wyoming valley west spartans
Transcription
wyoming valley west spartans
SIMPLY THE BEST It’s no secret Wyoming Valley Conference football fans love to debate. Who’s the best quarterback of all-time? Which state championship Berwick team was the best? Who has the best French fries? Wait. French fries? You can’t be serious, you’re saying. Well, we are very serious and we want to know which concession stand is tops in BEST MASCOT BEST BAND the Wyoming Valley Conference. This season, we’re giving local football fans the chance to select the Best of the WVC. We’ll announce winners in the following categories: Stadium, mascot, band, concession stand, fans, cheerleaders, uniform, rivalry, head coach and football history. Here’s how it works. Simply log on to citizensvoice.com and click on the Best of the WVC BEST CONCESSION STAND logo to access the ballot. Select your winner in each category and submit your picks. Or circle your choices on the ballot below and mail to The Citizens’ Voice Sports Department, 75 N. Washington St., Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 18711. No photo copies will be accepted. Voting ends Sept. 28 and we will start publishing results in the Week 7 edition of Gameface. BEST FANS From Dawgs to Warriors, it’s They spend countless hours preWhether it’s cheese fries or the symbol of the school. Who’s paring their shows to entertain the halushki, a game isn’t the same withgot the best? fans. Which is the best band? out good eats. Who’s has the best? They support the teams through thick and thin. Which school has the best fans? Black Knights (Lake-Lehman) Dawgs (Berwick) Crusaders (Coughlin) Comets (Crestwood) Cougars (Hazleton Area) Grenadiers (GAR) Millionaires (Williamsport) Mohawks (Meyers) Mountaineers (Dallas) Hawkeyes (Hanover Area) Patriots (Pittston Area) Rangers (Northwest Area) Royals (Holy Redeemer) Spartans (Valley West) Tigers (Tunkhannock) Trojans (Nanticoke Area) Warriors (Wyoming Area) Berwick Coughlin Crestwood Dallas GAR Hanover Area Hazleton Area Holy Redeemer Lake-Lehman Meyers Nanticoke Area Northwest Area Pittston Area Tunkhannock Williamsport Wyoming Area Wyoming Valley West BEST CHEERLEADERS Berwick Coughlin Crestwood Dallas GAR Hanover Area Hazleton Area Holy Redeemer Lake-Lehman Meyers Nanticoke Area Northwest Area Pittston Area Tunkhannock Williamsport Wyoming Area Wyoming Valley West BEST UNIFORM Berwick Coughlin Crestwood Dallas GAR Hanover Area Hazleton Area Holy Redeemer Lake-Lehman Meyers Nanticoke Area Northwest Area Pittston Area Tunkhannock Williamsport Wyoming Area Wyoming Valley West BEST FOOTBALL HISTORY BEST HEAD COACH The WVC has produced state They patrol the sidelines, teach champs and all-state selections. the fundamentals and stress hard Which is the WVC’s most storied work and dedication. Who is the program? best coach? Berwick Coughlin Crestwood Dallas GAR Hanover Area Hazleton Area Holy Redeemer Lake-Lehman Meyers Nanticoke Area Northwest Area Pittston Area Tunkhannock Williamsport Wyoming Area Wyoming Valley West Berwick Coughlin Crestwood Dallas GAR Hanover Area Hazleton Area Holy Redeemer Lake-Lehman Meyers Nanticoke Area Northwest Area Pittston Area Tunkhannock Williamsport Wyoming Area Wyoming Valley West Berwick Coughlin Crestwood Dallas GAR Hanover Area Hazleton Area Holy Redeemer Lake-Lehman Meyers Nanticoke Area Northwest Area Pittston Area Tunkhannock Williamsport Wyoming Area Wyoming Valley West Rod Azar (Tunkhannock) Mike Barrett (Pittston Area) Ron Bruza (Nanticoke Area) Gary Campbell (Berwick) Ciro Cinti (Coughlin) Jim Drumheller (Hazleton Area) Tom Gravish (Williamsport) Jerry Gilsky (Lake-Lehman) Corry Hanson (Meyers) Ron Hummer (Hanover Area) Ted Jackson (Dallas) Pat Keating (Valley West) Carl Majer (Northwest Area) Greg Myers (Crestwood) Joe Ostrowski (Holy Redeemer) Randy Spencer (Wyoming Area) Paul Wiedlich (GAR) Join Citizens’ Voice high school football beat writer Steve Bennett in a live chat. He’ll take your questions from 12:30 to 1:30 Friday at citizensvoice.com. FOLLOW US Follow @cvgameface on Twitter for live updates from all the games, scores, breaking news, random thoughts and more. Tweet us at @cvgameface with questions or updates from your game. LIKE US We’re on Facebook. Like us at CV Game Face and “check in” by tell us what game you’re at. As a fan you’ll have access to stories, photo galleries, cover galleries and more. You can join in discussions and connect with WVC football fans. SCORESFLASH To have Friday’s high school football scores delivered to your cell phone or email by 10:20 p.m., visit citizensvoice. com and click on the newsflash icon. BLOG IT Visit the Varsity Voice Blog throughout the week and Fridays for football udates. VARSITY570 Visit Varsity570. com for stats and more. INSIDE BEST RIVALRY For many teams its the biggest game of the season. Which two teams have the best rivalry? GAR vs. Meyers Pittston Area vs. Wyoming Area Dallas vs. Lake-Lehman Valley West vs. Berwick Valley West vs. Coughlin Hanover Area vs. Nanticoke Area Hazleton Area vs. Berwick COMING FRIDAY: COACHES MAKE THEIR BEST OF THE WVC SELECTIONS Berwick ................. D39 Crestwood .............. D6 Coughlin ............... D12 Dallas ................... D18 GAR ...................... D14 Hanover Area ........... D4 Hazleton Area ........ D36 Holy Redeemer ........ D8 Lake-Lehman ........ D16 Meyers .................. D10 Nanticoke Area ...... D24 Northwest Area ...... D28 Pittston Area ......... D32 Tunkhannock ......... D26 Valley West ............ D22 Williamsport .......... D38 Wyoming Area ........ D30 ON THE COVER Valley West senior Eugene Lewis. (Mark Moran / The Citizens’ Voice) THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 – 3 Some teams have a traditional look, others have added some flair. Which school has the best unfiorm? Anthony ‘Jake’ Sobeski Memorial Stadium (Wyoming Area) Charley Trippi Stadium (Pittston Area) Crispin Field (Berwick) Crestwood Stadium (Crestwood) Edward H. Edwards Stadium (Lake-Lehman) Nanticoke Area Stadium (Nanticoke Area) Harman-Geist Stadium (Hazleton Area) Hanover Area Stadium (Hanover Area) Lewis & Miller Memorial Stadium (Northwest Area) Memorial Field (Tunkhkannock) Millionaire Stadium (Williamsport) Mountaineer Stadium (Dallas) Spartan Stadium (Valley West) Wilkes-Barre Memorial (Coughlin, GAR, Meyers, Holy Redeemer) GAMEFACE LIVE THE CITIZENS’ VOICE They support the team and lift our spirits during the game. Which school has the best cheerleaders? BEST STADIUM It’s where communities gather to support the team. Some stadiums have field turf, one features a victory bell and another is the home to a toy cannon. Which WVC stadium is the best? INTERACT WITH GAMEFACE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 4 – THE CITIZENS’ VOICE HANOVER AREA HAWKEYES QUARTERBACKS JOE KSIAZKIEWICZ is back for his second year as starter. He threw for 761 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He was picked off five times. Connor Borden will be the backup. RUNNING BACKS It’s the position to watch for the Hawks this year. Geno Suda and PARRISH BENNETT will split time. Bennett rushed for 69 yards a year ago. The fullbacks will be John Zuder, who averaged 7.3 yards per carry last year, and Dillon Ropietski. RECEIVERS DAVE SCHERBENCO / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Linemen Brandon Holmgren, Anthony Dennis, Tyler Edwards, Martin Steve, Tim Saltz and Charles Schmall lead the way for Hanover Area’s ground game. Hanover’s line among WVC best ROSTER Ht. 6-1 5-3 5-7 5-10 5-11 5-7 5-9 6-0 5-10 5-8 5-4 6-2 5-9 5-10 5-11 5-7 5-4 5-9 5-10 6-2 6-2 5-10 5-11 6-2 6-1 5-9 6-0 5-10 6-7 6-0 5-10 5-8 Wt. 170 125 140 175 175 130 165 160 145 140 120 180 150 165 145 145 145 225 170 195 215 240 210 250 225 240 240 255 300 145 165 135 Hanover Area’s offensive philosophy has been consistent over the years. The Hawks like to control the line of scrimmage, keep the ball on the ground and hope to wear opponents down by the fourth quarter. The scheme has worked since Ron Hummer has taken over the program. The Hawks have made the postseason in each of Hummer’s first five years as the head coach. He puts a lot of pressure on the offensive line and this year the expectations are not about to change. The Hawks return all but two starters up front, led by tackle Martin Steve, who is being recruited by schools like Virginia, UConn, Temple, Rutgers and Pitt. Also back is Tony Dennis, a four-year starter at right guard and left guard Tyler Edwards, a three-year starter. “We’re going to be the same type of team we were last year. We’re going to smash you in the face,” Hummer said. “In high school, how good your line is will be how good the team is going to be. That is a fact from our school to any other school out there.” The Hawks lived on the ground last season, rushing for 2,786 yards as a team. The only problem is, tailback Andrew Forgatch accounted for 2,452 of those yards and he graduated. “The ball carrier is one of our question marks,” Hummer admitted. “We’re going to go with two running backs and we’ll be able to give them breaks. We’re going to have to see more of our passing game.” Starting quarterback Joe Ksiazkiewicz returns for his second season with the program. Last year he struggled at times, completing 38.9 percent of his passes. Now that Ksiazkiewicz has a year under his belt and a strong line, Hummer is not afraid to open up things more than he did in the past. “My concerns last year were legitimate,” Hummer said. “I said passing-wise we were terrible. Joe can throw and has a great arm. He has really matured since last season. He has a line in front of him where all he has to do is sit there and read. He has thrown the ball well in our passing scrimmages.” Just as the case with the offensive line, the defensive line is experienced and Hummer is pleased with the progress of new defensive end Dillon Ropietski, who worked his way onto the field. The Hawks must replace two linebackers as well as two corners and a safety. That means teams may test the Hawks early down the field. And that is something that obviously concerns Hummer. 6 Joe Ksiazkiewicz 7 Josh Nelson 11 Jeremy McDonell 12 Connor Borden 14 Geno Suda 16 Bradley George 19 Jeff Albert 20 Sinclair Saunders 22 Osmel Martinez 24 Parrish Bennett 25 John Nautaitis 30 Robert Conklin 33 Brian Belcher 34 John Zuder 35 Jon Westawski 39 Brandyn Cole 41 Ian Murphy 45 Dillon Ropietski 47 Brandon Storm 49 Chuckie Schmoll 53 Tim Saltz 55 Geoff Kehl 56 Brandon Endler 62 Anthony Dennis 64 Jared Langdon 66 Jared Jones 70 Brandon Holmgren 72 Tyler Edwards 75 Martin Steve 85 Michael Beierle 87 Tyler Bartnick 88 Antonio Constantino 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS COACH’S CORNER WINS BY YEAR By Steve Bennett Staff Writer Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 22 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 Susquehanna at Western Wayne at Mid Valley Wyoming Area at Northwest GAR Meyers at Holy Redeemer at Lake-Lehman Nanticoke Area 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 1 7 7 p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. Susquehanna L 26-13 Western Wayne W 39-23 Mid Valley W 35-14 Wyoming Area L 42-24 Northwest W 38-14 GAR L 21-20 Meyers W 36-18 Holy Redeemer W 34-7 Lake-Lehman W 38-30 Nanticoke Area W 34-14 Eastern Conference playoffs Wyoming Area L 24-22 RON HUMMER 6th year CAREER RECORD 31-26 FAST FACTS Class: AA Enrollment: 237 boys in grades 10-12 Pos. QB/S SE/CB SE/CB QB/S HB/OLB SE/CB K/P SE/CB SE/CB SE/CB SE/CB SE/S SE/OLB FB/OLB SE/OLB SE/OLB FB/ILB FB/DE TE/ILB TE/ILB C/DE G/DE T/T G/DE G/DE C/T T/T G/T T/T SE/CB SE/CB SE/CB Yr. Sr. So. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. So. Sr. Jr. So. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Jr. Sinclair Saunders, Antonio Costantino and John Westawski will be the receivers. Either Bennett or Suda will line up on the perimeter, depending on who is at tailback. Suda and Bennett combined for five catches last year. Chuckie Schmoll will be the tight end. OFFENSIVE LINE Martin Steve will be the starter at left tackle with Brandon Holmgren at right tackle. Tyler Edwards will be at left guard with Tony Dennis at right guard. Tim Saltz is the center. Jared Langdon and Geoff Kehl will rotate in at guard while Jared Jones can see time at either center or tackle. DEFENSIVE LINE Tony Dennis will start at left end with Martin Steve at left tackle. The right tackle will be Tyler Edwards while DILLON ROPIETSKI will play right end. LINEBACKERS Geno Suda and John Zuder will start outside. John Westawski will rotate in at both spots. Chuckie Schmoll will start at left inside linebacker with Tim Saltz starting at right ILB. SECONDARY 2010 7 2009 6 2008 7 2007 6 SPECIAL TEAMS 2006 5 Jeff Albert, a member of the soccer team, will kick and punt. Parrish Bennett will be the left corner with Sinclair Saunders playing the right corner. Antonio Costantino backing up at both spots. Robert Conklin is the safety with Connor Borden backing him up. Five new coaches prowl WVC sidelines MIKE BARRETT PITTSTON AREA An assistant at Mid Valley for the past four seasons, Barrett takes over a program that went 0-10 last year. Barrett brings a high level of energy to the program. He’s a graduate of Valley View and played on the 1992 state championship team. He becomes the third head coach at Pittston Area since 2005. JOE OSTROWSKI HOLY REDEEMER Ostrowski is the third head coach in the history of the school which was formed in 2007. A 2002 Meyers grad, Ostrowski played at Lycoming for the legendary Frank Girardi. He coached the offensive line at Lake-Lehman in 2006 and at GAR from 200709. Last year he was the freshman coach at GAR. JIM DRUMHELLER HAZLETON AREA A long-time assistant at Hazleton Area, Drumheller takes over for Paul Marranca, who stepped down as the Cougars coach after just one season. Drumheller worked with Rocco Petrone, the head coach at Hazleton Area for 10 seasons. During that period, the Cougars went 83-31 and won five district championships. ROD AZAR TUNKHANNOCK An assistant coach with the Tigers for the last two seasons, Azar was hired as the head coach in March. He takes over a program that has made two playoff appearances in the previous 11 seasons. Azar played at Tunkhannock 20 years ago so he’s familiar with the school and the type of players in the program. CORRY HANSON MEYERS A former player at Meyers and assistant coach at the school under Mike Namey, Hanson is looking to bring back WARREN RUDA / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE the glory days of one of the Holy Redeemer coach Joe Ostrowski works with more traditionhis linemen in practice. rich schools in the conference. The Mohawks finished 2-8 last season and Han- ★ Trophies son promises Telephone ★ Plaques to restore disci★ Awards For Any Event pline and a solid work ethic. LARKSVILLE 295 BUTTONWOOD ST. BILLY ANGELO STELLA’S THE DRUMMER’S WORKSHOP If You Want To Play Better Than The Rest . . . Learn From The Best! Jazz, Rock, Latin, etc. Drum Sets, Cymbals, and Supplies In Stock 39 School Street, Plains, PA (Behind Mohegan Sun) Often Imitated, Never Duplicated (570) 822-4883 www.billyangelostella.com Drum Sti Starting cks At $1.99 ★ Medals ★ Ribbons ★ Plastic Engraved Signs BELLES CONSTRUCTION CO. PA012959 779-9689 ABOVE ALL THE BEST ROOF! LARKSVILLE Open Daily 10-5; Sat. 10:30-12:30 P.M. 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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 – 5 Hazle St. & Pennsylvania Ave. THE CITIZENS’ VOICE The Pharmacy That’s All About Your Health THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 6 – THE CITIZENS’ VOICE CRESTWOOD COMETS QUARTERBACKS Nick Aigeldinger is back for his fourth year as starter. His ability to run and throw will help keep defenses honest. Freshman Jay Popson will serve as the backup. Third on the depth chart is senior Nick Powell. RUNNING BACKS The tailback position is up for grabs. Eric Pickett, Evan Callaghan, who is coming off a knee injury, and Roger Legg are all in the mix. Freshman Frank Aigeldinger, Nick’s brother, will also see some time. The fullback will be Anthony Survilla, a three-year starter who is being moved from tight end. RECEIVERS DAVE SCHERBENCO / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Eric Pickett (11), Nick Aigeldinger (13) and Kota Kishel (1) are Crestwood’s most dangerous offensive weapons. Seniors lead Crestwood attack By Steve Bennett Staff Writer The expectations, just as they were last season, are again high. The room for error is shrinking. But regardless, the Crestwood Comets are looking to accomplish some lofty goals this season. “Our expectations are extremely high. We have a strong senior group and I expect a lot of leadership out of them,” Crestwood coach Greg Myers said. “I’m pleased with how the underclassmen have progressed. We have a great sophomore group. We have three freshmen who are going to see playing time. They are three very good football players. Right now, we expect to go to the postseason.” In order to reach their No. 1 goal, the Comets are going to have to learn how to win late in games. Over the course of the past two seasons, that has been an issue. And in the last two years, Crestwood has gone 8-12. “I think the end result last year, of course we were disappointed,” Myers said. “Anybody who knows the sport and follows high school football, we lost a lot of games in the fourth quarter for the second straight year. The focus this year is finishing off games. I think that transfers over from what we do in the offseason. We need to start finishing off teams. We go in to too many fourth quarters up seven or 14 (points).” The Comets finished 4-6 last year with two of those losses coming by a combined 10 points. The Comets gave up 53 points in the third quarter while surrendering 55 points in the fourth. “That’s all we’re lacking here,” Myers said. “Physically, we can play with anybody. We have the talent. Now, in our minds, we have to figure out how to finish teams off and how to win. We’re trying to teach these kids how to win and you only learn that by winning.” Myers feels a few wins to start the season will get the ball rolling in the right direction, something that has been working against the Comets in recent seasons. It always seemed that if there was a loose ball on the field, it would go the other way. “If you followed us closely the last two years, we had some cases late in games where we’re not getting the bounces,” Myers said. “We just tell them to keep working and eventually things are going to start coming our way. So far I am happy with the fact they are on board and are listening and believing in what we are telling them. If they work their tails off, things are going to start to turn around.” 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS COACH’S CORNER Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Oct. 1 Oct. 7 Oct. 15 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 5 Berwick at Pocono Mt. West Pittston Area at E. Stroudsburg N. Tunkhannock Hazleton Area at Dallas at Valley West Williamsport at Coughlin 7 7 7 7 7 7 2 7 7 7 p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. Berwick Pocono Mountain West Pittston Area East Stroudsburg North Tunkhannock Hazleton Area Dallas Valley West Williamsport Coughlin L W W W L L L L L W 32-14 19-15 42-7 28-14 25-7 28-26 28-20 32-18 33-20 21-14 GREG MYERS 8th year 6th at Crestwood CAREER RECORD 32-41 overall FAST FACTS Class: AAA Enrollment: 415 boys in grades 10-12 Kota Kishel, who led the team with 24 catches in 2010, Vinny Genoble and Nick Powell will be on the outside. Genoble didn’t play much on offense, but his 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame will create problems for defensive backs. Powell averaged 10.4 yards per catch a year ago. Ian Ashford or Andre D’Souza will be at tight end. ROSTER 1 Kota Kishel 4 Parolo Audate 6 Evan Callaghan 9 Eric Bozek 10 Mike Legg 11 Eric Pickett 12 Jay Popson 13 Nick Aigeldinger 16 Roger Legg 18 Vinny Genoble 19 Ian Ashford 21 Brandon Cole 24 Nick Powell 28 R.J. Hochreiter 32 Frank Aigeldinger 33 Aaron Ingham 36 Tyler Robinson 39 Eddie Hogan 40 Anthony Survilla 42 Matt Fry 46 Rich Golden 51 Danny Distasio 52 Brandon Ruckle 58 Cade Bekanich 62 Dean Gregory 65 Will Womer 65 Teddy Grozio 66 Adam Kreuzer 67 Kristian Givens 68 Chris Yokimcus 72 Leonny Rojas 75 John Zero 77 Bernie Popson 78 Tony Morgante 80 Andre D’Souza 83 Tiler Black 88 Nick Forsberg 89 Danny Blessing Rich Siewell Ht. 5-11 5-9 5-10 5-10 5-9 6-2 6-2 5-11 5-10 6-3 6-0 6-0 5-11 6-1 6-0 5-10 5-10 5-10 5-11 5-10 6-0 5-10 6-0 5-11 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-1 6-1 6-3 6-0 6-2 6-4 5-11 5-9 6-0 6-2 5-10 Wt. 180 160 180 200 170 195 195 185 185 190 210 185 175 190 190 170 185 185 205 180 190 250 215 225 230 265 225 235 220 250 225 275 235 295 190 170 190 210 170 WINS BY YEAR 2010 4 2009 4 2008 2 2007 5 2006 7 Pos. WR/DB WR/DB RB/LB FB/LB WR/DB RB/DB QB/LB QB/DB RB/DB WR/LB TE/LB WR/DB WR/DB RB/DB RB/LB WR/DB RB/LB TE/LB FB/LB WR/DB WR/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DE OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL TE/LB WR/DB TE/DE TE/DL RB/LB Yr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. So. Sr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. So. Fr. Jr. So. So. