"We got to the edge last season, but couldn’t finish it off,” he said. “We were ahead or tied with every team in our division, but one in the Mid-American Conference going into the fourth period.”

Central was 3-8 in 2001, 2-6 in all MAC games and 1-5 in MAC west action.

“We were competitive last season,” DeBord said. “Now, we need to win.”

The Chippewas return 39 lettermen from last year’s team, including nine starters on offense and nine on defense.

As has been the case the past two springs, however, all of the starting slots are up for grabs.

“We want great competition this spring,” DeBord said. “We haven’t been successful enough to say one position is wrapped up.”

Returning starters on offense are: senior wide receiver Rod Means (23 catches for 278 yards); senior wide receiver Rob Turner (50 for 668 and four scores); junior wide receiver Willie Hill (19 for 238 and three TDs); senior quarterback Derek Gorney; junior halfback Terrence Jackson (rushed for 1,194 yards and 10 touchdowns in eight starts); senior guard Kyle Croskey; senior guard Paul Brieger; junior guard Derek McLaughlin; redshirt freshman tackle Adam Kieft and freshman tight end Tory Humphrey. Brieger and McLaughlin shared starting roles throughout the season.

Back on defense are: senior linemen Matt Reynolds (42 tackles/four for losses), Cullen Jenkins (48 tackles/10 for losses of 52 yards) and Marvin Smith (68 tackles/nine for losses of 27 yards); senior linebackers Jovan Clarke (96 tackles/15 for losses of 55 yards) and Darvin Lewis (19 tackles); junior linebacker Ed Hillery (42 tackles); sophomore linebackers James King (86 tackles/11 for 37 yards in losses and seven blocked kicks); junior safety Bryan Keim (82 tackles); and sophomore safety Ron Bartell (68 tackles). Lewis injured a knee in the third game of the season and did not return.

Sophomores Omari Colen (17 tackles) and Derrick Holoman (25 tackles) also started late in the season at linebacker and cornerback, respectively.

DeBord has specific goals for all three areas of his football team. “On defense, we want to be able to stop the run and become a great tackling team,” he said. “We did neither last season.”

The Chippewas allowed 208 yards a game on the ground last fall. “On offense, we need to eliminate our turnovers and improve the passing game,” DeBord explained. “We need to make better decisions at quarterback. We have to be more accurate and the receivers have to catch better.”

The race for starting quarterback could be the premier battle in the spring.

“I was not happy with our quarterback play,” DeBord said. “We had two players who started last season, but we’re going to decide on the guy who gives us the best chance of winning and then build our offense around his strengths.”

Senior Derek Gorney passed for 831 yards and five TDs on 74-of-150 when he became a starter halfway through the 2001 season. Junior Derrick Vickers was the starter early and he completed 116-of-211 for 1,156 yards and seven scores.

“On special teams, there will be a strong emphasis on kickoff return,” DeBord said. “We’re always playing on a long field. We need some good returns to shorten the field.”

The Chippewas have made a couple of position changes, one involving junior Dante McKnight, who caught 13 passes for 135 yards and a TD last season as a wide receiver. He’ll work out at cornerback this spring.

“Dante’s a tough kid and we’re awfully young at cornerback,” DeBord said. “We’ll try him there but we could move him back to receiver.”

DeBord is planning on closing drills with a spring game on April 20.

“Right now, we’re planning on a regular game,” he said. “It all depends on injuries and who we have by then. We’ll just play it by ear.”