Western Courier

Issue date: 4/16/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Adam Sacasa Senior wide receiver Paul Anderson catches a pass during Monday afternoon's spring practice.

The Leatherneck football team is returning 20 starters for the 2008 season.

With such a high number of veteran players, fans could presume to see basically the same Western Illinois team on Hanson Field next season. But, they would be wrong.

Tuesday morning, coach Don Patterson held a press conference detailing his team's spring workouts and practices, and the overriding theme of his remarks was competition.

"I think we have better competition at more positions than we had a year ago," Patterson said. "And that's a real plus."

From the moment the final whistle blew in last year's season finale in Youngstown State, the hype surrounding the 2008 season began. With 20 returning starters (10 All-Gateway honorees), the early hype was well deserved.

Heading into spring workouts with high expectations, fans could presume those returning players feel safe with their jobs. Again, they would be wrong.

Whether it is sophomore Victor Visoky (Second Team All-Gateway) sitting behind junior Chris Riley at defensive end, senior Trokon Tompo (31 starts) looking up at senior Mike McEachern at strong safety or sophomore quarterback Matt Barr (All-Newcomer Team) battling with senior Zack Wells, each player needs to have eyes in the back of their heads.

The fact the Western coaches are showing those returning starters that nothing is set in stone says a lot about how much they want to live up to the preseason expectations.

If the 'Necks' coaching staff were to start each of the returning players in the same position they occupied last season, odds are Western would make the playoffs in 2008.

The coaches, and the players for that matter, want more than just to make the playoffs, they want to send a message: You have to earn your right to start at Western Illinois.

"It gets back to the theme of a lot of competition - better competition at more positions," Patterson said. "And that's a good problem to have, no doubt about that."

That competition will help next season's Western football team live up to and, more than likely, exceed its expectations.

Visoky was fifth on the team with 57 total tackles last season and recorded five sacks. Young talent like that should expect nothing less than to be a starter as a sophomore.

To have him behind Riley, who had seven total tackles in eight games, tells Visoky to expect more of himself.

Tompo has missed only two starts in three seasons at strong safety. Experience like that is hard to come by in the ranks of college football.

To have a linebacker-turned-strong-safety such as McEachern have his spot during spring camp tells Tompo to take his game to the next level.

Those were only two of the many different position battles going on this spring. For each player on the roster, starter or non-starter, seeing the two examples listed above can be looked at as hope - an "if this guy can replace a returning starter, so can I" mentality.

So long as the position battles continue to be as intense over the summer and into fall camp as they have been during the spring, there is no reason the Leatherneck football team should not exceed expectations in 2008.

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