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. So. Fr. Jr. Sr. So. So. So. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. OFFENSIVE LINE TONY MORGANTE will start at right guard after making the move from tackle. Will Womer or Chris Yokimcus will start at right tackle. Dan Distasio is the center. The left guard will be Dean Gregory with Bernie Popson at left tackle. DEFENSIVE LINE Depth shouldn’t be an issue up front with seven players capable of stepping in. Bernie Popson or Brandon Ruckle will start at one defensive end spot with Dean Gregory at the other. At tackle, Tony Morgante, Dan Distasio, Chris Yokimcus and Will Womer will all see time. LINEBACKERS Anthony Survilla, Eric Bozek, Ian Ashford and a pair of freshmen, Frank Aigeldinger and Jay Popson, are all in the mix at middle linebacker. Vinny Genoble, Roger Legg, Andre D’Souza and Rich Golden are vying for the outside linebacker spot. SECONDARY Tiler Black, Nick Powell, Eric Pickett and Kota Kishel are in line to see time at corner. Nick Aigeldinger will start at free safety with Pickett filling in. SPECIAL TEAMS Nick Aigeldinger, who had 21 extra points last year, will be the kicker. Evan Callaghan may handle kicking off. Will Womer, Callaghan or Roger Legg will be the punter. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 8 – THE CITIZENS’ VOICE HOLY REDEEMER ROYALS QUARTERBACKS The Royals will have to replace the WVC’s top passer from a year ago, Anh Le. Holy Redeemer will hand the keys to sophomore JIMMY STRICKLAND, who hasn’t thrown a varsity pass. RUNNING BACKS Senior MIKE MARTIN and junior Tyler Kastendieck are the top returning rushers in the Royals backfield. Sophomore Charles Ross and freshman Pat Villani will also see carries this year as the Royals will use the Power-I. RECEIVERS WARREN RUDA / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Senior Dave Gawlas, left, and sophomore Eric Kerr give Holy Redeemer one of the WVC’s most formidable receiving tandems. Holy Redeemer hoping to turn tide ROSTER Ht. 6-0 5-11 6-0 6-1 6-2 5-10 5-9 5-11 5-7 6-1 5-9 5-9 5-7 5-11 5-7 5-8 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-0 5-10 5-6 6-1 6-4 6-0 6-0 5-11 Entering its fifth season, Holy Redeemer hasn’t had the gridiron success the program had hoped for when it first started in 2007. The Royals, under their third coach in as many seasons, will look to start turn the tide in 2011 under new leader Joe Ostrowski. Ostrowski and the Royals have a lot of work to do to find success coming off an 0-10 record a year ago. “No. 1, we’re staying positive with everything,” Ostrowski said. “We’re trying to bring a little bit of team unity, maybe more than what they’ve had in the past. I consider myself pretty tough as far as discipline is concerned so that’s kind of the way I’ve come in.” Ostrowski played offensive line at Meyers. He graduated in 2002 and went on to play at Lycoming. He’ll bring his lineman roots to a Royals offense that primarily aired the ball out in 2010. The Royals’ offense last season, led by the graduated Anh Le, gained 71 percent of its 2,278 yards through the passing game. Ostrowski promised to still spread the ball, but he plans to use the Power-I offense. He said the strength of the team is the offensive line with seniors David Bertram, Robert Morgan, Ron Foy and Ryan Heck. “I’m a lineman by trade and any offensive lineman would like to establish a run game,” Ostrowski said. “That’s what I’d like to do. There’s a little bit more pride in that.” When the Royals do air it out, they’ll rely on sophomore Jim Strickland, who has never thrown a varsity pass. He will have one of the best receiver tandems in the WVC to throw to. Senior Dave Gawlas and sophomore Eric Kerr combined for 61 catches, 969 yards and five touchdowns. Ostrowski said the Royals will also feature different looks on defense, including 4-3 and 3-5-3 schemes. Holy Redeemer will need to improve on defense after being at the bottom of the WVC in total defense (3,818 yards), scoring defense (40.7 points per game) and rushing defense (3,254 yards). “We have inexperienced players in key positions,” Ostrowski said. “When you have a team that’s been together for a while, you can hide one or two players. When you have five or six players that really don’t have much game experience, that’s what’s tough.” 3 Collin Shandra 5 T.J. Doyle 9 David Gawlas 11 Jimmy Strickland 15 Thomas Cosgrove 17 Eric Kerr 18 Eric Ligotski 20 Mike Martin 22 Charles Ross 24 Tyler Kastendieck 25 Vince Villani 27 Pat Villani 36 Jason Mitchell 42 Mike Dupre 52 Robert Morgan 56 James Blewitt 60 James Nixon 61 Jackson Welch 66 Patrick O’Boyle 67 Gabriel Olivarez 71 Nicholas Ambrulavage 72 Ron Foy 75 Dave Bertram 76 Ryan Heck 77 Tyler Margalski 78 Noah Orlandini-Sapack 80 Kurt Jones 82 Matt Crofchick 92 Daniel Ostrowski 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS COACH’S CORNER WINS BY YEAR By Tom Brolley Staff Writer Sept. 3 Setp. 10 Sept. 17 Sept. 23 Oct. 1 Oct. 8 Oct. 14 Oct. 22 Oct. 29 Nov. 5 Northwest at Susquehanna Holy Cross at Lake-Lehman at GAR Nanticoke Area at Wyoming Area Hanover Area at Meyers Tunkhannock 1 1 7 7 7 1 7 1 7 2 p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. Northwest Susquehanna Holy Cross Lake-Lehman GAR Nanticoke Area Wyoming Area Hanover Area Meyers Tunkhannock L L L L L L L L L L 44-13 48-7 27-13 27-13 55-0 44-36 53-21 34-7 20-0 55-26 JOE OSTROWSKI First year FAST FACTS Class: AA Enrollment: 260 boys in grades 10-12 2010 0 2009 2 2008 3 2007 2 Wt. 150 135 190 175 180 165 150 195 130 210 155 155 150 165 185 175 185 200 260 245 270 235 245 220 270 280 195 190 245 Yr. Sr. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. So. So. Sr. So. Jr. So. Fr. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. The Royals return one of the top tandems at receiver in sophomore Eric Kerr and senior Dave Gawlas. Gawlas caught 33 passes for 432 yards and Kerr had 28 receptions for 537 yards. Sophomore Eric Lagotski and senior Collin Shandra will also see time at receiver. Senior Kurt Jones and juniors Tom Cosgrove and Matt Crofchick will play tight end. OFFENSIVE LINE The line figures to be one of the Royals’ strengths. Holy Redeemer has four seniors on the line in DAVID BERTRAM, Robert Morgan, Ron Foy and Ryan Heck. Junior Noah Orlandini-Sapack is a physical presence at 6-foot-4, 280 pounds. Senior Jackson Welch will also see time off the bench. DEFENSIVE LINE Ryan Heck and Noah OrlandiniSapack will play inside at the tackle positions. Kurt Jones and Tom Cosgrove will man the end positions. LINEBACKERS David Bertram is back at middle linebacker and Robert Morgan and Vince Villani will also play at linebacker. SECONDARY The Royals will use many of their skill players in the secondary, including Dave Gawlas at safety and Collin Shandra at cornerback. SPECIAL TEAMS Senior T.J. Doyle, a soccer player for the Royals, will handle the kicking and Jimmy Strickland will do the punting. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 10 – THE CITIZENS’ VOICE MEYERS MOHAWKS QUARTERBACKS ROSTER KRISTEN MULLEN / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Meyers captains, front row, from left, Dijon Townes and Fabian Smith. Back row, Chris DeMarco, Eddie Walters and Jalen Miller. 2 Matt DeMarco 3 Robert Wright 4 Chris DeMarco 5 Fabian Smith 6 Tyler Smallcomb 7 Teaguen Labatch 8 Amair Blake 10 Dakota Owen 11 Rob Reilly 12 Daniel Rodriguez 14 Matt Kropp 19 Jalen Miller 20 D.J. Linker 25 Joey Arnone 25 Shacore Proctor 28 Samuel Blankenship 30 Nashim Coleman 31 Jeff Nealon 33 Nate Mahalak 35 Johntae Nelson 40 Cal Lisman 50 Miles Davis 53 Tim Markovich 55 Khalil Lewis 58 Dijon Townes 61 Eddie Walters 62 Warden Max 63 Luke Kropp 68 Becky Mitchell 69 Rudy Goodwin 73 Patrick Cunningham 78 Kyle Krepich 81 Collin Gallagher 83 Brandon Sweeney 88 Jacob Brominski Franco Guirin Michael Kishbaugh Gene Rittel Ht. 6-0 5-6 6-0 5-10 5-11 6-2 5-11 5-6 5-11 5-11 6-1 6-4 5-11 5-9 5-6 5-6 5-9 5-9 5-11 5-11 5-9 5-8 5-8 5-8 5-8 6-2 5-6 5-11 5-6 5-6 6-1 6-0 5-10 5-10 5-11 6-0 5-7 5-8 Wt. 155 125 165 160 180 155 165 170 160 160 170 230 135 160 135 165 165 140 155 150 120 180 150 190 180 245 120 180 130 205 230 270 155 170 175 140 180 235 Pos. WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB QB/LB QB/DB WR/DB RB/LB WR/FS WR/DB QB/DB TE/DE RB/LB RB/DB RB/DB RB/LB QB/DB RB/LB RB/LB WR/DB K OL/DL OL/DE RB/LB RB/LB OL/DL WR/LB OL/DL G/DE RB/DE OL/DL OL/DL WR/LB WR/DB TE/LB WR/DB RB/LB OL/DL Yr. So. So. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. So. So. So. So. So. So. Sr. Sr. So. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Sr. So. New coach kicks off new era at Meyers By Steve Bennett Staff Writer The new gold practice jerseys that were distributed prior to the start of two-a-days provided a little extra jolt. The stickerless helmets offered a glimpse of another way that new Meyers football coach Corry Hanson is attempting to add his own personal touch to a program he’s been a part of as a player and as an assistant coach. Hanson enters his first season as a head coach attempting to restore the tradition of Meyers football while making a few changes along the way. The biggest change may come as a shock to the system to the traditionalists. Gone is the block M on the side of the helmets. It will be replaced by a spear, similar to the one that appears on the Florida State helmets. “We’re incorporating gold jerseys back in the program,” Hanson said. “Our pregame is going to go back to the traditional Meyers pregame — do our agility drills where we spell out Mohawk. I think it’s important and I think it’s some of the things we have gotten away from here.” Hanson is trying to restore pride in a program that finished 2010 at 28. The two victories came over Holy Cross and Holy Redeemer. The Mohawks were outscored by 100 points last year, and once again, a lack of depth at several critical positions hurt. “After seeing the team chemistry last year, I knew we had a lot of work to turn it around,” Hanson said. “We had good participation all summer. The kids are working hard. “We’re going to be young up front and how quickly we can get these younger linemen to play together and get varsity experience is going to be key for us.” The Mohawks will rely on an inexperienced line and lack veteran experience at the quarterback position. Hanson will run a spread offense with two backs. The starting quarterback will be Teaguen Labatch or Matt Kropp. Labatch, a junior, appeared in four games last season. Kropp, a senior, completed one pass in four attempts. “Teaguen has some varsity experience, but both don’t have much experience at all,” Hanson said. “They both have strong arms and are very intelligent kids.” While Hanson is expecting to go through several peaks and valleys as he navigates through the Class AA division, he does have a goal in mind for the 2011 season. “I would like to win more games than we lose,” Hanson said. “If we’re able to do that, then maybe that will translate into some sort of postseason appearance.” 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS COACH’S CORNER WINS BY YEAR Sept. 3 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 29 Nov. 4 Holy Cross at Dunmore at Lackawanna Trail at Nanticoke Area Lake-Lehman Wyoming Area at Hanover Area at Northwest Holy Redeemer GAR 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. Holy Cross Dunmore Lackawanna Trail Nanticoke Area Lake-Lehman Wyoming Area Hanover Area Northwest Holy Redeemer GAR W L L L L L L L W L 29-6 28-6 15-6 44-6 14-0 26-13 36-18 14-7 20-0 28-6 The starting job will come down to either TEAGUEN LABATCH or Matt Kropp. Combined they attempted 41 passes a year ago for 107 yards. Labatch played in four games. RUNNING BACKS Fabian Smith, SHACORE PROCTOR, Joey Arnone, Dakota Owen and Nate Mahalak are all in the mix to see playing time. Owen moves from the line to the backfield this season. Proctor, Arnone and Smith combined for nine carries last season for 17 yards. RECEIVERS Chris DeMarco, Rob Reilly, Matt DeMarco and Jake Brominski will be the primary receivers. Chris DeMarco had two receptions last season and averaged 18.5 yards per catch with one touchdown. The Mohawks will have one of the top tight ends in the WVC in Jalen Miller, who was second on the team in receptions a year ago with 13. OFFENSIVE LINE Eddie Walters, a three-year starter, will be the left tackle. Dijon Townes will play left guard. Luke Kropp will be the center. Kyle Krepich or Gene Rittel will play right guard with Rudy Goodwin at right tackle. DEFENSIVE LINE Hanson will have size and athleticism on the end with Jalen Miller and Eddie Walters. At tackle will be Rudy Goodwin at one spot with Kyle Krepich and Gene Rittel battling for the other spot. LINEBACKERS Dakota Owen and Dijon Townes have the inside track at inside linebacker. They are being pushed by Jake Brominski, who will either be playing inside or outside. Jeff Nealon, Johntae Nelson and Collin Gallagher are in the mix at outside linebacker. SECONDARY 2010 2 2009 4 Fabian Smith and Chris DeMarco will be the corners with Rob Reilly playing safety. Smith tied for the team lead in interceptions a year ago with three. 2008 2 SPECIAL TEAMS FAST FACTS 2007 4 Class: AA Enrollment: 229 boys in grades 10-12 2006 5 CORRY HANSON First year Cal Lisman, a sophomore, will be the kicker. He consistently gets the ball inside the 10. The punting will come down to Dijon Townes or Tyler Smallcomb. Think you know football? Take this referee exam O n page 34 of this preseason edition of Gameface, you’ll find a story about ref school, a rules clinic for prospective referees run by current District 2 officials. Through dogged investigative reporting, The Citizens’ Voice has uncovered the final exam for this course. Here’s a copy. See how you’d do. 1. If a referee holds his hand out palm down and waves it over his head, it means: A) Illegal motion B) A pass was uncatchable C) Someone just used a three-syllable word in a conversation with Terry Bradshaw 2. If a referee places one hand on the top of his head, it means: A) Illegal man downfield B) Delay of game C) You just caught him midDougie JONATHAN BOMBULIE COMMENTARY jbombulie@citizensvoice.com 3. Six feet is: A) The distance between the ball and the goal line on extra-point attempts B) The cushion a tackler must give a returner to field a punt C) A movie Rex Ryan watched on the Internet one time 4. Use a running clock when: A) One team leads by at least 35 points in the second half B) When inclement weather is approaching C) When it’s 9:15 and the half-price appetizer special ends at 10 5. The hardest part of officiating a football game is: A) Making split-second decisions B) Dealing with criticism C) Wearing white pants after Labor Day 6. Please cover your left eye and tell me which one is clearer: A) 1 B) 2 C) 1 D) 2 7. Please cover your right eye and read the seventh line on the wall chart: A) F E L O P Z D B) E D F C Z P C) What chart? D) What wall? EARLY 8. Illegal touching is defined as: A) An ineligible receiver touching a forward pass B) An offensive player touching a ball that is fumbled forward by a teammate C) The likely conclusion of a Suzy Kolber-Joe Namath interview 9. After the pre-game coin toss, the first thing a referee should do is: A) Ask the winning team if it wants to take the ball B) Ask the losing team which end zone it would like to defend C) Make sure no one picked up the coin and traded it for a tattoo (Ohio State only) PSYCHIATRIC & COUNSELING Nick Telincho Therapist Dr. S. Rahman, M.D. Psychiatrist Expertise in Family/ Marital/Couple/Grief/ Phase of Life Counseling • Anger Management • Childhood Abuse • Drug/Alcohol/Smoking Cessation • Hypnotherapy SVC, PC Expertise in Panic Attack, Depression, Anxiety, OCD, Bipolar, PTSD, ADHD Now accepting new patients for medication management & counseling. Patients of all ages welcome. 10. A referee should wave off an extra point if: A) The kicking team committed an infraction B) The defending team called a timeout C) I’m giving 6 1/2 13. If a referee fails to enforce the rules, he should: A) Be evaluated by a district supervisor B) Be referred to the PIAA for discipline C) Apply for a job as an NCAA compliance officer at an SEC school 11. If a coach becomes combative while arguing a call: A) Walk away immediately B) Listen politely C) Threaten to “go all Hochuli” on him 14. There is a penalty for doing which of the following below the waist: A) Hitting the quarterback B) Blocking C) Taking cell phone self portraits, Mr. Favre 12. The most common uniform violation for offensive linemen is: A) No mouthpiece B) Unbuckled chinstrap C) Plumber’s crack Fun and games aside, if you get a chance this football season, thank a ref. It’s a tough job and Friday nights in the fall wouldn’t be the same without them. ANDY’S PEST MANAGEMENT — Andrew J. 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TT-Bone - B o n e SSteak teak DDinner inner Only Only $ 115.99 5.99 Includes Baked Potato, Soup & Salad And Is Available 24/7 STEAK NOT YOUR THING? Try Our Breakfast, Breakfast, LLunch unch & DDinner inner BBuffets u ff e t s Or Order From Our Full Menu THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 – 11 Seated left to right: William J. Watt, III, Esquire, Samuel A. Falcone, Jr., Esquire, Joseph F. Saporito, Jr., Esquire and Carlo J. Saporito. Standing left to right: Eileen Casper, Tracy Ciarimboli, Lee Ann Shovlin, Patricia Survilla and Nicole Rinaldi. Depicted in the portrait is the late Joseph F. Saporito, Sr., founder of the firm. APORITO SA PORITO, S APORITO APORITO ALCONE & FA LCONE Prices Great Great P rices THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Good Luck to The Patriots & All Area Teams!! THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 12 – THE CITIZENS’ VOICE COUGHLIN CRUSADERS QUARTERBACKS The Crusaders have some competition at quarterback with Khalil Owens, Connor Flaherty and Tim Pilch battling for the job. Coach Ciro Cinti likes the competition, but none of the participants attempted a pass last season. Speedy Parsnik leads Coughlin ground game By Steve Bennett Staff Writer RUNNING BACKS Joe Parsnik, one of the top backs in the conference, will lead the charge. Paul Cole is the other tailback while Zac Evans, Joe Lanning and Arthur Reilley will be the fullbacks. Parsnik rushed for 13 touchdowns last year and averaged 5.6 yards per carry. ROSTER Ht. Wt. 2 Frankie Mahmoud 5-8 160 3 Joe Parsnik 5-9 180 5 Connor Flaherty 6-2 185 8 Zac Evans 5-9 195 9 Tim Pilch 6-1 180 10 Matt Miraglia 6-0 165 11 Corey Keen 6-1 180 12 Josh Moules 5-11 165 14 Mike Czerniakowski 6-0 205 15 Russell Monroe 5-8 170 17 Adam Zawatsky 5-9 155 19 Joel Wallen 5-10 165 21 Josh King 5-10 160 23 Kevin Zingaretti 6-2 175 26 Paul Cole 5-11 185 31 Hunter Bednarczyk 5-11 170 38 Jerry Ryan 5-9 170 43 Joe Lanning 6-1 215 44 Barry Schiel 5-7 200 45 Arthur Reilley 5-10 205 52 Cliff Francis 6-1 260 54 Pat Pilch 6-1 265 55 Brad Emerick 6-2 265 62 Aaron Tohme 5-11 230 64 Nick Scupski 6-7 350 65 Anthony Khalife 6-3 225 68 Jordan Phillips 5-8 230 72 Pat Hall 6-0 330 74 John Karazia 6-3 305 75 Scott Rosencrans 6-2 320 77 Tyheem Jenkins 6-0 295 80 Robert Jones 5-10 160 81 Mitch Stepp 6-1 205 87 Eric Williams 5-11 165 89 Chris Cinti 6-0 200 Pos. WR/DB RB/LB QB/LB RB/LB QB/LB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/LB WR/DB WR/DB QB/DB WR/LB K/P RB/LB RB/LB/K RB/DB TE/LB RB/LB RB/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL WR/LB TE/DE TE/DE TE/DE Yr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. A fourth consecutive trip to the postseason shows the Coughlin football program has been able to sustain a steady pattern of success. In order to continue that streak, the Crusaders may be forced to change a few things along the way in 2011. Coughlin coach Ciro Cinti always seems to believe the old adage that in order to win games you have to run the ball. Coughlin once again figures to have a solid offensive line and has one of the top running backs in the conference in Joe Parsnik, who rushed for 1,104 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. But Cinti is growing weary of defenses lining up eight or more men in the box to stop that run. “Parsnik is a phenomenal athlete and can play any position. He’s just a natural athlete,” Cinti said. “He has a lot of things in him you don’t coach. He has great vision, leadership and toughness.” Cinti was so intent on changing things up last season that he inserted Parsnik at quarterback to try to spark the offense. Parsnik completed 6-of-23 attempts for 104 yards. “That was an experiment, but kind of a waste,” Cinti admitted. “His mindset wasn’t at quarterback. He’s truly a running back and that’s where he flourishes. Why take him out of the element that he flourishes at? We did it because he was willing to do what was best for the team.” As a team, the Crusaders struggled throwing the ball last year, ranking last in the conference with just 36.9 yards per game. That could change this year with Khalil Owens, Connor Flaherty and Tim Pilch all looking to lock down the starting job. None attempted a pass last season. “The quarterbacks are progress- ing. We will be throwing the ball this year,” Cinti said. “Overall, I like how the offensive line is starting to come together and we have experience at running back.” Cinti has plenty of reason for optimism as he welcomed a group that is in the best shape to begin camp since he took over the program. “Overall, the kids have worked very hard in the postseason,” Cinti said. “They worked hard and they are in better condition. They have to be. Some of these kids might not come off the field. Numbers-wise, we have depth in a lot of spots, but our overall numbers hurt us.” Coughlin’s Joe Parsnik is one of the most explosive players in the league. He rushed for 1,104 yards last season. 