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SMETHPORT WILL BE YOUNG IN 2002 |
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Information for the following preview information for Smethport was found in the Aug. 7 on-line edition of the Olean Times Herald written by Jim Melaro. Please visit the Times Herald website at www.oleantimesherald.com SMETHPORT – As the 2002 football season nears, some questions surround the Smethport football team. The Hubbers, who finished 9-1 overall and 9-0 in the AML North last year winning the AML Championship before losing to Curwensville in the District 9 Class A playoffs, have only 13 lettermen back from that team including just two starters. The two starters are Nick Vandermark, a guard and defensive end, and center Cody Glick. Smethport head coach Carl Defillipi, though, believes his team has some good, young players in the mix. "We have some nice kids and good size," Defillipi told Melaro. "But we are going to be very young. Hopefully we’ll be enthusiastic." The Hubbers have a lot of skill players to replace in 2002 including quarterback Jeff Shostak (53 for 11 for 1,046 yds. & 15 touchdowns and 111 rushes for 628 yds. & 10 touchdowns), running back Eric Raydo (97 carries for 461 yds. & 7 touchdowns) and Dan Mitchell (44 carries for 283 yds. & 5 touchdowns) and wide receiver Steve Bartas (30 catches for 582 yds. & 7 touchdowns). "This year we haven’t had a quarterback ready to step right in since early in the 1990’s," Defillipi told Melaro. "We are always doing a lot of teaching, but this year we’re going to have to go a lot slower." Defillipi also told Melaro he believes there will be a lot of sophomores and maybe even a few freshmen who are going to see action this season. "We’re going to have to move kids around to play different positions until we find a combination that plays together," Defillipi told Melaro. "The big concern that I have is if we suffer some injuries at the skill positions. We are so thin, we’ll really be hurting." At quarterback, Smethport has two players on the depth chart in sophomore Mike Mitchell and Josh Irons. Mitchell is a returning letterman. The running backs are senior letterman Eric Alter, junior lettermen Andy Rounsville and Ben Rothermel as well as junior Randy McCaslin. At tight end, the Hubbers will be looking at senior lettermen Craig Kandare and Scott Ayers as well as junior Jesse Hewitt and sophomore Tim Linane, who goes 6-4, 260 pounds. The offensive line will be anchored by the 6-2, 230 Glick and the 5-11, 240 Vandermark. At the other guard it will either be junior letterman Jake Garthwaite (5-10, 180) or junior letterman Josh Ayers (6-2, 220). The tackles will be sophomore letterman Dave Vandermark (6-3, 250) and senior letterman Bryon Stebbins (5-10, 285). Junior Dan Lawrence (5-10, 188) should back up Nick Vandermark. On defense, Nick and Dave Vandermark will be joined by Linane at the defensive end spots, while Stebbins, senior letter winner Kyle Martin (6-4, 270) and Glick will be the down lineman. The linebackers should be Rounsville, Alter, Garthwaite, McCaslin and Lawrence with Rothermel, Mitchell, Kandare, Hewitt, Irons and Scott Ayers in the secondary. The two kickers return with Kandare at punter and Nick Vandermark at place kicker. The Hubbers season kicks off Aug. 30 at Elk County Catholic. |