Fight On (Again), Harrisburg (The College Years)

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Hi again, everyone.

To make a fairly long and frustrating story short, I'm restarting my Harrisburg adventure with The College Years. It's my own fault. I let my laptop run down completely and shut off last night, and I'd gone too long without saving the game. I ended up losing five weeks of the season, and I decided to start over, rather than retracing my steps.

I'll give you a briefer introduction to our new cast of characters, and then I'll be returning to the action. Hopefully Take 2 will be as successful, and enjoyable, as Take 1 had been. I hope those of you who were following the story will rejoin me this time around, too!

This edition of Harrisburg College football begins the 2004 season ranked exactly where we were last time: #117 of 125 Division I teams. I'm delighted to see that we're a bit better academically than we were last time; we're ranked #18 in Undergraduate Average. My goal of building a competitive football program that competes for the Keystone Eight championship every year while establishing itself in the top tier academically remains the same.


Meet the Staff

Here are the key members of the Harrisburg football staff.

• Syndicate Coordinator Emmanuel Lake: Terrible with Academic Eligibility. That might mean he won't last long here...or will this deficiency not matter, because our players aren't in trouble academically?
• Defensive Coordinator Ken Karney: Young (31 years old); a Pretty Good play caller who is Excellent at avoiding injuries. His Poor ability to develop linebackers is a problem, and so is his Terrible congeniality.
• Offensive Coordinator Sean Fitzgerald: Another devotee of the Power I formation. A Terrible play caller who is Terrible at developing receivers. On the other hand, he is Karney's opposite in terms of Congeniality, and he's Very Good with running backs.
• Great Lakes Scout Junior Joyner: I see this role as a Recruiting Coordinator, since most of our efforts in that area take place in our own region. JJ isn't too bad at anything, nor is he too good at anything.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Preseason 2004

Here is a quick introduction to the most important players on the 2004 Harrisburg team. If there's no state listed with a player's home town, he's from Pennsylvania.

Meet the Offense

QB: Leon Donovan (JR/Eben Junction, MI)
RB: Ethan Sweeney (JR/Youngstown, OH)
FB: Greg Hawkins (SR/Green Bay, WI)
TE: Bruce Whiting (SO/Wyalusing)
WR: Chester Ferich (SR/Piasa, IL)
WR: Randy Sinclair (SR/York)
T: J.B. Gaddy (JR/Shillington)
T: Orlando Peters (JR/Brooklyn, NY)
T: Kennedy Schwartz (JR/Urbana, OH)
G: Heath Butterworth (SR/Louisville, GA)
G: Donnell Mariani (FR/Philadelphia)
C: Louis Rawlings (FR/Reading)
K: Herman Okeafor (JR/Suffolk, VA)

We have the potential to have a pretty good offense this year. Butterworth and Gaddy should be two of the better linemen in the conference. Mariani and Rawlings have lots of potential. If Mariani isn't quite ready, I might shift Schwartz to guard.

Sweeney has the makings of a productive feature back, and Hawkins will contribute to the offense as a runner, a receiver, and a blocker. The receivers are decent, and Whiting is a solid tight end.

The biggest question mark might be QB Donovan, who doesn't look like anything special as a passer. He might pose a threat as a ballcarrier, though.

Okeafor should be a valuable kicker.


Meet the Defense
DE: Mickey Arthur (FR/Cleveland, OH)
DE: Bryce Leavitt (FR/Gibsonia)
DE: Stan Gaines (SO/Uniontown)
DT: Ted Reese (JR/Forest City)
DT: Cornelius Felton (JR/Hobart, IN)
DT: Arnie Washington (SO/Brodheadsville)
OLB: Deion Kinney (SO/Scranton)
OLB: Kennedy Hines (SO/Huntingdon, TN)
ILB: Jared Cole (SR/Marquette, MI)
ILB: Curtis Malone (JR/Northampton)
CB: Deion Peterson (SR/Brookfield, OH)
CB: Danny Otero (JR/Grand Rapids, MI)
CB: Ralph Richie (SR/Bethlehem)
S: Tito Reed (SO/Elma, NY)
S: Corey Gowins (Coloma, MI)
P: Desmond Sutton (SO/Brookfield, WI)

How good will our defense be? That will largely be determined by how quickly some of these young players grow up. There are a lot of players here, because it's hard for me to tell who our key performers are going to be.

