2009 - WEEK ONE PREVIEW WITH TEAM-BY-TEAM SEASON PREVIEW

By Rich Rhoades

Another season, another year of previewing the weekly matchups.

District 9 high school football gets under way with 14 games this Labor Day weekend, 11 on Friday and three on Saturday.

The marquee matchup of the week is probably Clarion’s trip to Moniteau in a battle of what figures to be two Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference front-runners. The Warriors are the defending KSAC champions, although they lost in the District 9 Class AA Championship game to Karns City.

In the Allegheny Mountain League, defending champion Kane takes on the team it beat in the AML Championship game when it hosts Cameron County. Saturday night in another AML matchup, Coudersport visits Elk County Catholic in what could be an interesting game.

In non-conference action, DuBois travels to Clearfield Friday night for the 103^rd meeting between the traditional rivals. Although both are members of the Mountain Athletic Conference, they are in different divisions.

Here’s a closer look at this week’s schedule, with some season preview information, especially for the District 9 teams:

FRIDAY’S GAMES

KEYSTONE SHORTWAY ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

CLARION AT MONITEAU

It’s very possible that this game could be biggest game on the KSAC schedule this year.

Clarion: Head coach Larry Wiser returns for his 22^nd season after initially planning to retire after last year’s Class A runner-up finish. While he has only one returning starting offensive lineman, Wiser has some playmakers that could shine, assuming new linemen are found. Sophomore Brandon Heeter and junior Dan Walters were battling for the starting quarterback spot in the preseason. Heeter replaced Walters early last year after Walters suffered a knee injury and passed for 613 yards and eight touchdowns. Senior Bubba Rue led the team with 809 yards rushing last year and at linebacker led the team in tackles with 157. Senior Kevin Grejda also was a key performer at running back and linebacker, rushing for 429 yards and making 127 tackles and a team-best 12 sacks.

Moniteau: Quarterback Tyler Armagost has graduated, but the Warriors return six offensive and nine defensive starters from a 10-2 team that won their first-ever conference title. Senior James Shope rushed for 1,304 yards and is closing in on 3,000 for his career. He needs 977 yards to break the team rushing record of 3,299 yards held by Bill Staab. Senior wideout Tony Campbell caught 43 balls for 1,018 yards and 14 touchdowns. Senior Zach Wheeler or sophomore Kyle Armagost, Tyler’s little brother, will be the quarterback. Senior lineman/linebacker Jacob Boy is also back. He made 58 tackles (third on team) with 22 sacks.

KEYSTONE AT A-C VALLEY

Keystone: Jason Nellis enters his sixth season with the Panthers looking for some defense. Despite making the Class A playoffs, the Panthers gave up 43.1 points per game. Senior quarterback Dan Reed returns after passing for 1,059 yards and rushing for 517 yards. Their top rusher in senior Zach Smith (567 yards) returns as does their second leading receiver Brett Zuck (324 yards, 32 catches). Reed, Smith and Zuck scored 23 of the team’s 34 TDs a year ago. The Panthers have three starters back on the offensive line and only senior tackle Tyler Colwell returns on the defensive side of the trench. Senior linebacker Zach Baughman’s 64 tackles ranked second on the team.

A-C Valley: The Falcons carry a 31-game losing streak into this season with their fifth coach in 10 years in Chris McNany, a 1996 ACV grad. Senior quarterback Michael Orrvick is their top player and he’ll also start at free safety. Justin Loll will be the slotback and senior Cullen McNany is the only offensive lineman starter returning. Of the 28 players on the roster, 10 hail from co-op partner Cranberry.

UNION AT BROOKVILLE

Union: Al Pryor is back in the saddle for the Golden Knights, returning to the program he coached from 1996 to 2000. His top returning player is senior Zach Traister, a first-team KSAC slotback who rushed for 275 yards, and caught 28 passes for 457 yards. Junior Trent Corle and sophomore Taylor Smith battled for the starting QB spot in the preseason. Of the 40 players on the Union preseason roster, 18 were freshmen.

Brookville: Chris Dworek starts his 14^th season at the helm of the Raiders, tying Al Lefevre for the longest tenure in years in the history of the program. The Raiders return 12 of 22 starting positions, including their top passer, top two rushers, and leading receiver and tackler. Sophomore Tyler Dombrowski passed for 553 yards and five touchdowns, but Dworek wasn’t ready to name him or junior Garrett Weaver the starting QB earlier this week. Senior Kyle Galbraith rushed for  732 yards and senior Ethan Harmon was second at 497 yards. Junior Jared Heschke caught 18 passes for 315 yards and led the team in tackles at middle linebacker.

KARNS CITY AT PUNXSUTAWNEY   

Karns City: It’s hard to avoid the word “rebuilding” when you lose 23 seniors, but that’s what head coach Ed Conto is facing as he heads into his 10^th season with the Gremlins. While no marquee names return, there is probably more than one waiting to emerge. The closest one to that from last year would be senior Jake Wagner, who rushed for 339 yards and made 2 ½ sacks on defense at end. Senior RB Craig Slomers, senior WR/CB Brandon Collier and senior FB/LB Aaron Markle are other possible leaders on a team with unknowns, at least from the outside looking in. Junior Dylan Hipple and sophomores Brady Ellenberger and Seth Negley were battling for the quarterback spot in the preseason. 

