Post by elon_phan on Jul 26, 2007 21:02:42 GMT -5
Summer swing up the charts
Adam Smith / Times-News
July 25
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Elon University football coach Pete Lembo actually steered a reporter’s shrewd line of questioning Tuesday toward the Southern Conference preseason polls.
It was a new move — especially compared to some cringes from the Phoenix of years past — for perhaps the dawn of a new perception.
Elon, a summer cellar dweller no more, was picked to finish sixth in the league’s media and coaches polls. That marked the first time the school hasn’t been forecast for last place.
“I think what this says to me is that we’ve earned some respect for our program,” Lembo said. “And we won some games last year maybe that some of these people didn’t think we’d have a chance to win.
“We haven’t arrived yet. We still have a lot of work to do. We’re still going to be the underdog in almost every game we play this year, but if we can do this as a whole then hopefully there’s some more games out there to be won by this program.”
Elon joined the conference in 2003 and four consecutive bottom rung assignments turned the preseason voting results into an unflattering tradition.
The Phoenix won a total of three league football games during its initial three years of Southern Conference membership, and went winless in the league during 2005.
That’s why, comparatively speaking, Elon’s two victories and other close calls among its seven conference games last year felt so revitalizing.
“Not being picked last is a good thing, definitely a good thing,” receiver Michael Mayers said. “It’s showing the steps that we’re taking to try to turn this program around.
“It’s a building process. You’d love to be No. 1 or 2 or somewhere around there. But, realistically, it takes time.”
Elon starts training camp Aug. 6 and opens the season Sept. 1 at South Florida, its first Division I-A opponent in the school’s football history.
Lembo, hired away from Lehigh in December 2005, said he sensed a lack of collective confidence and pride from his then-new players during their first Elon team meeting.
Linebacker Corey Weaver on Tuesday said progress has been made in that area and certain mental shackles have been shed.
“Now we’re a little bit more comfortable with what’s going on,” Weaver said. “Our guys have confidence now and I think that it’s going to be real hard to beat us, no matter who we play. If we get down, I think we’re not going to give up like we did in years in the past.”
Two-time defending Division I-AA national champion Appalachian State dominated this edition of the league’s preseason picks.
Because coaches aren’t permitted to choose their own teams, the Mountaineers unanimously were selected first in both conference polls. Moreover, Appalachian State appears to be a lock as the consensus No. 1 in the national polls.
Appalachian State running back Kevin Richardson and safety Corey Lynch were voted preseason
Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year for the Southern Conference.
Richardson rushed for 1,676 yards and 30 touchdowns during a record-setting year last season. Lynch can become the school’s first three-time All-American since Dexter Coakley in 1996.
Adam Smith / Times-News
July 25
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Elon University football coach Pete Lembo actually steered a reporter’s shrewd line of questioning Tuesday toward the Southern Conference preseason polls.
It was a new move — especially compared to some cringes from the Phoenix of years past — for perhaps the dawn of a new perception.
Elon, a summer cellar dweller no more, was picked to finish sixth in the league’s media and coaches polls. That marked the first time the school hasn’t been forecast for last place.
“I think what this says to me is that we’ve earned some respect for our program,” Lembo said. “And we won some games last year maybe that some of these people didn’t think we’d have a chance to win.
“We haven’t arrived yet. We still have a lot of work to do. We’re still going to be the underdog in almost every game we play this year, but if we can do this as a whole then hopefully there’s some more games out there to be won by this program.”
Elon joined the conference in 2003 and four consecutive bottom rung assignments turned the preseason voting results into an unflattering tradition.
The Phoenix won a total of three league football games during its initial three years of Southern Conference membership, and went winless in the league during 2005.
That’s why, comparatively speaking, Elon’s two victories and other close calls among its seven conference games last year felt so revitalizing.
“Not being picked last is a good thing, definitely a good thing,” receiver Michael Mayers said. “It’s showing the steps that we’re taking to try to turn this program around.
“It’s a building process. You’d love to be No. 1 or 2 or somewhere around there. But, realistically, it takes time.”
Elon starts training camp Aug. 6 and opens the season Sept. 1 at South Florida, its first Division I-A opponent in the school’s football history.
Lembo, hired away from Lehigh in December 2005, said he sensed a lack of collective confidence and pride from his then-new players during their first Elon team meeting.
Linebacker Corey Weaver on Tuesday said progress has been made in that area and certain mental shackles have been shed.
“Now we’re a little bit more comfortable with what’s going on,” Weaver said. “Our guys have confidence now and I think that it’s going to be real hard to beat us, no matter who we play. If we get down, I think we’re not going to give up like we did in years in the past.”
Two-time defending Division I-AA national champion Appalachian State dominated this edition of the league’s preseason picks.
Because coaches aren’t permitted to choose their own teams, the Mountaineers unanimously were selected first in both conference polls. Moreover, Appalachian State appears to be a lock as the consensus No. 1 in the national polls.
Appalachian State running back Kevin Richardson and safety Corey Lynch were voted preseason
Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year for the Southern Conference.
Richardson rushed for 1,676 yards and 30 touchdowns during a record-setting year last season. Lynch can become the school’s first three-time All-American since Dexter Coakley in 1996.