By Darren Sands
Anton Clarkson’s Thursday schedule is relatively straightforward. His quarterback meetings start at 8 a.m and he has class at 10:45 until about 1 p.m.. Though still undecided about his major, Clarkson has had good academic fortune of late, and got a B+ on an Evolution and Biological Diversity quiz.
If last Saturday’s game against the Richmond Spiders is any indicator, Football 101 isn’t go too bad either.
“He’s still got a test to pass,” head coach Joe Gardi said referring to this Saturday’s game against the University of Maine.
Clarkson is this week’s Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Week after putting up career highs in passing yards (323) and touchdowns (five). But last year’s Maine contest is not far off from memory as it was the first start of his career. He is a year older and stronger, but the bitter taste remains.
Clarkson connected on an 87-yard touchdown to Ricky Bryant in the first quarter of that game. Maine then proceeded to score 35 unanswered points, including a 16-yard rushing touchdown by Pride tailback Onyi Momah. Clarkson completed 6 of 14 passes for 136 yards, and threw three interceptions before leaving in the third quarter due to injury.
“I was still getting used to the system,” he carefully recalls. But of his season thus far, Clarkson is thankful and optimistic. After a great offensive effort last week, he is convincing in his assertion that he is focused and ready to go. A vote of confidence in Clarkson from Gardi was definitely in order.
“It’s nice to know we’ve got a quarterback that can win games,” Gardi said. We just didn’t have that last year.”
A BRONX TALE
Offensive tackle Will Colon will again be reunited Saturday with his good friend, Maine standout Christian Pereira. The duo played football and basketball together at Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx before parting ways.
“He’s like my brother,” said Colon, who is the anchor of the vastly improved offensive line. He plans to call his former teammate and friend before the Pride arrives in Orono. “We’ll do well to contain him. He can jump out of this world,” he said.
MOMAH MOURNS LOSS; WILL VISIT MAINE
Transfer tailback Onyi Momah will make the trip to Orono, though not with the team due to NCAA transfer regulations. Momah spent three-and-a-half years at Maine. “They’re like my family,” said Momah, a Greenlawn, N.Y. native.
Maine is still deeply saddened by the death of its assistant football coach Jeff Cole who lost a three-and-half year battle with cancer on Oct. 18. Cole, 30, wanted Momah to stay at Maine, and was a team favorite. Momah could not attend the funeral due to a midterm, but sent his condolences to the family and Maine athletics after speaking with Cole’s wife, Andrea.
“He taught me everything I knew since he was my first running back coach. But he went out fighting, and his family has my blessings.”
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION
Pride football has moved its practices from its regular practice field to the lights under Shuart Stadium because of daylight savings time. At five o’clock, it is too dark to hold practice on the grass surface. In the case of inclement weather, practice is held at the Jets’ complex.
GOAL LINE BLUES
The Pride spent the last portion of practice yesterday working on goal line situations. The offense got both the first down, and touchown. The defense was not so happy, while the offense was elated. “We’re still not going to go for it [in goal line situations] until they show me they can knock guys off the ball. I’ll take the field goals everytime,” Gardi said.