2008

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players originally competed for the 63-man roster. "Practices have gone very well." Cheatham said. "Our guys are in decent shape and are physically a better football team than last year. We also seem to be a lot stronger." This year's squad is also a little less e>.-perienced. Twen– ty-three lettermen are gone from 2007 and only 14 letter– winners return Several fresh– men are listed as starters. "We'll probably have three freshmen that will start....all are \'ery good players and a couple of them were here for spring workouts." said Cheatham. One such freshman is Emmanual Taylor, a product of Early County High School in Blakely. Ga., who is project– ed to be the starting quarter– back. The 6'. 170-pound signal caller was selected JAC (spell out) Player of the Year in addi– tion to receiving All-State and All-Star honors. Taylor had touchdown runs of 65 and 46 yards and con– nected on 38- and 22- yard pass– es for scores in the spring game. Cheatham said Taylor "is doing really well. He's got a good arm, runs well and has good knowledge of the game." Taylor's expertise will be ' put o use indirecting the War- l riors' new "spread attack" < offense. I "We're going to be a wide- \ open offense," Cheatham stat- I ed, "but that does not mean ( that we will throw the ball all the time. We will have a bal- g anced attack and our passing g game will feature a lot of short g passes. such as screens and C slant patterns. We want to get c .. the ball out quick to our c receiYers and let them make f something happen The f spread offense will also help l set up our running game." c Wide receivers, Kendrick s May (5-10, 16.'5) of Tuscaloosa t County (Ala.) High School and i Donovan Tate (6-2, 195) of Hat-