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2012 PSAC Composite Football Schedule
East Media Day Photo Gallery (courtesy of West Chester)
Lock Haven, Pa. — Defending PSAC East and overall champion Kutztown has been picked to win the Eastern Division while California and IUP have been chosen as co-favorites to win the PSAC West. This marks the seventh straight season that the Vulcans have been picked as at least a co-favorite in the PSAC West, while IUP is a favorite for the first time since 2003. In the PSAC East, Kutztown, fresh off its first PSAC Championship in school history, is the favorite for the first time in preseason poll history. Their previous best place in a preseason poll was second—done twice.
The Golden Bears are coming off not only their first PSAC Championship, but also just their second PSAC East championship in program history. After sharing the title with LIU Post last year, the Golden Bears will be looking for their first-ever outright PSAC East title as they look to repeat as overall conference champions. Kutztown, which also appeared in the NCAA playoffs for the second straight year and for just the second time overall in 2011, will be looking to get back to the “State Game” for just the third time in program history. California, which also appeared in the NCAA playoffs last season for the fifth straight year—which is the fifth-longest current streak in Division II—won at least a share of the Western Division for the seventh straight season in 2011 but lost out on a tiebreaker to Slippery Rock for the right to advance to the PSAC championship game. The Vulcans will be looking to get back to the PSAC championship game for the first time since 2009. IUP will be looking for its first divisional title since 2006, when it shared the title with the Vulcans. The Crimson Hawks have not appeared in the “State Game” since it was reinstated prior to the 2008 season and last played in it in 1987, winning the final version of the conference title game before it was discontinued until 2008. IUP, which owns the most NCAA playoff appearances of any team in the PSAC, will also be looking for its first NCAA playoff appearance since 2007.
Only two teams in the PSAC East received first place votes—Kutztown and Bloomsburg. The Golden Bears picked up five first place votes while the Huskies received the remaining three. LIU Post came in third, while fourth place West Chester just edged out fifth place Shippensburg by two points. East Stroudsburg, Millersville and Cheyney rounded out the East poll.
Half of the teams in the Western Division received first place votes, with co-favorites California and IUP picked up five of them combined. Defending co-West champion Slippery Rock came in third with two first place votes, finishing just two points behind the Vulcans and Crimson Hawks. Edinboro finished fourth, with Mercyhurst coming in coming in fifth, just three points behind the Fighting Scots. The Lakers received the remaining first place vote. Gannon, Clarion and Lock Haven rounded out the West poll.
The results of the coaches’ poll are listed below. First place votes are in parenthesis.
Eastern Division
1. Kutztown (5)
2. Bloomsburg (3)
3. LIU Post
4. West Chester
5. Shippensburg
6. East Stroudsburg
7. Millersville
8. Cheyney
Western Division
T1. California (2)
T1. IUP (3)
3. Slippery Rock (2)
4. Edinboro
5. Mercyhurst (1)
6. Gannon
7. Clarion
8. Lock Haven
Eastern Division
Kutztown (11-2, 6-1), for the first time in program history, enters a football season as the defending PSAC champions and based on its returning cast, has a good shot at winning its second straight. The Golden Bears return six All-PSAC East first team players from last year and 14 combined starters on offense and defense. Leading the way is Kevin Morton, who will enter his fourth season as the team’s starting quarterback. Morton will have his entire offensive line from last year back as well as potent double threat Josh Mastromatto in the backfield. Mastromatto, who is Kutztown’s primary kick and punt returner, split the majority of the carries last year with the departed Robbie Frey and also had the second-most receptions on the team. He will likely split time in the backfield with Curtis Wortham this season and once again be a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield, as Kutztown lost its other two top receivers. Senior Colby Tuell is the Bears’ top returning receiver. Defensively, the Bears return just five starters but two of them—S Alex DiNolfi and LB Andrew Hodges, were All-PSAC East first team picks. They will lead a defense that ranked in the top half of the league in points allowed but in the bottom half in yards allowed. The Golden Bears’ defense will also need to replace its entire starting defensive line, which was strong in helping allow the fifth-fewest rushing yards in the PSAC.
