I Indians Prepare For 2002 Season
by Chris Butler
As coaches prepare play books for the 2002 season, the ULM Indians say practice sessions have made them more primed and ready than ever to improve upon last year’s 2-9 record.
Indians’ Head Coach Bobby Keasler has high hopes for the team’s performance this season, its second in the Sun-Belt Conference. Keasler even looks forward to the possibility of the team making an appearance at the New Orleans Bowl.
“We’ve seen some of the players grow up. They’ve been slapped around quite a bit. I think now that we are a more mature football team,” Keasler said.
Keasler says that having 26 juniors this season, in addition to 12 seniors, is one of the keys to success that the Indians will need in order to meet this year’s higher expectations. Many of the higher expectations are due in part not only to what many people are describing as stronger opponents such as Tulane and Louisiana-Lafayette, but also to the “Rising to the Challenge” ticket campaign.
The campaign was established with the goal of selling 15,000 season tickets. It has thus far resulted in the selling of 6,100 season tickets, almost surpassing the record number of season tickets (6,146) that the school has previously sold in any one season. Officials in the athletics department expect more tickets to be sold before the start of the season, which begins Aug 31 at Ole Miss.
While the first game will not be played in Monroe, the season will include six home games, the first time the Indians have played this many since becoming a division 1-A member.
“We probably have the best football schedule we’ve ever had as far as home schedules since we’ve been 1-A,” ULM Athletic Director Bruce Hanks said.
Several local and state dignitaries, Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo, West Monroe Mayor Dave Norris and Gov. Mike Foster among them, have already purchased season tickets for themselves. While Hanks said that it is unlikely that each dignitary will be in the stands at every game, he added that they will attend when they can. When absent from any game, Gov. Foster’s seat, however, will never remain vacant.
“What we are going to do is take the two seats that he bought, paint them and have a raffle to see who gets to sit in the governor’s seat at the various games,” said Hanks.
Fans unable to leave Monroe to see the Indians’ play away from home will be able to watch one of the road games on television. ESPN has signed a six-year contract with the Sun-Belt Conference to televise its games beginning this academic year. The Indians’ game against Middle Tennessee will be broadcast Nov. 16.
After the release of ULM’s institutional review in April, many students have pondered the school’s future in 1-A football. The report recommended that the school drop out of Division 1-A football altogether and perhaps move to Division 1-AA or Division III.
“You have to support the decision that the university has made prior to this staff getting here. I think we need to work as hard as we can to make it work. It is a good direction,” Keasler said of the school’s 1-A status.
In order to remain in Division 1-A after 2004, however, the team, under NCAA stipulations, must have an average of 15,000 ticket holders in attendance when playing other I-A opponents. Whether or not the goal is attainable is something Hanks has positive feelings about, yet says will be a challenge.
“This season will go a long way to giving us the answer to that question,” Hanks said.
“I think the biggest key for us over the last two to three years here is for the staff to build depth and to be able to play Division 1 football,” Keasler said.
Towards that end, the team has signed new junior offensive linemen and a wide receiver from a junior college whom Keasler hopes will be “more of a threat to the outside.” This season will also include the introduction of several new players, with four running backs and four wide receivers among them.
Returning for his third consecutive season will be linebacker Maurice Sonnier, who had 76 tackles last season. Sonnier was recently named as the Sun Belt Conference’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Keasler said that he is optimistic about new quarterbacks Daniel DaPrato and Kjell Nesen, both of whom were successful junior college quarterbacks.
“We’re going to get ourselves ready to go. We’re in pretty fair shape with some experience at the quarterback level,” he added.
Linebacker John Winchester’s faith in his team’s ability to improve this season echoes that of Keasler’s.
“We have a new offensive scheme, new defensive hold and our veteran defense should be a lot tougher this year,” he said.
Winchester said that the team will benefit from what he hopes will be an increase in attendance.
“The more fans in the stands, the better people play. We need as many fans as possible. If they can support us, then we’ll support them. We need ya’ll to win.”