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Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs get the 2019 season underway this week, traveling to Charlotte to face Johnson C. Smith Thursday, Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. Wingate is coming off a 9-4 season, going 5-2 in league play and earning an NCAA play-off bid for the second straight year. The 'Dogs were picked second in the preseason SAC coaches poll and are ranked 21st in the AFCA preseason top 25.

Wingate has made NCAA Division II play-off appearances in back-to-back years for the first time in program history, while also posting back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time ever. The 26 victories over the last three years are the most ever in a three-year stretch and are the most wins of any SAC teams in that span. The 'Dogs have finished first or second in the league standings in each of the last three seasons, winning the 2017 SAC title.

JOE REICH ON THE PRESEASON

"I think the preseason has been good and we've been able to get a lot of stuff done. We have several objectives in the preseason, one of those is to build depth in the team. I think we've done that. We've gotten a lot of guys a lot of reps, but we also have to make sure the first team guys are ready. Overall I feel really good about our depth. I feel we are in pretty good football shape, just need to continue to work on our conditioning. We came out of the preseason healthy, a few bumps and bruises but nothing major, which is always a good thing."

REICH ON THE TEAM'S MINDSET AFTER BACK-TO-BACK PLAY-OFF BIDS

"The mindset is, number one, we want to go further. Yeah we've had two good seasons, but we don't want that to be the pinnacle, we want it to be a stepping stone. You don't just show up and get nine wins. Just because you've been to the close to the top of the mountain, you can't expect to just get up there. I don't think the team is taking anything for granted. We lost some good guys but we have a lot of talent coming back and everyone has worked so hard to get better in the offseason. There hasn't been any complacency in the offseason, our guys have such a great desire and hunger to get better."

POSITION BREAKDOWNS

QUARTERBACK

Redshirt sophomore Shaw Crocker started every game for the Bulldogs in the 2018 season as a redshirt freshman, leading the conference in passing yards, passing efficiency and touchdowns. He is a preseason second team all-conference selection in 2019 and has been named a team captain.

"Shaw is coming off a successful season as a redshirt freshman, now it's just what's next for him," Reich says. "With Shaw, it's always how can I get better. I think last year, the run game kind of dominated, but Shaw managed things really well. He showed he could be a real playmaker. Now, it's getting to the point where if we need to take over with the passing game, Shaw has progressed enough that we can do that. He's the son of a coach, has a great football mind and is such a quick thinker."

The Bulldogs also have some experience in backup quarterbacks Darquez Lee and Jacob Satterfield. Lee appeared in four games last seasons, throwing for 65 yards while also running for 17 yards and a touchdown. Satterfield made three appearances, completing two passes for 14 yards.

"Darquez and Jacob are good backups," Reich says. "We want to get them experience in the first couple games, try to get them some reps. They both have good experience and are able to step up and contribute."

RUNNING BACK

Wingate is loaded at the running back position, returning two of the league's top three rushers. Nijere Peoples was named the 2018 SAC Offensive Freshman of the Year, while also earning all-conference and All-Region accolades. He finished second in the league with 100.3 rushing yards per game and 1,103 total rushing yards, while piling up a SAC-best 14 rushing touchdowns as a true freshman. Peoples went over 130 rushing yards five times on the year, including a 239-yard, five-touchdown effort at Limestone. Senior Domineke McNeill was third in the SAC with 753 rushing yards last season, scoring three touchdowns on the year. He had 155 yards in the season opener, while running for 95 yards and a score in the play-off win at #10 West Georgia.

"Nijere and Dom makes for such a great combination," Reich says. "Nijere after such an impressive true freshman year, has gained so much experience. A big goal of ours this year is to keep both of them healthy and don't wear them out. So mixing in some a few more guys that are certainly capable will be helpful to keep Nijere and Dom strong and healthy as the season goes on. Kalen Clark, Noah Arnett and Floyd Louallen all have their spots where they can add value. If we can split things up and not get Nijere and Dom beat up as the year goes on, take some stress off those guys, I think it will be a really good thing."

FULL BACK

Redshirt senior Daniel McRainey will again lead the way as the fullback for the Bulldogs. He started every game last season, helping Peoples and McNeill combine for 1,939 rushing yards. Redshirt sophomore Sam Hayes will also see some time at the fullback position this year.

"Daniel has really developed into a dominant blocker," Reich says. "In addition to what he does as a fullback, we can also use him as a tight end and on special teams. He brings such a physicality to the team. We want to be physical, and he brings that mentality. We can put him a number of places where he can dominate. Sam Hayes is developing into that, and will certainly be a big factor in the future."

