AIR FORCE: Maturity, size give freshman lineman big advantage

When Air Force right guard Peter Lusk injured his left ankle Saturday against BYU, Falcons offensive line coach Clay Hendrix turned to freshman A.J. Wallerstein.

He liked what he saw from his rookie - even before Wallerstein stepped onto the field.

"Sometimes you see those kids that are kind of wide-eyed," Hendrix said. "But he was just excited for the chance."

Wallerstein, who had played briefly in three prior games and not since Oct. 11, played two series in relief of Lusk. The Falcons drove for scores on both, and Wallerstein graded out well when coaches reviewed film.

"He did some good things," said coach Troy Calhoun, whose team will complete the regular season Saturday at TCU.

"I haven't seen all the film yet, but I think I did OK," Wallerstein said. "I can work on a lot of things - my steps, pad level. But for the most part, I blocked the guys I needed to."

Wallerstein, who came to the academy directly from high school, already is physically ready to play. At 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds, he is bigger than any linemen on the Falcons' two-deep chart save for starting left guard Nick Charles, who also is listed at 6-4, 285.

And Calhoun believes Wallerstein can get to 295 pounds while staying lean. "He's a puppy," Calhoun said. "He'll fill out."

Until then, Hendrix said Wallerstein's top attributes are his maturity and intelligence (he has a 3.3 grade-point average).

"He was a kid that chose between here and Harvard," Hendrix said. "Mentally he's had no issues whatsoever. ... He hasn't been overwhelmed by anything since he's been here."

"He's adapted really well," Calhoun said. "About as well as you'll see a freshman adapt."

Young Falcons get younger

In addition to Wallerstein, freshman X receiver Jaquon Robinson also saw his first significant playing time against the Cougars, making his first career reception for 7 yards and nearly coming up with a deep pass. And Jonathan Warzeka, a freshman Z receiver, carried the ball three times for 26 yards with a long run of 18 yards - all career highs.

Add those three to freshman starting quarterback Tim Jefferson and freshman starting tailback Asher Clark, and there were times Saturday that five freshmen were playing against the nation's 16th-ranked team.

"And four of those guys (Clark, Wallerstein, Warzeka and Robinson) were at a high school prom six months ago," Calhoun said.

"We have a lot to look forward to," Warzeka said. "Not just the rest of this season, but the years to come."

Dekker's contributions under radar

Senior tight end Travis Dekker - one of the Falcons' top offensive threats - hasn't exactly filled up the stat sheet in recent weeks.

After his highlight-reel 59-yard catch and run against UNLV on Oct. 18 (in which he hurdled a Rebel defender), Dekker has caught five passes for 20 yards in the past four games.

Calhoun said Monday he'd like to get Dekker the ball more often. But he said the senior has been prominently involved in the offense in recent weeks even without catching many passes.

"He's been a pretty darn good horse as far as a blocker, and even more so as far as being a leader for this team," Calhoun said. "He's been a warrior."

Etc.

Athletic director Hans Mueh and superintendent Lt. Gen. John F. Regni will be in Washington this week. The academy's Board of Visitors meets Thursday, and one of the topics that will be discussed is the ongoing effort to recast the athletic department as a nonprofit corporation. ... Lusk did not practice Monday but could be back today. Junior inside linebacker Justin Moore (contusion) also did not practice but should be back today.

Sophomore outside linebacker Patrick Hennessey (shoulder) and senior receiver Spencer Armstrong (leg) remain questionable for TCU.

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Contact the Writer: 636-0365 or jake.schaller@gazette.com