Tank McNamara: [LAUGHS] It’s a scorcher, Rob. For those of you not in the boot of Louisiana, we should tell you that it’s 95 in the shade today, with 100% humidity.
RM: Not football weather!
TM: Gumbo weather! No, not football weather, though when I grew up across the river in Carnes, we would knock around in the yard, rain or shine, no matter how hot it was. It’s just what you do down here. It’s how we grow ‘em. And they grow ‘em tough down in and around Columtreal.
RM: So you’re favoring the CU Looters in this, Tank?
TM: No, I ain’t saying that. I am saying, though, that you forgot to mention another them-versus-them that this match up fits into. And it’ a tradition down here. That would be, rich versus poor. Have versus haven’t. Golden Meadow’s a Christian school, had a strong program since Jerry Falwell set it up outside of the suburb of Metarie years ago, and they have a whole gated campus—
RM: Beautiful place.
TM: Yes it is. Surrounded by two-million-dollar estates. Now, Columtreal, as you said before, is a new program, but it ain’t for lack of trying. It’s for lack of money. CU is one of the poorest schools in the greater New Orleans area. And don’t you know it that these CU boys, they’ve got to be itching to knock down, knock around, some of those rich kids from Golden Meadow. Got to have a chip on their shoulder. [LAUGHS] But it won’t be easy.
RM: No it won’t. What is it, half of Golden Meadow’s starters are Juniors or Seniors?
TM: That’s right. And they got three boys there—now, I’m sure they’re good boys off field, but they are beasts in the grid iron. You’ve got Drake Lewis at the running back position, and this kid is new-school RB material through and through. He’s got fast ankles, lean hips, and shoulders you could hold a family barbecue on. I mean, this kid—a Junior, actually, and already being scouted—he has Barry Sanders shoulders. I mean, they’re the same damn shoulders. And Drake’s going to have Bobby Stede handing him the rock all day long. Bobby is a smart, responsive signal caller in his fourth year, third as starter, and he is an expert at audibles. He knows the playbook better than he does the Bible, and Bobby’s becoming a pastor. But don’t be fooled—the Tornadoes will be relying on that run game, especially those Sweep plays that give Drake room to run, but Bobby is a dual-threat man.
RM: Yeah, he can run pretty well himself. Clocked at a 4.5, was it? How about the other side of the ball?
TM: Robert, you want me to talk about Dan Stickler. I know it. I see it in your eyes. All right, I will. Dan is just about my favorite player in the Division III in terms of raw excitement. He’s the Tornadoes’ middle linebacker, and he is a commander. He changes up defensive formation, he disguises, he organizes Zone Blitzes like you’d think he was sharing a brain with Gregg Williams. But he is a savage player all to himself, too. He’s a Senior, but he plays like he’s still trying to earn a starting spot. He’s explosive. And you never know where he’s going! You just can’t tell! QBs can’t read him. Running backs can’t fake him.
RM: Sounds like Golden Meadow has a good thing going with two tricky Captains and a rock-solid run game. Can Columtreal overcome?
TM: They have the talent. They do have the talent. But have they put in the sweat equity? I don’t know. I see a lot of drive and dedication from players like Michiyaki Yamaguchi, their starting running back, and Joshua Andrew-Parker, their defensive tackle and defensive captain. I am not seeing that kind of energy from the rest of the team. Yamaguchi is a killer. I mean, this guy has enough physical energy, enough verve, to light up the state. But this is his first year, and he’s going to rely a lot on the aerial game taking the pressure off of him. It’s the same deal with Andrew-Parker. This is a savvy kid, he’s fast and has the kind of explosiveness that we saw in the younger Dan Stickler. But he is one guy. And if the Stede-and-Lewis show can pound the rock past the secondary, Golden Meadow can double, even triple, on Andrew-Parker and shut him down.
RM: What about the aerial attack for the Looters? Is it reliable?
TM: It has some major ups and major downs. We’ll start on the bright side. It’s got Sergi Makarov. He’s their Tight End, and he’s an unknown, just joined a month or so ago. But I’ll tell you what we do know about him. We know he can bench 600 pounds and stands at 6 and a half feet tall. I mean, this “kid,” he could be a lineman. So he’ll be a big asset—no pun intended—blocking for Yamaguchi and catching. But can he catch? We know he’s spent the last few weeks practicing closely with Keaton—that’s Jason Keaton, the Columtreal quarterback—but can they hook up under the kind of pressure Dan Stickler puts on Keaton? Meanwhile, we have Hayden Grimm. I mentioned him a while back, well, it’s been a while since he practiced. He’s been out of commission, due to illness. He only returned last week. So Keaton will have to really have luck and brains on his side to deal with all those unknowns.
RM: Anybody else we should look out for?
TM: I mentioned Scott Samson, but we’ve not seen much from him. This Strong Safety has got a great build, hits hard, but hasn’t made a splash in the press or at practice. Same deal with Thornton—that’s Cole Thornton, their Defensive End. I was really excited about this guy, but I think he’s been out of town lately.
RM: Doesn’t look good for Columtreal. Facing one of the strongest programs around, still fresh and yet to really come together. Not a recipe for success.
TM: No. And you heard their starting Kicker, Seth Corbin, got shot this week, right? Shot right in the leg. This is not a lucky week for the Looters.
RM: Well, we’ll see what they can do. It’s Friday on SLPN SPORTS, and that means anything can happen! Stay tuned!
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