The three DEs are all young, and they ought to be good one day--especially Leavitt. We hope that day comes sooner, rather than later. The tackles have similar levels of potential, but they are closer to being finished products.

Our linebackers are on the small side. Cole is the leader of the pack, a surprisingly good run stopper for his size. The other LBs all leave something to be desired. And, with the exception of Malone, none of them look like they'll ever be very good. I'm going to be recruiting at least two linebackers this season.

Peterson is a shutdown corner, probably the team's best player. Otero and Richie are also fine for our level. The safeties aren't as good, although Reeder has some upside.

Sutton is a serviceable punter.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Week 1, 2004

Recruiting


The Harrisburg Way

(I'm taking this almost directly from my first attempt at the Harrisburg story.)

I think recruiting is probably my favorite part of The College Years. I spend a lot of time planning my recruiting strategy, and I enjoy seeing how successfully I can execute my vision.

Harrisburg is a small program, so I'll be concentrating most of my recruiting efforts on Pennsylvania and the states that surround it. For one thing, I think it's realistic for a school the size of Harrisburg to have a recruiting footprint that's fairly small. I'll look farther away if a player seems like a perfect fit, especially if the pickings close to home are slim. My goal, then, is to establish Harrisburg as an attractive option for in-state talent. We're not ready to go toe-to-toe with powerhouses like Penn State or Pitt. If we can out-recruit the other Keystone Eight schools, and do as well as Temple, Rutgers, and the mid-major schools in Ohio, I'll be pleased with our efforts.

As I've mentioned before, I'm also looking for elite student-athletes. I want Harrisburg to rank among the top academic institutions in Division I football. I also don't want a team full of slackers, hooligans, and divas. Our team's DNA will be built around hard-working, honorable young men, the kind our university can be proud of.

And, it goes without saying that I want us to play winning football. Our first step will be to establish ourselves as a perennial contender for the Keystone Eight championship and the bowl bid that comes with it. Once we're there, we can set our sights on our next goal.


Recruiting Needs for 2004/05

Recruiting Needs for 2004/05

We can award 16 scholarships each year. We have 113 scholarship seniors this season, seven on offense and six on defense. So, at the very least, I'm looking to fill these positions with my first recruiting class:

• running back
• fullback
• 4 (!) wide receivers
• guard
• defensive tackle
• 2 inside linebackers
• 2 cornerbacks
• safety

There are other positions that I would classify as "needs," because we either lack quality or depth there. Outside linebacker and quarterback come to mind first. We won't have many "free" spots to work with, since we have so many scholarship seniors this year.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Week 1, 2004

We won't begin our season until next week.


Recruiting News

I contacted ten players this week, seven of whom received offers. I'll reach out to some of them again next week, as well as making initial contacts with more players.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Week 2, 2004


Harrisburg (0-0) at Connecticut (0-0)

This should be a fairly even matchup to begin our season, and my career at Harrisburg.

And your final score: Harrisburg 38, Connecticut 21

I like it when my team surprises me pleasantly!

Our defense completely shut down UConn's ground game, allowing them only 55 yards on 23 attempts. Meanwhile, Leon Donovan, whose ability I questioned earlier, made me look foolish, managing the game deftly and throwing three TD passes. Two went to tight ends: Bruce Whiting and his backup, Paul Klekamp (SO/Milan, MI).

I set the lineups for my team, but for some reason Ethan Sweeney barely played. Instead, Bobby Schmidt (SR/Lancaster) was the feature back, and he had a big day, with help from Leroy Pascasio (SO/Naperville, IL).