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS COACH’S CORNER Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 8 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 5 Dallas at Tunkhannock Valley View Williamsport at Valley West Stroudsburg at Pittston Area Hazleton Area at Berwick Crestwood 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. Dallas L 14-7 Tunkhannock W 14-12 Valley View L 35-0 Williamsport W 20-16 Valley West L 27-13 Stroudsburg W 28-20 Pittston Area W 26-16 Hazleton Area W 35-28 Berwick L 12-7 Crestwood L 21-14 Eastern Conference Playoffs Valley View L 28-7 RECEIVERS Cinti likes the depth at receiver. Corey Keen, Frank Mahmoud, Russell Monroe, Adam Zawatsky and Josh Moules all figure to see plenty of time. Mahmoud and Monroe each caught one pass last season. Chris Cinti, who missed the 2010 season after tearing ligaments in his foot, and Mitch Stepp will be the tight ends. OFFENSIVE LINE This spot will ultimately determine the success of the Crusaders. John Karazia, Anthony Khalife, Jordan Phillips and Pat Pilch are the guards. AARON TOHME will be the center. Brad Emerick, Cliff Francis and Pat Hall are the tackles looking to fill the starting roles. DEFENSIVE LINE CHRIS CINTI, Mitch Stepp and Tony Khalife are the ends. Brad Emerick, John Karazia, Arthur Reilley and Francisco Lezama are the tackles. LINEBACKERS WARREN RUDA / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE CIRO CINTI 6th year CAREER RECORD 29-26 FAST FACTS Class: AAA Enrollment: 429 boys in grades 10-12 WINS BY YEAR 2010 5 2009 6 2008 7 2007 7 2006 4 Joe Parsnik, Zac Evans, Mike Czerniakowski, Hunter Bednarczyk, Paul Cole and Connor Flaherty will be the linebackers. Cinti likes that he has some depth to rotate players in and out at this spot. SECONDARY Coughlin will have athletes in the secondary with Frank Mahmoud, Corey Keen, Russell Monroe and Josh Moules. SPECIAL TEAMS Hunter Bednarczyk, who kicked 18 extra points last year, returns. Kevin Zingaretti, who had one PAT, is also back. Cinti expects a combination of the two to handle kicking and punting. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 14 – THE CITIZENS’ VOICE GAR GRENADIERS QUARTERBACKS ROSTER KRISTEN MULLEN / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Running backs Mykel Dempsey, Ivan Jackson and Dwayne Wright will look to replace 1,300yard rusher Kurtis Thomas in the GAR backfield this season. 1 Mykel Dempsey 2 Dwayne Wright 3 Max Gates 5 Ivan Jackson 6 Corey Moore 8 Darrell Crawford 9 Devin Reese 10 Kris Welkey 12 Rich Yost 15 Ken Reese 21 Shaliek Powell 22 Dasheym Weeks 23 Joe Arcelay 30 Korey Welkey 31 Rayquan Watt 35 Rich Sickler 36 Luke Height 42 Rashaun Mathis 44 Jamaar Taylor 50 Caesar Burke 51 Joe Olejar 52 Shakir Soto 55 Gregory Skrepenak 56 Joe Snipas 60 Zach Faust 62 Jerry Shinal 70 Ariel Peguero 75 Elijah Gresham 76 Andres Jones 78 Christian Skrepenak 79 Vinny Phan 80 Lucas Benton 82 Joe Sipsky 84 John Yashkus Ht. 5-7 5-8 6-1 5-9 6-0 5-9 5-7 5-8 5-9 5-10 6-0 5-10 5-5 5-7 5-9 5-9 5-9 5-10 6-0 6-1 6-0 6-3 6-2 5-10 5-10 5-9 6-0 6-1 5-10 6-9 5-9 5-9 6-2 6-3 Wt. 160 165 170 185 180 165 140 160 150 165 180 165 140 155 165 160 155 155 170 265 215 230 220 180 220 320 285 235 190 340 210 170 175 185 Pos. RB/DB RB/DB WR/DB RB/LB QB/LB QB/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB RB/LB WR/S WR/LB RB/LB RB/LB K WR/S WR/S OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL WR/DB WR/DB TE/DL Yr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. So. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. So. So. So. Jr. So. Jr. So. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. Fr. So. Fr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. GAR ready to begin district title defense By Steve Bennett Staff Writer For the first time in GAR’s history, the Grenadiers will begin a season with a District 2 title to defend. And as head coach Paul Wiedlich Jr. begins his second season as the head coach at his alma mater, he understands the Grenadiers are the team everybody will be coming after. He also knows with the experience he has back on both sides of the ball, the Grenadiers should be able to handle anything thrown their way. Wiedlich cites a few examples where experience will play a factor this season. Against Old Forge last season, the Grenadiers needed to rely on special teams to win a game and they did. Against Hanover Area with no timeouts left, the Grenadiers scored with eight seconds left to pull out a close victory. While the offensive and defensive lines need a few leaders to emerge, the Grenadiers must replace all four linebackers. GAR is set at the skill positions and in the secondary — two spots where GAR seems to thrive every season. The Grenadiers were eliminated by Northern Lehigh, 50-14, in the first round of the state tournament. That eye-opening experience fueled the offseason conditioning program. “You’re always judged by your last performance and getting whacked left a sour taste in my mouth and the kids returning,” Wiedlich said. “They know what they have to do to get to that level and to the next round. Our goals are the same this year. We want to win the conference, win districts and win that first state playoff game and see what happens.” The Grenadiers will be solid at quarterback with Darrell Crawford returning as the starter. They do have some game experience in the backfield with Dwayne Wright and Mykel Dempsey. Add in Ivan Jackson, a transfer from Vermont where he was a two-year starter, and the Grenadiers have depth and flexibility. On the perimeter, GAR returns Lucas Benton and Shaliek Powell. “We’re looking to put our six best athletes on the field and looking to play a high-tempo offense,” Wiedlich said. “Kind of going with a basketball-on-the-football-field mentality.” Up front, the Grenadiers are solid with only the center and one of the tackle spot up for grabs. The biggest question mark for Wiedlich comes at linebacker, where all four starters from last year are gone. He’s also hoping somebody can step up to provide leadership like Dane Dudick did. “Our front six on defense are going to have to really step up,” Wiedlich said. “It’s nice that we are going to be able to rotate some players in and out. My main concern is the linebackers, both inside and out.” 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS COACH’S CORNER WINS BY YEAR Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Oct. 1 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 22 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 at Mid Valley Old Forge at Lakeland at Northwest Holy Redeemer at Hanover Area Lake-Lehman Wyoming Area Nanticoke Area at Meyers 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. Mid Valley W 41-20 Old Forge W 9-8 Lakeland W 28-7 Northwest W 21-7 Holy Redeemer W 55-0 Hanover Area W 21-20 Lake-Lehman L 20-16 Wyoming Area W 23-13 Nanticoke Area W 43-6 Meyers W 28-6 District 2 Class AA playoffs Lake-Lehman W 42-15 Lakeland W 40-21 PIAA Class AA playoffs Northern Lehigh L 50-14 PAUL WIEDLICH JR. 2nd year CAREER RECORD 11-2 FAST FACTS Class: AA Enrollment: 242 boys in grades 10-12 2010 11 2009 8 2008 10 2007 8 2006 10 DARRELL CRAWFORD will be the starter and is backed up by junior Corey Moore. Crawford passed for 685 yards and six touchdowns last season. He rushed for 1,303 yards and 13 touchdowns. RUNNING BACKS Replacing the graduated Kurtis Thomas is going to be a top priority. Look for coach Paul Wiedlich to use Dwayne Wright, Mykel Dempsey and Ivan Jackson, a transfer from Vermont who played in a spread offense. Wright rushed for five touchdowns a year ago. RECEIVERS The Grenadiers have talented wide outs in Lucas Benton and Shaliek Powell. Benton caught 15 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns last year while Powell led the team in receiving with 20 catches for 318 yards and four touchdowns. John Yashkus will be the tight end. OFFENSIVE LINE Damon Heck, a returning starter, has the edge at center, but Wiedlich brought up freshman Zach Faust to throw into the mix. The guards will be Joe Olejar and Shakir Soto. Christian Skrepenak, who according to Wiedlich has shed close to 30 pounds, will start at one tackle. Elijah Gresham, Ariel Peguero and Andres Jones are looking to fill the other tackle spot. DEFENSIVE LINE Junior Shakir Soto will start at one defensive end spot. Joe Olejar will likely be on the other side. John Yashkus and Ariel Peguero will also see time. LINEBACKERS GAR must replace all four starters. Max Gates will start at one outside position with Kris Welkey and Lucas Benton vying for the other outside spot. At inside linebacker, Wiedlich has four he can mix and match with Rich Sickler, Damon Heck, Ivan Jackson and Andres Jones. SECONDARY GAR is solid here. Shaliek Powell and Dwayne Wright will be the outside safeties with Darrell Crawford playing middle safety. Powell led the team with five interceptions last year. Crawford picked off four passes and returned two for scores. SPECIAL TEAMS Luke Height will be the kicker after playing some last year. Mykel Dempsey and Rich Sickler are the top candidates to handling punting duties. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 16 – THE CITIZENS’ VOICE LAKE-LEHMAN BLACK KNIGHTS QUARTERBACKS ROSTER MARK MORAN / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Brady Butler, Curt Barbacci, Nick Shelley, Cole Barbacci and Jared Novitski are among the top skill players on Lake-Lehman’s offense. 4 Bobby Wright 6 Isaac Kirby 8 Jay Dawsey 11 John Butchko 13 Jared Novitski 18 Bryer Raspen 19 Josh Sayre 22 Cody Poepperling 23 Cole Barbacci 24 Tom Donovan 25 Nick Shelley 28 James Wright 29 Ty Shaw 34 Brady Butler 35 Dustin Jones 40 Ronnie Ribaudo 43 Zachary Jayne 44 Curt Barbacci 45 D.J. Scavone 52 Tyler Brobst 54 Brian Derhammer 55 Pete Borum 64 Mark Bullock 65 Alex Major 66 Jamie Aldrich 67 Job Stepanski 69 Terry Cooper 76 Tom Chipego 77 Ryan Hoyt 79 David Blejwas 81 Cody Fox 86 Zach Chabala 89 Kyle Romanofski Ht. 5-10 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-1 5-7 6-1 5-9 5-5 6-1 5-9 6-0 5-8 6-1 5-7 5-8 5-9 6-1 5-8 5-11 6-6 6-1 6-0 6-1 6-0 6-1 5-10 6-4 6-1 6-2 5-9 6-3 Wt. 160 145 160 160 185 155 140 180 180 150 190 180 175 190 235 185 180 200 175 220 180 315 250 240 280 240 200 230 280 300 215 145 180 Pos. WR/DB WR/DB K K QB/DB WR/DB RB/DB WR/DB RB/LB RB/DB RB/DB RB/LB WR/DB RB/LB FB/DL OL/LB FB/LB TE/LB TE/DE OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL TE/DL WR/DB TE/DE Yr. So. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. So. So. Jr. So. Sr. Jr. So. Jr. So. Sr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. Return to playoffs in Lake-Lehman’s sights By Steve Bennett Staff Writer Last year, he kept things pretty basic, sort of vanilla if you will. Jerry Gilsky was in his first season as the head coach at Lake-Lehman and really did not know what to expect. Gone were the days of throwing the ball all over the field. Gilsky maintained a rather basic scheme on both sides of the ball with a few wrinkles added in to keep teams honest. The Black Knights went 7-4 last season and used a seven-game winning streak to lock up a spot in the District 2 Class AA playoffs. For as good a stretch as Lake-Lehman had during the season, the end wasn’t so pleasant. A three-game losing streak and a district playoff game decided by the mercy rule brought an end to Gil- sky’s first year. The expectations were not too high to begin with. In fact, Gilsky was told that three wins or at best .500 would be considered a success. Maybe to those on the outside, but not to the guy who calls the shots. “I want the most,” Gilsky said. “We lost by the mercy rule in the district playoffs and that is what bothered me the most. I felt that people were just happy we made the playoffs. As the head coach, I wanted more.” With that in mind, the Black Knights beefed up on the offensive and defensive lines. The players will be bigger, stronger and more importantly, faster. It was a weakness last year that Gilsky felt hampered his team’s progress at times. “We changed our workouts a little bit,” Gilsky said. “I thought last year our line was a little bit of a disap- pointment with the way Hanover Area handled us. Wyoming Area had a better line than we did and Dallas handled us up front. One of our goals this year was to build up our offensive line.” And that should help second-year starting quarterback Jared Novitski, who can look at close to 600 pounds of beef to protect him on the left side. Novitski stepped into the starting role last year as a junior and handled everything Gilsky’s playbook had to offer. Gilsky realized Novitski had some limitations in his first year and tried to make things simple. “Jared more than exceeded our expectations last year,” Gilsky said. “We protected him last year by hiding his weaknesses. We wanted him to be more comfortable with what he was good at.” That meant an offense geared more toward the three-step drop and roll outs as opposed to the five-step drop. Expect that to change his year. The Black Knights will feature Nick Shelley at running back. He is coming off a year where he averaged 6.6 yards per carry and rushed for seven touchdowns. He also caught 21 passes out of the backfield and averaged 13.0 yards per reception. This year Gilsky figures to be able to do even more with Novitski under center, which should help open things more on the offensive side of the ball. As far as the defense is concerned, the Black Knights will still be multiple, which helped confuse opponents a year ago. But one thing Gilsky wants corrected is the number of points the Black Knights allowed which was a too-high-for-comfort 257. 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS COACH’S CORNER WINS BY YEAR Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 8 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 at Old Forge Lackawanna Trail at Wyoming Area Holy Redeemer at Meyers Northwest at GAR at Nanticoke Area Hanover Area Dallas 7 7 7 7 7 3 7 7 7 7 p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. Old Forge L 21-15 Lackawanna Trail W 29-22 Wyoming Area W 42-39 Holy Redeemer W 27-13 Meyers W 14-0 Northwest W 21-12 GAR W 20-16 Nanticoke Area W 43-26 Hanover Area L 38-30 Dallas L 28-21 District 2 Class AA playoffs GAR L 42-15 JERRY GILSKI 2nd year CAREER RECORD 7-4 FAST FACTS Class: AA Enrollment: 270 boys in grades 10-12 2010 7 2009 4 2008 9 2007 2 2006 0 Jared Novitski is back for his second year as starter. Last year he threw for 1,329 yards and nine touchdowns, but was picked off 12 times. With a year of experience, look for Novitski to be more polished and have the ability to do more in the pocket. Bill Hillman will be the backup. RUNNING BACKS A position of strength and experience. Nick Shelley, who rushed for 683 yards and seven touchdowns, is back. Brady Butler will also rotate in. Dustin Jones and Curt Barbacci will be the fullbacks. RECEIVERS Cody Poepperling, who averaged 15 yards per catch last season, will start on one side. Bill Hillman will be the starter on the other side. If this season is anything like last year, look for the Black Knights to rotate several people in at this spot. At tight end will be Curt Barbacci and Kyle Romonofski. OFFENSIVE LINE Lehman returns four starting linemen from last year with Pete Borum being the only new addition. The Black Knights average nearly 250 pounds across the front. Tom Chipego and Jamie Aldrich will be the guards with Ryan Derhammer also seeing time. Ryan Hoyt, Borum and David Bledjwas will be the tackles. Jobe Stepanski will be the center. DEFENSIVE LINE The Black Knights play a multiple 50 on defense. Sometimes they will show the 50 look and switch to a 4-3 or a 4-4. Dustin Jones will start at nose with Jamie Aldrich at one tackle and Dave Bledjwas at the other. Pete Borum will rotate between the tackle spots. Tom Chipego and Brian Derhammer will be the ends. LINEBACKERS Curt Barbacci and Brady Butler will be the starting linebackers. Both have experience and play a physical brand of football. SECONDARY Cole Barbacci will be the strong safety with Cody Poepperling at free safety. Nick Shelley will be one corner while Bill Hillman and Troy Shurites will alternate at the other corner position. SPECIAL TEAMS Jared Novitski will return at kicker. Last year he was one of the most consistent in the conference, making 29 extra points. He had one field goal from 32 yards. Coach Jerry Gilsky is hoping to land a soccer player or two to handle punting duties. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 18 – THE CITIZENS’ VOICE DALLAS MOUNTAINEERS QUARTERBACKS ROSTER MARK MORAN / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Quarterback Adam Goeringer may have graduated, but skill players like Jason Simonovich, Ryan Zapoticky, Garrett Artsma and Jim Roccograndi will keep Dallas’ offense moving. Dallas reloads after undefeated season By Steve Bennett Staff Writer 1 Zach Goodwin 2 Don Behm 3 Paul Brace 4 Garrett Artsma 5 Ryan Zapoticky 7 Bill Dixon 8 Zach Macosky 9 Ryan Panzetta 10 Corey Stegman 11 Jason Simonovich 14 Justin Morris 15 Shane Dunn 17 Aaron Napkora 21 Jim Roccograndi 22 Keifer Rogers 23 Brett Wanek 24 Chris Behm 25 Felix Dolman 30 Dante Zurenda 31 John Hutchins 32 Logan Brace 33 Bill Gately 34 Kris Roccograndi 35/71 Mike Mihal 36 Mike Shutlock 43 Rocky Rutkoski 44 Nate Vario 50 Logan Bullock 52 Jake Cavanaugh 54 F.J. Constantino 55 Nick Ondish 56 Mike Carey 60 Will Spare 62 Mike Mazula 64 Ian Pirl 65 Zach Taylor 66 Ryan Monk 68 Damien Rutkoski 72 Luke Edwards 73 Buddy Shutlock 75 Jordan Dolman 77 Jared Hoats 78 Dakota Stritzinger 80 Kyle Zumchak 81 Mark Michno 82 Russ Newell 86 John Murray 88 Domenic Oliveri 89 Colton Powell Ht. 5-9 6-0 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-1 5-10 6-0 6-1 6-4 6-2 6-3 5-10 6-0 5-9 5-8 5-7 6-1 5-8 5-8 5-11 6-0 5-9 6-2 5-7 5-11 6-1 6-1 5-8 6-0 6-0 5-11 6-0 6-1 5-10 5-10 6-2 6-1 5-11 6-4 6-2 6-0 6-1 5-8 6-1 6-1 6-1 5-11 5-7 Wt. 160 175 185 210 165 170 155 175 165 205 165 195 155 200 180 160 140 185 160 145 165 175 160 200 135 190 220 260 175 245 250 230 210 185 180 190 200 270 210 265 190 200 245 135 180 170 175 180 140 Pos. K WR WR FB QB QB RB QB QB WR TE WR QB RB FB WR WR RB RB WR RB FB RB FB/G WR FB TE G G C C T T G G G G T G T T T T WR WR WR WR TE WR Yr. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. So. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. So. So. So. So. Jr. So. Fr. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. So. Sr. Fr. Sr. So. Jr. Sr. So. Sr. Jr. So. So. Jr. So. So. Last year, the Dallas Mountaineers were able to finish the regular season a perfect 10-0 before getting knocked out of the District 2 Class AAA playoffs in the first round. Despite the undefeated regular season, it was a difficult 2010 for the Mountaineers. Injuries to some key players late in the year forced backups to play more significant roles in big games. There was a considerable amount of luck involved in last year’s perfect regular season accompanied by a tremendous amount of skill. It would be unfair to expect Dallas to duplicate last year’s accomplishments. But that doesn’t mean this year’s team won’t try. “Look, we could have went 5-5 last year instead of 10-0,” Dallas coach Ted Jackson said. “A lot of that had to do with (quarterback Adam Goeringer). Other guys have to step up and make the game-winning plays. We need to improve our defense and special teams. Our defense was not up to the level of a championship defense. We didn’t stop the run well. We weren’t physical enough and not aggressive enough. We are trying to address that right now.” The loss of Goeringer to graduation creates a big void in the Dallas offensive game plan. When the Mountaineers needed a yard, Goeringer would get that yard. If a big pass was needed, Goeringer would step up and complete it. Often, that pass would go to Paul Brace, one of the most versatile athletes in the conference. Now it’s his turn to step into the role of go-to player for Dallas. Brace can play wing back, running back, receiver and line up at quarterback when necessary. Last season he rushed for 393 yards, caught 44 passes for 765 yards and completed two touchdown passes. “Our skill kids are pretty good and we have to have a quarterback deliver the ball,” Jackson said. “We have to have other people step up. We don’t have a kid who will throw the ball 25 times and run the ball 25 times. We are going to have to spread the ball around and have different guys get touches. We have four or five who are going to get touches every game.” Along with Brace, other players expected to see the ball in their hands are running backs Jim Roccograndi and Brett Wanek. On the outside, the starting quarterback will have capable receivers in Shane Dunn and Jason Simonovich. What will help the transition this year will be an experienced offensive line that is both big and physical. Dallas returns seven starters on both sides of the ball but as nice as that sounds, most of the seven who return on offense are also part of the seven who return on defense. “We have some depth up front and depth at fullback and tailback,” Jackson said. “We are carrying 49 on the roster and that is the most we have ever had here at Dallas. We have three linemen back. Our two tackles were sophomores last year. It’s not going to be easy, but I expect us to be able to fight for a playoff spot.” 