Football | 8/13/2012 10:08:00 AM
Thursday began a four part series of position breakdowns for the Hornet football team. Monday will feature the defensive line and linebackers. Friday featured the quarterbacks, receivers and H-backs. The offensive line and running backs were featured on Thursday. The series will continue with the defensive backfield on Tuesday.
The Emporia State defense will return six starters from last season and four others that started at least two games. The Hornets were second in the nation in turnover margin last season, forcing 37 turnovers. Their 22 interceptions were the most by a team that did not make the playoffs. ESU’s opponents completed just 54.5% of their passes as the Hornets finished third in the MIAA in pass defense efficiency.
Linebackers
Senior linebacker Ben Carlson returns after leading Emporia State with 85 tackles last season. The transfer from Missouri State and former Major League draft pick of the Cleveland Indians was 12th in the MIAA in total tackles. Senior Jordan Sanders is the second leading returning tackler for the Hornets with 65 stops in just seven starts last year. Sophomore Kamrhan Jones had 16 tackles last season as a true freshman and had two fumble recoveries. Junior Ashton Reichmann had 13 stops last season.
30 KAMRHAN JONES LB 6’0 190 So.-1L Denton, Texas Guyer HS
35 BEN CARLSON LB 6’3 246 Sr.-1L Topeka, KS Missouri State
42 SPENCER BAUMAN LB 6’0 187 Fr.-RS Atchinson, KS Atchinson HS
44 MARCUS DEES LB 6’1 227 So.-1L Tulsa, OK East Central HS
52 JORDAN SANDERS LB 6’1 220 Sr.-1L Warner Robbins, GA Coffeyville CC
54 ASHTON REICHMANN LB 5’11 217 Jr.-2L Maize, KS Maize HS
TREY FORT LB 5’9 191 Fr.-HS Osage City, KS Osage City HS
BRANDON GOODMAN LB 5’10 209 Fr.-HS Paola, KS Paola HS
JOSH MONTEAGUDO LB 6’1 230 Fr.-TR Cape Coral, FL Ellsworth CC
DEWAYNE SANFORD LB 6’3 200 Fr.-HS Lawton, OK MacArthur HS
JASON TETUAN LB 6’1 192 Fr.-HS Topeka, KS Hayden HS
Defensive Line
Seniors Dakota Hagler, Tim Chandler, and Tyrone Weaver have all started for parts of the last three seasons on the defensive line for ESU. Hagler had 34 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss last season. Chandler recorded 14 tackles with two sacks while Weaver was credited with 19 tackles and one tackle for loss last season. Senior Jake Farley bounced back from an injury plagued sophomore year to record 15 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in 2011. Junior Aaron Mathews played in all 11 games last season.
45 RIYADH MOORE DL 6’4 205 So.-1L Valdosta, GA Hutchinson CC
48 AARON MATHEWS DL 6’2 248 Jr.-2L McKinney, TX North HS
50 TYRONE WEAVER DL 6’2 270 Sr.-3L Charlotte, NC Ft. Scott CC
51 TIM CHANDLER DL 6’4 273 Sr.-3L Houston, TX Thurgood Marshall HS
56 TYLER JOLIFF DL 6’2 233 So.-SQ Corinth, TX Guyer HS
60 RICHARD PICKETT DL 6’1 217 Fr.-RS McKinney, TX Princeton HS
63 SHANE TOUSLEE DL 6’4 236 So.-1L Great Bend, KS Great Bend HS
70 PAUL GRIFFIN DL 6’2 357 Fr.-RS Kansas City, MO Ruskin HS
84 JAKE FARLEY DL 6’4 265 Sr.-3L Carrollton, TX Hebron HS
89 REED HARTSHORN DE 6’3 226 Fr.-RS Garden Plain, KS Garden Plain HS
91 RYAN LOUIA DL 6’3 264 Jr.-2L Burlington, KS Burlington HS
92 BEN MELICK DL 6’2 265 Jr.-1L Leavenworth, KS Leavenworth HS
93 JUSTIN WILSON DL 6’0 330 Fr.-HS Luther, OK Luther HS
94 DAKOTA HAGLER DL 6’1 304 Sr.-3L Gilmer, TX Gilmer HS
95 JOR’DON STEPHENSON DL 6’4 225 Fr.-RS Kansas City, MO Hogan Prep HS
98 JAMES JUNIOUS DL 6’1 221 Fr.-HS Arlington, TX Lamar HS
THADD BARKER DL 6’4 187 Fr.-HS Lebo, KS Lebo HS
WES LANG DE 6’5 223 Fr.-HS Burlingame, KS Burlingame HS
CJ SMITH DE 6’0 218 Fr.-HS Midwest City, OK Midwest City HS
WYATT SMITH DL 5’10 210 Fr.-HS Madison, KS Madison HS
NICK VEGA DL 6’2 260 Fr.-HS Emporia, KS Emporia HS
###HORNETS###