Offensive Standouts:
QB Leon Donovan (15-23 passing, 185 yards, 3 TD; 12-46 rushing, 1 TD)
RB Bobby Schmidt (20-113 rushing)
RB Leroy Pascasio (10-60 rushing; 1-11 receiving)
FB Greg Hawkins (3-14 rushing; 6-48 receiving)
WR Chester Ferich (3-32 receiving, TD)
C Louis Rawlings (6 key run blocks)

Defensive Standouts:
S Corey Gowins (6 tackles, 1-0 INT)
LB Jared Cole (5 tackles, sack)
DE Mickey Arthur (3 tackles, 1.5 sacks)


Recruiting News
Before our Week 2 game, four players announced they'd be visiting campus:

• RB Kurt Bielby
• G Ernest Glaspie
• ILB Mitch Connelly
• CB Stan Sapello

Bielby is a Harrisburg fan, so he might be fairly easy to sign. He's far from a charity case, however. Glaspie is a reach for us; he'll be recruited by some big schools, so I wanted to get on board with him early on.

I've contacted 13 different players now, and I'll expand my search a bit more next week.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Week 3, 2004


We don't play a game this week.


Recruiting News
Five more players will be visiting us, including three wideouts. We've offered scholarships to all of them, as well as the four who had already informed us of their visits.

• WR Cornelius Ricks
• WR Sherman Ellwood
• WR Quinn Sutter
• FB Jared McGarrahan
• DT Derek Lavoie

Ricks is another player who would be a huge signing for us. Alabama and Pitt are also recruiting him, and the Panthers have also made him an offer. Sutter is also attracting attention from power schools--Arkansas and Penn State--but they haven't offered him yet. Ellwood has offers from Bowling Green and Toledo.

We'll be competing with conference rivals Lancaster and Williamsport for McGarrahan's services. So far, we're the only suitor Lavoie has attracted.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Week 4, 2004

San Jose State (0-1) at #50 Harrisburg (1-0)

Our home opener is this week. We're favored to beat the Spartans in a close game.

Injury Report
WR Randy Sinclair has a sprained knee, but he ought to be able to play.


And your final score: Harrisburg 38, San Jose State 31

Midway through the third quarter, we'd opened up a 34-17 lead and appeared to be cruising. Then we let the Spartans back into the game. They carved us up through the air--their QB went 28-52 for 460 yards and four TDs--but we stopped them cold when they did try to run against us.

Meanwhile, we gained over 300 yards on the ground, highlighted by a big day from Ethan Sweeney. Once again, Leon Donovan did a fine job running our offense.

Offensive Standouts:
RB Ethan Sweeney (18-197 rushing)
QB Leon Donovan (16-28 passing, 197 yards, 3 TD, INT; 9-39 rushing, TD)
RB Bobby Schmidt (11-68 rushing, TD; 2-11 receiving)
FB Greg Hawkins (5-24 rushing; 4-56 receiving)
TE Bruce Whiting (3-28 receiving, 2 TD)
WR Chester Ferich (3-53 receiving, TD)
C Louis Rawlings (8 key run blocks)

Defensive Standouts:
CB Danny Otero (7 tackles)
LB Curtis Malone (6 tackles, sack)

Game Ball: Louis Rawlings
I forgot to give out a ball last week, and I might have awarded it to Louis if I'd remembered. So I'm catching up with him this week, in recognition of 14 key blocks in two games. Sweeney had a great game this week, but a lot of the yards he gained were facilitated by the freshman center's dominant blocking.


Recruiting News

Another player announced his intention to visit us before the game:

• WR Jamie Hazen

Hazen is a nationally-ranked player who has also been offered a scholarship by Temple. Academics are very important to him, so we could have an edge here.

I reached out to several more players this week, including some highly-regarded prospects at positions where we don't have immediate needs. Adding a player or two like that to our incoming class would be a nice plus.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Week 5, 2004

Harrisburg (2-0) at Miami of Ohio (1-2)

Miami beat in-state rival Ohio last week, but we're favored to come in and hand them their third loss of the season.

Injury Report
We got our first really bad news of the season. DE Bryce Leavitt tore his triceps muscle, and he'll miss the rest of the season. Stan Gaines will now assume a more important role.

And your final score: Miami of Ohio 35, Harrisburg 21

Like we did last week, we let a lead slip away...but this time, we let it slip farther, and we paid for it. After we squandered a 21-7 halftime lead, the trip home from Oxford was a very long one.