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS COACH’S CORNER WINS BY YEAR Sept. 2 Sept. 10 Sept. 17 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 8 Oct. 15 Oct. 22 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 at Coughlin Scranton Prep Berwick at Pittston Area at Williamsport Valley West Crestwood Pocono Mt. East at Tunkhannock at Lake-Lehman 7 1 1 7 7 1 2 1 7 7 p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. Coughlin W 14-7 Scranton Prep W 26-12 Berwick W 22-12 Pittston Area W 21-7 Williamsport W 52-43 Valley West W 21-17 Crestwood W 28-20 Pocono Mt. East W 31-28 Tunkhannock W 21-7 Lake-Lehman W 28-21 District 2 Class AAA playoffs West Scranton L 49-26 TED JACKSON 27th year CAREER RECORD 217-77-3 FAST FACTS Class: AAA Enrollment: 337 boys in grades 10-12 Bill Dixon and Ryan Zapoticky are in a battle to earn the starting job. Zapoticky suffered an injury in the spring and is starting to get healthy. He attempted eight passes last year while Dixon did not attempt any. RUNNING BACKS PAUL BRACE and Don Behm will be the wingbacks. Garrett Artsma and Keifer Rogers are the fullbacks with Jim Roccograndi and Brett Wanek at tailback. Roccograndi rushed for 235 yards last year while Wanek had 129. RECEIVERS SHANE DUNN and Jason Simonovich will be the receivers. Dunn caught passes in just two games last year averaging 23.3 yards per catch. Simonovich was second on the team in receptions with 17. Nate Vario will be the tight end. OFFENSIVE LINE F.J. Constantino will be the center. Logan Bullock will play right guard with Buddy Shutlock at right tackle. Bullock moves from tackle to guard. The left guard is Zach Taylor. Ryan Monk is at left tackle. Luke Edwards and Dakota Stritzinger are also in the mix. DEFENSIVE LINE Logan Bullock and Buddy Shutlock are at defensive tackle. Keifer Rogers and Felix Dolman are the ends. LINEBACKERS The outside linebackers will be Shane Dunn and Kris Roccograndi. Jim Roccograndi and Garrett Artsma will play inside. Jason Simonovich will see time at outside linebacker while Bill Gately, a sophomore, will see time on the inside. Jackson is working hard to get Gately on the field in some capacity. SECONDARY 2010 10 Paul Brace and Brett Wanek will start in the secondary with Bill Dixon and Don Behm fighting to play at corner. 2009 10 SPECIAL TEAMS 2008 2 2007 2 2006 7 The kicking job is up in the air with Zach Goodwin having the edge. If he doesn’t win the job, Ryan Zapoticky will get it. Jason Simonovich and Shane Dunn are vying to be the punter. Paul Brace and Brett Wanek will be the return men. Players to watch in the WVC this season EUGENE LEWIS School: Valley West Position: QB/WR Year: Senior Ht/Wt: 6-3, 200 The total package. Can run and throw. Versatile. Can play multiple positons and play them well. Will be a wide receiver at Penn State. PAUL BRACE School: Dallas Position: WR/DB Year: Senior Ht/Wt: 6-1, 185 Another versatile player. Faster than he looks on film. Can play receiver, running back and quarterback. Will be the go-to player for Dallas. TONY MORGANTE School: Crestwood Position: OG/DT Year: Senior Ht/Wt: 6-2, 290 Plays with a nasty streak. Will be making the transition from tackle to guard this season. The move may serve him well preparing for the next level. NICK AIGELDINGER School: Crestwood Position: QB/DB Year: Senior Ht/Wt: 5-11, 185 The total package. Has worked on his pocket presence. Can run and throw the ball effectively. Has a great command of the offense. SHAKIR SOTO School: GAR Position: OL/DL Year: Junior Ht/Wt: 6-3, 230 A rising star. Performed well at various camps over the summer. Plays the line on both sides of the ball, but can catch the football as well. DARRELL CRAWFORD School: GAR Position: QB/DB Year: Senior Ht/Wt: 5-9, 165 NICK O’BRIEN School: Wyoming Area Positon: QB Year: Junior Ht/Wt: 5-9, 150 Rushed for 1,000 yards last season at tailback and is making the switch to quarterback. Capable of throwing effectively. Expect him to move around on offense but his primary position early on will be QB. MARTIN STEVE School: Hanover Area Position: OL/DL Year: Senior Ht/Wt: 6-7, 300 Big, physical presence up front. Colleges like him but needs to get quicker. The anchor of perhaps the best line in the WVC. First three weeks of season will help clarify what level he will be playing at next year. UNDERCLASSMEN TO WATCH Lake-Lehman: Pete Borum, Soph. Brady Butler, Soph. Dustin Jones, CHRISTIAN SKREPENAK School: GAR Position: OL/DL Year: Junior Ht/Wt: 6-9, 340 His size alone is enough to draw the attention of anybody in the stadium, let alone the guy on the other side of the line. Has slimmed down which should help his agility. Needs to work on getting off the ball. Soph. GAR: Zach Faust, Fr. Meyers: Jacob Brominski, Soph. Crestwood: Frank Aigeldinger, Fr. JOE PARSNIK School: Coughlin Position: RB/LB Year: Senior Ht/Wt: 5-9, 180 Returns to natural position of tailback after experimenting at quarterback. Quick and elusive. Will be one of the top backs in the conference. Looking for another 1,000 yard season. Jay Popson, Fr. Williamsport: Tre Brown, Soph. Colin Fausnaught, Soph. Coughlin: Anthony Khalife, JORDAN HOUSEMAN School: Pittston Area Position: WR/DB Year: Junior Ht/Wt: 6-1, 170 Arguably one of the most underrated players in the conference. Has the ability to catch the ball in traffic as well as beat his defender deep. A threat in the return game as well. Soph. Wyoming Area: Marty Michaels, Fr. Jeff Skursky, Fr. Dallas: Bill Gately, Soph. 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Runs the offense with extreme confidence. Throws the ball better than he is given credit for, but is always a threat to run first. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 22 – THE CITIZENS’ VOICE WYOMING VALLEY WEST SPARTANS QUARTERBACKS ROSTER Ht. 6-1 6-0 5-9 6-0 5-8 6-0 6-3 5-8 5-9 5-11 6-0 5-8 5-10 6-0 5-11 6-3 6-3 5-9 6-2 5-9 5-10 5-11 5-10 5-9 5-10 5-9 5-9 6-0 6-0 5-9 5-9 6-1 5-11 5-11 6-0 5-11 5-10 5-8 5-8 5-10 5-10 5-9 5-8 5-8 6-0 5-10 6-0 6-1 6-3 5-11 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-1 6-1 5-10 5-10 6-1 5-10 5-11 5-8 5-10 5-11 5-10 6-3 It would be foolish for anyone to believe that Eugene Lewis isn’t going to be a significant part of the offense for the Wyoming Valley West Spartans this season. Lewis, a senior who has given a verbal commitment to Penn State, is one of the top wide receivers not only in the state, but the country. Playing wide receiver will have to wait until he hits Happy Valley. The way Valley West coach Pat Keating sees it again this year, the Spartans’ best chances of being successful are when Lewis, who passed and rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season, has the football in his hands. So for the second consecutive year, Lewis will lineup at quarterback. But that does not necessarily mean that’s the position he’s going to be playing on every offensive snap. How much Lewis moves around this season will ultimately depend on the progress backup quarterbacks Mike Kilhenney and Mike Baur show heading into the first week of the season. After the first full week of camp, Keating was pretty optimistic. “At times, we can put Eugene at wide receiver,” Keating said. “Baur is throwing the ball well right now. They are all intelligent kids. It allows us to be a little more versatile.” The same type of athleticism they have on the offensive side of the ball is what Keating hopes will carry the Spartans on the defensive side. Mark Hufford, who suffered a knee injury in the second game last season, is back and will be on the defensive line. There will be some spots on the field where the Spartans will have experience and there will be others where experience will be lacking. It’s that part that concerns Keating the most. “We have a very good nucleus of players coming back,” Keating said. “Other spots we are inexperienced. I think we are very capable of being successful. You just never know what will happen until the lights come on.” The Spartans will have to find a way to navigate their way through a difficult schedule and pick up enough victories to secure a spot in the eight-team District 2-4-11 Class AAAA subregional playoffs. Valley West saw its season end last year in the first round at Whitehall. Keating is hoping to not only get back to the playoffs, but have a chance to host one game or more. “Obviously, we want to get back to where we were a year ago and hopefully go further,” Keating said. “I think we took a lot away from that game against Whitehall even though it was a loss. We had a couple of unfortunate bounces and we want to get back there.” 1 Lucky Williams 2 Jordan Mason 3 Nick Singer 4 Mike Kilhenney 5 Derrick Simms 6 Andrew Mudlock 7 Eugene Lewis 8 Troy Yashinski 9 Josh Ortiz 10 Dylan Flayhart 11 Mike Narvid 12 Tyler Gates 13 Ryan Greskewicz 14 Chris Baranski 15 Dan Flaherty 16 Michael Baur 17 Chris Coleman 21 Ian Ultsh 22 Steve Doroskewicz 25 Saabir Gibson 26 Ian Labar 28 Tashawn Bunch 31 Alan Sakosky 32 Jerome Ewing 33 Josh Brody 34 Robert Tupper 36 Keenan Tate 39 Terell Bolling 40 Cody Stemrich 42 Juan Rajo 44 Daniel Kopeck 45 Brett Good 46 Jalen Stockton 52 Ian Moran 53 Matt Perugino 56 Zack Hunter 60 Donald Wychock 61 Tyler Yaglowski 62 Elijiah Harrison 64 Charles Drust 65 Ari Ohaion 66 Jalen White 67 Jason Udzella 68 Chad Bealla 69 Sean Simmons 70 Pat Kuren 72 Justin Raitter 73 Zach Yaglowski 74 Pete Cwalina 75 Joe Baran 76 Matt Dubaskas 77 Matt Reames 78 Kyle Phillips 79 Tony Le 85 Trey Cowman 87 Nate Gurtis 88 Michael Sands 89 Quincy Patrick 90 Danny Rossi 92 Kyle Lewis 93 Kyle Melodick 94 Mark Hufford 95 John Strish 96 Steven Austin 99 Alex Barilla 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS COACH’S CORNER WINS BY YEAR DAVE SCHERBENCO / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Mike Kilhenney, Eugene Lewis and Mike Baur are Wyoming Valley West’s quarterbacks. Lewis makes Valley West dangerous By Steve Bennett Staff Writer Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 8 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 at Scranton Abington Heights Pleasant Valley at Berwick Coughlin at Dallas Hazleton Area Crestwood at Pittston Area at Williamsport 7 7 7 7 7 1 7 7 7 7 p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. Scranton W 33-6 Abington Heights L 38-14 Pleasant Valley L 27-20 Berwick W 27-15 Coughlin W 27-13 Dallas L 21-17 Hazleton Area W 34-13 Crestwood W 32-18 Pittston Area W 49-7 Williamsport W 28-7 District 2-4-11 subregional playoffs Whitehall L 41-27 PAT KEATING 3rd year CAREER RECORD 13-9 FAST FACTS Class: AAAA Enrollment: 526 boys in grades 10-12 Wt. 170 180 150 170 150 170 200 145 150 175 185 150 175 165 150 190 210 150 170 160 180 200 180 145 195 155 165 165 210 170 165 190 165 200 200 200 195 205 250 270 215 220 175 195 220 195 275 250 250 210 265 285 235 240 190 165 140 180 190 200 150 235 235 165 235 Yr. Jr. So. So. Sr. Jr. So. Sr. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Jr. Sr. Fr. So. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. So. So. So. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. So. Jr. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. Jr. So. So. So. Sr. Jr. So. So. Sr. So. So. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Sr. So. Sr. So. Sr. So. So. So. Eugene Lewis will return as the starting quarterback, but how much he plays there will depend on the development of his backups, Mike Kilhenney and Mike Baur. RUNNING BACKS TASHAWN BUNCH and Derrick Simms will be the tailbacks. Brett Good and Alan Sakosky will be the fullbacks. Bunch rushed for 341 yards and averaged 6.1 yards per carry last year. RECEIVERS The Spartans have depth at this position in LUCKY WILLIAMS, Derrick Simms, Dylan Flahart, Eugene Lewis and Josh Ortiz. Simms was second on the team in receptions last year with 10 for 203 yards. Williams, Flayhart and Lewis combined to catch five passes last season for 55 yards. Chris Coleman will start at tight end. OFFENSIVE LINE The Spartans averaged 5.2 yards per carry last season and the offensive line will determine how far the running game goes. Kyle Phillips, P.J. Cwalina and Zach Yaglowski will be the tackles. Matt Reames and TONY LE are the guards. Matt Perugino will play center. DEFENSIVE LINE Chris Coleman and Kyle Lewis will be the defensive ends. Mark Hufford, Matt Reames and Tony Le are in line to be the tackles. Hufford is coming back from a knee injury suffered in the second game last year against Abington Heights. LINEBACKERS The inside linebackers will be Brett Good and Alan Sakosky. Playing on the outside will be Tashawn Bunch and Ian Labar. SECONDARY 2010 7 2009 6 Eugene Lewis, Derrick Simms and Lucky Williams make up the secondary. Williams picked off two passes last season. Simms and Lewis each had one. 2008 7 SPECIAL TEAMS 2007 10 2006 9 The kicker will be Nick Singer, who had 22 extra points and one field goal of 30 yards last season. Lucky Williams or Derrick Simms will be the punter. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 24 – THE CITIZENS’ VOICE NANTICOKE AREA TROJANS QUARTERBACKS Seniors Josh Decker and Zak Matulewski will split snaps. Decker is known more for his arm and Matulewski more for his feet. “I’m confident with whoever we have in there,” Bruza said. RUNNING BACKS Senior Brian Maslowski returns at fullback after one of the top rushing seasons in the WVC a year ago. He ran for 1,261 yards and 14 touchdowns. Senior Tom Vitale and sophomore Pat Hempel will play at halfback. The Trojans will use senior Klay Kaspryk and junior Nate Siese at wingback. RECEIVERS Senior Jeff Jezewski will start at split end after catching seven passes a year ago. Senior Chris Gavrish will play tight end. OFFENSIVE LINE DAVE SCHERBENCO / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Quarterback Josh Decker, running back Brian Maslowski and quarterback Zak Matulewski are part of a core group of returning skill players for Nanticoke Area. Nanticoke eyes winning season By Tom Brolley Staff Writer Nanticoke Area had almost no expectations heading into the 2010 season under then first-year coach Ron Bruza. A year later, the Trojans have more than an extra dozen players out (39), a new attitude and expectations to win. It’s a big difference for a program that had a 22-game losing streak before winning four games a year ago. “That’s one of the hardest things we had to do and we’re still not where we need to be yet,” Bruza said of changing expectations. “We’re trying to instill in the kids that 4-6 isn’t good enough. It’s hard when you go from a 22-game losing streak and you win a couple games and everybody is getting cocky and walking with some spunk in their step. You got to realize the hard work it took to get to four wins.” Once the Trojans won a couple of games last year, Bruza said the community got behind the program and people that hadn’t been to games in years returned to the stands. He also said the kids could once again hold their heads high in town and not be afraid to wear the letterman jackets out in public. “Nanticoke is a tough town. When you’re winning, they love you. When you’re not, it’s tough to find some supporters,” Bruza said. “It was nice that the community had something to be proud of.” Bruza and Nanticoke Area’s new challenge is to maintain and build upon 2010’s success. The Trojans have most of their core back to make a run for a winning record. Bruza considers his seniors to be like “redshirt seniors” because many of them have seen major playing time since their sophomores years. Running back Brian Maslowski was one of the WVC’s top rushers a year ago and the Trojans feature seniors across the line including Christian Stevenson, Rich Badowski and Kevin Zaykosky. Nanticoke Area put an emphasis on throwing the ball in the offseason to ease the burden on the heavily used running game. Seniors Josh Decker and Zak Matulewski will continue to split time under center. Jeff Jezewski is the team’s top target. “When you’re putting nine guys in the box and the safety is 7 yards off the ball, it’s tough to really do anything,” Bruza said. “We did concentrate a lot on our passing game in the offseason. We’re looking to improve upon that aspect to open up the running game.” 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS COACH’S CORNER Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 17 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 8 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 Montrose Co-Mo Vo-Tech at Susquehanna Meyers at Wyoming Area at Holy Redeemer Northwest Lake-Lehman at GAR at Hanover Area 7 7 1 7 7 1 7 7 7 7 p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. Montrose Co-Mo Vo-Tech Susquehanna Meyers Wyoming Area Holy Redeemer Northwest Lake-Lehman GAR Hanover Area W W L W L W L L L L 33-12 40-18 54-19 44-6 35-6 44-36 35-0 43-26 43-6 34-14 RON BRUZA 2nd year CAREER RECORD 4-6 FAST FACTS Class: AA Enrollment: 288 boys in grades 10-12 ROSTER 1 Derrick Wolfe 2 Tyler Myers 3 Nate Siese 4 Dwayne Oshinski 5 Danny Greene 7 James Edwards 8 Tyler Kovach 9 Josh Decker 11 Joe Levandowski 13 Jeff Jezewski 17 Klay Kaspryk 22 Brian Maslowski 23 Zak Matulewski 24 Brad Yanus 26 Pat Hempel 32 Rodger Sweet 35 Maurice Wood 39 C.J. Yurkin 40 Michael Colatosti 42 Zach Pudlosky 44 Tom Vitale 50 Frank Marcinkowski 52 Joe Voyton 53 Rich Badowski 56 Giacoma Bova 57 Joe Shimko 58 Pedro Bracero 59 Kevin Zaykosky 60 Chris Miller 62 Darren Pickney 65 Mitchel Zelasko 72 Allan Herring 74 Christian Stevenson 75 Steve Valenti 76 Cairee Walker 77 Julius Maghee 86 Jordan Williams 87 Kyle Gavrish 88 Chris Gavrish Ht. 5-9 5-9 5-9 5-10 5-8 5-8 5-10 6-2 6-1 6-3 5-9 5-10 6-2 5-8 5-7 5-9 5-10 5-10 5-10 5-10 5-7 5-8 5-10 5-10 5-10 5-10 5-10 6-2 5-10 5-10 6-1 6-4 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-0 6-1 5-10 6-2 Wt. 160 150 160 160 150 150 165 185 170 190 165 195 180 165 160 160 185 165 180 165 165 175 200 215 180 170 195 210 200 205 195 325 290 270 205 190 185 160 200 WINS BY YEAR 2010 4 2009 1 2008 0 2007 0 2006 3 Pos. WR/DB WR/DB RB/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB QB/DB QB/DB WR/DB RB/LB RB/DB QB/LB RB/LB RB/LB RB/LB RB/LB RB/LB RB/LB RB/DB RB/LB OL/LB OL/DL OL/LB OL/LB OL/LB OL/DL OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/DL WR/DB OL/LB Yr. Sr. So. Jr. So. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. So. So. So. Jr. So. Jr. So. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. So. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. So. So. Sr. The Trojans feature a starting line full of seniors. CHRISTIAN STEVENSON was an all-conference player a year ago. Kevin Zaykosky will move from center to tackle. Rich Badowski, Steve Valenti and center Joe Voyton round out the line. DEFENSIVE LINE Seniors PEDRO BRACERO and Chris Gavrish will play at the defensive end positions. Christian Stevenson will play at tackle and junior Michael Colatosti will play nose tackle. LINEBACKERS KEVIN ZAYKOSKY will man the middle once again and Rich Badowski is a returning starter. Klay Kaspryk will also see time and Michael Colatosti will see action at linebacker when he isn’t playing nose tackle. SECONDARY Senior Derrick Wolfe and junior Nate Siese will play be the cornerbacks. Jeff Jezewski and Zak Matulewski will man the safety positions. SPECIAL TEAMS Zak Matulewski, Brian Maslowski and Pat Hempel will be returners for the Trojans. Jeff Jezewski will handle the kicking duties and Maslowski will punt. Ask the Gameface staff Four members of the Gameface staff — assistant sports editor Jim Reeser and staff writers Steve Bennett, Jonathan Bombulie and Tom Brolley — answer six burning questions as high school football season is about to begin. Pizza Pizza Bella Bella XL CHICKEN WING PIE $9.99 $6.50 JIM REESER STEVE BENNETT JONATHAN BOMBULIE TOM BROLLEY 1. Who will be the big school player of the year in the WVC? It’s not every year that we get to witness a talent such as Valley West’s Eugene Lewis. It’s worth your time to see the future Penn Stater play. Eugene Lewis. Was offered more than 20 scholarships for a reason. Unless you are a Penn State season ticket holder, get out and see him now. Eugene Lewis is the most electrifying player to appear on WVC fields since Rocket Ismail, but if anyone could beat him out for player of the year, it’s Coughlin’s Joe Parsnik. Eugene Lewis is the area’s top player but keep an eye on another quarterback, Crestwood’s Nick Aigeldinger. He’s the best pure passer in the WVC. Darrell Crawford. He can run. He can throw and he can intercept passes. As good a small school player as you are going to see. Like Lewis, GAR’s Darrell Crawford can take over games by himself. If anyone could overshadow him in the small school ranks, it’s Wyoming Area’s versatile Nick O’Brien. Hanover Area lineman Martin Steve paved the way for 2,000-yard rusher Andrew Forgatch in 2010. Steve and the Hawkeyes’ line will be counted on heavily once again. 