1999 Crusaders Football Team Hopes to Build on '98 League Title
As It Says Good-bye to 100-Year-Old Football Field
SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) — The Susquehanna football team has the perfect gift in mind for the school’s current football field, which will see its last season of service. The site has hosted Crusader football for 100 years. The university will build a new stadium for the 2000 season, although the playing surface will retain the Amos Alonzo Stagg Field name.
The Crusaders and 10th-year head coach Steve Briggs would love to make the field’s final season a memorable one by repeating as Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth League champs while bettering their 6-3 mark of a year ago and making a serious run at the conference outright title.
1998 left some lasting impressions as the Crusaders captured a share of their first Commonwealth League title by rallying from an early 14-0 deficit for a 28-24 win at nationally-ranked Widener in the season finale. While Briggs returns just 13 starters (7 off., 5 def., 1 k.s.) and 23 letterwinners from that team, he believes his latest edition has the talent to not only post the program’s 14th-straight non-losing season, but build on last year’s momentum. Briggs will welcome some 85 players to preseason camp on Tuesday, August 17.
“Beating Widener at the end of last season for a piece of the title was as big of a shot in the arm to this team and this program as we’ve had in five to six years. It was (that win) a big positive which really drove our off-season program,” said Briggs, who is the winningest coach in program history at 61-31 (.663). “We have numerous returnees on both sides of the ball. While we can’t replace our big gun, Matt Wichlinski, we have a number of players back who contributed last year and fortunately, experience means everything at this level.”
The Offense: Delaware Wing-T
While All-American fullback Matt Wichlinski completed his eligibility as the school’s career rushing leader (3,243 yards), the rest of the backfield and a host of experienced linemen are back.
“The strength of our football team is the offensive line. We have five returning guys who have either started or played a great deal over the last two years. The return from injury of Jason Tomko, probably our strongest football player, along with some other quality reserves makes this group the nucleus for us offensively,” said Briggs
Topping that group is 6-4, 260-pound tackle Randy Zook (Belleville/Indian Valley H.S.), who has junior eligibility and was a first-team Commonwealth League All-Star and all-region pick by Don 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’s (Zook) one of the best linemen to ever play here. He’s certainly going to be a leader for us up front,” said Briggs.
Anthony DeSantis (Old Forge/Bishop O’Hara H.S.) was also a second-team league All-Star last season and joins with three-year starter Todd Werley (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.) as a pair of 6-2, 265-pound senior bookend guards.
Junior tackle Randy Hayes (5-11, 255) (Fogelsville/Parkland H.S.) started all but one game last season, while junior Dave Wonderlick (5-11, 245) (Shenandoah/Shenandoah Valley H.S.) started the final two at center. Wonderlick has a 4.0 perfect grade point average academically.
Expect juniors Jason Tomko (6-0, 265) (Emmaus/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.) and P.J. Peca (6-4, 285) to push Hayes for that tackle spot, while sophomore Matt Shaffer (6-1, 275) (Brookville/Brookville H.S.) will vie for time at center. Tomko probably would have cracked the lineup last season if he hadn’t suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener.
Also back are starting halfbacks and former Allentown Central Catholic All-State teammates in senior tri-captain Jose Delgado and junior Rashonn Drayton.
The 6-2, 235-pound Drayton was one of the “50 Players to Watch” by USA Today out of high school. After transferring last season from Lackawanna Junior College, he was second on the team and ninth in the MAC in rushing with 458 yards (50.9 avg.) and seven TDs.
Delgado still holds the record for touchdowns in a Pennsylvania state championship game with five vs. Blackhawk in 1994. A transfer from Division I-AA New Hampshire three years ago, he rushed for 257 yards (5.2 avg.) last season, while finishing third in the MAC in kickoff return average (26.8).
“The returns of Rashonn and Jose may take some of the sting out of losing Matt (Wichlinski),” said Briggs. “Our best true running back is Rashonn Drayton.”
The heir-apparent to Wichlinski at fullback comes in two forms, with Briggs expecting both junior Ryan Cidzik (Rome, N.Y./Rome Free Academy) and sophomore Isaac Hernandez (Selinsgrove/Selins-grove Area H.S.) to see time. Cidzik (6-0, 205) is a true fullback who rushed for 131 yards as a freshman and averaged 5.0 yards per carry during an injury-plagued sophomore year. Hernandez (5-10, 190), meanwhile, has Wichlinski’s quick feet and explosive running style. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry in limited time last season, also returning kicks and averaging 23.7 yards per return.
Tough sophomore Scott Bloom (Catawissa/Southern Columbia H.S.) is also expected to see an increased role.
Senior Andy Berwager (Hanover/South Western H.S.) is the incumbent at quarterback and finished fifth in the conference in passing efficiency last season, completing 67 of 141 passes for 1,031 yards with seven touchdowns and six INTs (116.8 rating).
