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Last Updated: Oct 27th, 2008 - 09:26:14 |
The secret is out on College of the Redwoods’ secret weapon.
Lyndon Rowells, a freshman running back for the Corsairs last year, set a school record and finished the season as the state’s second-leading rusher with 1,366 yards and 12 touchdowns, making the All-State team.
Now Rowells and the Corsairs’ running game won’t be surprising anyone, and to make it worse, the sophomore returns for the 2008 football season with a large target on his back.
“Teams are going to step up to try and stop our running game,” said CR’s 10-year head coach Dave Banducci, after his team held its first full-contact practice of the year on Friday. “So the big thing for us is going to be improving our passing game and making sure teams don’t just load up on the run.”
The Corsairs got off to a rough start last season, losing their first three games, but as the season progressed, so too did CR.
Rowells rushed for more than 130 yards in six of the team’s final eight games, and the Corsairs finished the year 4-6 overall and 3-2 in the Bay Valley Conference, taking third place.
CR had eight players selected all BVC, and two players, Rowells and Justin Primofiore, a left tackle out of Fortuna, made the All-State team.
This year, with double the amount of returning sophomores they had a year ago, Banducci and the Corsairs are expecting more.
“It’s going to be tough. The teams we’re playing this year are going to be even tougher than they were last year,” Banducci said. “But we’re hoping to rebound this year and I think we can. We’ve got some strong players, a good group coming back, and from all early indications, we’re going to be right there.”
The Corsairs will have big shoes to fill at the quarterback position after losing Keoki Burbank, who ended his career at CR admirably. Burbank set the school’s all-time scoring record with 234 points, passing for 1,716 yards, rushing for 734 yards and scoring 24 touchdowns (12 passing and 12 rushing).
At this point, the Corsairs are looking at sophomore quarterback Sergio Allen to take the snaps.
According to Banducci, Allen has a similar skill set to Burbank and will look to strike both through the air and on the ground.
“(Allen) played a little bit for us last year, and he also played receiver,” Banducci said. “He runs the ball pretty well, but we’ll have to wait and see how well he’s able to throw it.”
CR opens the season Sept. 6 at home against Siskiyous at 1 p.m.
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