OIL CITY DERRICK REPORTS KEYSTONE

OIL CITY DERRICK REPORTS KEYSTONE'S BLACK TO PLAY FOOTBALL AT MARSHALL

KNOX -- Ed Finck of the Oil City Derrick reported Wednesday that Keystone's standout quarterback Adam Black has made a verbal commitment to play football at Marshall University, a Division I school that plays in the Mid-American Conference.

Black, who was listed as 6-foot-6, 205 pounds on Keystone's football roster, was a third-team Associated Press Small Schools (Class A & AA) all-state quarterback and a first-team Pennsylvania Football News Class A all-state quarterback this past season after leading Keystone to a 7-3 mark this season its best record since the early 1990's.

District 9's leading passer during the 2001 season, Black was 140-for-271 passing (51.7 percent) for 2,342 yards and 30 touchdowns while throwing just six interceptions. His top performance of the season came against West Shamokin Sept. 28 when he went 25-for-36 passing for 426 yards and seven touchdowns. The seven touchdowns set a school record at Keystone, and the performance was chosen as the D9Sports.Com District 9 Performance of the Year. The 30 touchdowns during the season was also a Keystone record.

For his career, Black finished as the top passer in Keystone history going 369-for-768 (48.0 percent) for 5,265 yards and 55 touchdowns.

Marshall has been one of the top teams in the country since moving to Division I football in 1997. The Thundering Heard have appeared in all five Mid-American Conference Championship games going 4-1 with their lone loss coming this past season 41-36 at Toledo in a game they led 23-0 at one point. Marshall has also been to five straight Bowl game going 4-1 including a thrilling 64-61 double-overtime win over East Carolina in the GMAC Bowl Dec. 19 in Mobile, Ala. In the game, Marshall trailed 38-8 at halftime but rallied to win.

The win in the GMAC Bowl helped Marshall finish the season with an 11-2 record and a No. 21 ranking in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll.

Marshall has been a hot-bed for quarterbacks since moving to Division I. Chad Pennington was a first-round draft pick by the New York Jets in 2000 and is the back-up quarterback for the Jets. Current Thundering Heard quarterback Bryron Leftwich, who will be a senior in 2002, had an outstanding season last year going 314-for-470 for 4,131 yards and 38 touchdowns while throwing seven interceptions. In his career, Leftwich has thrown for 8,431 yards (including Bowl Games) and 64 touchdowns. He is being promoted by Marshall has a Heisman Trophy candidate next season.

The Thundering Heard have also had some great wide receivers over the last few years including the Minnesota Vikings Randy Moss, who some consider the best wide out in the NFL, and the New England Patriots Troy Brown, who is one of the rising stars in the NFL and a 2001 Pro Bowl Selection for the AFC Champions.