Editor’s Note: This is the third of a seven-part series on Emporia State football’s position groups.
Garin Higgins spent the first 10 seconds calling his wide receivers underrated and good football players.
The Emporia State coach took the next 10 seconds to be brutally honest — he’s going to need them to be nearly perfect.
“I look at those guys, for us to be successful, they’re going to have to overachieve a little bit,” Higgins said. “They just don’t have the raw talent to get off the bus and scare a corner.”
Though ESU comes into the 2007 season somewhat thin at the position, Higgins said it didn’t mean that anything less would be expected out of them.
In fact, with the responsibility of additional blocking for the running game, the coach knows that much of his offense will go only as far as his receivers can take it.
“Our receivers are going to have to have the same mentality as the guys up front,” Higgins said. “When they get called upon to do the job on the perimeter, they’re going to have to get it done for us to move the ball offensively.
“Then, when they get their opportunity to make plays in the passing game, they’re going to have to make them.”
ESU does return a proven big-play receiver and also breakout candidate in Sean Partridge.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior had 24 receptions for 302 yards and three touchdowns last year but made a name for himself with highlight-reel catches, including one against Pittsburg State where he tipped the ball up to himself before bringing it in for a touchdown.
Partridge had three touchdowns in the final two Hornet games of 2006 and followed that with a strong outing in ESU’s Spring Game, where he caught six passes for 102 yards and two TDs.
Though he would like to be a bigger part of the offense this year — his season-high for receptions in a game was three in 2006 — Partridge said that wasn’t most important.
“My personal goal is our team goal. I just want to win,” Partridge said. “Last year I had a pretty good year, but we only won three games.”
Jarad Biggs, a fifth-year senior, has emerged as the No. 2 wideout for ESU.
After starting in six games as a redshirt freshman, catching 22 passes for 249 yards, Biggs has seen a decrease in playing time with additional platooning at the position.
Last year, he had 12 receptions for 153 yards, though like Partridge he played his best late.
The 6-foot, 185-pounder combined for six catches, 111 yards and a touchdown in ESU’s final two games against Central Missouri and Missouri Southern.
“This is his last go-round. He’s in the position where he needs to step up,” Higgins said. “I really think he’s taken it upon himself and taken a little bit of pride knowing this is his last year. He’s doing everything he can to make us better at that position.”
A wild-card could be the play of defensive-back-turned-receiver Katrel Larkins.
The sophomore (6-1, 205) switched to the offensive side of the ball last spring and has been making strides since then.
“For me it’s been kind of tough because I’m so used to reading the routes, reading the quarterback. Now, I’ve got to run the routes and read the defensive backs,” Larkins said. “At first my routes weren’t that good, but now I’m progressing.
“I’ve still got a long ways to go, but I think I’m going to get there by the time the season starts.”
If all goes well, Higgins’ offense should provide the receivers many chances to make plays.
The Hornets will rely on the play-action — they have a play-action pass off of every run in the playbook — to open up the field for the passing game.
With that in mind, Higgins has set rules to help his receivers focus on making the most of their opportunities. The players do 10 pushups for each pass they drop.
“I think that if there’s not something there — some type of reinforcement to remind them of that — then as a coach you’re just doing coachtalk,” Higgins said.
It’s led Larkins and the rest of the receivers to expect near-perfection out of themselves — which is just what Higgins needs from the group.
“We have a motto that we don’t drop any balls,” Larkins said. “If we drop a ball, it’s 10 pushups. If we drop a ball, (we) go hit the goalpost.
“We’ve got to make plays.”