3. Who will be the breakout player of the year in the WVC? Word from the Heights is that GAR junior Shakir Soto is developing into a dominant player. Look for him to be the next great lineman from the WVC. Jason Simonovich, Dallas. Strong, physical presence on the perimeter. Will present a nice target no matter who is throwing passes for the Mountaineers this season. Lake-Lehman quarterback Jared Novitski was pretty good last season, but with a year of experience under his belt, he’s ready to break out. Jake Pecorelli, Berwick. The Bulldogs lost their two top targets, Sean Ridall and Eric Schleich, to college football. Berwick will still throw the ball a lot and that’s where Peccorelli comes in. 4. What team will advance the deepest into the playoffs? GAR. The Grenadiers cleared a major hurdle when they won a district title. With Crawford back and a defense that has people buzzing, they have a shot to go even deeper. GAR. The Grenadiers are the favorite to win the District 2 Class AA title again this season, and for good reason. GAR is still loaded and is looking to win a couple games in the state playoffs. 5. What will be the surprise team of the season? • ANY 3 FOOTLONG SUBS, LG. MIDDLESWARTH CHIP & 2 LITER COKE $19.99 Save $4.10 • ANY 3 WRAPS, LARGE MIDDLESWARTH CHIPS & 2 LITER COKE $17.99 Save $2.35 • 2 DINNERS FOR $10.99 (Spaghetti & Meatballs.., Bake Ziti or Ravioli Save $2.35 PIZZA MONDAYS XTRA LARGE $ Crestwood. This is the year the Comets turn the corner. Too much experience for them not to have an impact on the postseason race. Hanover Area. Replacing tailback Andrew Forgatch will obviously be difficult, but a high school football team with a line like the Hawks have won’t lose many games. They could give GAR a run. Berwick. The Bulldogs played a lot of underclassmen a year ago because of injuries and that should benefit them in 2011. 6. What game are you most looking forward to? There’s a good chance the conference’s Class AA champion will be determined when Lake-Lehman visits GAR in Week 7. Valley West at Williamsport in Week 10. Forget rivalry weekend. This game could come down to who gets in or who is left out. At worst, playoff seeding should be on the line. GAR at Hanover Area in Week 6. GAR needed a touchdown in the final 10 seconds to beat the Hawks 2120 last year, and this time, the game is at Hanover. Dallas at Lake-Lehman in Week 10. The Back Mountain rivalry game could be important for playoff berths or positioning in both the Class AA (LakeLehman) and Class AAA (Dallas) races. OLD FORGE 6.99 8.99 $ TUESDAYS GOURMET PIZZA NIGHT $ LARGE 8.99 WEDNESDAYS FREE TOPPING NIGHT ANY SIZE PIZZA NANTICOKE - 258-1111 Delivery to: Newport Twp., Glen Lyon, West Nanticoke, Plymouth Area TAKE-OUT & DELIVERY ONLY PLAINS - 970-9991 HANOVER TWP. - 825-8222 Delivery to: All of Plains, Wilkes-Barre (All North of North Street), Pittston, Laflin, Pittston Township Delivery to: All of Hanover Twp., Ashley, Wilkes-Barre (All South of North Street), Wilkes-Barre Township, Sugar Notch FORTY FORT - 288-3278 NOW OPEN! NEW LOCATION! 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Side Salad & Garlic Bread P Pizza izza Bella Bella VOID WITH OTHER OFFERS – EXP. 9/10/2011 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 – 25 With senior Nick Aigeldinger at QB and senior Tony Morgante anchoring the lines, Crestwood will figure out a way to win some close games and make a run at the postseason. Ea. THE CITIZENS’ VOICE GAR. Defending District 2 champs reloaded for another run. The good thing is the first-round state game should be closer to home this year. Veteran quarterback, talented receivers and an experienced line should help the defending District 2 Class AA champions, GAR, become the last WVC team standing. $9.99 EVERY DAY VALUE DEALS 2. Who will be the small school player of the year in the WVC? Lake-Lehman senior running back Nick Shelley. In addition to being a good back, he’s a good receiver and is strong on defense. LARGE ITALIAN STROMBOLI 10 OR MORE XL TASTY PIES THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 26 – THE CITIZENS’ VOICE TUNKHANNOCK TIGERS QUARTERBACKS Senior Luke Seaberg is back after starting all 10 games last year and throwing for 691 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions. Freshman Brian Beauchemin will backup Seaberg. Beauchemin was named the MVP of the Tigers freshman team as an eighth grader. RUNNING BACKS Senior ZACK EDMONDSON is back after tearing his ACL before last season. Junior Josh Robinson, who played a lot on special teams in 2010, will also see carries. Senior Mike Parduski and junior Colton Coolbaugh are also in the mix in the WingT offense. Junior Andy Muckin will play fullback. RECEIVERS MARK MORAN / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Lineman Casey Drake, linebacker Andy Muckin, quarterback Luke Seaberg and linebacker Wes Custer are among Tunkhannock’s returning starters. ROSTER Ht. 6-1 5-9 5-9 5-9 5-5 5-7 6-1 6-0 6-4 5-10 6-1 5-10 5-10 5-11 5-11 5-6 5-11 6-0 6-2 6-4 5-10 6-1 5-11 6-3 6-0 5-10 6-4 5-5 5-11 5-11 5-9 5-10 6-1 5-11 5-10 5-11 5-10 Wt. 175 175 175 160 110 150 170 175 185 145 155 165 195 175 155 165 180 210 175 200 175 210 190 265 280 205 210 165 285 220 205 175 230 225 190 165 200 Rod Azar knows what it’s like to live in Tunkhannock when there’s a winning football team on the field. Azar played on one of the Tigers’ best teams in 1988 — a 9-1 season — but it’s been well over a decade since Tunkhannock just had a winning season. The Tigers’ baseball team experienced the town’s camaraderie this past spring when they marched to the PIAA title game. Azar hopes to bring back that winning attitude to the football field in his first season as head coach. “One of the things they’ve taken well from me is that I came from an era that won here. I know what it’s like and what this town can be like when we win,” Azar said. “I think that’s helped to motivate them. We still have a long way to go in terms of numbers and commitment and getting the best athletes in the school to want to play football.” It will be tough to plant those initial seeds of success coming off a 3-7 season that saw 16 of the Tigers’ 22 starters depart. Azar will rely on returning starters like quarterback Luke Seaberg, linemen Tyler Greene and Casey Drake and linebackers Andy Muckin and Wes Custer. Tunkhannock lost a number of close games last year including a tight game against eventual District 2 Class AAA champion Abington Heights. “We had a poor record last year, 37, but I really believe that we had an excellent football team,” said Azar, who assisted former coach Frank Berardelli the last two seasons. “We lost seven games and every single one of them we were in it in the second half. A lot of the games we were winning in the fourth quarter. Just some heart-breaking losses. We couldn’t find a way to win last year late in the close games.” Azar, a former investment banker with J.P. Morgan in New York, didn’t have a full offseason to work with the Tigers. He got the job in April after a long process to name the successor to Berardelli. Azar will keep the Wing-T offense intact this season but the Tigers will show some different wrinkles on offense and defense. “We’ve made a lot of progress,” Azar said. “We’ve kept a lot of things similar to last year but we changed enough that it was a good amount of work to get in some of the new stuff that we’re going to do. The kids picked it up real fast. Given the time frame, we’ve gotten a lot done.” 2 Josh Colley 5 Luke Seaberg 6 Zack Edmondson 7 Brian Beauchemin 9 D.J. Giberson 10 Josh Robinson 12 Josh Burton 13 Steve Ash 15 Adam Billings 16 Mike Markovitz 21 Brett Stage 23 Alex Bishop 25 Andy Muckin 27 Mike Parduski 29 James Proulx 36 Shane Edmundson 48 Wes Custer 50 Ben Swilley 52 Adam Sehne 53 Al Kristunas 54 Clayton Brehm 57 Dakota Kresge 58 Walt Solt 59 Tyler Greene 60 Casey Drake 61 Dallas Hanna 62 Brett Yerg 65 Daniel Greenip 66 Josh Richards 67 Austin Gregory 70 Tyler Brown 70 Richie Traver 75 Tyler White 76 Josh Kosak 81 Dan Harmon 88 Colton Coolbaugh 91 Nate Carrasco 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS COACH’S CORNER WINS BY YEAR Tunkhannock seeks turnaround By Tom Brolley Staff Writer Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Oct. 1 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 5 Pittston Area Coughlin at Abington Heights at Hazleton Area at Crestwood Berwick Pocono Mt. West at Williamsport Dallas at Holy Redeemer 7 7 1 7 7 7 7 7 7 2 p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. PIttston Area Coughlin Abington Heights Hazleton Area Crestwood Berwick Pocono Mt. West Williamsport Dallas Holy Redeemer W L L L W L L L L W 28-13 14-12 40-21 43-35 25-7 22-21 27-15 46-25 21-7 55-26 Pos. WR/DB QB/LB RB/DB QB/DB WR/DB RB/DB WR/DB TE/LB WR/LB WR/DB WR/DB RB/DB RB/LB RB/LB WR/DB RB/LB TE/LB OL/DL OL/LB OL/DL OL/LB OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL TE/DL RB/DB OL/LB Yr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Fr. So. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. So. Fr. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. So. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. So. So. Jr. Jr. So. So. So. Jr. Jr. Sr. Junior JOSH COLLEY, brother of state sprint medalist Gavin Colley, will play split end. “He isn’t as fast as his brother but he’s taller,” Azar said. Freshman Brett Stage also figures to see some action at receiver. Senior Wes Custer has moved to tight end from fullback. Senior Steve Ash will share time. OFFENSIVE LINE Seniors Casey Drake and Tyler Greene will lead the line at tackle. Junior Walt Solt will play guard and senior Nate Carrasco will anchor the line at center. Junior Dakota Kresge has started since his freshman season and will play guard. DEFENSIVE LINE Casey Drake started both ways a year ago and will play at tackle with Walt Solt. Senior Al Kristunas, junior Brett Yerg and Tyler Greene will play end. LINEBACKERS Andy Muckin was named a captain as a junior and will play linebacker. Dakota Kresge, Wes Custer, Steve Ash and Mike Parduski will also see time at the position. SECONDARY 2010 3 2009 2 Josh Colley and Josh Robinson will play cornerback and freshmen Brian Beauchemin and Brett Stage will play safety. Zack Edmondson will play both corner and safety. 2008 4 SPECIAL TEAMS FAST FACTS 2007 5 Class: AAA Enrollment: 436 boys in grades 10-12 2006 5 ROD AZAR First year Andy Muckin, Dakota Kresge and Colton Coolbaugh are competing for the kicking duties and either Wes Custer or Luke Seaberg will punt. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 28 – THE CITIZENS’ VOICE NORTHWEST AREA RANGERS QUARTERBACKS ROSTER WARREN RUDA / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Christian Foley (88), Jake Jola (1), Gunner Majer (8), Matt Swartz (9), Jeramie Rittenhouse (27), Dalton Tomko (3) and Tony Politz (10) are among Northwest’s top skill players. 1 Jake Jola 3 Dalton Tomko 4 Jim Beglionini 5 Austin Leftwich 6 Tyler Pegarella 8 Gunner Majer 9 Matt Swartz 10 Tony Politz 12 Nick Lugiano 14 Mike Faruolo 15 Charles Boyer 16 Logan Womelsdorf 24 Matt Mitchell 25 Peter Feno 25 Peter Evans 30 Alan Gulbierz 33 Josh Dunay 34 Austin McBride 35 Austin Mazonkey 40 Adam Schecterly 50 Nathan Simonson 54 Dave Johnson 55 Kyle Stempien 56 Matt Verbinski 57 John Yaple 58 Jamie Sorgen 69 Jake Kramer 70 John Maul 72 Matt Schwiter 74 Drew Godfrey 75 Steve Derby 78 Alex Barretts 79 Wyatt Reese 84 Levi Walker 88 Christian Foley 90 Kenny Jones 99 Tyler Kishbaugh Jeremy Rittenhouse Ht. 6-1 5-8 5-11 6-0 5-11 6-3 6-0 5-8 5-7 6-0 5-9 5-10 6-1 5-11 5-11 5-10 5-9 6-0 6-0 5-11 5-11 6-0 5-9 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-1 6-4 6-1 6-0 6-0 5-11 5-11 5-10 6-0 5-10 6-4 Wt. 205 168 170 150 165 230 170 168 140 200 145 175 165 175 165 170 130 180 185 170 200 230 195 185 260 205 245 255 225 255 245 225 270 145 175 170 185 Pos. LB/TE/P QB/LB LB S DB/RB QB/LB WR/LB RB/LB DB LB/C CB QB S/WR S CB/WR WR/LB CB/WR LB/RB LB/RG LB/RB OL DT/OT DE OL C DE G DT OL OT OL C OL WR K/WR/S DE DE WR/S Yr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. So. Fr. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Fr. Fr. So. Sr. Sr. So. So. Sr. So. So. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Jr. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. Northwest looks to build on WVC success By Tom Brolley Staff Writer Northwest Area and coach Carl Majer are always looking for respect as the WVC’s only Class A team. The Rangers finished 5-6 and were back in the postseason a year ago in their return to the WVC. Majer said the Rangers “surprised a lot of people” by holding their own with a 3-4 record in the conference a year ago. Northwest Area will look to improve upon that mark in its second straight WVC season but Majer said the Rangers can’t sneak up on teams anymore. “Coming into our second year, people know who we are,” Majer said. “We’re going to put a quality program on the field week in and week out.” Northwest returns most of its core to make more strides in 2011. The Rangers will have to do it without three players who played big roles in the Rangers’ 2009 District 2 Class A title. Talented running back Bret Rutkoski and linemen Garrett Hankinson and Ryan Kondrosky have each moved on, leaving holes on both sides of the ball. “We got some good young guys coming up,” Majer said. “They were three good guys and the three studs are hard to replace, but I think we’re doing a good job. I think we’ll be right there with everybody.” The Rangers will look to replace 4,000-yard rusher Rutkoski with junior Tony Politz and senior Dan Tomko and freshman Austin Mazonkey. Quarterback Gunner Majer and receivers Matt Swartz and Jeremy Rittenhouse will look to ease the burden on the running backs. Dave Johnson leads an offensive line that is still big but much less experienced than last year’s group. “You never replace Rutkoski, but you rebuild, rebound and move forward,” Majer said. “Hopefully, someone really shines for you. I think we have three guys that can do the job.” The kicking game figures to be one of the Rangers’ strengths. Christian Foley is back as one of the conference’s top kickers from a year ago. He finished with 22 extra points and a 35-yard field goal in 2010. “I think we have one of the best kickers around,” Majer said. “I feel if he concentrates, he can be one heck of a kicker. I won’t be afraid to kick from anywhere on the field.” 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS COACH’S CORNER WINS BY YEAR Sept. 3 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 8 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 at Holy Redeemer at Montrose at Old Forge GAR Hanover Area at Lake-Lehman at Nanticoke Area Meyers Wyoming Area Co-Mo Vo-Tech 1 7 7 7 7 3 7 7 7 7 p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. Holy Redeemer W 44-13 Montrose W 41-16 Old Forge L 37-14 GAR L 21-7 Hanover Area L 38-14 Lake-Lehman L 21-12 Nanticoke Area W 35-0 Meyers W 14-7 Wyoming Area L 38-19 Co-Mo Vo-Tech W 25-7 District 2 Class A playoffs Riverside L 34-0 CARL MAJER Fourth year CAREER RECORD 22-13 FAST FACTS Class: A Enrollment: 157 boys in grades 10-12 2010 5 2009 9 2008 8 2007 10 2006 8 Gunner Majer, the son of the head coach, will be under center for the third year. At 6-foot3, 230 pounds, Majer finished the 2010 season 59 of 141 for 683 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions. RUNNING BACKS Northwest will have a tough time replacing 4,000-yard rusher Bret Rutkoski. Junior Tony Politz finished third in rushing last year for the Rangers with 129 yards. Senior Dalton Tomko and freshman Austin Mazonkey also figure to be in the mix. RECEIVERS Rutkoski led the team in receiving last year, but the Rangers return three receivers who saw significant time last year in seniors Matt Swartz, Christian Foley and Jeramie Rittenhouse. Rittenhouse had 97 yards receiving and Swartz had 19 catches for 110 yards a year ago. Juniors Jim Begliomini and Tyler Kishbaugh will play tight end. OFFENSIVE LINE The Rangers lost standouts Ryan Kondrosky and Garrett Hankinson. Filling the void will be tackles Dave Johnson and John Maul, guards Wyatt Reese and Drew Godfrey and center ALEX BARRETTS will anchor the line once again. DEFENSIVE LINE A healthy senior Jake Jola will man one defensive end position and juniors Kenny Jones and Tyler Kishbaugh will play at the other end spot. Senior Dave Johnson and sophomore John Maul will play the defensive tackle positions and senior Kyle Stempien will play nose tackle. LINEBACKERS Three-year senior starters Gunner Majer and Mike Faroulo will man two of the linebacker positions. Tony Politz and freshman Adam Schecterly will also see time at the other linebacker position. SECONDARY The Rangers return a full secondary, including corners Jeramie Rittenhouse and Josh Dunay and safeties Christian Foley and Matt Swartz. SPECIAL TEAMS Christian Foley returns as one of the top kickers in the Wyoming Valley Conference. Foley finished with 22 extra points and a 35-yard field goal in 2010. FOOTWEAR PENN-LEE F OOTWEAR PENN-LEE WEEKEND SALE Starts Thursday Sept. 1 And Ends On Labor Day Mon. Sept 5 WARREN RUDA / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Northwest players and coaches constructed their own fieldhouse over the summer without spending a dime of taxpayer money. Rangers build fieldhouse from ground up By Tom Brolley Staff Writer geared up to play an “Oldies Game.” Majer tore up his bicep during the game. The Northwest football team also received money donations and materials, like blocks and a sewer system tank, from local businesses. “This day and age, everybody is so tight and trying to get rid of high school sports,” Majer said. “I think that’s the biggest mistake anybody can make. You think the kids are in trouble now, then they would have nothing.” Several players worked long hours on the fieldhouse including Dave Johnson, Adam Schecterly, Gunner Majer, Austin Mazonkey, Alex Barretts, John Yaple, Matt Verbinski and John Maul. “It was really tiring,” Johnson said. “We were working on it for about 13, 14 hours a day. It really brought us together as a team.” WITH THIS COUPON (If Necessary) We provide relief for: Auto Accidents, Whiplash Injuries Work Injuries, Lifting Injuries Usually at NO COST TO YOU!!! 