Kutztown Quick Hits
- QB Kevin Morton has 8,234 career passing yards and 85 career passing touchdowns. Both marks are tops among active PSAC QBs. Morton also has 14 career rushing TDs.
- Last year’s edition of the Golden Bears became just the eighth team in recorded PSAC history to accumulate over 6,000 yards of total offense.
- Kutztown led the league in interceptions last year with 25, including a league-leading 11 by S Alex DiNolfi.
Bloomsburg (9-2, 5-2), is again picked to finish near the top of the PSAC East as this marks the seventh straight season that the Huskies have been picked to finish either first or second in the division. The Huskies appear to have another team that will contend for the divisional and league championships and once again, it should be the ground game and defense that gets them there. Bloomsburg has two 1,000-yard rushers from last season returning in juniors Franklyn Quiteh and Eddie Mateo, as well as four returning starters on the offensive line, all of which are either juniors or seniors, as well as their two leading pass catchers in seniors Ryan Dickerson and Kyle Fisher. The only question on offense is who will be throwing and handing off the ball. None of the four quarterbacks on the roster have ever completed a collegiate pass. Four sophomores—Lou Buschi, Connor Gades, Tim Kelly and Brady Knerr will by vying for the starting spot. The Huskies allowed the fifth fewest points on average in the PSAC last year and will be particularly strong in the middle of its defense as returning All-PSAC East linebackers Jarrett Pidgeon and Justin Shirk return. Bloomsburg should also have a tremendous advantage in the kicking department as junior K/P Dan Fisher returns after having kicked 37 field goals (on 45 attempts) in his first two seasons, which already ranks as the 10th most in PSAC history.
Bloomsburg Quick Hits
- Last year marked the first year since 2004 that Bloomsburg did not finish either first or second in the PSAC East. The Huskies finished third.
- Franklyn Quiteh and Eddie Mateo both rushed for 1,000 yards last season, becoming the first set of teammates to do so in the PSAC since IUP’s Terrance Wilson and Aamir Dew and Slippery Rock’s Dorrian Glenn and Stan Kennedy in 1999.
- Bloomsburg had led the PSAC in rushing yards in each of the last two, three of the last four and four of the last seven seasons.
LIU Post (7-4, 6-1) will be looking to continue its upward trend of finishes since joining the PSAC in 2008 as C.W. Post. Renamed LIU Post during the offseason, the Pioneers have gone from two PSAC East wins in their first season in the conference, to five in both 2009 and 2010, and then six along with a share of the divisional championship in 2011. In 2012, the Pioneers will have starting quarterback Steven Laurino back after he ranked in the top 10 in the conference in both rushing and passing as a freshman last season. He will have a trio of experienced runners in the backfield in Jeff Mack, Anthony Brunetti and Thomas Beverly, as well as three experienced receivers in his brother, Grayson Laurino, as well as Joe Botti and Kyle Hardy. Defensively, LIU Post returns its entire defensive backfield, led by senior Antonio Powell-Fields, but that is all as it will be breaking in an entirely new starting defensive line and group of linebackers, which combined to help the Pioneers lead the PSAC in sacks last year with 40, as well as hold five opponents under 100 yards rushing. Post will also be looking for some improvement from its five starters returning in the secondary, as the Pioneers allowed the most passing yards in the PSAC. Another area that the Pioneers will be looking for improvement in this season is in the kicking game as Post made just 9-of-17 field goals last season.
LIU Post Quick Hits
- The Pioneers have either increased or equaled their overall win total of the previous season in each year in the PSAC East. After a sixth place finish in 2008, the Pioneers have finished in the top three in each of the last three years—tied for second, third and tied for first last year.
- LIU Post has had the top rushing QB in the PSAC in terms of total rushing yards in each of the last three seasons. Sophomore QB Steven Laurino ran for 764 yards last year to lead all PSAC QBs while former QB Eric Anderwkavich led all PSAC QBs in rushing in ‘09 and ‘10.
- The Pioneers have finished in the top five in team rushing yards per game in the PSAC in each of the last three seasons.