TIGHT END

The tight end position will be anchored by redshirt junior Mason Flynt, who had four catches for 72 yards and a pair of touchdowns last season. He started every game, playing a huge role in the dominant run game for the Bulldogs. Wingate will also look to Ryder Martin and Matt Amos to see some time at tight end in 2019.

"Mason is coming off a full season of being a starter, now it's just about what is his next step," Reich says. "He has that mentality of never be satisfied. He does a lot well and we are hoping for him to become an even more dominant blocker. He's athletic in the open field, is good in the passing game, just looking for more physicality. Ryder Martin has had a really good camp. He obviously has the physical size to be a dominant player, so we would like to try to put him in more spots to catch the ball. We are also looking for him to continue to develop as a blocker. Matt Ammos is another good reserve and a key special teams player. He is a good blocker with catching ability. With our tight ends and fullbacks being so interchangeable, we are very excited about the depth we have."

WIDE RECEIVER

The receiver group will be led by redshirt senior BJ Muckelvene and true sophomore Jalen Brooks. An All-American return specialist in 2017, Muckelvene had 28 catches for 447 yards and five touchdowns last season, finishing second on the team in receiving yards and TDs. Muckelvene returned three punts for touchdowns in his All-American 2017 season. He is a preseason All-SAC selection as a wide receiver (first team) and return specialist (second team). Brooks had 17 catches for 297 yards and four touchdowns last year. He came up huge in the play-offs, hauling in five catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns in the win at West Georgia, followed by notching two more catches for 50 yards and a score at Lenoir-Rhyne. The 'Dogs will turn to some young players to provide depth at receiver, led by true sophomore RaQuan Simmons, who led the SAC with 571 kick return yards in 2018.

"BJ and Jalen are the cream of the crop," Reich says. "I think they are as good of a one-two punch as anyone in the league has. They are very talented hard-working, and also so unselfish, it's just everything you want in a receiving corps. RaQuan Simmons will be the slot receiver. He was very raw as a freshman. He was a great return guy, but his routes weren't technical enough. He's worked hard and developed into a good route runner, and will continue to get better. He's super athletic with good speed and quickness."

Adding depth to the receiver position will be a trio of true freshmen, along with some more experienced players. "Trevor Grant, RJ Mobley and Kamal Desor are three true freshmen who have a good chance to play early and often," Reich says. "Cade McDonald, who is coming off an injury, could also play a lot for us. Hart Simpson has also gotten some reps for us in the preseason. We have some really good depth. Those three freshmen have taken a ton of reps in the preseason and by the end of the year, they'll have significant roles."

OFFENSIVE LINE

The Bulldogs have some solid experience on the offensive line, starting with two-year team captain Connor Baroniunas, who earned preseason all-conference accolades. The three-year starter will return as the right guard on an offensive line that paved the way for the 'Dogs to have two of the league's top three rushers last year.

"Connor is our right guard, team captain, four-year starter, I just don't know what more can be said about the job he has done as a player and a leader during his time at Wingate," Reich says. "He's been the middle of our o-line for so long, we rely on him so heavily and we have so much confidence in him."

Senior Andrew Strickland will be the right tackle. "Andrew came back after missing last year and is in phenomenal shape," Reich says. "He is another guy with such great experience, which is so valuable for us."

Redshirt sophomore Xi Simpson will move over to left tackle this year after playing a key role last year as a redshirt freshman. "Xi is very athletic," Reich says. "He can be a dominant left tackle if he continues to progress like he did last year. He's worked so hard on moving from right tackle to left tackle in the spring. He sees so much good competition in practice and gets tested every day. Last year he had a lot of matchups with Cardell Rawlings, so he's had plenty of experience against tough competition."

Redshirt sophomore Hunter Jolly will be the center for the Bulldogs. "Hunter started as a redshirt freshman last year," Reich says. "He's going to get better because he's worked so hard in the offseason and continued that in the preseason. We thought Strickland would start last year, then when he got hurt we kind of Hunter in the deep end and he responded, so now we expect to see him take the next step."

Redshirt junior Xavier Kelly is slotted as the left guard. "Xavier has a few starts under his belt," Reich says. "He has some good experience and has gotten a lot of reps. He has the advantage as a more experienced guy, so we feel good about him in that spot. Evan Surgeon will also see some time at left guard. He is a bigger guy, just not as much experience, starting one game last year. Both guys will contribute in that spot."

The Bulldogs have several more contributors on the offensive line who will provide key depth, led by Bruce Dalton, along with Randy Floars, July Carson and Emanual Bido.

