It is tough to lift a team that is coming off of back-to-back 2-8 seasons, but with new leadership, a new desire, and strong persistence and discipline, it can be done. Under new head coach Adam Clark, the team has made huge strides to already turn a divided and lackluster team into a team that plays as one and that has a bit of sheen to it, and the team has not even played a first down yet.

“Our only goals are to continually improve and develop as a team, as individual players, and as people. To achieve these goals, we have to approach every day with the conscious effort of being disciplined and functioning in a manner that allows us to reach our potential,” comments Clark. “We want to establish a culture of discipline within our program. We want our players to understand the focus, dedication, and discipline required to be successful.”

The student-athletes – and Clark emphasizes the “student” part of being a “student-athlete” – have responded well to Clark's coaching style rather quickly. Emphasizing the importance of fundamentals and roles, the new leader is sure he has a solid core who can achieve success. “Every year new players must step into important roles and perform in order to achieve success. We have a number of talented returning players and some new ones who will be expected to play major roles for us this season and fill any void left by players from last year.”

OFFENSE
Despite only starting one game in the 2009 season, Chris Voller (Albuquerque, NM, Valley High School) returns as a quarterback veteran who saw time in every game last season and started in every game in 2008. “He is our starting quarterback right now and has a lot of game experience and a good amount of success in his career,” comments Clark. “He is going to need to take that next step to being a consistent player who can lead our team by making great decisions and not turning the ball over.”

Voller finished the 2010 season averaging 60.1 yards per game in the air while completing 51 of 104 attempts. He did throw, however, four of the team's 13 interceptions on the year. During the 2008 season, Voller was the head honcho in the quarterback spot as a redshirt freshman. He notched 206.9 yards per game while completing 193 of 388 attempts. He led the team in total offense and threw 13 of the team's 19 touchdowns.

Playing in his final season, Kevin Breaker (Stockton, CA, Lincoln High School, Delta College) hopes to have a solid senior year in the running back position like he started his junior year. Versus Sul Ross State University, Breaker broke tackles left and right to post 177 yards and two touchdowns. He also had two other games with 100-plus yards. Breaker finished the season with 838 all-purpose yards. Seven hundred and twelve were from rushing. He averaged 5.0 yards per carry, 5.5 yards per catch, 83.8 all-purpose yards per game, and 71.2 yards of total offense per game.

“Breaker is a very good running back,” states Clark, “who had a good year last year and who we think can be even more productive this year. He has good vision, is very quick, and runs hard.” Returner James Brown (Tallahassee, FL, Amos P. Godby High School, New Mexico Military Institute), along with Donald Askew (Mesa, AZ, Agua Fria High School, Scottsdale Community College) and Mario Wren (Bessemer, AL, Bessemer City High School), will also fight for playing time in the running back slot.

To provide the holes for Breaker, Brown, Askew, and Wren to run through this season are returners Diego Gonzalez (Phoenix, AZ, Trevor G. Browne High School), Sunia Vaitai (Waianae, HI, Waianae High School, New Mexico State University), James Lake (Mesa, AZ, Dobson High School), Sosaia Vaitai (Waianae, HI, Waianae High School, Eastern Arizona College), and Stuart Wheat (Wimberley, TX, Wimberley High School, Hardin Simmons University). “All of these people bring starting experience so we hope that experience makes for a strong group up front,” states Clark. “As a group, we have pretty good size and athleticism. Specifically, Gonzales worked hard in the weight room over the last year and has really developed nicely.”

Andrew Perez (Carson, CA, Century High School, El Camino College), Eric Hall (Harbor City, CA, Narbonne High School, LA Harbor College), and Brian Flores (Winnetka, CA, Cleveland High School, Pierce College), all transfers, also will fight for starting roles on the offensive line but will also add the much needed depth the Mustangs have not seen in recent years. Last season WNMU averaged only 137.3 yards rushing per game and 368.7 yards of offense per game. Their opponents, on the other hand, posted 212.2 yards on the ground and 480.2 yards per game.

WNMU has four of their top eight receivers returning from last year. Salvador Garcia (Anthony, TX, Anthony High School), the Mustangs' newest All-American, was one of those team's leading receivers last season. Garcia's efforts paid off as he was listed on the 2009 Don Hansen's Football Gazette All-Super Region Three. He also was placed on the 2009 All-RMAC football teams twice.

Markis Sumpter (Oceanside, CA, Fallbrook High School), Christopher Miranda (Peoria, AZ, Peoria High School, Phoenix Community College), and CJ Gardner (Safford, AZ, Safford High School, Arizona State University), the other three top returning receivers, will provide the experience to fill the other receiving spots. All three combined for 66.0 receiving yards per game last year. “They give us a number of explosive receivers to go to,” comments Clark.


DEFENSE
The Mustangs were among the top five in nearly every offensive category in the RMAC in 2009. The same was not the case for the WNMU defense. That was one reason for the hiring of Clark, who started as the team's defensive coordinator and then made the transition to head coach. With Clark's tactics and teaching of fundamentals and strategy, the Mustangs hope to be in the top half of the conference once again.