Punxsutawney: Alan Nichol takes over the reins of a Chucks program looking for their first winning season in seven years. The Punxsutawney graduate has the potential of waking up a sleeping Class AAA giant, especially in the KSAC. Nichol was the head coach in 1998 and 1999 in Curwensville and helped lay the groundwork for some pretty good following Golden Tide seasons. Sophomore Logan Weaver passed for 1,184 yards and rushed for 409 yards last year as a freshman starter. Senior RB Nick Wehrle (293 yards rushing), senior WR Braedon Pennington (13 catches, 198 yards), junior FB Ben Blazavich (243 yards rushing) and senior RB/LB Brennan Niver (297 yards rushing, third on team in tackles) are the leading returners.

REDBANK VALLEY AT CLARION-LIMESTONE

Redbank Valley: The graduation of 3,000-yard rusher Alex Bladel gives one the impression that the Bulldogs are starting from scratch this year, but that’s not the case. Second-year head coach Brandon Rapp lost just seven players, albeit all key ones, to graduation but has a whopping 24 seniors on the roster. Senior Shiloh Buchleitner returns at quarterback after passing for 879 yards and 10 touchdowns while rushing for 347 yards. Senior RB/DL Pat Goheen, senior lineman Brent Shuster, senior QB/K Brandon Bain and senior WR Keaton Truitt are some top returners.

Clarion-Limestone: Head coach Todd Smith returns for his seventh season following a tough 1-8 season that saw the Lions lose three games at the end of regulation or in overtime. The Lions will try to bounce back from that by looking to a core group of playmakers, led by four-year starting quarterback Dan Miller who passed for 960 yards and seven TDs. Senior Zac Roller led the team with 474 yards rushing and Zach Kemmer was the top receiver with 408 yards. Senior RBs Jace Rhoads and Jonathan Pezzuti should be big contributors as well.

ALLEGHENY MOUNTAIN LEAGUE

CAMERON COUNTY AT KANE

Cameron County: John Fragale returns to coach the defending District 9 Class A champion Red Raiders after a seven-season hiatus. He has only nine starters back from a 12-2 squad. Senior RB/LB Andy Lippert ran for 1,066 yards and 16 TDs while junior quarterback Jason Blose rushed for 401 yards and passed for 459 yards in a run-dominated offense. Senior LB Kyle McManigle was second on the team with 75 tackles.

Kane: Jason Barner enters his fourth season with the Wolves coming off an 8-3 season that saw them win the AML title. He doesn’t have a whole lot coming back as senior Arie Paup (199 yards rushing, 18 catches, 303 yards) is the probably the top returner. Senior WR/LB Bert Leonard caught three passes and was the fifth-leading tackler with 71 tackles and five sacks. Senior LB Robert Kumher was the fourth-leading tackler with 74 stops.

OTTO-ELDRED AT JOHNSONBURG

Otto-Eldred: Head coach Luke Breese, 23 years old and already his third season (second full season), has 33 players on the roster, including 10 who started on at least one side of the ball. Junior Noah Colebert will start at QB while Senior RB/S Drew Coscia is probably the top returning player.

Johnsonburg: Sixth-year head coach Tom Launer is working with a 22-player roster that does not return any starting backfielders. Freshman Mitchell Vallone is set to start the opener at QB while senior Vince Vavala and Trey DeCecchis will be the tailback and fullback respectively. Senior Matt Shuey moves from nose tackle to middle linebacker. Senior Steve Carnesali anchors both lines.

BROCKWAY AT SMETHPORT

Brockway: Third-year head coach Frank Varischetti has his quarterback returning in sophomore Derek Buganza and that should already make for an interesting storyline. As a freshman, Buganza passed for 2,923 yards and 28 touchdowns. If the Rovers can replace their top three receivers and improve on defense, look out. Juniors Mike Vervoort (30 catches, 306 yards), Jake Shaffer (37 catches, 303 yards) and Zack Freemer (17 catches, 292 yards) are back. Junior LB Nathan Hartless was second on the team with 63 tackles. Senior LB Seth Galluzzi made 44 tackles.

Smethport: Ryan Yingling coaches the Hubbers for his second season, coming off a 2-7 campaign. Nine players are back who started on at least one side of the ball. Senior Jarod Hughes returns at quarterback and junior Ryan Wells at tailback.

NON-CONFERENCE

DUBOIS AT CLEARFIELD

DuBois: Jason Shilala returns for his fifth season with a handful of key players back from a 5-6 season. Senior Josh Means, a DB last year with four interceptions and 33 tackles, moves into the starting quarterback spot. Senior Cam Kelly and junior Shawn Newpher will get most of the carries this year behind a line that returns three of its six starters, led by senior Justin Crytser and junior Bret Zimmerman.