West Chester (5-6, 4-3), which finished either first or second in the PSAC East every year from 2004-09, will be looking to get back to the top of the division after hovering around the middle of the division for the last two years—finishing in fourth place in both 2010 and 2011. With key skill position players back on offense as well as seven starters on defense, the Golden Rams may be poised to do just that. Top rusher Rondell White is back after averaging 5.0 ypc last year in his first season as the starter while top receiving threats Tim Keyser and LaRonn Lee also both return. Junior quarterback Sean McCartney won the battle for the starting position during the spring while senior Mike Mattei serves as his primary backup. The offensive line will feature some new faces as well as only one starter returns. On the other side of the ball, West Chester’s biggest need of improvement is its rush defense, which only held one opponent under 100 yards in a game last year. For that reason, the Golden Rams will switch to a 4-3 formation. Three starters return on the defensive line as do two starting linebackers, including leading tackler Ronell Williams, while the secondary, which was a strength last year, returns veteran safety John O’Donnell, who has led the team in interceptions the last two seasons.
West Chester Quick Hits
- The Golden Rams are coming off their first back-to-back seasons with sub-.500 overall records since the 1978 and 1979 seasons. Despite having a losing record overall the last two years, West Chester has not had a PSAC East mark under .500 since 2000.
- West Chester has finished either second or third in the PSAC in passing offense in four of the last five seasons.
- K Shawn Leo has made five field goals from beyond 40 yards in his first two years with the Golden Rams.
Shippensburg (7-4, 4-3) broke several school offensive records under a first-year head coach and offensive coordinator last year and has a league-best 19 combined starters on offense and defense returning, including several skill-position players. After spending his freshman season as a split end and punt returner, Zach Zulli made the switch to quarterback last season and after a record-setting campaign, he will return as a starter in 2012, where he will have a pair of experienced and All-PSAC East running backs to hand off to in seniors Mike Frenette and Kevin Herod. They will be running behind an experienced offensive line that brings back four starters. Four of the Red Raiders’ top five receivers from last year are back as well in Trevor Harman, Frenette, Jacob Baskerville and Bryan Barley. The Shippensburg defense returns six All-PSAC East performers from last year, including first teamers Mark Kahlil Smith, Cody Fleming and Tyriq Kershaw. The Red Raiders were among the best in the PSAC in pass defense, also ranking among the league leaders in interceptions last year, and with all four starters returning on the defensive line — three of which were all-conference selections — will be looking to improve their rushing defense, which allowed over 200 rushing yards in each of the team’s four losses last season.
Shippensburg Quick Hits
- Shippensburg led Division II in first downs per game last year with 25.5. The Red Raiders broke the school records for first downs, points, total offense and touchdowns scored.
- The Red Raiders scored at least 40 points in all seven of their wins in 2011 but gave up at least 38 points in each of their four losses.
- Junior PK Drew Newcomer and the Shippensburg team was a perfect 11-for-11 on field goals in 2011. This marked the first time since at least 1991 that a PSAC kicker and team was perfect on field goals with at least 10 attempts. Complete records prior to 1992 are unavailable.
East Stroudsburg (3-8, 1-6) will have a new starting quarterback for the third straight season as the Warriors look to bounce back from back-to-back 3-8 seasons, which followed an NCAA playoff appearance in 2009. Gone is Ray Wagner, who last year became just the second player in PSAC history to have two 500-yard passing games in his career, and in is a trio of quarterbacks that will battle for the starting job. Junior Nate Daniels, who started one game last year, redshirt freshman Matt Soltes and senior Steven Adams, who started in 2010 for Shippensburg before transferring to ESU this year, will compete. Whichever quarterback wins the job will have some talent to work with as the Warriors’ return three veteran starters on the offensive line as well as a pair of veteran running backs in seniors Kendrick Williams and Eric Deery, who combined for nearly 1,000 rushing yards a year ago. The Warriors also return three starting receivers from last year—Dusty Reed, Jordan Hallman and Robert Bleiler—who combined for nearly 2,500 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns in 2011 to help the Warriors lead the PSAC in passing yards. The areas in need of the most improvement for East Stroudsburg are its turnovers and its defense. The Warriors turned the ball over a league-leading 41 times last year while its defense, which returns just three starters, allowed the most yards in the conference.
