Head Coach Chad Brubaker Q&A
Q. What are the key things we should know about your offense?
A. The offensive staff has worked very hard this offseason to reinvent ourselves, as we cannot be the same style offense that we’ve been in years past.
We are pretty deep at wide receiver and not so much at running back, so our goal is to be as fast-paced as we can be. Our players have done a good job in picking up our new system this spring and summer, but we still have a lot of work to do.
We will have two quarterbacks on the field often to be able to show multiple threats, both in terms of personnel and once the ball is snapped. Brandon Leacraft returns at quarterback. He started the majority of our games last year, despite getting off to a shaky start. He was really starting to settle in before we lost him for the year in our 9th game. Stone Scarcelle, a sophomore who got two starts at quarterback last year, will play quarterback, running back, and wide receiver for us.
Other wide receivers that got playing time last year were Danny Matthews and Brandon Barone, but we are hoping to get contributions from seniors, Alec Welsh, Zach Hare, and Will Meredith, and juniors, Teddy Dylinski, and Brad Heininger.
At running back, Trey Jarmon has shown a lot of promise in the summertime. He will get help from Bobby Welsh. Bryce Rhodenbaugh has worked really hard in the offseason and should be our tight end, but we will also line him up out wide.
Zach Smiley at center and Zach Dorsey at left tackle return on the offensive line, although Dorsey missed all of 2013. He has worked tremendously hard to come back from his injury and is going to have a great senior year.
Joe Goul and Nate Shoeck will be on the right side at offensive guard and offensive tackle, respectively. The left guard spot is still to be determined, but Matt Rice and Alex Nagy are competing for the job.
Q. What are the key things we should know about your defense?
A. We are replacing all 11 on defense this year. We’ve been a little spoiled having had seven of eight possible All-League defensive lineman the last two-years.
We need to get guys in the right spot and get them comfortable quickly.
Up front, Tim Rudderow will probably be one of our defensive tackles, with a rotation of Dorsey, Smiley, and hopefully some other guys at the other defensive tackle spot.
Brendan Zimmie, Matt Rice and Dan Kelchne will compete for our defensive end positions, although Jeremiah Ndjali may also end up there, as we have asked him to learn linebacker, as well.
Tim Vu, Connor Crawford, and Steve Rice are competing for a linebacker position, along with Ndjali.
In the secondary, Barone, Matthews, Jarmon, and Dylinski have all played well at corner back. Scarcelle is competing with Tyler Uba at free safety, and Bobby Welsh may be our strong safety.
Q. What are the key things we should know about your special teams? Who are your kick and punt returners? Who are your kicker and punter?
A. We really like our sophomore class and feel they some of them can contribute on special teams right away. Brandon Barone returned punts last year.
We have not determined who our kick returner may be at this point.
Owen Gulati backed up his brother, David, last year, and was perfect in his extra point attempts and kicked off really well.
Stone Scarcelle was our starting punter, as a freshman last year.
Thomas Timbario handled both short and long snap.
Head Coach: Chad Brubaker
2013 Record: 10-3
Key Starters Lost: Mason Romano, Robby Varner, Jarred Jones, Gary Hopkins, Tate Carter, Jared Shoemaker, Andy Lovre-Smith, Jake Leahy, Chase Stine, Connor Murphy, Tyler German, Alec Vagnozzi, Josh Boyer, Tyleik Freeman, David Gulati, Cody Davis
Offensive Starters Returning: (4) (started multiple QBs) –
Sr. OL Zach Dorsey
Sr. OL Zach Smiley
Sr. QB Brandon Leacraft
Sr. WR Danny Matthews
So. QB Stone Scarcelle
WR Brandon Barone
Defensive Starters Returning: (0)
Key Newcomers: Sr. LB Tim Vu, Jr. DL Tim Rudderow, Sr. OL Nate Schoeck, Sr. OL Joe Goul, Sr. WR Will Meredith, Sr. TE Bryce Rhodenbaugh, Jr. LB Jeremiah Ndjali, Jr. DL Matt Rice, Jr. WR Ted Dylinski, Jr. RB/DB Trey Jarmon, Jr DB Bobby Welsh, Jr. DB Tyler Uba, Sr. LB Connor Crawford, Jr. OL/DL Dan Kelchner
D1 (FBS & FCS) Prospects: Sr. OL/ DL Zach Dorsey
2014 Outlook: Offense will be changing to match personnel without returning feature back. Three quarterbacks started at times during the season last year; preseason battle.
Defense will have 10 new faces. Have ability but must get people in the right spots.
