8-29-08

Lycoming to host Gettysburg in scrimmage on Saturday

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Lycoming College football team will face competition for the first time in 2008 this Saturday when Gettysburg College travels to David Person Field on Saturday, Aug. 30, for a 1 p.m. scrimmage. The game is free and open to the public.

The Warriors, picked fifth in the Middle Atlantic Conference preseason poll, will use the scrimmage to make final decisions on who will start the season opener at select positions.

Lycoming will officially kick off the 2008 season under the direction of first-year head coach Mike Clark when the Warriors travel to Ithaca, N.Y., the first weekend in September.

Clark, who takes over a storied Lycoming program from legendary coach Frank Girardi, looks forward to returning the Warriors to one of the top programs in the competitive MAC.

 “I think we have a great chance to be a really good football team this year,” says Clark. “We lost a couple of close games that were very winnable last year. We’re going to incorporate some new changes with some of the traditional style of play and I think we can be in contention every game this year.

 “Our primary goal for the year is to win a MAC Championship,” says Clark. “That should always be the first goal here at Lycoming.”

The changes Clark speaks of come on the offensive side of the football and in the areas of special teams.

The 2007 edition of the Warriors struggled with turnovers, allowing one interception per every 16 pass attempts.

 “One of the biggest areas we’re going to tighten up on offense is our protection for the passer,” says Clark.

That shouldn’t be an issue for this year’s squad with four experienced seniors projected to start on the offensive line, including captains Pat Taylor and Andy Marino, who should both vie for All-Conference honors. Joining the captains up front will be fellow seniors Nathan Schrack and Dave Nocera. Underclassmen Tim Heagy (Jr.), John Buell (Jr.) and Matt Landsiedel (So.) will all be expected to provide depth. Six incoming freshman will vie for time on the offensive line, including Tim Okken.

Who the front line will be protecting is a question that has yet to be answered.

“We have two guys, Colin Dwyer and Tim Hook, that have both had a really good preseason,” says Clark. “They will both play in the scrimmage and we will use those performances to help determine a starter.”

Dwyer, a junior, and Hook, a sophomore, both picked up valuable experience as a starter in 2007 with Hook starting seven games and Dwyer starting three.

One realm of offense that won’t change its appearance in 2008 is the rushing attack, headlined by sophomore Josh Kleinfelter, who started seven games as a freshman and led the team in rushing with 509 yards and a 56.6 yards per game average. He is joined in the backfield by junior Mark Rosa and senior Jim Laky. Both Rosa and Laky have experience with Rosa playing in all 10 games last season and leading the team in yards per carry (4.3) while Laky appeared in seven games. Joining the backfield this fall will be freshmen fullbacks Nick Milardo and Phil Peterson.

 “I really like our backs,” says Clark. “Josh is one of the most talented kids on the field and Mark and Jim will provide a threat each time they touch the ball. We’re really going to work on expanding the running game this year.”

The receiving corps also looks strong following preseason camp.

At tight end, the Warriors must replace 2007 captain Bill Margetich, who led the team in touchdown receptions with six. Junior Jimmy Stevenson and sophomore Adam Paulhamaus look to be the top two candidates to share the receptions this season.

 “We really like both of those guys,” says Clark. “They both gave us a great spring and have a chance to be very good players for us this year.”

Incoming freshmen Terry Musser and Seth Rolko will also vie for time at tight end.

Headlining the receiving corps will be junior Brad Shellenberger, who led the squad last season with 41 catches (9.0 yards per), including four touchdowns. Also returning for the wide-outs are junior Mark Ryan and sophomore Ryan Wagaman. Wagaman pulled down 13 passes for 132 yards and one touchdown in five starts last year while Ryan had 10 catches (15.9 yards per) in seven appearances. A talented class of eight newcomers will also challenge for playing time.

A powerful defense is a tradition synonymous with Lycoming football and assistant head coach Steve Wiser.

“We plan to keep the traditional approach of having a powerful defense in place,” says Clark. “We gave up a lot of points as a result of field position last year but if you look at the numbers, we posted excellent yards-against figures.”

Those numbers speak to a defense that ranked 35th in the nation in total defense in 2007, holding opponents to 93.0 rushing yards per game and 190.6 passing yards per game.

Clark identifies two main goals of the defense as increasing the number of turnovers and keeping teams out of the end zone.

 “We’re going to work on getting more pressure on the opposing quarterbacks, which should lead to more turnovers in our favor and we’re going to try to tighten up our red-zone defense.”

Anchoring the front line for the defense will be senior captain Chris Tribanas, who returns this season after an injury in 2007. He is joined by returning starters in juniors Ted Geurds and Matt Licci. Ten incoming freshman will add depth while returning players Kyle Murren (Jr.) and Dan Cassidy (So.) look to be key contributors. Top freshmen projected to see time include Anthony Dinelli, Drew Gensimore, David Loats, Tyler Hoffman and C.J. Hinson.

The linebackers will be anchored by senior captain Chris Smith on the weak side. Smith posted 44 tackles, including nine for a loss in 2007. Sophomore Ben Rosa, who moved from fullback to linebacker during the spring, enters camp as the frontrunner to start on the strong side after having a terrific spring. The middle backer will likely be contested between sophomores T.J. Doyle and Zach Hanner. Doyle appeared in seven games with Hanner appearing in six during their freshman campaign. Sophomores Kevin Hoben, Pat McAfee and Dan McGrory will provide solid depth.

 “We think we have six or seven really solid returning linebackers,” says Clark. “We’re pretty excited about that group of athletes this year.”

Six new recruits will join the linebacking group this fall, including Anthony Marascio and Tom Weaver.

The third defensive captain for the 2008 season is senior safety Nick Reese. He was fifth on the team with 46 tackles in 2007 and leads a talented group of safeties in the defensive backfield. He is joined by junior Travis Leonarczyk and sophomores Chuck Bellito and Ryan Williams.

Sophomore Jim Daley will lead the cornerbacks this season. Daley saw action in six games as a freshman in 2007. Seniors Scott Kish and Ryan Becker will be joined by sophomores Josh Dixon and Fred Bordley in competition for the remaining positions.

Special teams is one area that coach Clark would like to see improved in 2008.

 “We really struggled in all areas of special teams last year,” says Clark. “We only attempted two field goals all year and we had a number of kicks and punts blocked throughout the year. Improving that, coupled with shutting down the big returns, is what we’re going to focus on.”

Senior kicker Scott Erikson joined the team late last year and returns as the top candidate to handle the kicking chores this fall. Erikson kicked well down the stretch and showed solid improvement during the spring. Sophomore Sean Teufel, who punted and handled some place kicking in 2007, will likely focus strictly on punting in 2008. They will both be pushed by incoming freshmen kickers Brady Sandercock and Justin Livingston.

Junior Blake Barth handled the long snapping duties last season and returns in 2008. He will be pushed by a host of incoming players with long snapping experience.

The 2008 schedule opens on Sept. 6 at Ithaca and features a bye in the second week of the season. The Warriors open at home against Susquehanna on Sept. 20 and open the MAC schedule at Widener on Oct. 4. The schedule features five home games, including a homecoming showdown with Albright on Oct. 11.