East Stroudsburg Quick Hits
- Junior K Taylor Groff has made 10 field goals from 40 yards or longer in the first two years of his career.
- East Stroudsburg has led the PSAC in passing yards in two of the last four seasons, in seven of the last 10 years, and has finished in the top three in the league in passing in nine of the last 10 campaigns.
- The Warriors led Division II last year in fewest tackles for loss allowed per game with 3.18. They also allowed just 10 sacks in 2011 while attempting 435 passes, which was the second-most in the league and the most on average (39.5 per game).
Millersville (3-8, 2-5) has had a young team for the last few seasons and many of those young players have now turned to veterans, leading to increased optimism for the Marauders heading into the 2012 season. Both sides of the ball are full with experience and returning starters. Defensively, the Marauders return three starting defensive linemen, as well as senior linebacker Pat Maloney, who has led the team in tackles in each of the past two seasons. Six of the seven returning starters on defense are junior and seniors and the Marauders will be looking for that experience to translate into improved performance as they have ranked in the lower half of the league in total defense in recent years. On the offensive side of the ball, senior quarterback Dan Miller is back after starting 10 of 11 games last year and he will line up behind an offensive line that returns all five starters. The Millersville offense, which ranked last in the league in total yards, should get a boost with the return of two players that missed the bulk of 2011 with injuries. Running back Mike Jones, who average 4.5 ypc in 2010 but missed the final six games last year, is back, as is receiver Matt Egenrieder, the team’s second-leading receiver and primary kick returner in 2010 who missed all of last year. Also back are Dominic Sanders and Brent Collins, who were Millersville’s two top receivers last season.
Millersville Quick Hits
- Four of the returning starters on Millersville’s offensive line started at least nine games last year, and three started all 11 contests. Of the four returning starters on the offensive line that are junior or seniors, three have played in at least 20 career games.
- Sophomore WR Brent Collins’ 25 catches last year were the most for a Millersville freshman since Ryan Clift in 2002.
- P Jeff Lawson has had at least one punt of at least 60 yards in each of the last two seasons. A Millersville punter has ranked in the top 10 in the PSAC in average punting in each of the last six seasons.
Cheyney (1-10, 0-7) will have a combined 15 returning starters on offense and defense, including its entire starting offensive line from last year, but for the fourth time in the last five years, will have a new starting quarterback. Chris Anderson, who provided some much-needed stability at the position the last two seasons, is gone and sophomore Malik Witten is the only quarterback on the roster that was on the team last year. With the experience of the offensive line as well as the return of two-time All-PSAC East junior running back Marcus Jones, who has run for over 1,500 yards in his first two years at Cheyney, the Wolves’ strength on offense will likely be in its running game. Cheyney also will have some stability in its kicking game as kicker/punter Tyler Wilkinson returns for his fourth season as the placekicker while Jewel Jones, who handled the PAT duties last year, is also back. Defensively, the Wolves lost last year’s PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year in Tim Hume but return seven players, including leading tackler Isaiah Fleming as well as two other starting linebacker in Tom Stewart and Shannon Burch. The Wolves ranked around the middle of the PSAC in yards allowed but near the bottom of the league in points allowed.
Cheyney Quick Hits
- RB Marcus Jones has carried the ball 275 times in his first two years at Cheyney and has only been tackled for a combined loss of 10 yards while gaining over 1,500.
- Cheyney has had either the fewest or second-fewest trips to the red zone of any team in the PSAC in each of the last four seasons.
- Tim Hume last year became the first Cheyney player to be named a PSAC Athlete of the Year since 1993 when he garnered the East Defensive Player of the Year honor.