"Bruce Dalton has more starting time than the rest of the reserves and can play anywhere on the line," Reich says. "He's probably the first guy off the bench, if he's not starting. Bruce is going to give us some great depth there. Randy Floars is a veteran that just hasn't gotten a big amount of playing time yet, but he is very knowledgeable and reliable. July Carson is a really smart guy and we thought there were times last year where he could have stepped in and played as a true freshman. We also thought about playing Emanual Bido as a true freshman. He's battling back from injury, but we're hoping he can gain some ground quickly. He had a great spring, just recovering from nagging injury. He's a younger guy and could be a starter quickly if he develops."

KICKER

McLean Robertson will handle the placekicking duties once again after an impressive 2018 season that saw him earn first team All-SAC honors. He connected on 12-of-14 field goals, hitting all nine kicks from under 40 yards while also connecting on three-of-four kicks between 40 and 49 yards. His lone two misses came from 44 yards or more.

"McLean is very consistent and reliable and is the leader of the group, along with Tucker Mullis," Reich says. "We are expecting more great things from him."

Robertson will share the kickoff duties with true freshman Ethan Evans. Robertson handled most of the kickoff duties in 2018, with 25 of his 60 kicks going for touchbacks. "Ethan and McLean will share kickoff duties," Reich says. "Both do certain things well, so we will be doing some rotating, similar to last year's approach. We also want to make sure we keep both of them strong and healthy throughout the year, so just trying not to put too much on either player."

LONG SNAPPER

Junior Tucker Mullis has handled the long snapping duties each of the last two seasons for the Bulldogs and will continue as the long snapper this year. "He's one of the best in the league," Reich says. "He is really good at what he does. He's been our long snapper every game of his career."

KICK RETURNER

Muckelvene and Simmons will handle most of the return duties, as they did last season. "BJ and RaQuan will once again be our main returners, with BJ handling punt returns and RaQuan on kick returns," Reich says. "They are both so dangerous and do such a good job setting things up for us. We also expect to use Kalen Clark as a kick returner."

PUNTER

The freshman Evans will handle the punting duties for the Bulldogs in 2019. "Ethan has got a monster leg," Reich says. "He has a lot of potential and a great work ethic. We just need to get him some experience, get him out there under as much fire as we can. The first game will be great to get the experience. Parker George will also see some time as a punter. He's one of those guys that handles it well, very efficient, not quite as strong a leg, but very reliable. We just want to get both of them some experience early."

DEFENSIVE LINE

The defensive line sees plenty of familiar faces, led by preseason All-SAC defensive end Cal Hanford, who piled up nine tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, an interception and a touchdown last year. "Cal does everything well," Reich says. "He's not as spectacular as Cardell, but he is unbelievably tough, a great leader, and can play the run well in addition to what he does as a pass rusher, he's just such a complete player."

Jesiah Carlton will also be starting at defensive end for the Bulldogs. He registered 21 tackles in 11 games last year, with three TFLs and 1.5 sacks. "Jesiah is a converted linebacker, as Cardell was for us," Reich says. "He is athletic, and a great pass rusher that can do a lot of good things at defensive end. He needs a little more experience, after just moving to defensive end last year."

"We've got some more guys that will contribute at the defensive end position," Reich says. "DJ Horne is the first off the bench. Another very athletic guy and was named the SIAC Defensive Freshman of the Year last year at Tuskegee. He's another good pass rusher has a great motor, just needs some experience in the SAC against different offenses that he's never seen before. Dominique Boston is another very athletic guy that is physically tough and has a great motor. Ricky Smith is a good solid player against the run that could be a little more stout against a two-tight end set."

The interior of the defensive line will be anchored by redshirt senior Colton Beard and redshirt junior Jordon Anderson. Beard missed the 2018 season, but had eight tackles for loss in 11 games during the 2017 season, adding four QB hurries and a blocked kick. Anderson registered 22 tackles including 2.5 tackles for loss last year.

"Jordan and Colton are as good as anyone in the league on the defensive line," Reich says. "Colton missed last year and Jordon had shoulder surgery and missed the spring. As soon as we put him back in, we couldn't block him. Those two are really good, and we feel very confident with those two in the middle of our defensive line."

The 'Dogs will have some solid depth in the interior of the line as well. "Isaac Allen is never in the wrong place," Reich says. "He is very physical and tough, he's going to go in there and be a blue-collar guy. Drew Smith red-shirted last year and came back ready to go, had such a great camp. He came back in shape, ready to go and got stronger in the offseason."