Offensive Standouts
RB Ethan Sweeney (26-104 rushing, TD; 6-65 receiving)
QB Leon Donovan (18-28-200 passing, 2 TD, 2 INT; 15-49 rushing)
FB Greg Hawkins (5-41 receiving)
WR Chester Ferich (4-60 receiving, TD)
WR Randy Sinclair (2-23 receiving, TD)

Defensive Standouts:
LB Jared Cole (10 tackles, 2 TFL)
S Corey Gowins (8 tackles, 2 TFL)

Game Ball: Ethan Sweeney
I usually don't give out a game ball after a loss, but Ethan deserves the recognition for the hard work he put in this week. 32 touches is a man-sized workload.


Recruiting News

Two more players came to campus this week:

• QB David Fears
• T Everett Diana

Fears is a popular target for Keystone Eight schools, four of whom are recruiting him. He's visiting us and Allentown. Diana would be a huge, huge signing; he's one of the top O-linemen in the country. He holds an offer from Maryland, besides the one we gave him.

Neither are "must have" positions, but they would both make us a better team.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Week 6, 2004

Harrisburg (2-1, 0-0) at Allentown (0-3, 0-0)

It's time for conference play, and we're slight favorites away to Allentown this week. They have struggled to move the ball this year, so our beleaguered defense could get a bit of a break.

Injury Report
QB Leon Donovan tore ligaments in his knee, and his season is over. Vernon Schulz (FR/Lansing, MI), who has completed two of seven passes in very limited action this year, is now QB1.

And your final score: Allentown 37, Harrisburg 10

All Allentown's offense needed was the chance to play against Harrisburg. They ripped us for over 400 yards of total offense, running and passing with equal ease. Schulz endured a nightmarish day (7-18-49 passing, 3 INT) and the Allentown defense contained Ethan Sweeney (11-31 rushing).

Offensive Standout
RB Bobby Schmidt (6-75 rushing, TD)

Defensive Standout
LB Jared Cole (18 tackles, 2 TFL)


Recruiting News

Hello!
FB Jared McGarrahan (Troy, PA/Troy Area HS)
WR Cornelius Ricks (Berlin, PA/Valley Brothers HS)

We were due for some good news this week, weren't we? McGarrahan is a big, strong, old-fashioned fullback who can run, catch, and block. He caught 43 passes, good for seven touchdowns, as a senior, and rushed for nearly 500 yards. He's ranked #2 among Pennsylvania fullbacks. We like Jared's 3.71 GPA and 1460 test score.

I'm delighted to welcome Ricks to Harrisburg. He's the #12 receiver in the nation, and the #12 player in Pennsylvania. He hauled in 63 passes for over 1500 yards and 10 touchdowns this year. I can tell you right now that we'll be looking to replace the Power I with a formation that will put the ball in Cornelius's hands more often. The complete package, Ricks boasts a perfect 4.00 GPA, a 1280 SAT score, and an Excellent attitude.

So far, nobody we're recruiting has signed with anyone else. That will probably change, however, as several players on our list have been courted by their favorite schools, or by programs that can offer what we do...only better.

A player we just began recruiting is visiting us:

• S Michael Oreck

He's a highly-touted player out of Michigan who wants to attend a top academic school, but no suitable program had recruited him yet. Perhaps we can lure him our way. We need a safety, and neither of the players we've been recruiting from the start are showing interest.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Week 7, 2004

Erie (1-3, 1-0) at Harrisburg (2-2, 0-1)

We're looking to bounce back from our loss to Allentown last week, and we're favored to do so as we return home. Erie beat Williamsport handily to open their K8 campaign.

Injury Report
Thank goodness, nobody has been added to our casualty list this week.

And your final score: Harrisburg 37, Erie 10

That's the way to turn things around! Our defense returned to its old ways, with Deion Peterson contributing his first big game for us. Vernon Schulz looked like a completely different quarterback, and Ethan Sweeney did Ethan Sweeney things.