Western Division
California (10-3, 6-1) will enter a new era as Mike Kellar takes over for John Luckhardt as head coach after Luckhardt built the Vulcans into a Division II powerhouse in his 10 years at the helm. Although it is a new era, there appears to be no shortage of talent left over. Quarterback Peter Lalich returns for his second year as the starter after leading the PSAC in passing and total offense last year. He will be without his three biggest threats from last year as Chedrick Cherry, Thomas Mayo and Mario Washington exhausted their eligibility after combining for over 2,700 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns. Running back Lamont Smith and tight end Blake Williamson are the Vulcans’ top returning receivers. Williamson may be targeted more this year after making 63 catches in his first three years. The Vulcans’ rushing production decreased slightly last year despite a second straight 1,000-yard rushing season from Smith, who will have three returning senior starters on the offensive line to run behind. Strong defense has been a staple of the Vulcans in its recent string of success and after ranking second in the league in all of the major defensive categories last season, they should once again have a strong unit as several core players return, including last year’s PSAC West Defensive Player of the Year in safety Rontez Miles and a two-time All-PSAC West first team linebacker in Brett Diamond, who missed last year with an injury.
California Quick Hits
- QB Peter Lalich posted the fourth-most passing yards in a single season in PSAC history last year (3,725) and the seventh-most total offensive yards in league history as well (3,642).
- The Vulcans have ranked either first or second in the PSAC in both total and scoring defense in three of the last five seasons, corresponding to their current NCAA playoff streak.
- California’s current NCAA playoff qualification streak of five straight years is tied for the longest in PSAC history. IUP did it twice from 1987-1991 and 1998-2002, West Chester did it once from 2004-2008 and Edinboro did it once from 1989-1993.
IUP (7-3, 5-2) will be looking for its first PSAC West crown since 2006, when it shared the title with California. The Crimson Hawks were successful last year due in large part to their defense and with seven returning starters on that side of the ball, it should once again be a key to IUP’s success. The defensive line and backfield appear to be the two strongest areas. Three-time All-PSAC defensive lineman Carl Thornton leads the way and is one of three returning starters up front. Fifth-year senior Johnny Franco, a first team All-PSAC West selection a year ago who had 15 passes defended, which was second in the PSAC, leads the way in the defensive backfield, where he is one of three returning starters. Offensively, IUP’s strength appears to be its running game once again behind senior running back Harvie Tuck, who has run for 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons. He will have four returning starters on the offensive line to run behind, and that group will also be charged with protecting quarterback Pat Smith, who is entering his second full season as a starter. Leading receiver Pat Brewer also returns but IUP threw the ball just 182 times last year, by far the fewest in the league.
IUP Quick Hits
- The Crimson Hawks have finished in the top four in the PSAC in scoring defense in each of the last six seasons. The Crimson Hawks allowed the fewest points in the league both last year and in 2008.
- IUP has had a 1,000-yard rusher in three of the last four, five of the last seven, and seven of the last 10 seasons.
- The IUP defense has recorded at least one shutout in each of the last five consecutive seasons.
Slippery Rock (8-3, 6-1) is coming off its first PSAC West title since 2000 and although The Rock lost a handful of significant contributors from last year’s team, it would appear to once again be a contender for the divisional crown based on its returning cast. Headlining the returnees is senior running back Akeem Satterfield, who ran for over 1,000 yards two years ago before missing four games last year. Satterfield, who has averaged over 5.0 yards per carry in each of his previous three seasons and had a 5.1 ypc career average, will be joined in the backfield by juniors Jimmy Zubik and LaQuinn Stephens-Howling, who combined for more yards than Satterfield for the season as they filled in during his absence. While the running game is in veteran hands, Rock’s passing game will have some new faces as quarterback Cody Endres as well as leading receiver Devin Goda, who accounted for a third of the team’s receptions, are both gone. Sophomore Jared Buck, who attempted six passes last season, and junior college transfer Nigel Barksdale will compete for the starting nod under center. Defensively, The Rock lost four former All-PSAC West players from last year’s standout defense, which led the PSAC in fewest yards allowed and ranked among the national leaders in defense all season. However, six starters do return, including three on the defensive line led by All-PSAC lineman Jeff Thompson. That unit helped The Rock compile the best rushing defense in the PSAC in 2011.
