The Garden City Telegram
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Aslin settles in
Published 8/8/2008 in Sports : GCCC
By BRETT MARSHALL
bmarshall@gctelegram.com
It was just a year ago that Lucas Aslin sat at his desk in the Perryman Athletic Complex on the campus of Garden City Community College preparing for his first season as head football coach of the Broncbusters.
With an unfamiliar coaching staff just being assembled, along with an unknown about the incoming class of freshmen and returning sophomores, Aslin just didn't know what the 2007 season would be like. Now, as the 2008 campaign begins in earnest at 3 p.m. Saturday at the GCCC practice facilities, Aslin is more certain of a few things.
"I know our coaches better than I did a year ago, and they know me better, as well," Aslin said today as he prepared to go into his first team meeting with the coaches and players. "I know we're gonna be young, but that happens every year at the junior college level. But we're gonna be older at the skill level positions, and that is always a good thing."
Most of the expected 85 players who arrived on campus Thursday were expected to be at a morning team meeting, and then begin preparations for the first week of practice. Aslin, whose initial season finished with a 7-3 record and third-place finish in the Jayhawk Conference, has just six returning starters, three on each side of the ball.
Heading the list of offensive players is Cameron Kenney, the 6-2, 195-pounder from Dacula, Ga., who was a first team NJCAA All-America placekicker and a J.C. Gridwire first team All-America punter. He was one of the Busters' top receiving threats and likely will be a favorite target of sophomore quarterback Eugene Smith, 6-3, 195, of Pensacola, Fla. Smith finished second in the Jayhawk Conference in passing despite playing with a broken thumb on his passing hand and a split in his non-throwing hand that required three pins to be implanted. He was second team all-KJCCC.
"Eugene is one tough kid," Aslin said. "He had a great year as a freshman."
The third offensive returning starter will anchor the line. That would be Cirt Nichols, a 6-8, 300-pound right tackle from Junction City.
"He has the opportunity to be really, really good," Aslin said.
On the defensive side, Aslin welcomes back defensive tackle Brett Spresser of Jem, Kan. (6-3, 275); Aaron Anderson of Kansas City, Kan. (6-3, 240) who will play more at middle linebacker this season, and strong safety Hiram Atwater, a 5-11, 205-pounder, who earned honorable mention all-conference honors a year ago.
Aslin said most players were back and eager to begin drills.
"We hope to get a pulse early, set the law down for them, make sure they are in shape and on time for practices, meetings and class," Aslin said.
Aslin said that as his second year gets under way, he is able to know more about the behind-the-scenes administrative responsibilities of his job.
"I'm just more comfortable in knowing how to get things done, where to go, who to ask," he said. "I'm just as scared about not knowing exactly what you're going to end up with, but it is a good feeling overall."
The first week of fall practice will see the Busters on the field 3 to 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. They will have the same practice time Monday before going to two-a-days on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday drills will be at 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. while Wednesday will be 3 and 7 p.m. Aslin plans to have an intrasquad scrimmage from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Aug. 17 and then the annual Brown and Gold Scrimmage at a to-be-determined time on Aug. 23.
Aslin and his staff signed about 50 players this past spring. The Busters begin their 2008 regular season as the No. 9-ranked team in the pre-season NJCAA poll. They open Aug. 30 with a road game against Cisco, Texas.
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