Team Preview by: Jay Hatfield (Summary and some commentary by Ed Cerise; as indicated)

PAYETTE – Times, they are a-changin’ in Snake River. Only 9 of 22 Sabercat veterans are starting this year, and of those 9, 7 of them are playing a different position than they did at the start of 2007. Head coach Dallas Hoffman takes this motley crew in 2008 with a bit of uncertainty, but plenty of confidence.

The Snake River offense will use an entirely different approach this year. The days of the big-strike, run and shoot offense are over. Offensive Coordinator Jay Hatfield has instituted an entirely new offense. After going pretty much every other week without scoring in 2007 and leaving the defense on the field for too long, the Sabercats are using the old Woody Hayes mantra of “three yards and a cloud of dust” in order to wear down defenses. This is very possible, utilizing the largest offensive line in Snake River history.

KEY ADDITIONS:

Jarod Briggs – Quarterback

Nate Pickens – Defensive Lineman/ Quarterback

John Lopez - Linebacker

Thomas Erickson - Wide Receiver

KEY LOSSES:

Tyler Collingwood – Quarterback

Cody Bates – Wide Receiver

Bubba Lawrence – Offensive Lineman

Roger Gonzalez – Defensive Lineman

OFFENSE:

With the loss of perennial star Tyler Collingwood, the offense is practically brand-new and re-invented. Former Idaho Matador Jarod Briggs will be calling signals and bringing his 2 years of experience with him. Lining up behind him will be former offensive lineman Danny Pankowski (Eastern Oregon University), and hard running newcomer Tom McLinn. Jason West has showed a lot of promise at both running back spots, and could very well get plenty of snaps.

The receiving corps will be completely different, featuring 6’8” Robbie Pankowski (University of Idaho), speedster Joel Young. Platooning with them will be former Vale High School standout Carl Dyas and the venerable Jeff Bowen. Reggie Leedy (Oregon State University) returns after a 1-year hiatus and will start at the tight end spot, with plenty of reps from former Idaho City High School standout Travis Barfuss.

As stated before, the offensive line can be described in two words – big and fast; at least bigger and faster than they have ever had before. Rookies Mike Metcalf (340 lbs), James Sotka (285 lbs), and Sam Spencer (280 lbs) will play left guard, right guard, and center respectively. Rob Castleman (255 lbs) has put on some bulk and will play left tackle. Although slight at 225 lbs, Richard Calleros has shown all the tools and strength that he is a capable right tackle. They will have some help with depth this year, as former starters Terry Lewis, Skip Hudson, Andy Frasier, Andrew Arden, and Jeff Monterosso can step in any time.

The Sabercat offense’s goal this year is very simple – WIN FOOTBALL GAMES! These gentlemen do not care about individual stats, just the ultimate statistic – the W column. Hatfield says “We’re going to control the game, move the ball, and have fun doing it.” CERISE’S COMMENTS: With losing their main contributor to the offensive game plan in Collinwood, new comer Briggs will have some huge shoes to fill. Last season Briggs passer rating was a dismal 38.2. Keep in mind Briggs playing time was very limited only having a total of 53 pass attempts, who knows what could happen we he takes full control of the offense. With so many new starters on offense it will take them more time to mesh as a complete unit and could have a long season ahead of them. If they do mesh together this could be a very exciting season for the Sabercats.

DEFENSE:

The defense for the 2007 Sabercats took a, "Bend but don't break" approach. The 2008 defense can be described as a “break your legs” approach. Defensive Coordinator Rob Castleman has an almost entirely new defense to work with.  The defense is built on discipline, hustle and execution.  It has also been built a little simpler to allow the athletes to make plays rather than the scheme itself.

 Three of four defensive linemen are brand new. Robert Heise is an animal all over the field and will play one defensive end spot, and Nate Pickens, who is also the backup quarterback (and can honestly play any position on the field) will play the other. 310 lb Josh Karabinus and former defensive end Mike Bender moves to defensive tackle. Terry Lewis, James Sotka, Travis Barfuss, and newcomer Jay Arehart could very well be rotating in to keep everyone fresh and hungry.

Former defensive standout Matt Frye (Eastern Oregon University) returns to the Sabercats to play middle linebacker once again. Jerry Lopez will take one of his veteran linebacker spots, and newcomer John Lopez, who has been playing in the Idaho Contact Football League for the past 5 years, will play outside. Robert Smith and David Lance are very capable backups that Coach Castleman has plenty of faith in.

 Opening up the season at the corner will be 11-year semi-pro veteran Jay Hatfield, who has served several roles for the Cats during his tenure, however it remains to be seen how much playing time he will actually have. Former Walla Walla Star Justin Hickman, who played a game against the former Boise Roughriders, will play the other corner.  The strong safety will be 4-year-vet Lance Smith. Former Boise State walk on Thomas Erickson, who has impressed the coaching staff during preseason camp with his speed, range and solid open-field tackling, will be playing free safety. Jeff Bowen and former 2005 starter Montel Hammer will work themselves into a corner rotation, as well as Hickman’s cousin Jason Valles. Slight Joe Gentry will be Smith’s backup. CERISE’s COMMENTS: In 2007 the Sabercats allowed an atrocious 3000 yds of offense to their competitors. Not only did they allow the most yards but they also allowed the most points scored than any other team (388). They can pretty much only go up hill from here, but with so many new people the defense should gel together a lot faster than the offense. That remains to be seen. The Sabercats have a tough road ahead of them if their defense can’t keep teams out of the end zone, hopefully their offense will step it up this season and keep their defense off of the field. One noticeable stat is that in 2007 the Sabercats defense only recorded 5 sacks and half of those were from Roger Gonzales who is now with the Speed. The Sabercats “Simplified” defense should help them get more pressure on the opposing quarterback as well as get some turnovers. With so many holes to fill and a reputation of being one of the worst defenses in AA, the Sabercats have a lot to prove.

INTANGIBLES AND COACHING:

With less than half of the team being returners, the Snake River Sabercats are practically a new team. Talking and previews don’t win football games, and the Cats know this. Snake River is currently hard at work for success in the 2008 season.

CERISE’s COMMENTS: Jay Hatfield has been around this seen for a very long time as a player and a GM. He has seen the ups and downs of football, and over the past two seasons the Sabercats have been down. Here are a two numbers to think about “0” and “1”. What are those you ask? Well, that is the winning record of the Sabercats, in 2006 they had a “0” in the win column, and in 2007 they had a “1” in the win column. The Glacier Knights are the only other team in the RMFL to have played worse, and guess what? The Knights and the Sabercats meet twice this year, so someone is bound to get a win or two. The Sabercats are a very good organization who is very proud; I don’t expect them to suffer through this season as they have in seasons past. With hard work and their experience I expect the Sabercats to break out of their shell and make a strong run at the AA playoffs.

OVERALL RANKING: 7th