By Nick Pipitone
When Pride football head coach Dave Cohen was hired in December, he vowed to instill a more run-oriented offensive scheme. So far in his brief two-month tenure, Cohen has at least satisfied that promise.
The Pride signed 12 student-athletes to scholarships on Feb. 1. One of whom is Everette Benjamin, a six-foot-two, 210-pound fullback from Massapequa. Receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Jaime Elizondo said Benjamin is the first fullback to be recruited by the Pride in the six years he has coached for the team.
“We’re looking for a little more balance from the offensive perspective and running the ball a little bit more,” Elizondo said.
The Pride added 12 incoming freshman along with David Spanich, a transfer defensive tackle from Army, in Cohen’s first recruiting class as Pride head coach. Elizondo, the only remaining coach from retired head coach Joe Gardi’s staff, said the team would look to add one more recruit before the beginning of the upcoming season. Spring practice begins in late March.
“I’m very excited about the recruiting class,” Cohen said. “But as always the kids have to come out and prove themselves.”
Of the 12 recruits, six are Long Island residents, something Cohen pushed for during the recruiting process. A Long Island native, Cohen handled recruiting on the Island while serving as defensive coordinator at the University of Delaware and said it is a good way to generate excitement for the team in the area.
“There was an emphasis [on Long Island players],” Cohen said. “The closer the kids are to campus, the more known they are. We know what we’re getting.”
The Pride also signed six linemen, a pressing need after the graduation of a deep senior class. Elizondo said both the offensive and defensive line were a priority for the team after losing the likes of All-Atlantic 10 second-team defensive linemen Stephen Bowen and Dan Garay and first-team offensive tackle Willie Colon.
Cohen also stressed the need for speed and athleticism, saying that weight and strength could be added during spring and summer workouts. He noted that while the recruiting class is small in weight, they are a “tall group of kids.” The average height of the 13 newcomers is six-foot-three.
Keeping with his run-first philosophy, Cohen also recruited New York leading rusher Jeffrey Aimes out of St. Francis Prep in Queens Village, N.Y. Aimes led the state in rushing for the New York AA champion Terriers.
While the staff is excited about its first recruiting class, they are also cautioned since they aren’t proven at the NCAA level.
“At this level there are a lot of good attributes with all the kids, but they’re unknowns,” Cohen said. “I’ll have a better feel for them in October.”