The Chelsea Standard
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Chelsea ready for opener
Bulldogs look to improve upon last season's 5-5 record
By Don Richter, Sports Editor
PUBLISHED: August 24, 2006
It's only one game.
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It's just one contest on the schedule.
It doesn't make or break a team's year, but make no mistake -- the football season opener is special.
Chelsea kicks off the 2006 gridiron season 8 p.m. Saturday against Novi in the fourth and final game of the Big Day Prep Showdown II at Eastern Michigan University's Rynearson Stadium. Tickets are $10 at the gate.
"It's all uphill or downhill from there," said Chelsea 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior tight end Dan Augustine regarding the importance of Saturday's opener. "If you win, it starts off your season well. You have that momentum going. If you lose, you have something to prove the rest of the season."
"It (opener) gives us a good idea of where we're at as a team," he said. "It gives us something to work from and get better from. It will show us our weaknesses and our strong points. It will be a great match-up."
In last year's inaugural Big Day Prep Showdown, Novi defeated Chelsea 14-7 on a last minute touchdown pass.
"That was a tremendous finish for us," said Novi coach Tab Kellepoury.
And a disappointing ending for the Bulldogs. Chelsea went on to qualify for the Division 3 state playoffs, posting a 5-5 overall record. The Bulldogs lost to eventual state runner-up Haslett 22-14 in a first round playoff match-up.
The Wildcats finished 7-3 overall last season, losing in the first round of the Division 1 playoffs to Milford 24-14.
Chelsea coach Brad Bush said despite last season's heartbreaking loss to Novi, his squad isn't focusing on revenge.
"It's not a factor for us," he said. "It's not a great motivator. It's the rivalry we emphasize. All of the games have been close. They made plays (last year) when it counted."
Augustine said last year's game isn't really on the minds of this season's Bulldog players.
"We're just taking this as any other team, whether we beat them last year or not," he said. "It's not much of a revenge thing. It's just winning the first game and getting started the right way."
Bush said the key to Saturday's opener would be turnovers and special teams.
"They're usually a big deal," he said. "We've got to hold onto the ball and create some turnovers. I told the guys the biggest thing is we need to execute. Last year, we hurt ourselves, but if we can execute and eliminate the turnovers I think we'll be alright."
Kellepoury said keeping mistakes to a minimum would be important for his squad's success Saturday.
"Being an opening game, that's what we're looking for," he said. "We have tremendous respect for Chelsea's program. It's a great community. It (opener) gets us ready for our league (Kensington Valley Conference). It's a great opener for Novi."
Devol said Novi would be a measuring stick of sorts for Chelsea early in its season.
"It's going to be a guide to where we're going to go this season," he said. "It's going to be a great test for us."
The biggest test for the Bulldogs will be stopping the Wildcats' senior receiver Brandon Carnegie (6-0, 175). Carnegie is a slippery player with outstanding speed and moves. He's already received scholarship offers from numerous Mid-American Conference schools.
"He's a great player," Bush said. "He can break a game open, especially on the reverse. He's a concern for us."
Kellepoury said Carnegie, a three-year starter, is a tremendous athlete.
"He's a Division I player," he said. "We plan on having the football around him on offense. We'll build things around him this season."
Another weapon for Novi is junior tight end Ryan Hoover (6-7, 225).
"He's a tall, long kid, which allows him to play differently out there than other kids (on field)," Kellepoury said. "He's got great feet, great hands and great eyes. That's the kind of guy the next people (college recruiters) look at. For us, he's a spirited kid."
While the Wildcats have some offensive weapons, the strongest area of their squad might be defensively.
"They've got some real skill guys offensively, but what goes unnoticed is they've got six guys back on defense," Bush said. "Including Hoover, a 6-7 defensive end. We've got to try and do our best to neutralize what they do best on defense. That's the strength of their team right now."
Kellepoury said the kicking game also would help his defense this season.
"We've got a kicker by the name of Pat Sijun, he's a three-year starter for us and I believe he's one of the best kickers in the state," he said. "He can really kick the ball. We have quite a few defensive players coming back. We feel if we kick the ball deep and the defense keeps things together, it gives us a chance (to win) in the fourth quarter."
While Chelsea will have to contend with Novi's skill on both sides of the ball, the Wildcats will have their hands full with the Bulldogs. Chelsea returns one of the most talented skill position groups in the area.
The Bulldogs have explosive offensive players in senior receiver Nate Schwarze (5-10, 155), senior halfback Adam Connell (5-10, 165), senior halfback Antwan McClendon (5-9, 170) and tight end Augustine. At quarterback will be senior Jon Seelbach (5-11, 185).
Defensively, linemen seniors Todd Elliott (6-3, 205), K.J. LeBeau (5-10, 220) and Jesse Stewart (5-10, 245) will anchor the trenches, while linebacker senior Chris Hopkins (5-11, 180) and junior defensive back Jeff Adams (5-9, 160) also will make plenty of tackles for Chelsea.
"It will be a great game for us," Kellepoury said. "We expect that our kids have to be ready to play Saturday."
Devol said the Bulldogs are gearing up for Saturday's opener.
"There's going to be a lot of emotion and adrenaline," he said.
Bush said his squad is upbeat as it begins the 2006 season.
"We have a little something to prove," he said. "By our standards, last year was a little disappointing. But I think we also know we were a play or two away from having a great year. This is a real solid senior class. It's a great group of guys. They've always had success, so I think the expectations are high.
"We have a lot of respect for Novi and their coaching staff. Win or lose, it's going to help us get ready for the rest of the season. If you're not ready to play on Saturday, you're in the wrong game."
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