Offensive Standouts
RB Ethan Sweeney (25-140 rushing, TD; 4-74 receiving, TD)
QB Vernon Schulz (16-22-196 passing, TD, INT; 7-89 rushing, 2 TD)
RB Bobby Schmidt (13-78 rushing)
G Heath Butterworth (5 key run blocks)

Defensive Standouts
LB Jared Cole (8 tackles)
CB Deion Peterson (8 tackles, TFL, 2 passes defended)
LB Curtis Malone (6 tackles, 1-7 INT)

Game Ball: Vernon Schulz
I'm recognizing Schulz for the way in which he rebounded from his frightful first collegiate start. The first year QB accounted for three touchdowns, two with his legs and one with his arm.


Recruiting News

Hello!
G Justin Balent (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin HS)
RB Kurt Bielby (Westfield, PA/Cowanesque Valley HS)
DT Derek Lavoie (Cheshire, OH/River Valley HS)

These three players all fill positions of need for us, and they're all good fits for our program.

Balent is a short, compact guard who excels at pass blocking. He's the #5 guard in PA, and I think he's still somewhat of a sleeper. He's pulling a 3.61 GPA, with an SAT score of 1410.

Bielby, a life-long Harrisburg fan, rushed for over 1300 yards as a senior. I wonder if he'd have been ranked higher than 11th among Pennsylvania running backs if he stood taller than 5'6". An aspiring engineer, Kurt maintains a 3.61 GPA and scored 1310 on his SAT.

The #5 defensive tackle in Ohio, Lavoie is a dangerous pass rusher with a non-stop motor. I'm not as high on him as my assistant is, but he'd still represent an upgrade at his position, and he's a solid student with a 3.24 GPA and a 1410 SAT.

Goodbye:
Ernest Glaspie chose to attend Georgia Tech. I have to say I saw that coming. We didn't stand a chance with Nick Scott, not after Tulane--his dream school--came calling.

No players scheduled visits with us this week.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Week 8, 2004

Harrisburg (3-2, 1-1) at Lancaster (1-4, 1-1)

It looks like this could be another good, close ballgame. Lancaster's four losses have come by a combined total of 11 points; the final scores were 18-19, 24-25, 24-27, and 21-28. Then they walloped Williamsport to earn their first league win.

Senior RB Walt Olivares is the Keystone Eight's leading rusher, with 833 yards in five games. QB Derrick McCarthy is also a player to watch.

Injury Report
Make it stop! This time it's S Corey Gowins, whose broken wrist will end his Harrisburg career. Walk-on Devin Puente (JR/Clairton) will see his first game action as a result.

And your final score: Harrisburg 20, Lancaster 17

For a while, it looked like we'd dusted off one of our scripts from earlier in the season: the one that starts with us taking a lead, only to have our opponent storm back. We led 10-0 at the half, but an Olivares TD run, a field goal, and a McCarthy TD pass put Lancaster in front, 17-10, with 13 minutes left to play.

Today we decided to change the script. We tied the score on a 13-yard scamper by Bobby Schmidt. After safety Horace Leroy (FR/Melbourne, FL) intercepted a pass, Herman Okeafor drilled an 18-yard field goal with no time on the clock.

Offensive Standouts
RB Ethan Sweeney (22-96 rushing, 1 TD; 3-26 receiving)
QB Vernon Schwarz (13-20-175 passing)
RB Bobby Schmidt (13-81 rushing, 1 TD; 1-16 receiving)
K Herman Okeafor (2-3 FG, 2-2 XP)

Defensive Standouts
LB Jared Cole (23 tackles, 1-11 INT)
S Horace Leroy (1 tackle, 1-31 INT)
DE Mickey Arthur (5 tackles, 1.5 sacks)

Game Balls: Jared Cole and Herman Okeafor
How can you deny a man a game ball when he makes 23 tackles? And how can you deny a man a game ball when he kicks a game-winning field goal with no time left on the clock? Neither Cole nor Okeafor may accomplish such a feat again. I want them both to have a souvenir.


Recruiting News

What a weird week! None of the players we're recruiting made their decision, either for us or against us. And every single player we're recruiting has now decided to pay us a visit!

