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Posted on Mon, Aug. 30, 2004

Zips receivers ready

Hixon says he'll be back to 100 percent for Penn Sate game after thigh injury

By David Lee Morgan Jr.

Beacon Journal staff writer

When University of Akron starting wide receiver Domenik Hixon injured his thigh two weeks ago, first-year coach J.D. Brookhart was surprisingly calm.

``It's (preseason) camp, so it's typical,'' Brookhart said. ``You can look around and go to every campus and teams are going through the same thing. Injuries are going to happen, but it's not always a negative. I think we improved our depth when Domenik got hurt.''

The good news for Brookhart is that Hixon's thigh bruise is healing and he's expected to be ready for the season opener Saturday at Penn State.

``It was bad,'' said the 6-foot-2, 190-pound junior from Columbus Whitehall-Yearling High School. ``I'm almost back to 100 percent.''

Asked if he would be 100 percent for the Penn State game, Hixon emphatically replied, ``Yes.''

Hixon was a starting free safety the past two seasons, and last year, he led the Zips in total tackles with 111. He was recruited as a wide receiver, and with the departure of Matt Cherry, Nick Sparks and Miquel Irvin due to graduation, Hixon was moved back to his natural position.

``I found out in the middle of winter conditioning that I was going back to wide receiver and I was excited,'' he said. ``With Matt, Miquel and Nick all leaving, (quarterback) Charlie (Frye) and I talked about it last year and it made sense.''

During spring drills, Hixon established himself as the No. 1 receiver and had a breakout performance during the annual Blue-Gold spring game. He caught nine passes for 122 yards and scored a touchdown.

``I put a lot on myself in the spring because it had been two years since I played (wide receiver), and I knew I had to get ready for the season,'' Hixon said.

Said Zips offensive coordinator Jim Pry: ``Domenik is a great athlete and made the transition from safety to wide receiver like it was nothing. He's an exciting player and we look for some big things from him.''

Although Hixon is very talented, he's inexperienced on the offensive side of the ball, as is senior Morris Ellington. He caught 31 passes last season but was injured early and played sparingly the last two months.

Juniors Jason Montgomery and Jamie Goodwin also are in the receiving rotation.

Montgomery was used as a fourth receiver last season and was tied for the team leadwith four touchdown catches.

Goodwin, a former high school sprinter, is a deep threat because of his speed. He placed second in the 200-meter dash during the Mid-American Conference indoor track championships last year and is the No. 1 kick returner.

Hixon's injury allowed Goodwin and Montgomery to get more repetitions with senior quarterback Charlie Frye and the No. 1 unit.

``It was important that we all got on the same page because with this offense, everyone is going to get a chance to play and show what they can do,'' Goodwin said. ``We're a close group, and we've been working hard together to show we can do what the guys did last year.''

Goodwin was referring to Cherry, Sparks and Irvin, who are all in the school's top-10 career receptions list.

``We feel like we have the wideouts to replace the ones we lost, at least athletically,'' Pry said. ``Now, experience-wise, that's a different story. Hopefully they will gain experience each game and get better as the season progresses.''

Frye, who is Akron's all-time passing yardage leader with 8,426 yards, said, ``I have a lot of confidence and trust in these guys that they'll get the job done this year. I'm excited to throw the ball to them and watch them develop.''

Frye also is looking forward to developing the new West Coast offense that Brookhart has installed. Frye and the receivers will be given more freedom.

``Last year, we had about one or two read routes -- where the receiver would read the defense and make a decision,'' Frye said. ``This year, it's mostly a read offense.''

For instance, Frye might call a specific play for a receiver to run a 12-yard hook. But the receiver may run a corner, post or dig pattern based on the defensive coverage.

``That's why it was so important for us to work together during the summer,'' Frye said. ``We needed to get on the same page. There were times when you'd see me throw a pass thinking the guy was running a post and he was running a corner pattern. The timing and understanding the system was crucial, and now, I think it's all meshing together.''

Frye likes the way the receivers have picked up the new system, especially Montgomery.

``Jason can play any of the receivers positions, and he's one of the smartest receivers I've ever played with,'' Frye said. ``Overall, we're going to be throwing the ball downfield more, and so if the protection holds up, we'll have a chance for a lot of big plays.''

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Messages for David Lee Morgan Jr. can be left at 330-996-3824 or dlmorgan@thebeaconjournal.com