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THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Northwest Area players labored through a different kind of workout program this summer. The Rangers car ried blocks, mixed drywall mud, built trusses and attached siding and a roof. Football players turned into construction workers in an effort to build a footballonly fieldhouse next to Lewis & Miller Memorial Stadium. The fieldhouse is nearly complete only eight weeks after the team started construction. The new facility features junior high and varsity locker rooms, a weight room and an equipment room on the ground floor. A second floor features a study and film room, a laundry room and a coaches room that overlooks the field. Each locker room will eventually accommodate close to 50 players with bathrooms and showers. Coach Carl Majer said construction will be complete by the time the Rangers play their first home game in Week 4 against GAR. “I think it’s a reason why we’re so tight this year because a lot of guys worked their whole summer out here, 14 hours a day with me,” Majer said. “We’ve got a tight bond from that. I think it’s the last piece of the puzzle that we needed at this program to put junior high and varsity all in one place and isolate it for football.” And Northwest Area School District taxpayers didn’t pay a dime. Fieldhouse fundraising started nearly two years ago and Majer has the scars to prove it. In one event, grown men, out of football for years, A SELECT GROUP OF WOMEN’S CASUAL SHOES, DRESS SHOES, AND SANDALS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 30 – THE CITIZENS’ VOICE WYOMING AREA WARRIORS QUARTERBACKS Nick O’Brien has been moved to quarterback and will be backed up by Jordan Zezza. Both will play. O’Brien led the Warriors in rushing last year with 1,035 yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 5.7 yards per carry. He caught 15 passes and averaged 11.6 yards per catch. When he did line up at quarterback, he completed three passes for 64 yards and one touchdown. Versatile O’Brien leads Wyoming Area RUNNING BACKS By Steve Bennett Staff Writer ROSTER Wyoming Area’s priority has always been to put the best athletes in the best position to make plays. Whether it is a specific offensive package or a way to take advantage of a possible mismatch, Randy Spencer wants the ball in the hands of the players who will make plays. This year, Spencer has made a change to give one the top athletes in the WVC the opportunity to make those big plays. Junior Nick O’Brien — one of the more versatile players in the conference — has moved to quarterback. That does not necessarily mean O’Brien will be strictly under center. Spencer plans on lining him up in the slot, on the perimeter and in the backfield. How often that occurs depends upon the development of another quarterback, Jordan Zezza. “We want to put ourselves in position to be successful,” Spencer said. “We can still use multiple formations and put Nick at all the skill positions and see what offensive situations we can create.” The Warriors enter the year needing to replace two key components from last year’s team that reached the Eastern Conference championship game — two-way lineman Julian Campenni and quarterback and defensive back Chris Murphy. If the plan to utilize O’Brien and Zezza comes together, the Warriors should have no problem being able to compete. The way Spencer sees it, he is not just taking his best athlete and putting him under center. Spencer feels O’Brien is a true quarterback. “Nick is a passer,” Spencer said. “He hasn’t taken the number of snaps like an experienced guy has, but he got some time last year. We are 1 Matt Kintz 2 Michael Lumley 3 Joe Adonizio 4 Corey Popovich 5 Stephen Gamble 6 Ahmad Bouie 7 Kyle Memory 8 Nick O’Brien 9 Dylan Pegg 10 Farrod Condry 12 Jordan Zezza 15 Aaron Carter 16 Kyle Borton 17 A.J. Lenkaitis 20 Martin Michaels 21 Cody Schmitz 22 Carmen Mauriello 23 Peter Sidari 24 Tyric Popovich 25 Zachary LaNunziata 26 Kyle Davis 30 Le James Brown 35 Jeff Skursky 36 Richard Stepanski 42 Justin Langdon 43 Elijah LaFratte 44 Robbie Lewis 46 Michael Harding 49 James Quinnan 50 E.J. Driving Hawk 51 Tyler Resciniti 52 Matt Dimick 53 Joe Campbell 54 Joseph Taylor 56 A.J. Jones 58 Alex Gercak 62 Joseph Erzar 63 Steven Hughes 64 Michael Gentile 66 Austin Nocera 69/92 Jake Smith 71 Carl Zielinski 72 Shawn Whiting 76 Josh Weaver 77 Nicholas Bartoli 80 Ryan Filipiak 82 Robert Burton 85 Jeremy Seabridge 86 Trent Grove 89 Derrick Dorman preparing him as a quarterback, and it is just a matter of game situations and getting the reps. He is not an athlete playing the position. He has the potential to be an efficient passer. I know what Nick O’Brien can do.” Junior Nick O’Brien, a 1,000-yard rusher last season, is moving to quarterback for Wyoming Area. 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS COACH’S CORNER Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 22 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 Western Wayne at West Scranton Lake-Lehman at Hanover Area Nanticoke Area at Meyers Holy Redeemer at GAR at Northwest Pittston Area 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. Ht. 5-8 5-9 5-11 5-11 5-8 5-10 5-9 5-9 5-9 5-7 5-9 5-9 5-8 6-0 5-9 5-10 5-5 5-7 6-1 5-10 6-1 6-1 6-1 5-10 5-5 5-9 5-9 5-8 5-8 6-0 6-1 5-9 6-1 6-0 6-0 5-10 5-11 5-10 5-8 6-1 5-10 6-2 6-1 6-2 6-1 5-7 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-1 Wt. 180 160 175 220 130 170 165 150 150 150 140 160 140 165 170 150 145 145 175 170 160 180 185 175 130 165 165 150 170 200 240 200 260 190 155 160 205 240 220 270 170 290 275 280 280 160 180 180 185 185 Pos. RB QB WR RB WR RB WR QB WR WR QB K QB K RB RB WR RB WR WR WR WR RB TE RB RB WR RB RB G G C C G T C G G G T G T G T T TE TE TE TE WR The fullbacks will be Matt Kintz and Corey Popovich. There are plenty of tailbacks and slot position players to choose from. They include AHMAD BOUIE, Cody Schmitz, Zack LaNunziata and Justin Langdon. Freshman Jeff Skursky and Marty Michaels also figure in the mix. Yr. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Fr. So. Sr. So. Sr. So. So. Sr. So. So. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. Sr. Sr. Jr. So. Jr. Jr. Western Wayne W 9-3 West Scranton L 40-27 Lake-Lehman L 42-39 Hanover Area W 42-24 Nanticoke Area W 35-6 Meyers W 26-13 Holy Redeemer W 53-21 GAR L 23-13 Northwest W 38-19 Pittston Area W 21-7 Eastern Conference playoffs Hanover Area W 24-22 Pine Grove L 28-20 RECEIVERS Joe Adonizio and Zezza, when he is not at quarterback, will be at receiver. Bouie, O’Brien, Schmitz, LaNunziata and Langdon will also see action at receiver. Trent Grove and Robert Burton are at tight end. OFFENSIVE LINE The Warriors have the benefit of being able to switch their linemen around depending on personnel packages. Up front, NICK BARTOLI, E.J. Driving Hawk and Jake Smith are all capable of playing guard and tackle. Smith and Joe Erzar can play center or guard. Carl Zielinski will be the other tackle. DEFENSIVE LINE Carl Zielinski and Nick Bartoli will see time on one side at end with Robert Burton, Trent Grove and Jake Smith at the other. Tackles will be E.J. Driving Hawk and Bobby Burton. Ryan Filipiak will play nose guard. WARREN RUDA / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE RANDY SPENCER Fourth year CAREER RECORD 14-18 FAST FACTS Class: AA Enrollment: 310 boys in grades 10-12 WINS BY YEAR 2010 8 2009 2 2008 4 2007 10 2006 10 LINEBACKERS Corey Popovich, Matt Kintz and Jake Smith will be at linebacker with two freshmen, Marty Michaels and Jeff Skursky, working in. SECONDARY Nick O’Brien, Cody Schmitz, Jake LaNunziata, Joe Adonizio, Jordan Zezza and Justin Langdon will all see time. SPECIAL TEAMS Jake Smith will kick off. Aaron Carter or A.J. Lenkaitis will kick extra points. Nick O’Brien or Justin Langdon will punt. CLASS A CLASS AA Road to district title goes through GAR, WVC Gunner Majer Earning playoff bid tough for Northwest Northwest is the only Class A school in the WVC. Where the Rangers rank in District 2 might depend on how well they replace running back Bret Rutkoski, who in most cases could be counted on to rush for 100 yards per game. The Rangers always have tough, physical kids and the line is going to have to protect quarterback Gunner Majer to give the offense a chance. GAMEFACE PREDICTION Which four teams make the District 2 Class A playoffs: Dunmore Lackawanna Trail Old Forge Riverside If the Wyoming Valley Conference has the upper hand in District 2 in any of the classifications, Class AA is the one. GAR is coming off its first district title in school history and returns several key figures that played a role in getting to the state tournament. Darrell Crawford will lead the offense at quarterback and has two serviceable receivers in Shaliek Powell and Lucas Benton. The offensive line for the most part is intact. The only question mark may be at linebacker, where GAR was hit the hardest by graduation. Hanover Area will feature what most expect to be the best offensive line in the conference regardless of classification. Martin Steve and Tony Dennis will be the anchors. The Hawks will need to find a running back to carry the ball on a consistent basis. Wyoming Area is moving Nick O’Brien to quarterback not just to take advantage of his athleticism. Head coach Randy Spencer says that GAMEFACE PREDICTION Which four teams make the District 2 Class AA playoffs: GAR Hanover Area Lakeland Lake-Lehman CITIZENS’ VOICE FILE Receiver Shaliek Powell is one of the top targets in the GAR passing game. O’Brien is also a passer. The Warriors will try to maintain their physical style from a year ago but will need some of the role players from last year to step in now that they will become starters. Last year Lake-Lehman managed to sneak up on teams. That won’t be the case this year. The Black Knights are big up front, have experi- ence at quarterback and running back and opponents now have a general idea of what Lehman is going to run. Lehman will be out to prove that last year was not a fluke. And judging by some of the comments from around the league, it wasn’t. Nanticoke Area was able to win four games last year, one of the most successful years in the program recently. The Trojans have some experience back at key positions. They were able to win the games they were expected to last year. This year will be the time to win a few they are not favored in. “The league is going to be tough this year,” Lehman coach Jerry Gilsky said. “Hanover Area has the best line. They return everybody. Wyoming Area always has big kids and GAR is probably No. 1. They won a district title last year and have the quarterback returning. They have a lot of good guys up front. It is going to be tough.” Holy Redeemer has a new coach in Joe Ostrowski. His biggest objective was to bring interest to the program. A few victories this year will help his cause. Meyers also has a new coach in Corry Hanson. The Mohawks are coming off a two-win season but in Jalen Miller and Eddie Walters have two nice bookends on the defensive line. Depth is going to be a question mark and Hanson will need some of his younger players to grow up quickly. PATTE’S SPORTS BAR & RESTAURANT 65 W. Hollenback Ave., Wilkes-Barre - 824-8015 OPEN SUNDAY - KITCHEN HOURS 12-9 PM 8 OZ LOBSTER COORS LIGHT PINTS 1.50 $ WEEKEND DINNER SPECIALS RobertAsbyM.S. JamesZeinglesAu.D. Family Hearing Center JillMcClellandAu.D. Zeigler - Asby Audiology JudithJohnstonAu.D. • LUNCH MEETINGS • FUNERAL LUNCHEONS • REHEARSAL DINNERS • REUNION PARTIES • ICE BREAKERS CALL FOR MENU OPTIONS AND RESERVATIONS www.pattessportsbar.com Check Us Out On Facebook THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 – 31 BOOK OUR “STADIUM ROOM” FOR ALL YOUR PARTY NEEDS! THE CITIZENS’ VOICE 18.95 $ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 32 – THE CITIZENS’ VOICE PITTSTON AREA PATRIOTS QUARTERBACKS ROSTER MARK MORAN / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Seniors Dave Dragon, Evan Hahn, Tyler Roman, Mike Stankosky and Joe Stoss will lead the way for Pittston Area under new coach Mike Barrett. Pittston Area makes changes By Steve Bennett Staff Writer 1 R.J. Haas 2 Chris Musto 3 Joe Starinsky 5 Mike Stankosky 6 Justin Wilk 7 Anthony Schwab 8 Anthony Halat 10 Steve Starinsky 11 Richard Weinstock 12 Kyle Gattuso 14 Sam Falcone 15 Hassan Maxwell 16 Donovan Parham 18 James Emmett 20 Zack Hoffman 21 Kevin O’Brien 22 Mike Chisdock 23 Ronnie Dellisio 24 Evan Hahn 25 Tyler Roman 26 Eddie Klein 28 Mike Baclasky 30 Ben Lombardo 31 Kevin Tonte 32 Brian Baldwin 36 Mark Romanczuk 38 John Cummings 40 Adam Valkos 41 Joe Giambra 42 Billy Scaramastro 43 Eric Danaher 45 Mike Schwab 48 Josh Schatzel 50 Jake Zalewski 51 Nick Dougal 53 Dave Mawson 54 Joe Stoss 55 R.J. Gabello 56 Anthony Haughton 57 John Ameen 58 Brad McKitish 59 Jesse White 60 Josh Blaker 62 Cody Stoss 63 Chris Mawson 64 Brandon Hudacko 66 Dave Dragon 68 Brian Mlodzienski 71 Mike Hughes 72 Matt Lettieri 76 Hurley Simon 78 Ryan O’Boyle 80 Brian Delaney 81 Jordan Houseman 82 Mike Harth 83 Joe Harth 84 Chris Cummings 85 Dan Brady Ht. 5-9 6-0 5-7 5-11 5-9 6-0 5-5 5-11 5-10 5-8 5-10 5-9 5-10 6-0 5-10 5-8 5-9 5-10 5-11 6-1 6-0 5-9 6-1 5-6 5-11 5-11 5-11 6-1 5-9 5-9 5-10 5-9 6-1 5-9 5-11 6-1 5-10 5-9 6-2 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-1 6-0 5-10 5-5 6-0 5-10 6-0 5-9 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-1 5-11 6-1 5-10 6-2 Wt. 195 160 145 165 175 175 125 160 155 145 170 170 150 165 160 140 145 155 190 190 155 165 160 145 155 200 180 180 205 180 190 150 195 200 185 185 230 210 270 300 255 220 235 265 210 200 240 245 190 185 295 215 185 170 165 200 175 160 Pos. FB/DE K/P WR/DB TB/DB TB/ILB QB/DB TB/DB WR/DB WR/DB QB/DB TE/ILB TB/DE WR/DB QB/DB TB/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB TB/DB WR/DE WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB FB/ILB TE/DE TE/DE FB/ILB FB/DL FB/DL WR/DB FB/DL OL/ILB OL/ILB OL/DE OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/ILB OL/DE OL/DL OL/DL TE/DE WR/DB WR/DB TE/DE TE/DE WR/DB Yr. So. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. So. Jr. So. Fr. Jr. So. Jr. So. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. So. Jr. So. So. So. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. So. So. So. So. Sr. Jr. So. Sr. So. So. From the time he was hired as the new head coach at Pittston Area, Mike Barrett has spent a good portion of his time watching film of the 2010 Patriots. During the winter, the film sessions lasted at least an hour, sometimes longer. The lights at the fieldhouse usually stayed on until 9 p.m. when Barrett decided to call it a night. While he was watching film, the sounds of weights provided the background noise. There were even times when players returning for this season would watch some film with him. It is part of Barrett’s open-door policy which he hoped not only help him familiarize himself with his new team, but give the players a chance to get to know him. “I talked to a lot of people, and the ultimate thing for me is that it came down to keep it positive for the kids,” Barrett said. “I wanted to show them that I’m going to put in as much time as possible. I tell the older kids to lead by example. I better lead by example too.” Barrett believes the potential is there. It’s just a matter of getting the team to believe it as well. “I felt at times last year they were at a disadvantage position-wise or scheme-wise,” Barrett said. “There are some physical kids here. There are some great athletes and some good young kids. I really believe the way they have worked and what they have done this summer, I think we can be competitive.” A year removed from a winless season — a topic that has been brought up as little as possible — the Patriots not only have a new coach but a new offensive and defensive scheme. There were 57 players on the roster for the first week of camp, and for the most part, the changes have been accepted well. “We’re going to be very multiple,” Barrett said. “We’re going to be I, spread, one-back, empty, a little bit of everything. In a lot of ways, it’s very unorthodox but they are catching on. Their heads were spinning a bit but they are going to get it.” On defense, the Patriots will play a 50 scheme this year. “I think the 50 is an excellent defense against anything as long as you play your technique right,” Bar- rett said. “Most of the teams in the Wyoming Valley Conference play a 44. When you practice against one defense and then face the 50, it is a big change. Having to change that and practice against that, I think it can give some teams problems.” 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS COACH’S CORNER WINS BY YEAR Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 at Tunkhannock Scranton at Crestwood Dallas at Hazleton Area Williamsport Coughlin at Berwick Valley West at Wyoming Area 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. Tunkhannock Scranton Crestwood Dallas Hazleton Area Williamsport Coughlin Berwick Valley West Wyoming Area L L L L L L L L L L 28-13 20-7 42-7 21-7 14-7 46-35 26-16 46-8 49-7 21-7 2010 0 2009 3 2008 6 FAST FACTS 2007 2 Class: AAA Enrollment: 442 boys in grades 10-12 2006 4 MIKE BARRETT First year Anthony Schwab will be the starter. Sophomore James Emmett and freshman Kyle Gattuso will be the backups. Schwab saw limited time last year, attempting just five passes in two games. Coach Mike Barrett gave him the nod based on his arm strength and leadership capabilities. RUNNING BACKS Evan Hahn and Justin Wilk will be at tailback. Mark Romanczuk and Joe Giambra will be the fullbacks. Giambra carried the ball 20 times last season and is the most experienced ball carrier returning. RECEIVERS This will be a position of strength for the Patriots led by JORDAN HOUSEMAN, who caught 41 passes last year. Tyler Roman, Mike Chisdock, Mike Stankosky, Joe Starinsky and Ronnie Dellisio will also see the field. OFFENSIVE LINE The tackles will be John Ameen, Josh Blaker and Anthony Haughton. The guards are Cody Stoss, Joe Stoss, R.J. Gabello and Mike Hughes. Dave Dragon and Nick Dougal are the centers. Joe Harth is the tight end with Brian Delaney expected to see time at the position as well. DEFENSIVE LINE Some combination of Dave Dragon, Josh Blaker, John Ameen and Anthony Haughton will play defensive tackle. Tyler Roman, Joe Harth, Dave Mawson and Brian Delaney are in line to see time at defensive end. Joe Stoss and Cody Stoss will play the nose. LINEBACKERS Nick Dougal, Justin Wilk, Jake Zalewski and Mike Hughes will play at inside linebacker. SECONDARY Jordan Houseman will start at one corner. Mike Stankosky, Rich Weinstock and Mike Chisdock are looking for time on the other side. Barrett can choose from Steve Starinsky, Evan Hahn, Kyle Gattuso or Sam Falcone at the other corner. SPECIAL TEAMS Chris Musto, who booted 13 extra points and one field goal from 37 yards out, returns as the kicker. Tyler Roman will be the punter. Jordan Houseman, Kyle Gattuso, Mike Schwab, Ronnie Dellisio and Evan Hahn are in line to be the return men. CLASS AAA CLASS AAAA State playoff points at a premium for Quad-A teams Expect wild race for Triple-A playoff spots GAMEFACE PREDICTION Which four teams make the District 2 Class AAA playoffs: Abington Heights Crestwood Dallas Valley View CITIZENS’ VOICE FILE terback. Tom Gravish has the program heading in the right direction and the Millionaires are no longer the pushover they once were. of talented skill position Jim Drumheller, a longplayers and Jordan Whaley time assistant coach at Hazlewill be taking over at quar- ton Area, is now the head Running back Tashawn Bunch could be a workhorse for Valley West. WOOD PELLETS $ PER TON ONLY Now 212 CASH FIREPLACE GALLERY Can Help You Save Thousands Of Dollars On Your Heating Bill ASK OUR PROFESSIONALS WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU SAVE! No Chimney Required The Fireplace Gallery sells and fully services stoves, fireplaces, furnaces, boilers and chimneys of all kinds. We have been saving economically conscious homeowners thousands of dollars throughout the years by providing energy smart supplemental and main source heating system to help with, or tatolly eliminate, their expensive electric, propane or oil heating bills. EASY TO INSTALL FIREPLACES Enjoy the beauty of a heat producing fireplace. 