Wakefield football
Although Wakefield lost several key offensive players to graduation last year, receivers Trip Foreman (left) and David Gibson appear ready to break out for the Wolverines this fall.
Wakefield restocks receiving corps
Last fall, Wakefield assistant football coach Charles Johnson — a former NFL wide receiver — bestowed a lofty nickname on the Wolverines' receivers and quarterback Drew Wilkinson: The Magnificent Seven.
Other members of the distinguish group included current Duke player Kevin Rojas, Jared Crabtree, Vann McDuffie, David Richardson, Nigel King and Alex Starnes.
Trip Foreman was added later to the cast — though the name stayed the same.
The octuplets helped Wakefield amass more than 2,500 yards through the air, becoming one of the most lethal offenses in the Triangle. Johnson went so far as to call last year's group "unstoppable."
But June's graduation left only King, Starnes and Foreman behind to carry on the offensive attack.
A dropoff was inevitable, right? But it seems it might not be the case, Johnson said.
Following an impressive passing drill during Wakefield's second official practice Monday, the assistant coach couldn't help but rave about the Wolverines' pass-catchers.
He didn't go as far as to say they were "magnificent," but said the potential is there.
"I can't compare them to that group just yet, but I really like what I've seen."
That statement alone should give opposing defensive coordinators chills.
Because of a hip injury, King — who has received attention from Division-I programs already — hasn't practiced this season, and will likely be out for a few more weeks.
In his place, Foreman and Starnes, as well as David Gibson and Mychal Jones, have shined.
Johnson has been especially pleased with Foreman's progression throughout the spring and summer.
"The thing about Trip is he looks so smooth running out there," Johnson said, watching the 6-foot-1 receiver complete a practice route. "And I've heard a lot of the defensive guys actually talking about how good he looks out there, too,"
Wakefield assistant coach Charles Johnson gives instruction to senior receiver Mychal Jones during the Wolverines' Aug. 3 practice. According to Johnson, this year's receiving unit is far above where he thought they'd be at this point in the season.
An accomplished track star, Foreman placed in the Top 5 in the 400-meter dash at the 4-A state track and field championships.
Foreman's play on the field has been so good, Johnson said it reminds him of King. Opponents have officially been warned.
After establishing himself as a running threat last fall, Jones suffered a knee injury against Durham Riverside and missed the Wolverines' final seven games of the season.
While his time on the field might have been limited, Jones made one of the squad's biggest plays of the year — if not their history. Trailing against Holly Springs late in the fourth quarter — and facing a fourth down and 32 yards — Jones rumbled 73 yards on a screen pass to pull out a come-from-beyond win. The then-junior dashed and darted on through seemingly the entire Golden Hawks' defense to make the miracle play.
But a few weeks later, he was on crutches.
With no leg brace in sight this week, Jones is full speed ahead on making up for missed time.
Gibson also appears on the brink of breaking out, displaying a mix of speed and size which should befuddle secondarys.
"He's been doing a lot of good things for us," Wakefield head coach J.D. Dinwiddie said last week. "He's athletic. He can run. And he has good hands. We expect to see a lot from him."
Not to be forgotten, Starnes gives the Wolverines a sound option over the middle — a spot he killed defenses last fall. He'll be the one frustrating opponents with the short first-down catches.
When the super-athletic King gets back in the mix, and Wakefield receivers could develop into something special.
But there are still a few more questions that have to be answered about the Wakefield offense.
Who replaces Wilkinson at QB? And does having running back Courtney Crews for a full year switch the team's priorities slightly?
For now, the Wakefield receivers are under the shadow of last year's unit.
But the spotlight — and maybe even a nickname — aren't far away.
