play will pick up more yards, which is how our ratings are based. However, if I was an opposing defense, this is the last offense I would want to play in the league this year.  Projected Offensive Rank: 3rd

 

DEFENSE:

 

Some purging and a lot of improving has taken place for the Predators defense in the off-season; all necessary as the team fell to a miserable 18th ranking of 21 teams in 2005.  Some of the disappointments included giving up more than 400 yards to a rather pedestrian Boise offense, more than 500 to the Wasatch Wildcats and more than 200 to the worst offense in the league, the Glacier Knights.  They did flash some brilliance, however, holding the Mustangs to only 7 points in a 7-0 loss at mid-season.  So this group needed the most re-work.  Some great players were there last year and will return.  One of the league greatest all-around players in Troy Sutton will return and play free safety, Jason Bailey (6’1, 275) is back at defensive tackle, Chris McIntire (6’4, 290) at the other defensive tackle and now can concentrate on only playing defense, Davian Brokaw, a natural linebacker can move back to linebacker from defensive end, Jason Gordan can now concentrate on playing defensive end and does not have to spend time at the tackle position and Curtis Seutopka returns to the middle backer spot.  All of these players are solid players who had solid 2005 seasons, however, they all had to adjust to different positions and/or play some iron man football to make up for the teams shrunken roster and/or lack of depth.  With McIntire, Bailey and Gordon, the team has a solid defensive front foundation and some big bodies from the o-line they can always use if they have to in goal line situations.  Danny Hunter (6’5, 230) comes in to play defensive end, which allows Brokaw to move to linebacker, a serious weakness of the Predators in 2005.  Although the Predators have lost team tackle and sack leader, Cliff Garbett in the off-season and it appears as if, all-time RMFL tackle leader, Matt Culbertson may finally be handing ‘em up for good, this will still be a strong linebacker group.  Brokaw joins Curtis Seutopka, a long-time RMFL veteran and they will be boosted by the youth, talent and speed of newcomer, Ryan Frost.  Frost is described by the team as “smart, fast and hits hard”.  Frost will be a real wild card in the Predator defensive hand.  Along with Sutton will be two former wide receiver bookends to Brock Gunter.  Cameron Hicks returns to play cornerback and Scott Marshall will play safety along side of Sutton.  The Predators made a big pick up in getting ex-Bulldawg multi-talent, Jeff May who will play the other cornerback position and be available for the offense when need be.  The Predators were also happy to pick up Brandon Beneditti at linebacker, described as “tough linebacker who can cover the whole field”, and Tim Moon, a big help on the defensive line front who only was able to play sparingly in 2005.  The Predators may also have Johnny Fisher, Kelly Nebeker and Dustin Aldous for defensive back support.  Aldous and Nebeker, another Bulldawg transferee, can also be big play receivers on offense.  There is no doubt that this will not be the best defense in the RMFL in 2006, but they will be a lot better than last year, they will be solid to keep the team in competition for a title.  Projected Defensive Rank: 4th.

 

INTANGIBLES AND COACHING:

 

This team has REALLY turned it around this off-season. There seems to be a new attitude and a new hope that this team will be the team that everyone hoped it would be after the “merge” with the Snake River Rebels.  After how last season ended, there were a number of Predators contemplating retirement… including Jeff Belnap and Brock Gunter.  Well, from this preview you can see how that went.  Both star players are back AND excited to be there.  I’ve not ranked the defense too highly mostly because there are so many good defenses particularly in the South Division, but any time you have guys like Trent Sutton and Matt Culbertson not playing mostly because they don’t think they need to, you know the players that are going to be on the field for this team will be really good.  The Predators will also be benefited by what seems to be a favorable schedule.  They start with 3 lower ranked teams, 2 of them at home before having to face Madison, which begins a tough 4-game stretch where they will see Madison twice, the Mustangs and Rhino-Raiders before finishing up with western Idaho.  I could easily see them winning their first 3 and their last two. If they can pick up a split (or better) in the tough middle of the schedule, they could be on their way to a number #1 playoff seed.

 

OVERALL PROJECTION: 3rd