The Nicholls football team started spring practice last week and is looking to fill the holes left by graduating players and improve for the fall.
Two of the bigger pairs of cleats that need to be filled are those of running backs Marcus Washington and Dalton Hilliard, Jr. Washington finished his career as one of the best backs in the program’s history with 1,827 rushing yards, 607 receiving yards and 21 total touchdowns. Hilliard filled in for Washington after he was lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.  Head coach Charlie Stubbs believes that the Colonels have the players to replace them, but it will take some searching during spring camp.
“It’s going to be very difficult. Right now, we have some capable guys, but they’ve got to play with that swagger, and they’ve got to play with the confidence that those guys played with,” Stubbs said.
Junior running back Mike Henry will be looking to start for the Colonels in the fall. Henry, a native of Baton Rouge, played in seven games last season, totaling 162 yards and scoring one touchdown.
“I don’t really feel as if there is any pressure because I feel like when they were here, they really laid down the path and showed us what the expectations were. I feel like all the backs, not just myself, are all prepared for it,” Henry said. “I plan for the run game to pick up where it was and be better this year. I think we have a more than capable stable of running backs. We have a lot of guys returning and guys coming in that are going to do nothing but benefit us as a position group.”
Last season, the defense was a problem spot for Nicholls. On average, the Colonels’ opponents gained 494 yards and scored 43 points per game. Without Chris Bermond and Siegan Vergenal, the defense will also have some holes to fill. Stubbs said that a fresh start in the spring is what is needed for the defense to improve their numbers.
“They’re doing very well. They’re playing with emotion, which I really like to see on defense. They’re learning a little bit of a new scheme, but it’s very important for us,” Stubbs said. “Any championship that I’ve been blessed to be a part of in my career, we’ve always had a solid defense, and that’s where we’ve got to get to. Being very solid on defense and continue to improve on offense.”
Stubbs said that he has seen better play from the team already, but injuries have become a problem.
“We’re making some improvements, but unfortunately what’s happening is that we’re starting to get banged up at certain positions, especially at the receiver position. We’ve come from just having a few to very few today, so it’s a real struggle in our practice right now to deal with all the injuries,” Stubbs said.
Stubbs didn’t discount the value of a strong spring camp translating into wins in the fall.
“It’s going to carry us over. You’ve got to secure some kind of momentum. That’s what we’ve got to work towards right now,” Stubbs said. “Making sure that by the end of spring, we’re playing our best football, and we can have something to build off going into summer conditioning and also fall camp.”