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Pittston Area and Tunkhannock both have new coaches. Mike Barrett was hired at Pittston Area while Rod Azar is now the coach at Tunkhannock. Pittston Area had 57 players on its roster at the beginning of the second week of camp so that is an indication that interesting is now returning to the program. “It is going to be like any other year, there are no easy games,” Crestwood coach Greg Myers said. “We have to prepare for a fight every week.” What will make it even more dificult for the WVC teams is that the Lackawanna Conference is deep in Class AAA this season. Valley View has one of its best teams in a long time and Abington Heights is always a factor. North Pocono is consistently getting better each year and can’t be dismissed. This will be an entertaining and intriguing bracket to follow all year. Which eight teams make the District 2-4-11 Class AAAA subregional playoffs: Delaware Valley Easton Emmaus Liberty Nazareth Valley West Whitehall Williamsport coach and the Cougars are coming off a 3-7 season. Word has it that Drumheller is stressing defense this year, but the Cougars open up the year ag ainst Abington Heights, a team they always seem to struggle with. “It is a very competitive league,” Valley West coach Pat Keating said. “Williamsport has a lot of players back especially up front. It is going to be a battle every week.” The key to cracking the top eight is for the Class AAAA teams to win the games they are supposed to and maybe steal one or two they may not be favored in. The two teams that can do that will be the two that get in. THE CITIZENS’ VOICE This is going to be the most hotly contested bracket in all of District 2. Dallas, which finished the regular season 10-0 last year before being eliminated in the first round of the district tournament, has the skill players and the line to match up with anybody on its schedule. The Mountaineers will be the favorite to reach the district playoffs coming out of the Wyoming Valley Conference. But where they land will be the big question. This will be a big year for Crestwood as the Comets enter the season with high expectations and a veteran squad, some of who have been playing varsity football for three years now. Crestwood’s quarterback, Nick Aigeldinger, is a four-year starter and there is something to be said for that. “You look at 3A and everybody is loaded,” Dallas coach Ted Jackson said. “Berwick is always good, Crestwood is loaded with talent and Coughlin is going to be one of the toughest teams in the league.” Berwick returns a nice nucleus on the offensive line, a tailback in Jeremy Freeman and experience at quarterback in Jared Pierce. Coughlin has a big offensive line, a standout running back in Joe Parsnik and some question marks in the passing game. Coughlin will always be good defensively. It is only matter of whether or GAMEFACE PREDICTION # HIC # PA040430 THE CITIZENS’ VOICE FILE Coughlin will need a big year from running back Joe Parsnik to make the playoffs. As is always the case with District 2 in a subregional with Districts 4 and 11, the road to the postseason figures to be a difficult one again this season. Valley West has the best player in the Wyoming Valley Conference in Eugene Lewis but that does not necessarily mean the Spartans are the best team. Securing enough state playoff points to lock down at least one home game is crucial for any of the teams from District 2. Remember, the district is only guaranteed two playoff spots with District 11 receiving five and one wild-card team rounding out the eightteam field. Williamsport returns a lot THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 34 – THE CITIZENS’ VOICE SO YOU WANT TO BE A REF? Veteran officials offer course to teach newcomers By Steve Bennett Staff Writer In the court of public opinion, they are correct 50 percent of the time. It’s unfair to consider them weekend warriors because they have as much passion for what they do on Friday nights and Saturdays as they do their regular jobs. They don’t do it for the paycheck or to give the ego a jolt. They are high school football officials because they enjoy the game. According to Earl Harris, a 30-yard veteran of football officiating, the Wyoming Valley Mickey Noonan Chapter of high school football officials has 35 to 40 members. And it’s always looking for new officials. For that reason, Harris, along with Chuck Suppon, M i ke M o n a g h a n , B i l l Monaghan and Wayne Waslasky — all veteran officials themselves — offered a course to teach aspiring referees the trade. The four-week course met two nights a week to help prepare prospective refs to take the PIAA officiating exam. “Everybody did very well,” Harris said. “Usually you don’t score too high on the test, maybe the mid-80s. Most of these guys were in the 90s.” Dave Novrocki, David Lewis, Chris Barnic, Robert Smith and Stan Zaneski all took and passed the class with flying colors. The instructors started from the beginning, teaching not only the rules of the game, but other intricacies such as what is demanded of being an official, controlling the game and more significantly, keeping up with rule changes. “There is more to officiating than people know until they get into it,” Harris said. WARREN RUDA / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Veteran officials Earl Harris (standing) and Chuck Suppon go over the finer points of positioning on extra-point attempts. “Just knowing the rules is half of it. It’s something that you can’t just pick up a rule book for a season. You have to hit the books. There is schooling. You have to keep in the best shape you can and be serious about it. If you aren’t serious, you shouldn’t do it.” Novrocki, a principal in the Wyoming Valley West School District, is a former football coach who has officiated track and field events. He thought in order to remain close to the game he would take the test. It’s a decision he’s glad he made, even though he admits there were times during the course he felt a bit overwhelmed. “It was nothing like I expected,” Novrocki said. “I’m coming from the other side, the strategy and coaching aspect of it. Just the rules — what this is about and what that is about. I learned a lot of different aspects of what these guys go through and how to manage a game. It was a lot of fun.” Along with the classroom work, the new recruits were given a demonstration on field positioning at WilkesBarre Memorial Stadium. Demonstrations included where to stand on extra-point attempts, the proper way for a shovel pass to be delivered on a fake kick and where a holder’s knee should be when delivering the shovel pass. And that was just the beginning. “We never would have passed that test without the help of (the instructors),” Novrocki said. “They did a very good job with it, just on basic game management and the on-the-field stuff that you never pay attention to what the officials do unless they throw a flag. Everybody is busy watching the ball. As CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE New refs gain different perspective CONTINED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE an official you have to be watching between the tackles and between the center and the guard. You can’t get beat deep. The surprising part is what these guys have responsibility for.” Harris said the next step for the new officials is to get game action. For now, the five new refs will receive their baptism by fire in freshman, junior varsity and mini-football games. They were also presented the opportunity to work a number of the scrimmages in the two weeks leading up the start of the regular season. WVC varsity action isn’t likely until 2012. “They will work with a senior man and that will give them the chance to work on positioning,” Harris said. “By next year, they will be ready (to work varsity games). We want them working every week. We will get them ready.” For Dave Lewis, an employee of the City of Wilkes-Barre and a former coach, the opportunity to become an official was 3 ROOMS PLUSH CARPET $ something he always wanted. He chose football because he played and coached the game. Having the chance to take a class proved to be extremely beneficial in helping him reach his goal. “To sum it up, the class was more than the test could offer,” Lewis said. “The test was only 100 questions. In class, we covered 10 chapters and every chapter had 200 questions. I coached four years at the freshman level and I never knew about half the rules. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to take this class.” For both Novrocki and Lewis, becoming an official has changed the way they watch a game on TV. “Watching the preseason NFL games now, I just watch the referees,” Lewis said. “I key on the line and try not 589 • INSTALLED WITH PAD • FREE ESTIMATES MARKET ST., NANTICOKE Call (570) 436-1500 ELLISON CARPET to watch the ball at all. I just watch to see what the officials do.” Fortunately for Novrocki, he spends quite a bit of time watching the Big Ten Network. With the channel showing replays of old games, it gives him the chance to brush up on his skills and get an idea of what the collegiate officials are doing. “On television, they are always trailing the ball. Now I’m actually watching the line judge, the side judge and the back judge,” Novrocki said. “I’m looking for who holds the spot and who guards the flag. When I was learning the rules, I was looking for first touching on a scrimmage kick and to see why they throw the bean bag. That was when I first realized I was not watching football like I used to.” WARREN RUDA / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE The ref class of 2011 poses along with its instructors at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium. Kneeling, from left, Wayne Waslasky, Dave Novrocki, Stan Zaneski, Kevin Miller and Mike Monaghan. Standing, Dave Lewis, Chuck Suppon, Earl Harris, Robert Smith and Bill Monaghan. BELLES WET BASEMENT? CONSTRUCTION CO. 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Losing season motivates Hazleton By Steve Stallone Staff Writer One day, one practice at a time, the Hazleton Area football Cougars are on a mission. That mission is to return the program to its rightful place among the district’s elite. “We’re trying to get better each practice,” said first-year head coach Jim Drumheller, who was an assistant coach on five of the Cougars’ District 2 Class 4A championship teams from 2001-09. “I told the kids don’t just look to get through double sessions. Don’t look to get through practice. Look to get better each practice,” Drumheller continued. “If you make yourself better, you’ll make the team better.” Drumheller takes over the program for Paul Marranca, who resigned after one season. After 10 straight non-losing seasons, an 83-31 record and five district titles under head coach Rocco Petrone, the Cougars managed just three victories in 2010. “There’s not an upperclassman on this team that has forgotten last season,” Drumheller said. “We’re just not used to a 3-7 season around here, and they know that. That’s why they’re working so very hard.” With hard work and plenty of returning size, speed and firepower on both sides of the ball, the Cougars appear to have what it takes to turn things around this fall. “We’re still a work in progress,” Drumheller said. “How quickly some of these kids that don’t have experience come along will determine our success as a team.” Headlining the list of returnees is senior quarterback Chad Hoffman, a three-year starter who has added 30 pounds of muscle to his 6-foot-2 frame. “He’s battle tested, and he’s worked very, very hard in the offseason,” Drumheller said of Hoffman, who finished seventh in the state at 171 pounds at the PIAA Wrestling Championships earlier this year. “He has all the tools that you look for in a quarterback. I really expect him to have a nice season.” On the ground, the Cougars will have the tough task of replacing Pedro Guzman, who ran for 1,000 yards a year ago. Helping their cause is a big and experienced line. The entire interior line — center Brett Finkelstein and guards Kyle Bissol and A.J. Gasser — is made up of returning starters and the addition of 300-pounder Joe Komar, a transfer from Rhode Island, is a significant boost. The Cougars will need to improve on defense, after surrendering a whopping 36.4 points per game a year ago. Three-year starter Yousef Guzman will lead the turnaround effort from his middle linebacker spot. “He loves contact, and he just has a knack of finding the football,” Drumheller said of Guzman, who has been at the top of the Cougars’ tackler list each of the past two seasons. 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS COACH’S CORNER Sept. 3 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 at Abington Heights Williamsport at Delaware Valley Tunkhannock Pittston Area at Crestwood at Valley West at Coughlin E. Stroudsburg South Berwick 1 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. Abington Heights Williamsport Delaware Valley Tunkhannock Pittston Area Crestwood Valley West Coughlin E. Stroudsburg South Berwick L L L W W W L L L L 51-7 46-12 40-20 43-35 14-7 28-26 34-13 35-28 45-6 45-26 2 Kyle Minzola 3 Brad Zanette 4 Aaron Lagana 5 Albaro Castro 6 Jeff Ochs 7 Erik Johnson 8 Zack Kehler 9 Jimmy Hischar 10 Chad Hoffman 11 Colby Petrilla 12 Julius Ward 13 Ryan Palko 14 Jeff Frendrick 15 David Errichetto 16 Corey Joseph 17 Jesus Castillo 18 Eli Ancharski 19 Kevin Rosario 20 Dan Bove 22 Nick George 23 Yousef Guzman 25 Joseph Haggerty 26 Hector Calderson 27 Mannie Victoria 28 Randy Lisnock 30 Brian Campbell 31 Ryan Osadchy 32 Glenn Zukoski 33 Zach Zukoski 34 Johnny Albino 37 Matt Rossi 38 Jonathan Santana 39 Anthony Hapsmith 41 Carmer Beltrami 44 Taylor Schermerhorn 47 Joseph Oliver 48 Breyner Patino 50 Charles Bene 51 Kyle Bissol 54 Brett Finkelstein 55 A.J. Gasser 56 Steve Komar 58 Bill Youmans 60 Zach Smith 63 Yeudy Gomez 64 Dante Chirico 67 Angelo Calabrese 70 Chris Despirito 72 Zeb Kopcznskie 75 Ed Miller 76 Joe Komar 77 Dante Disabella 80 Mike Belusko 81 Jonathan Probert 82 Dajon Duncan 83 Landon Leshko 84 Dalton Kramer 85 Sam Grohol 86 Gavin Kopczynskie 87 Danny Conahan 93 Chad Snyder 94 Jamal Fowlkes Ht. 5-8 5-8 5-6 5-6 5-4 6-0 5-11 6-0 6-2 6-2 5-11 6-0 6-0 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-2 6-2 5-8 5-10 5-9 5-5 5-6 5-9 5-9 5-10 5-10 5-10 5-8 5-4 5-10 5-11 6-1 5-10 5-9 5-11 5-8 5-9 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-4 5-5 6-3 5-9 5-10 5-11 6-0 5-2 5-8 6-1 5-9 6-2 6-1 5-11 5-7 5-9 6-0 6-3 6-1 5-9 6-2 Wt. 200 150 140 150 130 170 175 170 200 170 180 170 175 155 140 175 165 193 155 170 205 120 148 165 160 195 165 225 172 136 160 184 187 187 210 181 180 185 230 265 240 260 195 318 230 289 205 210 150 250 245 190 165 195 155 130 135 205 175 190 155 225 Pos. LB/FB WR/DB WR/DB RB/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB QB WR/DB QB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB K WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB RB/DB RB/DB RB/LB WR/DB RB/DB RB/DB RB/LB RB/LB WR/DB RB/LB RB/DB RB/DB RB/LB FB/DE WR/CB RB/LB RB/LB TE/LB RB/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DE OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DE OL/DL WR/DB TE/DE WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB TE/LB WR/DB TE/DL K DE/TE Yr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. So. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. So. Sr. Jr. So. Sr. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. Sr. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. So. Fr. So. Jr. So. Sr. So. Jr. So. So. So. Sr. Jr. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. So. Sr. So. So. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. So. Sr. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. Senior Chad Hoffman was named to the Pennsylvania Top High School Football Prospects Class of 2012 by the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association. He threw for 738 yards and six touchdowns a year ago. Hoffman will be backed up by promising sophomore Julius Ward. RUNNING BACKS Fullback Yousef Guzman and tailback Brian Campbell will start in the backfield. Taylor Schermerhorn, Kyle Minzola and Glenn Zukoski can also fill the role of fullback, with Mannie Victoria, Nick George and Zach Zukoski expected to get carries at tailback. RECEIVERS A deep receiving corps includes track standout Jimmy Hischar, Erik Johnson and Jeff Fendrick, along with Zack Kehler, Ryan Palko, Colby Petrilla, Brad Zanette and Ryan Osadchy. Sam Grohol and Jonathan Probert will share time at tight end. OFFENSIVE LINE An experienced line features three returning starters in center Brett Finkelstein and guards Kyle Bissol and A.J. Gasser. Joe Komar and Ed Miller are the starting tackles, with Chris Despirito, Steve Komar and Angelo Calabrese all looking to grab their share of playing time. LINEBACKERS Yousef Guzman is the middle linebacker. Ryan Osadchy and Kyle Minzola have the inside track on the two outside linebacker positions, with Brian Campbell, Joseph Oliver, Carmen Beltrami and Taylor Schermerhorn also in the mix. DEFENSIVE LINE A.J. Gasser and Brett Finkelstein will start at the down tackle positions, backed up by Joe Komar, 300-pound Rhode Island transfer Zach Smith, Angelo Calabrese and Chris Despirito. Kyle Bissol, Sam Grohol and Steve Komar, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, give the Cougars three quality ends. Jonathan Santana also provides depth there. SECONDARY 2010 3 2009 8 The secondary is experienced, with returning starters Zack Kehler and Mannie Victoria at the corners, and first-year starters Petrilla and Hischar at the safeties. Erik Johnson, Nick George and Zach Zukoski will also see time in the secondary. 2008 10 SPECIAL TEAMS FAST FACTS 2007 11 Class: AAAA Enrollment: 1,416 boys in grades 10-12 2006 8 JIM DRUMHELLER First year WINS BY YEAR First-year senior Corey Joseph will be the kicker, with either Chad Snyder or Erik Johnson punting. The long snapper will be Johnson or Ryan Palko. ON THE AIR TELEVISION SERVICE ELECTRIC CHANNEL 2 Sept. 2: Susquehanna at Hanover Area, 7 p.m. Sept. 3: Northwest at Holy Redeemer, 1 p.m. Sept. 3: Holy Cross at Meyers, 7 p.m. Sept. 9: Old Forge at GAR, 7 p.m. Sept. 16: Pleasant Valley at Valley West, 7 p.m. Sept. 17: Holy Cross at Holy Redeemer, 7 p.m. Sept. 23: Wyoming Area at Hanover, 7 p.m. Sept. 30: Coughlin at Valley West, 7 p.m. Oct. 1: Tunkhannock at Crestwood, 7 p.m. Oct. 7: Wyoming Area at Meyers, 7 p.m. Oct. 8: Nanticoke at Holy Redeemer, 2 p.m. Oct. 8: Stroudsburg at Coughlin, 7 p.m. Oct. 14: Meyers at Hanover Area, 7 p.m. Oct. 21: Crestwood at Valley West, 7 p.m. Oct. 22: Wyoming Area at GAR, 7 p.m. Oct. 28: Nanticoke Area at GAR, 7 p.m. Oct. 29: Holy Redeemer at Meyers, 7 p.m. Nov. 4: Nanticoke Area at Hanover Area Nov. 5: Crestwood at Coughlin, 2 p.m. Nov. 5: Tunkhannock at Holy Redeemer, 7 p.m. WQMY Sept. 9: Abington Heights at Valley West, 7 p.m. Sept. 16: Valley View at Coughlin Sept. 24: Dallas at Pittston Area, 9:30 a.m. (tape delayed) Oct. 1: Southern Columbia at Lewisburg, 9:30 a.m., 8 p.m. (tape delayed) Oct. 8: Valley View at Abington Heights, 4:30 p.m. (tape delayed) Oct. 14: Hazleton Area at Valley West, 7 p.m. Oct. 21: Old Forge at Mid Valley, 7 p.m. Oct. 28: Williamsport at Crestwood, 7 p.m. STATE RANKINGS PCN Sept. 3: Cathedral Prep at McDowell, 9 p.m. Sept. 6: Bishop McDevitt at Gateway, 7 p.m. Sept. 10: McGuffey at Belle Vernon, 9 p.m. Sept. 17: Saegertown at Cochranton, 9 p.m. Sept. 24: Cocalico at Manheim Central, 9 p.m. Oct. 1: Liberty at Parkland, 9 p.m. Oct. 8: Allentown C.C. at Whitehall, 9 p.m. Oct. 15: NW Lehigh at Northern Lehigh, 9 p.m. Oct. 22: Montoursville at Hughesville, 9 p.m. Oct. 29: West Allegheny at Hopewell, 9 p.m. Nov. 5: Berwick at Hazleton Area, 9 p.m. ESPN2 Sept. 4: Archbishop Wood at Pittsburgh Central Catholic, 2 p.m. ESPNU Oct. 14: Hopewell at Central Valley, 6 p.m. RADIO ESPN RADIO 1240 AM Sept. 3: Hazleton at Abington Heights, 1 p.m. Sept. 10: Scranton Prep at Dallas, 1 p.m. Sept. 17: Berwick at Dallas, 1 p.m. Sept. 30: Riverside at Old Forge, 7 p.m. Oct. 7: West Scranton at Scranton, 7 p.m. Oct. 8: Valley View at Abington Heights, 1 p.m. Oct. 14: Lake-Lehman at GAR, 7 p.m. Oct. 21: Scranton Prep at Valley View, 7 p.m. Oct. 28: Valley View at West Scranton, 7 p.m. Nov. 5: Meyers at GAR, 7 p.m. WILK WYLN FA M I LY OW N E D & O P E R AT E D OV E R 3 5 Y E A R S & STATE EMISSIONS STATE INSPECTIONS NATIONWIDE WARRANTIES ON AUTO. 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Sept. 2: Berwick at Crestwood, 7 p.m. Sept. 9: North Pocono at Berwick, 7 p.m. Sept. 17: Berwick at Dallas, 1 p.m. Sept. 23: Valley West at Berwick, 7 p.m. Sept. 30: Selinsgrove at Berwick, 7 p.m. Oct. 7: Berwick at Tunkhannock, 7 p.m. Oct. 14: Berwick at Williamsport, 7 p.m. Oct. 21: Pittston Area at Berwick, 7 p.m. Oct. 28: Coughlin at Berwick, 7 p.m. Nov. 4: Berwick at Hazleton Area, 7 p.m. WHLM-AM 930 AM, 94.7 and 104.3 FM The Friday Football Commute, Fridays at 6 p.m. Sept. 2: South Williamsport at Bloomsburg Sept. 9: Loyalsock at Central Columbia Sept. 16: Montoursville at Bloomsburg Sept. 17: E. Juniata at Co-Mo Vo-Tech, 12:30 p.m. Sept. 23: Central Columbia at S. Columbia Sept. 30: Southern Columbia at Lewisburg Oct. 7: Southern Columbia at Bloomsburg Oct. 14: Danville at Southern Columbia Oct. 21: Lewisburg at Central Columbia Oct. 28: Bloomsburg at Danville Nov. 4: Bloomsburg at Central Columbia CARPET – CERAMIC TILE – HARDWOOD FLOORS Scorey’s Floor Covering How Can We SERVE You … Let Us Count The Ways … 1. Fast, Free, Efficient Estimating 2. Friendly, Knowledgeable, Caring Sales People 3. Professional/Timely Installation 4. Post Sales Service and Information Go to www.scoreybros.com For ON SALE NOW Armstrong Laminate Flooring ASK ABOUT FINANCING OPTIONS From 3 Months to 1 Year 32 Forest St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 570-829-5838 Serving The Wyoming Valley for 20 Years MC Visa FINANCING AVAILABLE Discover Am Exp www.scoreybros.com Mon., Tues., Wed. 9-5; Thur 9-7; Fri.-Sat. 9-3 CARPET – CERAMIC TILE – HARDWOOD FLOORS CLASS AAA CLASS AA CLASS A 1. Pittsburgh Central Catholic (7) 2. North Penn (1) 3. LaSalle College (12) 4. Neshaminy (1) 5. Upper St. Clair (7) 6. Bethlehem Liberty (11) 7. North Allegheny (7) 8. Coatesville (1) 9. Council Rock South (1) 10. Ridley (1) Others to Watch Bayard Rustin (1). Boyertown (1). Central Dauphin (3). Cumberland Valley (3). Daniel Boone (3). Delaware Valley (2). Downingtown East (1). Easton (11). Mt. Lebanon (7). Parkland (11). Roman Catholic (12). Wilson (3). Woodland Hills (7). Wyoming Valley West (2) 1. Allentown Central Catholic (11) 2. Bishop McDevitt (3) 3. Archbishop Wood (12) 4. Cathedral Prep (10) 5. Montour (7) 6. Valley View (2) 7. Thomas Jefferson (7) 8. Abington Heights (2) 9. Susquehanna Township (3) 10. Hopewell (7) Others to Watch Cardinal O’Hara (12). Central Valley (7). Clearfield Area (9). Crestwood (2). Dallas (2). Greater Johnstown (6). Greencastle-Antrim (3). Grove City (10). Manheim Central (3). Strath Haven (1). Lampeter-Strasburg (3). 1. West Catholic (12) 2. Lancaster Catholic (3) 3. Lewisburg (4) 4. Aliquippa (7) 5. Trinity (3) 6. Seton-LaSalle (7) 7. Mount Carmel (4) 8. North Schuylkill (11) 9. Tyrone Area (6) 10. Sharon Area (10) Others to Watch Beaver Falls (7). Bloomsburg (4). Delone Catholic (3). Forest Hills (6). General McLane (10). Greensburg Central Catholic (7). Hickory (10). Montoursville (4). Northern Lehigh (11). Pen Argyl (11). Towanda (4). Wilmington (10). Wyomissing (3). GAR (2). 1. Clairton (7) 2. Southern Columbia (4) 3. Rochester (7) 4. Pius X (11) 5. Dunmore (2) 6. Springdale (7) 7. Line Mountain (4) 8. Shenandoah Valley (11) 9. Sto-Rox (7) 10. Bellwood-Antis (6) Others to Watch: Avonworth (7). Bishop Canevin (7). Bishop Carroll (6). Curwensville (9). Farrell (10). Lackawanna Trail (2). Linesville (10). Marian Catholic (11). North Star (5). Port Allegany (9). Schuylkill Haven (11). Steelton-Highpire (3). W. Middlesex (10). Williams Valley (11). 