The Silver Bowl could very well be a rockin’ and rollin’ in 2011 with the number of experienced, returning athletes at the disposal of head coach Carm DeFrancesco. The Red Tornadoes are coming off of an 8-4 season and berth in the District 4 AA semifinals opposite Danville. The MCA defense, which allowed an average of 13.6 points per game, held eight of its 12 opponents to 14 points or less (with three shutouts), and were 8-0 in such games last year.
Defensively, Jacob Keman (71 tackles, 4 INT, 6 PD); Meyrick Lamb (60 tackles, 2 INT, 4 PD); Brett Przekop (40 tackles, FR); Cody Shustack (106 tackles, 3 sacks); Tommy Hynoski (86 tackles, 6.5 sacks); Eddie Smerlick (85 tackles, 7 sacks, 2 FR); and Eric Joraskie (43 tackles, 3.5 sacks) are the main returners on the unit.
Offensively, MCA returns practically its entire offensive unit from a season ago. Leading rushers Lamb (148 rush, 1,087 yds, 16 TD; 11 rec., 136 yds, 2 TD); Shustack (94, 487, 8); and Tyler Hodge (68, 356, 2) front the Red Tornado ground game which averaged more than 209 yards per game. Hodge will play the season with an injured PCL ligament in his right knee, but said during the Berwick 7-on-7 he didn’t want to have surgery and miss his senior season of football. Rob Varano (27-of-68, 420 yds, 3 TD) or Zach Wasilewski (1-of-3, 7 yds) are options at quarterback, and Keman (23 rec, 293 yds, 2 TD) and Elijah Duran (rec., 25 yds) provide a pair of 6’2 or taller frames to throw to. Hynoski, the cousin of former SCA and Pitt fullback Henry Hynoski, shifts to tight end, and the entire 2010 offensive line of Joraskie, Smerlick, Mike Scicchitano, Gabe Matukaitis, Lucas Amarose and Bobby Beierschmitt return as well. MCA gets several quality regular season tests in the forms of Selinsgrove, Lewisburg, North Schuylkill and Southern Columbia to prove its might in the D4 landscape.
