The Edward Waters transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II has been rapid but not without hard work and success.
As the football team begins its final transitional year before becoming a full D-II/SIAC member, head coach Toriano Morgan is excited about the focused and hungry group of Tigers he’ll be putting on the field this season.
“I’m loving what I’m seeing,” Morgan said of the team’s early fall practices. “We’re seeing the growth and the maturity of these guys. They came into camp in great shape, and we’ve been able to build on one win after another, getting us to the process of putting together a game plan and a lineup that will compete each week.”
One win after another marked the Tigers’ second half of 2022. After a rough 0-4 start, EWU won five of their final seven contests, and with those first three losses coming by a combined 13 points, Morgan has stressed to his team, picked seventh in the 13-team league, that a strong start will lead to a stronger finish.
“They understand we’ve got to come out of the gate swinging,” he explains. “We’re calling our schedule ‘The Juggernaut’. Right off the bat, we open up with Florida Memorial, then right after that, we’ve got (defending SIAC champion) Benedict and Fort Valley State. There’s no time to put it together. It has to be together once the season starts. That’s a tough schedule, but these guys are focused and understand they have to come out the blocks ready to go.”
EWU had four players – all seniors – voted to the SIAC’s preseason second team; offensive linemen Dylan Lampkin and Jovens Janvier, punter Ishmael Sanders and defensive back Dartrelle Rolle. Morgan is also excited about the prospects of a few more players.
“Jamari Pierre, I would put him up against any lineman in the conference as the most athletic. Coming into his sophomore year, he looks the part, and he has elevated his game,” he says. “Vashaun Stockmann is moving from corner to safety. His ability to play the run makes us more athletic on the back end. We also get James Gary back on the defensive line. He has such a mature nature and great leadership qualities that we’ll need on defense.”
Maturity and togetherness will be key for EWU, as the senior class will be tasked with setting up the program for future success.
“This group has been the catalyst to what we’re going to achieve in the future. From coaching changes, the program going from NAIA to NCAA, they’ve seen it all,” Morgan explains. “Being able to draw on that and the foundation of what they’ve gone through, we’re somewhat ahead of schedule as far as recruiting, attracting top-notch talent not just from the portal, but develop and sustain the young men that we’ve recruited that can go out and compete for a championship.”
That championship focus becomes sharper in Morgan’s opinion, thanks to the SIAC’s realignment into one single division for football.
“From that particular standpoint, it makes [the season] a lot more competitive, more interesting,” he says. “It forces you to be aware of what the entire conference is doing. It makes for a better brand of football, and you have to show up every week because if not, you won’t be invited to the Kumite, as we call it.”
And in order to be one of the final two teams in the SIAC dojo, Edward Waters will have to work hard and enjoy the process.
“I want them to be able to sit back and appreciate what hard work is. As we’re going through it, you don’t get to appreciate the results,” Morgan said. “I want them to be able to see that they’ve set a goal, they’ve overcome adversity, but at the same time, they’ve had some triumphs that this set up to be a successful football team and successful in life.”
