Bowers, Zook Earn Preseason Honors from Don Hansen's Football Gazette,
Boblick, Bloom Not Playing for Crusaders, But John Green and Karl Pisch Are
SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) – Susquehanna University senior defensive end and tri-captain Denny Bowers (Westminster, Md./Westminster H.S.) is one of four defensive linemen and the only Middle Atlantic Conference player on the Division III Preseason All-American Team by Don Hansen's Football Gazette. Crusader junior offensive tackle Randy Zook (Belleville/ Indian Valley H.S.) is also among the five offensive linemen listed in the publication's Preseason All-South Region Team.
Both Bowers and Zook were also listed among the "Players to Watch" in Division III according to the USA Football Web site (www.usafootball.com) earlier this summer. They top the group of 82 player expected to report for the team's preseason camp Tuesday.
While all five Crusader players earning preseason honors this summer are in camp, two sophomores who were expected to contribute this season will not be playing. Sophomore split end Tim Boblick (New Cumberland/Cedar Cliff H.S.) has transferred to the Division I University of Pittsburgh, while halfback Scott Bloom (Catawissa/Southern Columbia H.S.) has decided not to play.
Two-year basketball letterwinner and point guard John Green (Reading/Governor Mifflin H.S.) and 6-4, 280-pound Karl Pisch (Reedsville/Indian Valley H.S.) top some late additions to the roster. The 6-0, 160-pound Green will be a junior split end, while Pisch will be a defensive tackle and is an older, non-traditional freshman.
In other roster news, 1998 starting linebacker Matt Kazmierczak (Oakland, N.J./ Indian Hills H.S.) will now join career rushing leader and All-American fullback Matt Wichlinski (Claymont, Del./Brandywine H.S.) as the student assistant coaches this season.
The Crusaders will open their season on Saturday, September 4, hosting new MAC opponent FDU-Madison in a 1:30 p.m. game.
Bowers is a returning first-team MAC Commonwealth League All-Star and second-team All-South Region pick by Don Hansen's Football Gazette as the lone returnee on a defensive line which helped Susquehanna finish second in the MAC and fifth in D-III against the run (69.7 yards per game) last year. The 6-2, 250-pounder led the team in '98 with nine sacks and 20 tackles for 89 yards in losses among his 41 tackles (26 solo). He has 14 sacks and 26 tackles for 109 yards in losses during his career.
He is a mathematics major and also a star outfielder on the Crusader baseball team, earning league All-Star honors as a sophomore and presently sporting a .378 career batting average.
The 6-4, 260-pound Zook has junior eligibility and was a first-team league All-Star and a first-team All-South Region pick by Hansen's Football Gazette last year as he helped the team top the MAC and finish 16th in Division III rushing offense (254.4 yards per game). He led a group which became just the second offensive line to be collectively honored by the MAC as it made the weekly Honor Roll by leading the Crusader offense to a modern-era MAC record 455 yards rushing in last season's 48-3 win at Lebanon Valley.
Zook is a public relations major.
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