LINEBACKER

The linebacker group will feature three seniors in Robbie Wallace, Elijah Gilmore and Gabe Price. Wallace and Gilmore are preseason All-SAC selections, with Wallace collecting 75 tackles in 11 games last season, including 7.5 TFLs to go along with two interceptions. He has been named a team captain for the 2019 season. Gilmore had 76 tackles, seven TFLs, four sacks and three QB hurries. Price added 39 tackles including 5.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks last season.

"Robbie, Elijah and Gabe, those are three very physical linebackers," Reich says. "They have played a lot of games in their career. All three are very tough, physical and good leaders. It's just everything you want in a group of seniors. They'll be tough to replace next year. That linebacker corps as good as any in the league to me."

Senior Juan Pagan-Gonzalez will also be a key contributor at linebacker after collecting 28 tackles and three tackles for loss last season, adding an interception, two forced fumbles and a pair of pass break-ups. "Juan is a good solid player," Reich says. "He is a veteran with great football IQ and is always in the right place. He has done a great job for us and we expect that to continue this year."

Juniors Kendrick Hicks and Noah Marsh will also be key players at the outside linebacker position. "Kendrick and Noah are very capable backups," Reich says. "They have a lot of experience on special teams and defensively. They are very similar players, both athletic, physically capable and smart guys."

SAFETY

Redshirt senior Kam Johnson will once again play a key role in the Bulldog defense. He had 48 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, five pass break-ups, two interceptions and a forced fumble in 12 games last season. "Kam Johnson is physically probably the toughest player on our team pound-for-pound," Reich says. "He can run, hit, strike and has so much experience both as a rover and a safety. He is everything you want in a player and is all business. Kam just wants to come into a game and physically dominate."

Chase Tyson and Cedric Jones will also see plenty of time at safety. Jones had 13 tackles in 11 games last season, while Tyson registered nine stops on the year. "Chase and Cedric are both athletic and capable players, Reich says. "They need a little more experience, but we are look for good things from both of them."

ROVER

Redshirt sophomore Justin Armwood and redshirt junior Raymond Owens will be the main two at the rover spot to start the year. Armwood appeared in 10 games as a redshirt freshman last year, collecting five tackles while Owens had six stops and three pass breakups in nine contests.

"Justin and Raymond are both younger guys without much experience outside special teams, but both have had phenomenal camps," Reich says. "Those two have played so well we are comfortable putting either one of them out there. Romario Johnson is a transfer from Georgia State that will be another key player, he just needs experience in our system. He could be a factor throughout the year at safety or rover, and will also be a key special teams player for us."

CORNERBACK

Wingate has plenty of experience at cornerback with senior Davion Washington and junior Matthew Ellis-White. Washington was an All-SAC and All-Region cornerback last season and has been named a team captain in 2019. The senior had 15 pass break-ups, three interceptions and 50 tackles last year, with all three picks coming in postseason play. Ellis-White had 13 pass break-ups to go along with an interception and 57 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss. He also blocked a kick.

"It's so nice to have two corners we know are such good veterans that can lock people up," Reich says. "Obviously they're not going to be perfect but we know we can lock people up and not have to roll coverage. With their skill and experience, we feel very confident and the play book is open with those two guys back there. Corners will get beat every now and then, but both have the mental fortitude to come back strong. Both have physical talent. Davion has the measurable you want, Matt is just as physical and fast, if not quite as big."

Also contributing at the corner position will be redshirt sophomore Brian Wilson and redshirt freshman Ian Ector. "Brian and Ian are both guys that just need more reps and experience at this level," Reich says. "Ian has Davion's length, just not the physical makeup yet, but we believe he will down the road. He has similar attributes with his length. Brian has good feet, can change directions quickly, he just needs more experience. We also have a true freshman in Sterling Ross who could potentially be a factor for us at cornerback."

Wingate will open the 2019 season with back-to-back road games, beginning this Thursday at Johnson C. Smith at 6 p.m. The 'Dogs travel to Fayetteville State Saturday, Sept. 14 before opening league play at home Sept. 21 when Carson-Newman comes to Irwin Belk Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff on ESPN3. Four of Wingate's first five games will be on the road.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
A comprehensive, independent and growing university, Wingate serves more than 3,600 students in North Carolina. Founded in 1896, the University offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as graduate and professional programs. Wingate is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences. Wingate blends in-class exploration with out-of-class application to deliver an uncommon and life-changing educational experience.
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past 13 years. Wingate is first in the 2000s among NCAA Division II and North Carolina's colleges and universities with 113 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 122 lifetime Academic All-America® honorees. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com. Current news and videos can be found at www.wingate.edu.