Clearfield: The longest-tenured coach in District 9, Tim Janocko, is in his 25^th season with the Bisons. He has one of his youngest squads ever with just 10 seniors and 36 underclassmen. Sophomore Curtis Frye, will be the quarterback this year. He’ll get to throw to senior WR/DB Trey Campman, who caught 49 passes for 661 yards a year ago. Senior lineman Andre Buck made 52 tackles, which ranked third on the team.

BELLEFONTE AT ST. MARYS

St. Marys: Joe Schlimm returns for his sixth season and looks to a core group of players led by all-state linebacker Sean Sadosky, a senior who made 80 tackles and eight sacks a year ago. Senior QB Greg Simchick threw for 683 yards and junior fullback Kevin Hoy led the team with 744 yards rushing. Senior NT Brad Kopp is a three-year starter.

FAIRVIEW AT BRADFORD

Bradford: It was a stormy offseason for the Owls as head coach Steve Ackerman resigned after a very successful eight-year run. Jeff Puglio takes over on the sideline and has some key players back from a 5-5 squad. Junior HB Pat Pascarella rushed for 727 yards and ranked second in tackles (67) and led the team with four interceptions. Junior fullback Mark Havers rushed for 620 yards and senior K Cody Nuzzo kicked three field goals.

SATURDAY’S GAMES

ALLEGHENY MOUNTAIN LEAGUE

CURWENSVILLE AT PORT ALLEGANY (1:30 p.m.)

Curwensville: Andy Evanko enters his 10^th season looking to replace 14 seniors lost to graduation. Senior Jed Greslick led the team in rushing with 749 yards along with 178 receiving yards, a team-best 18 catches and 11 touchdowns. Senior Sam Gardner moves from receiver to start at quarterback. He was also second on the team with 101 tackles from his safety position.

Port Allegany: Mike Bodamer is in his fifth season with the Gators. His top returning players are senior CB/RB Ryan Bodamer (252 yards rushing, 90 tackles), and juniors Camrin Stuckey (166 yards passing, 112 yards rushing, 26 tackles) and Seth Lowery (team-best 452 yards rushing, 66 tackles).

RIDGWAY AT SHEFFIELD (1:30 p.m.)

Ridgway: Second-year head coach Mark Heindl has 15 letterwinners and 12 returning starters, six on each side of the ball. Senior Sam Skraba caught 20 passes for 456 yards and made 50 tackles. Senior FB Cory Eshbach rushed for 350 yards. Senior Joe Chittester, a three-year starter, achors both lines. Senior TE/LB Zack Zelcs led the team with 86 tackles. Freshman Josh Mitchell and sophomore Jordan Lundin are vying for the starting quarterback spot.

Sheffield: Bryan Gould takes over the Wolverines and has a 35-man roster with 20 players from Abraxas, which returns in a co-op relationship. His top players are senior quarterback Craig Fitch (821 yards, 4 TDs) and senior RB/LB Jimmy Hahn, who caught 23 passes for 295 yards to lead the team. The move to add the Abraxas players means the Wolverines have to move to Class AA this season. That also means they won’t be eligible for the postseason in 2009 because the move was made in mid-cycle (the PIAA uses two-year cycles to determined classifications).

COUDERSPORT AT ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC (7 p.m.)

Coudersport: Brendan Hathaway is back for his second year with the Falcons. He’ll have to replace quite a bit of last year’s core players from an 8-3 team. The leading returners are senior OL/LB Chris Symans, who was the team’s second leading tackler with 79 stops. Others are seniors Dakota Dehn, Jordan Barnett and Rafael Pacheco, and juniors Kory Majot, Skyler Blummer and Kevin Wolfinger.

Elk County Catholic: Second-year head coach Travis Skrzypek has 21 players on his roster. He’ll have to replace almost his entire line corp that helped the defensive-minded Crusaders win their first playoff game in 13 seasons. His top returners are junior RB Ricky Pearsall, whose 697 yards rushing led the team, along with senior QB Joe Jacob (332 yards) and senior FB Kyle Gerber (324 yards).

OTHER ODDS AND ENDS

Defending Champions

Class AAA: Clearfield

Class AA: Karns City

Class A: Cameron County

Defending Conference Champions

AML: Kane

AML North: Cameron County

AML South: Kane

KSAC: Moniteau

District 9 Classifications

(In order of last year’s playoff standings, playoff teams in bold)

Class A (14 teams)

Cameron County

Redbank Valley

Curwensville

Coudersport

Clarion

Elk County Catholic

Johnsonburg

Keystone

Port Allegany

Union

Ridgway

Smethport

Otto-Eldred

Clarion-Limestone

Class AA (7 teams)

Moniteau

Karns City

Kane

Brookville

Brockway

A-C Valley

Sheffield (Class A last season; Not eligible for D9 playoffs in 2009)

Class AAA (4 teams)

Clearfield

St. Marys

Bradford

Punxsutawney

Class AAAA (4 teams, DuBois only D9 team)

State College

McDowell

DuBois

Central Mountain