This means we have 18 candidates for 11 remaining scholarships. In the interest of time, I won't bother introducing you to all of them. If you don't know them already, you'll get to know them better once they sign with us. Some of them are also visiting elite programs, so the odds are low they'll end up in Harrisburg anyway.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Week 9, 2004

Harrisburg (4-2, 2-1) at Scranton (3-3, 2-1)

This is a weird one to try to predict. Until last week, I would have said that Scranton was, without a doubt, the team to beat in the Keystone Eight. Then lowly Williamsport, who entered the game ranked 125th out of 125 Division One programs, went out and did just that: they beat Scranton, 34-24.

Scranton's offense relies heavily on the pass, and those kinds of teams have had success against us. They're favored to win a close one. The game will be televised regionally.

Injury Report
No new injuries to report this week.

And your final score: Scranton 45, Harrisburg 21

This was an ugly, ugly game, at least after the first quarter. We led 14-0 after fifteen minutes of football, and then the wheels came off our defense completely.

Scranton did something to us no team has managed to do. They ran through our defense like we were barely there. In fact, they did to us what we usually do to our opponents, rushing for 230 yards and four touchdowns. We had no problem running the ball--we actually gained more yards on the ground than they did. If you like watching running backs, this was the game for you.

Vernon Schulz reverted to the panicked, scatter-armed rookie of two weeks ago, completing only 8 of his 26 passes. He did throw two TDs, however.

Offensive Standouts
RB Ethan Sweeney (20-133 rushing, TD; 2-39 receiving, TD)
FB Greg Hawkins (2-14 rushing, 1 TD; 3-27 receiving, TD)
RB Bobby Schmidt (4-68 rushing)

Defensive Standouts
LB Jared Cole (18 tackles, TFL, sack)
LB Deion Kinney (5 tackles, 2 sacks)


Recruiting News

Hello!
RB Xavier Sheldon (Albion, PA/Great Lakes HS)
T Everett Diana (Guilford, CT/Guilford HS)
S Michael Oreck (Big Rapids,MI/Big Rapids HS)

Again, the news I received from the recruiting front helped soften the impact of a disappointing loss.

A few weeks ago, I began looking for players who seemed to be "under-recruited." These are players who are not only talented enough to make our team better, but who are also dedicated students with the right attitude.

Sheldon fits this description to a T. He's one of the host of players who decided to visit last week. Xavier rushed for 1352 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior, and added 41 receptions and 8 more TDs to boot. He's an aspiring social worker with a 3.73 GPA and a 1590 SAT score. The #6 RB in Pennsylvania, I think he's even better than my assistant does.

Diana and Oreck are both big coups for us. I mentioned their credentials earlier, and they bear repeating. Diana is probably not as good as he's touted to be; recruiting experts say he's the #53 player in the country, and the #2 offensive tackle. Even if he doesn't live up to this much hype, he should still be a force in the Keystone Eight. His GPA is 3.63, and his test score is 1280.

Oreck is the #8 player in the state of Michigan, and he's ranked #12 among all safeties. He has a real knack for interceptions, grabbing 13 picks as a senior. He also recorded 66 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Michael maintains a 3.56 average, and he scored 1260 on his SAT.

Goodbye
Nobody to whom we've offered a scholarship picked another program this week, but we pulled the offer from one of the safeties we were recruiting after Oreck committed to us. We now have eight scholarships to fill, and 10 players with outstanding offers.

We still really need a wide receiver or two, at least one linebacker, and a cornerback. I might look for a few more undiscovered gems this week.

[Poli]

Always enjoy a TCY dynasty. Good luck!

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Week 10, 2004

Williamsport (1-6, 1-2) at Harrisburg (4-3, 2-2)

This ought to be a win for us, as Harrisburg has struggled mightily. I'm not taking anything for granted, though. Hopefully our capitulation against Scranton last week hasn't broken our spirit too badly.

Injury Report
Nobody else got hurt this week.

And your final score: Harrisburg 38, Williamsport 0

Way to recover, boys!

Our defense attacked with renewed ferocity, eager to avenge themselves after last week's collapse. They sacked Williamsport quarterbacks eight times, completely wrecking their running yardage stat (22 carries, -20 yards).