2010 WVC LEADERS RUSHING Andrew Forgatch, HA Bret Rutkoski, Nwest Brian Maslowski, NA Eugene Lewis, WVW Devin Miller, Wil Bryan Mathers, LL Joe Parsnik, Cou Pedro Guzman, Haz Kurtis Thomas, GAR Darrell Crawford, GAR Mike Baldwin, Tunk Nick O’Brien, WA George Simms, WVW Charlie Roman, Cou Jeremy Freeman, Ber Rob Kotz, NA Adam Goeringer, Dal Nick Aigeldinger, Crest Nick Shelley, LL Mike Thomas, Tunk Ethan Slembarski, Crest Nahshon Braggs, Wil Chris Murphy, WA Cory Balko, Tunk Kyle Kramer, Nwest Rsh 322 227 207 185 163 163 182 146 152 128 118 159 138 141 144 123 122 137 97 92 110 78 97 98 67 Yds 2288 1426 1261 1102 1089 1070 1060 1017 1012 1006 1001 983 766 729 725 708 678 650 638 536 530 497 495 488 475 Avg 7.1 6.3 6.1 6.0 6.7 6.6 5.8 7.0 6.7 7.9 8.5 6.2 5.6 5.2 5.0 5.8 5.6 4.7 6.6 5.8 4.8 6.4 5.1 5.0 7.1 TD 34 13 14 16 8 13 13 9 14 10 7 16 11 6 2 7 11 10 7 5 4 7 7 7 7 RECEIVING Rec Yds Avg TD Jared Fagnano, Wil 48 922 19.2 8 Jordan Houseman, PA 41 538 13.1 6 Paul Brace, Dal 40 653 16.3 7 Sean Ridall, Ber 38 475 12.5 6 Nahjee Brown, Mey 37 627 16.9 6 Bryan Mathers, LL 34 479 14.1 1 Jalen McClary, WVW 33 599 18.2 4 David Gawlas, HR 33 432 13.1 2 Eric Schleich, Ber 29 537 18.5 6 Eric Kerr, HR 28 537 19.2 3 Dean McKernan, Haz 25 371 14.8 3 Lou Degnan, HR 25 357 14.3 3 Kota Kishel, Crest 24 415 17.3 5 Nick Shelley, LL 20 255 12.8 2 Sam Mason, Wil 19 296 15.6 6 Brandon Roberts, LL 19 286 15.1 3 INTERCEPTIONS Chris Murphy, WA Jordan Richardson, Dal Josh Cabrera, HA Zak Matulewski, NA Shaliek Powell, GAR Jeremy Rittenhouse, Nwest Jalen McClary, WVW No. 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 PASSING Cm Anh Le, HR 102 Jared Pierce, Ber 115 Marquise Keiser, Wil 87 Nick Aigeldinger, Crest 99 Jared Novitski, LL 95 Adam Goeringer, Dal 83 Eugene Lewis, WVW 57 Robert Waiters, Mey 75 R.J. Emmett, PA 64 Chris Murphy, WA 50 Chad Hoffman, Haz 54 Luke Seaberg, Tunk 48 Gunner Majer, Nwest 49 Joe Ksiazkiewicz, HA 30 Darrell Crawford, GAR 28 KICKING Steve McCann. GAR Katie Scalzo, WA Jared Novitski, LL Chris Scharff, Dal Christian Foley, Nwest Nick Singer, WVW Nick Aigeldinger, Crest Austin Robinson, Wil Att 237 205 148 180 166 153 113 170 132 125 140 107 108 80 77 Yds TD Int 1593 10 15 1455 15 14 1445 18 5 1314 13 7 1272 9 10 1255 13 6 1031 9 8 1029 9 11 868 8 8 831 11 7 750 6 7 691 6 6 615 6 5 613 5 4 529 4 4 EP FG Lg Pts 32 3 34 41 30 2 33 36 28 1 32 31 27 1 30 30 22 1 35 25 19 1 30 22 21 0 0 21 21 0 0 21 MORE THAN 160 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAMES AND SHOWS BROADCAST OVER THE WEB - LIVE and ARCHIVED! NPF Scoreboard Show presented by Every Friday 9:30 p.m. - 11 p.m. Gaughan Auto Store NPF Kickoff Show FEATURED NETWORKS Blue Devil Football Network Every Friday - 6 p.m. Cougar Sports Network Listen to both on Dunmore Bucks Radio Network GNA Trojan Football Network Scranton Prep Football Network WVW Spartan Football Network and www.NortheastPaFootball.com BROADCASTS, SCORES, SCHEDULES, STANDINGS, ROSTERS, ARTICLES, RANKINGS, POLLS the Northeast Pa Football Network at Facebook.com/NortheastPaFootball THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 – 37 AUTO TRANS., STAND. TRANS., WHLM-FM Rankings by PAfootballnews.com. Districts listed in parentheses. CLASS AAAA THE CITIZENS’ VOICE KELLY TRANSMISSION & AUTO SERVICE CENTER 1280, 1340, 1400, 1590 AM Sept. 3: Lakeland at Scranton Prep, 12:40 p.m. Sept. 9: North Pocono at Berwick, 6:40 p.m. Sept. 10: Scranton Prep at Dallas, 12:40 p.m. Sept. 16: West Scranton at Dunmore, 6:40 p.m. Sept. 17: Berwick at Dallas, 12:40 p.m. Sept. 23: Valley View at Scranton, 6:40 p.m. Sept. 24: Carbondale at Holy Cross, 12:40 p.m. Sept. 30: Coughlin at Valley West, 6:40 p.m. Oct. 1: Del Val at Abington Heights, 12:40 p.m. Oct. 1: Stroudsburg at Coughlin, 6:40 p.m. Oct. 7: Scranton at West Scranton, 6:40 p.m. Oct. 8: Valley View at Abington Hts, 12:40 p.m. Oct. 8: Tunkhannock at Crestwood, 6:40 p.m. Oct. 14: Old Forge at Lack. Trail, 6:40 p.m. Oct. 15: Crestwood at Dallas, 12:40 p.m. Oct. 22: Wyoming Area at GAR, 6:40 p.m. LAMINATE FLOORS – VINYL TILE – NO-WAX SHEET VINYL WNEP2 Sept. 2: Valley West at Scranton, 7 p.m. Sept. 9: Mount Carmel at Lewisburg, 7 p.m. Oct. 14: Berwick at Williamsport, 7 p.m. Oct. 21: Scranton Prep at Valley View, 7 p.m. Oct. 28: S. Columbia at Mount Carmel, 7 p.m. Nov. 4: Pittston Area at Wyoming Area, 7 p.m. 910 AM, 980 AM, 1300 AM, 103.1 FM Sept. 2: Lake Lehman at Old Forge Sept. 9: Scranton at Pittston Area Sept. 16: Hanover Area at Mid Valley Sept. 23: Tunkhannock at Hazleton Area Sept. 30: Riverside at Old Forge Oct. 7: Wyoming Area at Meyers Oct. 14: Hazleton Area at Valley West Oct. 21: Old Forge at Mid Valley Oct. 28: Northwest Area at Wyoming Area Nov. 4: Dallas at Lake Lehman LAMINATE FLOORS – VINYL TILE – NO-WAX SHEET VINYL Channel 7 on Service Electric Wilkes-Barre Sept. 2: Berwick at Crestwood, 7 p.m. Sept. 9: Williamsport at Hazleton Area, 7 p.m. Sept. 16: Marian Cath. at Mahanoy Area, 7 p.m. Sept. 23: Tunkhannock at Hazleton Area, 7 p.m. Sept. 30: Pittston Area at Hazleton Area, 7 p.m. Oct. 7: Hazleton Area at Crestwood, 7 p.m. Oct. 14: Lake-Lehman at GAR, 7 p.m. Oct. 21: Hazleton Area at Coughlin, 7 p.m. Oct. 28: E. Stroudsburg S. at Hazleton, 7 p.m. Nov. 4: Berwick at Hazleton Area, 7 p.m. FOX SPORTS RADIO THE GAME THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 38 – THE CITIZENS’ VOICE WILLIAMSPORT MILLIONAIRES QUARTERBACKS Williamsport moving in right direction ROSTER Pos. QB/DE WR/CB QB/S WR/CB WR/S QB/S TE/DE QB/S RB/CB WR/DB QB/S WR/CB WR/DL TE/LB WR/DE WR/DB FB/LB RB/LB WR/CB RB/S RB/CB WR/DB RB/DB RB/LB WR/LB RB/LB RB/LB TE/LB WR/S TE/LB RB/DB RB/LB WR/DB FB/LB RB/DL TE/DL TE/DE OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/LB OL/LB OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DE OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL WR/S FB/DL WR/DB TE/DE TE/DE WR/CB TE/DL TE/DE WR/DB OL/DL Slowly but surely the Williamsport football program is heading in the right direction. Coming off a pair of 7-4 seasons and consecutive appearances in the District 2-4-11 Class AAAA subregional playoffs, the Millionaires are once again focused on returning to the postseason. Unlike the previous two trips, the Millionaires are looking to pick up a win. Two years ago, the Millionaires were eliminated by Hazleton Area. Last year, it was Nazareth that brought an end to Williamsport’s season. “The kids were disappointed they lost to Nazareth,” coach Tom Gravish said. “Their goal is to get back to the playoffs and win. We have a tough schedule. It’s a tough conference. Every game is tough. It should be fun.” The Millionaires have made tremendous strides under Gravish, who took over the program in 2007. He’s led the Millionaires to an overall mark of 14-8 over the past two seasons. Prior to that, it took the program seven years to win 14 games. According to Gravish, the recent success is a tribute to the players putting in the necessary work during the offseason. “I like the work ethic and attitude,” Gravish said. “Our numbers for football interest keep growing. We have more guys getting involved in the offseason. Nobody forces them and I think it prepares us well for the season.” As far as depth, the Millionaires have it at all the right positions. Jordan Whaley won a three-way battle for the starting quarterback job. Running back Devin Miller, who wasn’t penciled in as the starter last year, took advantage of an opportunity and rushed for more than 1,000 yards. Along with Miller, three others are expected to get some touches behind big fullback Shakyil Murphy, who made the transition from tight end. Sadiq Burkholder, who saw time at quarterback when Williamsport went to the Wildcat formation, is not listed on the depth chart at the position this year. He makes the move to receiver to complement the speedy Sam Person on the perimeter. Gravish is excited to have James Boggs on the roster at receiver this year and likes his athleticism. Boggs started on the basketball team as a sophomore. Defensively, the Millionaires will still be in their base 50 with Ryan Hostrander and Joe Cohick anchor- ing the ends. Billy Kennedy and Murphy will be at tackle. With the experience and athleticism the Millionaires have, it is no surprise that thoughts of returning to the postseason are realistic as long as the team can stay healthy. In the instances when injuries do creep up, the role players can step up and perform up to their capabilities. “We are going to try and win every game as long as they are keeping score,” Gravish said. “I don’t think the kids are uptight or stressed out. We’re looking to make more of a name for ourselves. We’re going to play with enthusiasm and pin our ears back and see what happens.” 1 Owen Lukens 3 Sam Person 4 Dale Berkheimer 5 Devon Fisher 6 James Boggs 7 Jordan Whaley 8 Ryan Hostrander 9 Sadiq Burkholder 10 Nail Beyah 11 Tashi Clay 12 Marcus Thompson 13 Anthony James 14 Maurice Gales 15 Zach Diemer 16 Taron Dinkins 19 Austin Rizzo 20 Terrence Blanton 21 Knowledge Frierson 22 Ben Myers 23 Devin Miller 24 Charles Ferguson 25 Dalton Lovell 26 Brice Harris 29 Justin Hoffman 30 Tanner Bashnick 31 Alex Churchill 32 Denzel Adams 33 Austin Robinson 34 Christian Hague 35 Jamir Smith 37 Caleb Belle 40 Mike Snook 41 Kye Wagoner 42 Tanner Mazzante 43 Isaac Foust 44 David Robinson 46 Tyler Gardner 50 Billy Kennedy 51 Malachi Price 52 Ben Choate 53 Terrell Pittinger 54 Matt Wertz 55 Joe Cohick 57 Wes Mintzer 60 Tre Brown 62 Denton Parker 65 Alec Howard 66 Tanner Rudy 67 Colin Fausnaught 70 Derrick Danneker 74 Anthony Kaiser 75 Ben Tripoli 76 Billy Haines 77 Brett Hill 80 Chaz Hoover 82 Justin Dymeck 83 Ivan Morrow 84 Guiliano Gardner 85 Jay Westbrook 86 Larry Newman 87 Shakyil Murphy 88 Dylan Perry 89 Najee Samford 90 Austin Eisner 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS COACH’S CORNER WINS BY YEAR By Steve Bennett Staff Writer Sep. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 16 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 at Central Mountain at Hazleton Area Stroudsburg at Coughlin Dallas at Pittston Area Berwick Tunkhannock at Crestwood Valley West 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. THE CITIZENS’ VOICE FILE Junior running back Devin Miller, a 1,000-yard rusher last season, is Williamsport’s most dynamic player. Central Mountain W 49-20 Hazleton Area W 46-12 Stroudsburg W 16-9 Coughlin L 20-16 Dallas L 52-43 Pittston Area W 46-35 Berwick W 21-17 Tunkhannock W 46-25 Crestwood W 33-20 Valley West L 28-7 District 2-4-11 subregional playoffs Nazareth L 63-24 TOM GRAVISH Fifth year CAREER RECORD 16-26 FAST FACTS Class: AAAA Enrollment: 752 boys in grades 10-12 2010 7 2009 7 2008 2 2007 0 2006 4 Yr. Jr. Sr. So. Sr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. So. So. So. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Sr. So. Jr. So. Sr. So. So. Jr. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. So. Sr. Jr. Sr. So. So. Sr. So. Sr. Sr. So. So. So. Jordan Whaley emerged as the front runner in a three-way battle for the starting job. Backing him up will be Dale Berkheimer and Owen Lukens. This is the deepest Williamsport has been at the position in a while. RUNNING BACKS Devin Miller returns at tailback after rushing for 1,135 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Others that factor into the mix include Nail Beyah, Caleb Belle and Brice Harris. Shakyil Murphy, who played tight end last season, moves to fullback. Murphy is 6-foot-2, 275 pounds. Denzel Adams will also see time at fullback. RECEIVERS Sam Person returns at receiver and will be paired up with a combination of Devon Fisher, Sadiq Burkholder, Anthony James and James Boggs. Fisher is considered the fastest player on the team while Burkholder saw time at QB when Williamsport went to its Wildcat package. Zach Diemer will play tight end with Ryan Hostrander and Austin Robinson also expecting to see time. OFFENSIVE LINE Joe Cohick will start at center. Billy Haines and Ben Choate will be the guards. Derrick Danneker and Anthony Kaiser will be the tackles. Billy Kennedy, who played in all 11 games last year, will also rotate in while Colin Fausnaught can play center, guard and tackle. DEFENSIVE LINE Billy Kennedy and Shakyil Murphy will be the tackles. Billy Haines is going to start at nose in the base 50 but can also rotate in at tackle. In that instance, Tre Brown and David Robinson will see time at the nose. Ryan Hostrander and Joe Cohick will be the ends. LINEBACKERS Alex Churchill and Zach Diemer will start at linebacker. Other players vying for time include Mike Snook, Denzel Adams and key newcomer Justin Hoffman. SECONDARY Sadiq Burkholder and Austin Robinson will be the safeties. Sam Person, who started every game last year, will be one corner with Anthony James at the other. James Boggs and Nail Beyah will also see time at corner. Person picked off two passes last season. SPECIAL TEAMS Austin Robinson, who kicked 21 extra points last season, returns. Sadiq Burkholder will kick off while Ryan Hostrander will punt. Zach Diemer is the long snapper. BERWICK BULLDOGS QUARTERBACKS ROSTER Last year, the Berwick Bulldogs had to eat their peas. Now, they’re hoping it’s time for some ice cream. Injuries hit Berwick hard a year ago, with standout players like Christian Whitebread, Casey Davenport, Mike Melchiorre and Tony Goodson all missing significant time. The underclassmen who stepped into the void took their lumps to the tune of a 6-6 record, but now they’re hoping the experience they gained will prove beneficial this season. “The kids had to grow up real fast,” coach Gary Campbell said. “We substituted with sophomores. It was a little ugly in the middle, but at the end, they got better and better and better.” The ugliness was contained in the first five weeks. That’s when Ber- wick went 1-4, including losses to rivals like Valley West, Dallas and Selinsgrove. From that point on, Berwick went 5-2 with quality wins over opponents like Hazleton Area, Coughlin and Bangor and advanced to the Class AAA Eastern Conference finals. “We started off slow and we realized we had to play together more as a team, work hard together and work hard at practice,” center Jake Jola said. “The way we finished last year, we just have to build on that and keep on continuing strong.” Will Berwick be able to avoid a slow start again this season? One factor working against the Bulldogs is the schedule. Games with North Pocono, Dallas, Valley West and Selinsgrove starting in week two look like a mine field. “We always play a tough schedule. Every year,” quarterback Jared Pierce said. One factor working in Berwick’s favor is a running game that might do some damage. Returning are Pierce, an athletic three-year starter at quarterback, 900-yard rusher Jeremy Freeman and five linemen who played a lot last season. Last year, the better Berwick ran the ball, the more success it had on the scoreboard. During the 1-4 start, the Bulldogs averaged 128 yards per game on the ground. During the 5-2 finish, they averaged 180 yards per game. Much of that disparity is situational of course — a team with a lead will run the ball more than a team that’s trailing — but a basic truth remains. No defense wants to run into a Berwick team that is in a smashmouth mood. “I think that once the line got experienced and felt comfortable with running the ball, we ran the ball,” Jola said. “Downhill power is what we’re good at.” 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS COACH’S CORNER WINS BY YEAR MARK MORAN / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Seniors Kolton Lynn, Jake Jola, Jeremy Freeman and Jared Pierce are Berwick’s captains. Berwick has experience in key spots By Jonathan Bombulie Staff Writer Sept. 2 Sept. 9 Sept. 17 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 7 Oct. 14 Oct. 21 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 at Crestwood North Pocono at Dallas Valley West Selinsgrove at Tunkhannock at Williamsport Pittston Area Coughlin at Hazleton Area 7 7 1 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. Crestwood W 32-14 North Pocono L 21-20 Dallas L 22-12 Valley West L 27-15 Selinsgrove L 14-13 Tunkhannock W 22-21 Williamsport L 21-17 Pittston Area W 46-8 Coughlin W 12-7 Hazleton Area W 45-26 Eastern Conference Playoffs Bangor W 28-21 Valley View L 35-21 GARY CAMPBELL Sixth year CAREER RECORD 37-22 FAST FACTS Class: AAA Enrollment: 382 boys in grades 10-12 2010 6 2009 7 2008 11 2007 9 2006 4 Pos. HB/DB QB/SS SE/SS WR/CB HB/DB QB/FS K/DB WR/DB QB/FS WR/CB HB/CB HB/SS QB/DB WR/DB RB/CB RB/CB WR/DB RB/LB RB/DB WR/DB WR/DB WR/DB RB/LB TE/DE HB/LB RB/LB TE/DE RB/LB G/DT G/DT T/DE T/DT G/LB C/DT C/LB T/LB C/DT C/LB G/LB G/DT C/LB G/DE G/DE G/DT G/DT T/DT OT/DT T/DT G/DT G/DT T/DE T/DT T/DT TE/LB HB/LB TE/LB WR/CB RB/DB TE/DE TE/DE TE/DE WR/FS TE/LB TE/LB Yr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. So. Sr. So. Jr. So. Jr. So. So. So. Jr. Sr. So. Sr. So. So. So. So. So. Sr. Jr. So. Jr. So. Sr. So. Jr. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. So. So. Jr. Sr. So. Jr. So. So. Jr. Jr. So. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. So. So. Jr. So. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. So. RUNNING BACKS An injury to Tony Goodson last season created an opportunity for Jeremy Freeman, and he took full advantage of it. Freeman racked up more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage last season – 926 rushing and 191 receiving. RECEIVERS Graduation did a number on Berwick in the pass-catching department. Sean Ridall and Eric Schleich combined to catch 79 passes for 1,228 yards last season. Now, they’re both playing on Saturday – Schleich at Colgate and Ridall at East Stroudsburg. Stepping into the void is 6-foot-1 junior Jake Peccorelli, whom Pierce speaks highly of. Berwick traditionally throws to its tight ends, so Brandon Dalberto could be a target as well. OFFENSIVE LINE The starting five this season was the basically the starting five for the last seven games last year. Center Jake Jola anchors a line that features Andrew Groome and Gavin Harter at tackle and Drew Berube and Dom Parmenteri at guard. They average about 245 pounds a man. DEFENSIVE LINE Replacing standout defensive end Roy Dennis, who is playing at Bloomsburg, won’t be easy, but Berwick has size and experience here. Brandon Dalberto and Gavin Harter are at end. Jake Jola and Adam Harrison are in the middle. LINEBACKERS On the outside, Travis Potter is a junior who might have star potential and Kolton Lynn is a senior captain who is moving to linebacker from defensive end. Brad Shoemaker is in the middle. SECONDARY The biggest question mark on the defense. Juniors John Bushinski and Matt Cashman are at corner. Senior Arlent Mejia is the strong safety. Jake Peccorelli is the free safety. SPECIAL TEAMS With Alex Oliver back to kick and Jared Pierce to punt, Berwick has experienced specialists. Oliver kicked a schoolrecord 43-yard field goal last season. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 – 39 Wt. 165 195 170 175 165 170 165 160 165 150 165 160 150 150 175 170 160 205 160 150 155 160 170 225 190 185 150 190 175 220 245 185 230 225 185 180 170 175 185 190 195 175 185 190 220 280 240 250 250 240 240 270 280 180 180 190 140 155 200 235 170 160 200 185 THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Ht. 5-10 6-0 6-0 5-11 5-8 6-0 5-8 5-10 6-1 6-0 5-9 5-9 5-9 5-9 5-9 5-9 5-9 5-11 5-10 5-9 5-10 6-0 5-5 6-0 6-1 5-10 5-8 5-10 5-7 5-11 6-5 5-9 5-10 5-9 5-10 5-9 5-11 5-9 5-8 5-8 6-0 6-0 6-0 5-8 5-11 5-9 5-11 6-1 6-1 6-0 6-1 6-0 5-9 5-9 5-10 5-10 5-6 5-7 6-4 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-0 5-8 1 Will Masteller 2 Jared Pierce 3 Zach Ladonis 4 Anthony DiPippa 5 Alex Klinger 7 C.J. Curry 8 Alex Oliver 9 Jake Jones 12 Jake Peccorelli 19 Max Thomas 20 Matt Cashman 21 Rick Densberger 22 Eric Brown 23 Chris Hampton 24 Josh Bushinski 25 Arlent Mejia 26 Andrew Wenner 27 Jeremy Freeman 28 Kyle Trenholm 28 Josh Gregory 29 Donnie Shields 30 Sal Ferarra 31 Rich Snyder 33 Brandon Berkes 35 Travis Potter 39 Tanner Weaver 40 Josh Hoskins 44 Jordan Stout 50 Zach Kessler 51 Raymond Grassly 52 Mackenzy Meeker 53 Zach Ridall 54 Brent Harner 55 Jake Jola 56 Ethan Thomas 57 Matt Tonkinson 58 Seamus Slabinski 61 Troy Stair 62 Nick Francak 64 Cody George 65 Brad Shoemaker 67 Dustin Hosler 68 Josh Lowery 69 Dalton Schecterly 70 Jeff Owen 71 Steve Speedwell 72 Adam Harrison 74 Kyle Stearly 75 Drew Berube 76 Dom Parmenteri 77 Gavin Harter 78 Andrew Groome 79 Colton Long 80 James Karchner 81 Ian Mazonkey 82 A.J. Vandermark 83 Aaron Preston 84 Marty Grassly 85 Will Updegrove 86 Brandon Dalberto 87 Brandon Kulp 88 Jeff Steeber 89 Kolton Lynn 99 Jesse Knorr Three-year starter Jared Pierce did most of his damage in the air last season, throwing for almost 1,700 yards and 18 touchdowns. With fewer weapons in the passing game this year, he might run more, and why not? He did have eight touchdowns on the ground.