Southern Columbia (4)
Conference: PA Heartland Athletic Conference, Division III
Class: A
Nickname: Tigers
Coach: Jim Roth
2012 Record: 12-1
Returning Players – Offense: Jr. C Trent Donlan; So. OG Josh Yoder; Sr. OT Josh Tripp; Sr. OG Logan Reynolds; So. RB Blake Marks; Sr. RB Nate Hunter; Sr. HB Matt Lupold; Sr. RB Adam Feudale; Jr. WR Luke Rarig; So. QB Nick Becker
Returning Players – Defense: Jr. DT Trent Donlan; Sr. DE Mitch Stanziale; Sr. ILB Cody Pavlick; Sr. ILB Robert Delbo; Sr. OLB Garret Sosnoski; Jr. CB Luke Rarig; Jr. SS Brad Noll
Special Teams: “Luke Rarig is our kicker. He has been kicking for a couple of years. We had a soccer player that did our place kicking the last two years and Luke was our kickoff guy. He had a stronger leg. This year he should do all of it. We have guys we are looking at this summer that may punt for us.”
Top Newcomers: Sr. WR/CB Zachary Tillett; Sr. ATH Mason Peters; Sr. TE/DE Ken Fegley
Coaches comments:
How’s your offensive line?
“Trent Donlan returns at center. We also have our right guard back and he is Josh Yoder. Our left tackle is Josh Tripp. Logan Reynolds is our left guard. So we return four out of the five starters from last years team. The only lineman we have to replace is our right tackle.”
“Our number one tight end Jake Becker was a good four-year player for us he graduated. He was one of our best blocking tight ends we ever had. He will be tough to replace. Ken Fegley may see action at tight end.”
Who’s your quarterback?
“Our quarterback who was on the varsity team last year and quarterback the JV team his freshman year is Nick Becker. He started one game for us last year and threw three touchdowns in the first half of the game. He is a tall kid at 6-foot-3. He is one of the bigger quarterbacks we had in some time. He lacks experience but is a good athlete and what’s nice is that he has a good supporting class. We have a strong running game and if its solid that takes the pressure off the young quarterback.”
How’s your running game?
“We have a lot of experience back from last year’s team. We played a lot of young kids. Our one halfback, Nate Hunter played up until the Selinsgrove game and was having a outstanding year as a sophomore before the injury. He was putting up gaudy numbers last year. He had big play potential. He went down with a ACL injury in the Selinsgrove game. That is when Blake Marks became a starter for us as a freshman. The other two backs that started all year for us are Matt Lupold who was another halfback and Adam Feudale who was our fullback and leading rusher from last year. So we have four starters back for three positions.
How are your wide receivers?
“At wideout we rotated enough kids in last year so we have depth. Luke Rarig returns from last year. He is an outstanding skilled player and has big play potential out there. This summer we have been impressed with Zachary Tillett. He’s a kid that played from Shamokin last year. He has good size and speed.
“We have a kid coming out this year that hasn’t played football in a couple of years. He is Mason Peters. He’s a great baseball player and qualified for the Big 26 Baseball Classic. He is such a great athlete that normally if a kid was out for a couple of years you wouldn’t expect much from him this year. But he seems to be picking up things so quickly.”
How’s your defensive line?
“Trent Donlan is one of the two-way players we have. He did that last year as a sophomore. He’s back at defensive tackle. A kid by the name of Mitch Stanziale returns at defensive end. So we have two spots to fill. Collyn Drake who will be a senior is battling for one of the spots. He has worked very hard this off-season. He has really gotten a lot more size and strength, about 6-foot-2, 230-pounds. He is a kid that could help us on the line this year. We have one other kid that will be in the mix and he is a bit under sized. His name is Ken Fegley. He may play weak side defensive end position for us. The other spot is going to be a battle between a number of people this summer.”
How do your linebackers look?
“The linebackers will be the strength of our defense. Our two inside guys return. Let’s start with Cody Pavlick who made first team all-state at linebacker. He has nice size and runs well. The other kid returning is Robert Delbo. He worked extremely hard in the off-season to get bigger and stronger. With the experience they have we should have one of the best pairs of inside linebackers in some time. A third guy that is returning outside is Garret Sosnoski. Garrett started all the games last year. We aren’t sure who the other linebacker is going to be. Matt Lupold and Blake Marks have some experience there. So if someone does’t step up one of those guys may fill the final spot at linebacker.”
How’s your secondary look?
“Luke Rarig started in secondary, he’s back. Zach Tillett is another kid in the secondary. Mason Peters will see action. Nate Hunter would have been back there, but he is coming off a ACL injury last year and will play only on offense. He was a good defensive back for us last year. There is one other kid that will be a junior. He is Brad Noll. He played some last year for us. I feel we are going to have two good corners and need to work out a safety.”
What is your concern this year?
“We have experience coming back. The biggest concern for us is the defensive line. We need to do better at stopping the run. The way it works is if you don’t have those guys up front doing a good job it really can negate the ability of your linebackers. They need to hold their ground. It’s important for the line to be solid so our linebackers are productive. The other concern is the young quarterback.”