We had Good Schulz back at quarterback. In fact, we had Best Ever Schulz. Even though Williamsport did a fairly good job of containing our running game, Schulz more than compensated for this by shredding the Williamsport defense all day long.

Offensive Standouts:
QB Vernon Schulz (23-29-290 passing, 2 TD; 4-47 receiving)
RB Ethan Sweeney (21-80 rushing, 2 TD)
FB Greg Hawkins (5-9 rushing, TD; 6-62 receiving)
TE Bruce Whiting (5-62 receiving, TD)
WR Chester Ferich (3-63 receiving, TD)
RB Bobby Schmidt (15-61 rushing; 1-5 receiving)

Defensive Standouts:
The Sack Pack. Seven of our defenders managed to hit the Williamsport quarterback at least once. Among them were DE Stan Gaines (2), LB Curtis Felton (1.5), DE Rickey Caniglia (1), DE Stephen Sawyer (1), DT Arnie Washington (1), CB Dana Peterson (1), and DT Ted Reese (0.5)

Game Ball: Vernon Schulz
When he's good, he's very, very good.


Recruiting News

Hello!
QB David Fears (Philadelphia, PA/Samuel Fels HS)
RB Jack Peterson (Benson, AZ/Benson Union)
WR Sheldon Ellwood (West Chester, PA/Lakota Union HS)
CB Stan Sapello (Willoughby, OH/South HS)

We beat out several other Keystone Eight schools to land Fears. He is a dual-threat quarterback with an Excellent attitude, and he's certainly bright enough (4.0 GPA, 1440 SAT) to master a complex offense. The experts rank him #9 among PA quarterbacks, and #83 at his position nationally.

Peterson was one of the players we started to recruit when it didn't look like we'd land the two running backs we needed. Even after we signed Kurt Bielby and Xavier Sheldon, we continued to recruit Peterson; that's how much we liked him. The Arizona product is the #74 RB in the nation and #6 in Arizona, racking up over 1200 rushing yards as a senior. His Excellent attitude, 3.58 GPA, and 1510 SAT complete the package.

We picked Ellwood as a primary recruiting target from the beginning, and he ended up choosing us over the Ohio schools who recruited him. The strength of our Latin program was a big factor in his decision. A two-way high school standout, Sherman caught 67 passes for over 1600 yards and 16 touchdowns, and recorded 48 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 5 interceptions on defense. He has a 3.65 average and scored 1360 on his SAT.

Sapello was also among the first players we contacted. His stats from his senior year jump off the page: 6 sacks and 13 interceptions from the cornerback position. While I wasn't as impressed with him as my assistant was, I like his Excellent attitude. Stan also boasts a 3.68 GPA and a 1350 SAT score.

These four commitments give us a total of 12. This means we have four open scholarships, and seven players from whom we'll be choosing.

Goodbye: None of our remaining targets picked another school this week.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Originally Posted by Poli

Always enjoy a TCY dynasty. Good luck!

Thanks, Poli. I'm enjoying TCY very much. It's a fun, immersive game, and I think I'll enjoy it even more as players I've known since they were recruits work their way through my program.

I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the ride. Thanks for stopping by.

[Comey]

Let's go HACC! Come On You Keystones!

(Harrisburg born-and-raised, right here.)

[pbot]

Good stuff. Keep going. May have to dig out my TCY cd this weekend.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Originally Posted by Comey

Let's go HACC! Come On You Keystones!

(Harrisburg born-and-raised, right here.)

Keystones? I like that. I might name my team the Keystones. My imaginary conference is called the Keystone Eight, but I can always change that, too. I think I'll call it the Commonwealth Eight.

I was born and raised in/near Baltimore, right down I-83.

Thanks for stopping by! The Keystones appreciate your support.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Originally Posted by pbot

Good stuff. Keep going. May have to dig out my TCY cd this weekend.

Thanks, pbot. I'm having a lot of fun with it, and I can feel myself becoming immersed in the story. It helps to know people out there are reading and enjoying it, too.

[CarterNMA]

Originally Posted by Greyfriars Bobby

RB Jack Peterson (Benson, AZ/Benson Union)

Is this one of those kids who wants to get as far away from home as possible? I've been to Benson; I can understand wanting to leave...