Football Preview: With bulk up front, Chichester ready to plow forward

UPPER CHICHESTER >> Two-way lineman Andrew Foster feels it every time he enters the weight room or steps on the practice field.

There’s an upbeat vibe at Chichester that is palpable.

“The atmosphere is different,” said Foster, a senior center, defensive tackle and four-year starter for the Eagles. “There’s more camaraderie between the players. The closeness of it is what makes it different.”

Tackles Eyan Thomas and Connor Mullin feel it, too.

“We were shaky going into last year,” said Thomas, a two-way starter at offensive and defensive tackle. “We didn’t know what to expect, but we’re real confident going into this year. We have a better feel for what is expected of us.”

“The Class of 2023 is very, very special,” Mullin added. “We have a lot of seriously devoted players.”

Winning has a way of bringing a team together and lifting its collective spirit and for the Eagles, it was a long time coming. Chi went 6-4 overall last season, its first winning season since 2005, and 3-0 in the Del Val League to grab a share of its first league title since 1996.

The Eagles carried that good feeling into winter and spring workouts, and preseason camp.

“I think that confidence from last year, winning games that we haven’t won around here in a while gave them something to look forward to,” second-year coach Ed Buck said. “And we’ve been using it the other way. Now there’s a target. You’ve never been the one being chased before. That’s something we talked about all season. Teams aren’t putting a win down automatically. You have to work that much harder.”

The Eagles are ready for that challenge.

“We like the competition,” Mullin said. “We like the animosity the other teams give us. We feed off it. We like the energy other teams give us. It makes us better at the end of the day.”

The team’s strength is up front where Foster, Thomas and Mullin lead the way. Thomas is 6-4 and has slimmed down to 297 pounds while adding more muscle mass at the same time. He has received FCS offers from North Carolina A&T and St. Francis. Mullin measures in at 6-2, 290 and is a three-year starter. Thomas is 5-10, 320. Senior guard-nose guard Montana Raymond is another returnee up front with experience.

“We had a really good offseason,” Buck said. “We got a lot stronger. A bunch of guys really dedicated themselves in the weight room and I think we’re going to see it, especially along the line. We’ll be able to move people a little more.”

Look for senior running back-defensive back Quadir Blackwell to have an increased role on offense. He may even play some quarterback, Buck said. Blackwell was second on the team in all-purpose yards (650), total offense (585) and scoring (30 points) and third in rushing (319 yards, four touchdowns) and receiving (11 receptions, 210 yards, one TD).

Defensively, Blackwell was involved in 39 total tackles (27 solo) and recovered one fumble.

Seniors Erskine Wilson (tight end/outside linebacker), Avery Billops (running back/cornerback) and Shawn Bedwell (running back/free safety) also have varsity experience. Wilson caught three passes for 52 yards as the second tight end. He was in on 31 total tackles (19 solo), forced two fumbles and picked off a pass. Billops had 26 total tackles.

Junior Kahleef Best (running back/outside linebacker), sophomores Julian Marquez (guard/defensive tackle) and Derrick Robertson (tackle/defensive tackle) are among the newcomers to watch.

“It’s a really special group we have,” Mullin said. “I’ve been friends with those guys (on the offensive line) since kindergarten. I’ve known Eyan since kindergarten. We bonded last year and took leaps and bounds this year. It’s a really good group we have. We’re really strong and really athletic.

“The level of seniors we have, the level of upperclassmen we have, we expect to be a lot better than last year.”