Slippery Rock Quick Hits
- Slippery Rock allowed just two rushing touchdowns last season, the fewest in the PSAC since at least 1997. Complete records of this statistic are not available prior to that year, but the next-fewest since 1997 was by Edinboro, which allowed just three in 2005.
- Slippery Rock’s strength of schedule—based on the last year’s combined winning percentage of this year’s opponents—ranks as the second-toughest among the 46 teams in NCAA Super Region One.
- Last year marked the first time since the 2006 season that Slippery Rock had more total passing yards than total rushing yards.
Edinboro (7-4, 4-3), which has not finished outside the top four in the PSAC West since 2002, will be looking to not only continue that streak but also contend for the divisional title behind the arm of junior quarterback Cody Harris, who enters his third season starting under center. Harris, who has completed 68.7 percent of his passes in his first two seasons, will be without his two top targets from last year in David Bostic and Nick Marino, who accounted for over half of his completions. Senior receiver Marcus Johnson and tight end Shawn Walker are the top returning receivers. Running backs Brian Davis and D’Andrea Vaughn, who combined for nearly 1,000 yards and nearly 5.0 yards per carry, should form a potential threat in the backfield. The Edinboro defense should be particularly strong in the secondary, where five starters return, including senior cornerback Branden Williams and junior cornerback James Jackson, who form one of the best defensive backfield duos in the PSAC. Williams and Jackson have 23 combined career interceptions and last year helped the Fighting Scots have the best passing defense in the PSAC.
Edinboro Quick Hits
- Edinboro currently has had nine straight winning seasons, which ranks third in the PSAC behind Bloomsburg (13) and California (10).
- With 14 career picks, CB Branden Williams is the PSAC’s active leader in career interceptions. He also had scored five career touchdowns, three on INT returns, one on a fumble return and one on a blocked kick return.
- QB Cody Harris compiled a 72.2 completion percentage last season, which marks the first time a PSAC QB has had a completion percentage of 70 percent or above since at least 1992. Records are incomplete prior to 1992, but 72.2 is definitely the highest completion percentage in the last 20 years.
Mercyhurst (4-7, 2-5) was hit with the injury bug last year and that contributed to the Lakers dropping to sixth place following their PSAC Championship of 2010. Because of those injuries, some younger players gained valuable experience last year after unexpectedly being pushing into action,. The Lakers hope that experience, particularly at the quarterback position, will translate into an improved finished this year. Anthony Vendemia started the final six games of the season after starter Travis Rearick was lost for the year and threw for more touchdowns than interceptions. Although the Lakers’ biggest offensive threat from the last few years—two-time PSAC West Offensive Player of the Year Trevor Kennedy—is gone, Vendemia will have the next three top receivers from last year after Kennedy back in Paris Bruner, Jeff Groene, and Richie Sanders. Sanders, last season’s PSAC West Freshman of the Year, and junior Allen Jones II both return to the backfield after combining for over 1,000 rushing yards in 2011, which should give the Lakers a balanced offensive attack. The Laker defense has been among the best in the PSAC in recent years and despite returning just four starters last year from its championship unit, Mercyhurst was still ranked in the upper half of the league in all major categories except for scoring. Mercyhurst has ranked third in passing defense in the league the last three years and with three starters back in the secondary, that area of the defense appears to be the strongest.
Mercyhurst Quick Hits
- Mercyhurst’s overall defense has ranked in the top five in the PSAC in three of the last four years. The Lakers have also been ranked in the top three in the PSAC in pass defense in three of the last four seasons.
- Mercyhurst has had at least one individual win a PSAC postseason award—either Offensive, Defensive, Freshman or Coach of the Year—in three of its four seasons in the PSAC.
- The Lakers have had at least two kickoffs or punts returned for touchdowns in each of the last three seasons.
