ANDY SAWYER/Yakima Herald-Republic Central Washington’s Johnny Spevak runs with the ball against Western Oregon during a 2006 game at Tomlinson Stadium in Ellensburg. Links   E-mail             Print              Comments Advertisement

ELLENSBURG -- It might be the dog days of summer for most people, and even most athletes. But that's hardly the case for Johnny Spevak.

Having considered the appealing possibilities for the upcoming school year over the past several months, Spevak will today begin his competitive quest as Central Washington's football players report for preseason workouts.

The Wildcats, with Spevak and quarterback Mike Reilly among 14 returning starters from last year's 10-3 team, figure to be sitting on a momentous season. They have been ranked as high as fifth nationally in one preseason poll and were eighth in The Sporting News, which also tabbed Spevak as a preseason All-American.

"That was pretty exciting," he said in a recent telephone interview, "and it was totally unexpected. I was at a basketball camp and G.E. (Coleman, CWU assistant coach) was on the phone and he told me about it."

And speaking of basketball, Spevak is among the many reasons this season's Wildcats figure to make perhaps equally big news on the hardwood.

Having played substantially as a true freshman, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Puyallup product will be a senior on coach Greg Sparling's hoop squad after completing his junior season for first-year football mentor Blaine Bennett.

Central's basketball team finished 21-7 last winter, and return Spevak among several standouts to go with what appears to be a blue-chip recruiting class. The football team advanced to the Division II playoff quarterfinals and the basketballers reached regional play.

Expectations for both, understandably, are higher than in recent memory even though the 2003 football team began its season ranked No. 1 by Sports Illustrated.

"We could definitely pick up a lot of hardware," Spevak said. "With the teams we have coming back and with our recruits, it could be a wild year. We could be all over the place."

Spevak, specifically, will line up this fall at his wide receiver spot where last season he caught a team-high 92 passes for 1,210 yards and 14 touchdowns.

He missed part of spring drills with a fractured pinkie finger, but said it has healed and that he's ready to go.

"I can't wait to get started," Spevak said. "I've been to a couple of weddings this summer and people have talked about it (expectations for CWU's teams). Usually you can't talk about one without talking about the other.

"But since football's first, I have all my focus on that for now."

Central will open Aug. 30 against Dixie State at St. George, Utah. Its first home game is scheduled for Sept. 6 against Mesa State of Grand Junction, Colo.