PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER IN BOISE

TEAM SUMMARY:

"Down, set, HUT!!!" yelled out Boise Roughrider new offensive coordinator, Doug Dalton and with that an offensive lineman was off like a shot in the teams practice-ending wind sprints. Only problem was.... the count was on TWO!!! So the team watched and cheered as the beleagured trench warrior ran the whole 40 and back... alone. It was that tone that is being set by the Roughriders for the 2001 season. A message of hard work, discipline and team spirit that head coach, Chuck Hudson hopes will carry the team over that last hump and into the championship circle on July 7th.

According to Hudson, "We are at least 50% better than last year" which accounts for the teams influx of talent from the Treasure Valley Cowoboys who disbanded when their General Manager, Mike White took an assignement that did not permit him to support his Cowboy team that he established and built up over two years. The Roughriders, who were the Boise Cardinals in 2000, have returned almost 100% of their key players and added many of their cross-town rivals finest to begin "putting it all together" for a great championship run in 2001. According the Hudson, the primary addition he feels he got was not so much the size gained from 300+ers like Todd Reitmann or the ever-versatile, Conan Perkins; but speed. Offensive coordinator Dalton was very high on his receiving core whereby the outstanding tandem of wide receiver Del Nelson and touchdown-making tight end, Stuart Dennis was complimented by a Treasure Valley transfer, Chance Leeds. Both Hudson and Dalton went so far as to call it the "best receiving core in the league". Still, in Boise, as last year, defense is the "name of the game". To go along with RMFL defensive MVP, Patrick Avent at linebacker, an influx of talent from Treasure Valley and elsewhere to shore up a sometimes pourous secondary and a couple of key additions to the d-line, the Roughriders expect big things in 2001 and most of the league and the neighboring UFL chatter expects a lot, too. The only question is.... can they live up to those expectations.

KEY ADDITIONS:

Paul Dovel (Treasure Valley) and James Manderscheid (Free Agent) quarterbacks
O'dell Williams, tailback (Treasure Valley)
Chance Leeds and Jared Gast (Treasure Valley) Wide Receivers
Dusty Nelson, Casey Wittenborn and Clayton Rice (free agents) defensive backs
Phil Janquart (Idaho Stallions) and Conan Perkins (Treasure Valley) Offensive Line

KEY LOSSES:

Eli Short (injured for season), linebacker
Clint Wolfly (injured for season), defensive line
Dustin Vandermeer (unavailable), quarterback
Manzo Hodge (unavailable), running back

Offensive Analysis: The Roughriders clearly improve in all categories here. Whether the starter is Dovel or Manderscheid, the quarterback play will definitely be improved from Vandermeer's inconsistency of last year. Dovel is a quality starter who piloted the explosive RMFL championship runner-up Cowboys of 1999 and if Manderscheid gets the start over Dovel (which he will against Pocatello in the opener), Mandersheid will impress. Although O'dell Williams isn't as explosive as Manzo Hodge, Hodge missed most of last season anyway and Williams is an excellent, hard runner with a great fullback in Rocky Lopez to lead the way. The receiving core may be the best in the league with underrated Del Nelson teaming along with the most explosive tight end in RMFL history, Stuart Dennis. The addition of Leeds will be particularly helpful, especially with Dovel at quarterback who is familiar with Leeds from their Treasure Valley days. The offensive line, however, may see the biggest improvement, especially with ex-Stallion, Phil Janquart teaming up with an already giant line that averages over 290 pounds. OFFENSIVE RANK: FIRST.

Defensive Analysis: This analysis would have been better, had there not been two key season-ending injuries to the Roughriders prior to this analysis. 2000 RMFL Defensive MVP, Patrick Avent was supposed to team up at linebacker with the exceptional duo of T.J. Martin and Smokey Percifield, however Martin was injured early in the Viper game and Percifield may be unavailable due to personal problems. Further, Treasure Valley addition, defensive lineman supreme, Bill Dennison was lost at the Viper game as well for the season, causing Hudson and the defense to do a little shuffling. The secondary is improved, however the loss of two linebackers may cause them to have to rotate Aaron "Slash" Crawford from defensive back help to linebacker and may weaken the secondary (as was witnessed in the Viper game). Avent will be exceptional, and the d-line will cause some problems, but the Roughrider defense may not stop as many teams as they could have. DEFENSIVE RANK: THIRD.

Overall Analysis: It is hard to resist the tempatation to project this team first based on last year's performance and this year's improvements, but I am going to anyway. The Roughriders were a different team on the road last year then they were at home and even lost a surprise game to a weak Great Falls team that traveled 10 hours to get there. They lost big in Idaho Falls and Wasatch and won closer games against winless Billings and struggling Mini-Cassia. I think they will hold serve at home, however, they may drop two or three road games. Just enough to keep them from the RMFL pinnacle. PROJECTION: SECOND.