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 What, no more brothers? Air Force enters first camp in 6 years without a Morgan
Posted: Thursday April 01, 1999 06:58 PM
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) -- For the first time in six spring seasons, the name Morgan will not be found at the quarterback position on Air Force Academy's depth chart. There's no Beau Morgan, who quarterbacked the Falcons from 1994-96 and became the first player in NCAA history to rush and pass for more than 1,000 yards in two different seasons. There's no Blane Morgan, Beau's younger brother, who graduated last spring as the winningest quarterback in AFA history with a 20-3 record. He directed the Falcons to their only outright Western Athletic Conference championship and a 12-1 record last year, including a 45-25 win over Washington in the Oahu Bowl. Air Force and seven other schools then left the WAC to form the Mountain West Conference. Enter Cale "Government" Bonds, who takes the reins when spring training opens Wednesday. Bonds, a 6-foot, 175-pound senior from Englewood, Colo. (Cherry Creek), didn't play a lot behind Blane Morgan, but he played very well when subbing for the injured starter. In 1997, he started against Fresno State, becoming the first sophomore to start at quarterback since Beau Morgan in 1994. Last year, he started in place of the injured Blane Morgan, first against Navy, then against BYU in the WAC championship game. Against Navy, Bonds rushed for a career-high 167 yards and two touchdowns and passed for a career-high 194 yards and two more touchdowns. His 361 yards of total offense in that game is the fourth-highest total in the history of the academy. "Our coaches and our team have a lot of confidence in Cale," said head coach Fisher DeBerry as he prepared for his 16th spring at the academy. "He's done an outstanding job whenever we've called on him." Bonds figures to solidify his role in the spring, as two of his challengers will be occupied elsewhere and will miss much of the 15-practice season. Mike Theissen, a 6-1, 195-pound junior from Modesto, Calif., who is listed at No. 2 on the depth chart, is the starting shortstop on the Falcons' baseball team. David Diehl, a 5-11, 175-pound junior from Littleton, Colo. (Mullen) pitches for Air Force. Elsewhere, Air Force returns 12 starters, including seven on offense. All but one spot on the offensive line will be manned by a 1998 starter. That leaves a majority of the spring focus on the defensive line and secondary. Returning on the defensive line is left tackle Shawn Thomas, a 6-2, 265-pound senior from Milledgeville, Ga., who led the 1998 team in quarterback sacks (8) and tackles for losses (15). The coaches will need to find someone to replace defensive right tackle Bryce Fisher, the WAC Mountain Division's defensive player of the year, and strong-side cornerback Tim Curry, who established the school's career record of nine blocked kicks. "I think we've got to find some defensive linemen," DeBerry said. "We do have some fine young defensive linemen that we're excited about. The exciting thing about spring is seeing who is going to come out of the woodwork."
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