The Mustangs return a number of players defensively, but the players have been asked to change positions or learn a new style of play. Chris Collins (San Jose, CA, Silver Creek High School, San Jose City College), who played safety last season, will play linebacker this season. “He brings athleticism to the table,” says Clark. Collins played in all ten games in 2009. His best showing was against Mesa State, the third game of the season, when he produced five solo tackles, five assist tackles, and one tackle for a loss of five yards.

Also in the linebackers spot are returners Ryan Nolan (Tempe, AZ, Corona Del Sol High School) and Eric Zuniga (Rio Rico, AZ, Nogales High School). Both played in the majority of the games last season. “Each has their own strengths. Ryan is pretty athletic and can do a lot as well. Eric is a sharp guy who plays pretty consistent,” notes Clark. Clark also expects junior college transfers Jacob Cross (Bakersfield, CA, Centennial High School, Bakersfield Junior College), Joey Bertrand (Bakersfield, CA, Centennial High School, Bakersfield Junior College), and Niko Skawinski (San Diego, CA, Poway High School, San Diego Mesa College) to make a major impact at the linebacker Spot. “All three of those guys are very good players who run around and hit people,” he continues.

On the defensive line, Clark has Jarret Yargus (Bagdad, AZ, Bagdad High School) and Aaron Kleinpeter (Phoenix, AZ, Red Mountain High School, Mesa Community College) to rely on as veterans. “Expect big things from both of them. Aaron has a tremendous motor and is very explosive. He did not play a ton last year because he had been moved to linebacker. We put him back at his natural defensive end position, and he has excelled there. He is a starter there, and we expect big things from him. Jarret plays very hard and is typically a very consistent player,” comments Clark.

Yargus and Kleinpeter cannot and will not manage the d-line all on their own however. Mitch Knoy (Bakersfield, CA, Bakersfield High School, Bakersfield Junior College) and Jordan Hamill (Oceanside, CA, El Camino High School, College of the Redwoods/St. Ambrose University) will all compete for significant playing time.

Top defenseman, Derrick Perrault (San Diego, CA, Helix High School, Southwestern College) who posted 75 tackles during the 2009 season, returns as Clark's top player in the secondary. “He is one of our best players. He is smart and a physical player as well,” says Clark. Perrault also had five tackles for a loss of 23 yards, two sacks for 13 yards, four breakups, one forced fumble, and one recovered fumble.

Also in the secondary is Terence Brannic (Oceanside, CA, El Camino High School, Santa Rosa Junior College). He returns for his second season in a Mustang jersey. Brannic comes off of a successful first season when he played nine games and produced 29 tackles. Fernie De La Rosa (Vinton, TX, Canutillo High School) and Cooper Bowman (Los Lunas, NM, Los Lunas High School, University of New Mexico), also returners, will challenge Perrault and Brannic for playing time. The two played in nearly every game last season with Bowman producing the second most tackles for the team with 57.

To round out the defense, Terron Sumpter, Jr. (Fallbrook, CA, Fallbrook High School) and Jordon Dancer (Peoria, AZ, Peoria High School, Jamestown College) expect to fill the corner spots with Kameron Drawhorn (San Diego, CA, Fallbrook High School), Anthony Phillips (Houston, TX, Dobie High School), and David Le'Gall (Antioch, CA, Deer Valley High School, Contra Costa College) looking on to contend for a starting spot. Sumpter had 45 tackles on the last season, fourth on the team, along with four tackles for a loss, one interception, and six breakups. Dancer had equally impressive numbers with 34 tackles, two tackles for a loss, one interception and seven breakups.

“We want our players to understand focus, dedication, and discipline required to be successful,” says Clark. “We will focus on the process of each repetition, each day, each week, and so on. These types of concepts are the team's most important concern.” If Clark can accomplish this, it will help the Mustangs climb up the defensive ladder in the RMAC.


SPECIAL TEAMS
Playing both offense and special teams, Garcia will be the Mustangs' go-to person for kick returns and punt returns. The junior comes off a spectacular season when he earned nods on the RMAC Second Team – Special Teams for his work as a kick returner. He averaged 26.7 yards each return this season to lead the conference. Overall, Garcia had 26 returns for 695 yards. He also was named to the Third Team – Special Teams for his punt return effort. In this category, he posted a 16.6 yard average for a total of 216 yards. He finished the season with 1334 all-purpose yards to rank him third in the RMAC.

The Mustangs did not attempt very many field goals last season (4-7) despite having Colin Lund (Mililani, HI, Mililani High School, New Mexico State University) who made one field goal from the 42-yard line. Lund also did much of the punting for the purple and gold. He punted 45 times, averaging 38.9 yards per launch, and had five go 50-plus yards and eight inside the 20-yard line. Lund returns again this year and hopes to have more opportunities putting three points on the scoreboard. 


CONCLUSION
The Mustangs kick of their season at NCAA Division I Northern Arizona University on September 2. NAU leads the series 15-6-1 and last met in the 2007 season (L, 47-0). “They are a very good team, very explosive on offense, fast on defense, and will be a great challenge,” says Clark.

The team will then take on NCAA Division III Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas the following week. The Mustangs hosted the Lobos last season and walked away with their first of two wins on the season (48-33). The purple and gold then move on to conference play when they host Fort Lewis College.

“There are a lot of good teams in the RMAC that are well coached and play tough physical football. We will have to play at a consistently high level to be successful in the RMAC. The schedule is a good one with a lot of tough games and good challenges,” concludes Clark.