First-year Western Illinois head coach Joe Davis is all in on a fan calling the first offensive play when the Leathernecks open their home season. (Photo by Barry Bottino, PrairieStatePigskin.com)
By Dan Verdun
Coaches generally frown upon parents meddling in their children’s athletic competitions. That will not be the case Sept. 28 when Western Illinois hosts McKendree University at Hanson Field in Macomb.
Mike Masucci, the father of WIU senior kicker Christiaan Masucci, won a raffle held April 19 during the annual Bruce Craddock Memorial spring game. By doing so, he will be granted the privilege to call the first play in the nonconference home opener against McKendree, a Division II school in Lebanon, Ill.
“He won the raffle, so he’ll get to pick,” first-year WIU head coach Joe Davis told Prairie State Pigskin.
Why would Davis agree to a promotional idea like this?
“I like anything that generates interest and involvement from the community and the campus,” he said.
Masucci will likely choose from a “four-to-six play Madden-style menu,” according to Davis, adding that fans attending the game may well see the choices posted on the scoreboard prior to the play being run.
“We’ll try to get it executed,” Davis said, “hopefully, it’s a touchdown.”
Senior quarterback Nathan Lamb was surprised to hear about the promotion.
“I was like ‘Are they really doing that?’” he said.
Chances are unlikely that a 60-plus-yard field goal by Masucci’s son is on the table.
“Hopefully not that early in the game,” Davis chuckled.
Odds are also against plays such as “The Annexation of Puerto Rico” in The Little Giants or “Fake 23 Blast with a Backside George Reverse” in Remember the Titans.
Or are they?
“I love it all,” Davis said. “We might throw one in there that’s a little bit unique for some fun.”
Lamb added, “It’s always good to have some trick plays. We’ll probably have one in the script every week.”
Lamb joked that he is “pretty close with Christiaan’s dad and family, so maybe I can have some influence on what play I want.”
In the bigger picture, Lamb is excited to have the opportunity to play after spending last season as WIU’s primary backup quarterback.
“I’ve always wanted to be in this situation, to be able to start for a Division I football team,” he said. “It’s super exciting for me having not been the (No. 1) guy yet.”
So, what plays are possible?
“Anytime you go into that opening game script, you probably already have a half dozen plays that are being evaluated as the first play,” Davis said. “We’ll do a great job as a staff making sure that those are things that we feel real good about and let the winner pick from there.”
And with the decision still five months away, there’s plenty of time for ideas and evaluation.
Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.
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