Gannon (4-7, 3-4) went through some growing pains last year as it had freshmen starting at the key positions of quarterback and running back after several skill-position players graduated following the 2010 season. Not surprisingly, the Golden Knights took a few steps back from their back-to-back 6-5 seasons from 2009 and 2010 but with a bit more experience in key positions and a new head coach in Brad Rzyczycki, Gannon will aim to return to the upper half of the PSAC West this season. Quarterback Daniel Tapscott is back for his second year as the starter as is running back Alex Papson. Both flashed some potential in 2011 and will be counted on for increased production this season. Gannon will be without three of its top four receivers from last year, which combined for all 15 of the team’s touchdown receptions. Jonathon Jones is the team’s top returning receiver, while sophomore Justin Caliste, who scored three touchdowns on special teams, may get an increased role on offense. Gannon has been ranked in the upper half of the league in total defense for the last two years and for an overall improvement to happen, the Golden Knights will likely need this trend to continue. Leading the way on defense will be All-PSAC West defensive lineman Ian Jeffers as well as fifth-year senior Khayree Connors-McChristian out of the defensive backfield, who has been second on the team in tackles in two of the last three seasons.
Gannon Quick Hits
- In its first four years in the PSAC, Gannon is yet to make it into the top eight in the conference in total offense in any single season.
- However, Gannon’s total defense has been ranked in the upper half of the league in three of the last four season.
- WR/KR Justin Caliste last year became just the second player in Gannon history to return both a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns in the same season.
Clarion (3-8, 2-5) finished last season on a strong note, winning two of its final three games and doing so with a strong rushing attack. While it had a strong running game for most of the season, Clarion turned it on in the latter half of the season and the Golden Eagles are hopeful that the strong running game along with an improved defense can carry them further up the standings this season. Although top rusher Pat Graham-Murphy is not returning this season, Clarion hopes that its new starting running back, Bobby Thomas, can put up similar numbers after arriving in the backfield in similar fashion—as a converted defensive back. Junior quarterback Ben Fiscus will also be a key as he has run for over 1,300 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first two seasons. Three starters return on the offensive line as well as two starting tight ends. Although Fiscus threw for just five touchdowns last season, there is potential for the passing game to improve as well as Clarion’s top five receivers from last year return as well. The defense, which allowed the fourth-most points in the league, hope to improve with the return of eight starters, including All-PSAC West linebacker Nate Sipes, the team’s leading tackler who also ranked third in the conference in tackles last season.
Clarion Quick Hits
- Clarion ran for at least 200 yards in six of its 11 games last season, including in four of its last five contests. The Golden Eagles were held under 100 yards rushing in just one game in 2011.
- The Golden Eagles have been on both ends of 100-yard interception returns in each of the last two seasons. In 2010, Gannon ran back a pick 100 yards for a score while last year, the Eagles’ Anthony Stimac returned a pick 100 yards for a touchdown against Slippery Rock.
- A member of the Sipes family has led Clarion in tackles in each of the last three seasons. Former All-American DB Nick Sipes led the team in stops in 2009 and 2010, and his younger brother Nate Sipes, a linebacker, led the team last year.
Lock Haven (0-10, 0-7), although it was unable to break its losing streak last season, saw a great amount of improvement and with a somewhat veteran and large cast of returning starters this season under second-year head coach John Allen, the Bald Eagles are poised to post their biggest improvement in recent years. The biggest bright spot would appear to be running back Brandon Brader, who came up just 58 yards shy of becoming the first Bald Eagle back since 1981 to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. He will have four returning starters on the offensive line to run behind. Leading receiver Jesse Hoover also returns as does starting tight end Jerome Charles. Under center, the Bald Eagles have a pair of quarterbacks that have started games in the past three seasons. It appears to be between Jarrett Kratzer and Shawn Faulk, and both may end up taking several snaps. Kratzer has played in 28 games the past three seasons while Faulk has played in 11, having missed 2010 with an injury. The Lock Haven defense also appears to be experienced with 10 starters back, which is tied for the most of any team in the conference. Leading the way will be nose tackle Skyler Wool, an All-PSAC West pick last season.
Lock Haven Quick Hits
- RB Brandon Brader’s 942 rushing yards last year were the most in a season for a Lock Haven running back since Jamie Allen ran for 962 in 1999. Brader’s 253 carries last season were also a school record.
- Lock Haven has increased its total offense in each of the last two seasons.
- The Bald Eagles return nine of their top 10 tacklers from last season.