“Andy’s a terrific athlete and it’s his job (quarterback) to lose. We need to solidify this position as soon as we can.”
Expect Berwager to get competition from 6-2, 205-pound sophomore Tim Frassinelli (Parkland/Parkland H.S.), and freshman Mike Bowman (Northumberland/Shikellamy H.S.), who was a second-team All-State quarterback last year as a prep senior.
Sophomore Tim Boblick (New Cumberland/Cedar Cliff H.S.) made a successful conversion from quarterback to split end last season and went on to lead the team in receiving yards (299), per-catch average (23.0) and TD catches (6), while tying for second in receptions (13). Expect 6-5 junior Josh Kitchin (Center Valley/Southern Lehigh H.S.) and sophomore Shawn Dodge (Northumberland/Shikellamy H.S.) to be the next options at wideout after seeing limited time last year.
Sophomore Josh Zimmerman (6-4, 210) (Wellsboro/Wellsboro H.S.) heads the candidates for the new starter at tight end, although freshman John Smith (6-4, 215) (Orland Park, Ill./Providence Catholic H.S.) tops a list of talented newcomers.
The Defense: 4-3
Briggs’ brother and defensive coordinator Tim must do some patchwork on defense, where only five starters return.
Returning first-team league All-Star and senior tri-captain Denny Bowers (Westminster, Md./Westminster H.S.) is the lone returnee on a line which helped the defense finish second in MAC and fifth in D-III against the run (69.7 ypg) last year. Fortunately, the 6-2, 250-pounder also is its best as he led the team with nine sacks and 20 tackles for 89 yards in losses among his 41 tackles (26 solo).
“Denny may be one of the biggest, strongest and most athletic guys in our conference,” said Briggs.
Expected to join Bowers at defensive end will be sophomore Frank Hanlon (Mahanoy City/Mahanoy Area H.S.), a talented transfer from Division II Mansfield.
The starting tackles will come from a group which includes senior Casey Goff (New Milford/Montrose H.S.), sophomores Rob Acheson (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown H.S.) and John Hoffman (Parkland/Parkland H.S.), and freshman J.P. Fonollosa (Staten Island, N.Y./Xavier H.S.).
Senior Torrance Cleveland (St. Petersburg, Fla./Dixie Hollins H.S.) is the lone starter back in the linebacking corps and had 29 stops (11 solo) and three pass break-ups last year at Bill backer. Junior Mike Davis (Nesquehoning/Panther Valley H.S.) also spelled Cleveland in passing situations last season and appears healed from a serious knee injury which forced him to miss the final half of the campaign.
Junior Mike DiNorscia (Downingtown/Downingtown H.S.) and sophomore Troy Sosnovik (Belvidere, N.J./Belvidere H.S.) are returning lettermen at the Mike and Sam backer positions respectively. DiNorscia made 15 stops last year, while Sosnovik had 12. Expect them to battle with talented sophomore Division I-AA transfer Dom DeSteno (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Bergen Catholic H.S.) for the starting jobs.
Senior free safety and tri-captain Mario Cromartie (Smyrna, Del./Smyrna H.S.) was a second-team league All-Star last season as he had 65 tackles, three interceptions and two break-ups. He tops a secondary which desperately seeks improvement after finishing last in MAC pass defense (276.8 yards per game) in ’98.
A pair of cornerbacks also return with starting experience in junior Michael Graves (East Hartford, Conn./Loomis Chaffee H.S.) and sophomore Tom Kay (Tabernacle, N.J./Shawnee H.S.). After struggling early, Kay matured into the MAC leader in interceptions with seven in eight games (0.88 per game), tying for sixth in Division III. Graves, meanwhile, had a team high four pass break-ups. Expect local sophomore Justin Sauers (Mifflinburg/Mifflinburg H.S.) to also vie for a starting job at corner after transferring from Division II Indiana (Pa.).
The starting strong safety will be new, although sophomore Dave Howard (Frackville/North Schuylkill H.S.) lettered there last season. Highly recruited freshman Bill Heinzelmann (Allentown/Parkland H.S.) is also expected to be in the mix at the position.
The Kick Specialists
Sophomore punter Ryan Hollis (Mifflin/Juniata H.S.) is a key returnee after finishing third in the MAC and 19th nationally (39.1 avg.) last year.
“Ryan is as good of a punter as anyone in our conference. He’s also athletic and would like to see some time at split end,” said Briggs.
The kicker will be new and come from either Hollis, Boblick, or freshman Andy Nadler (Westport, Conn./Staples H.S.).
| The James W. Garrett Sports Complex, Publications, and Sports Information |
| Hours: 8:15 - 4:30 M-F (Academic year) 8:00 - 4:00 (Summer) | |
| Phone: 717-372-4119 Fax: 717-372-4048 E-mail: supubrel@susqu.edu |