SOUTH WESTERN MUSTANGS GRIDIRON 2005-1

Preseason Review

By Bill Engelhardt
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The AAA York-Adams Interscholastic Athletic Association (YAIAA) Division 1 Mustangs of South Western return to gridiron action Friday night, September 2, as they visit the Warriors of Gettysburg to kick off another thrilling season. The Mustangs are coming off of an 8-3-0 overall season in 2004, earning the division title outright and a trip to the district playoffs. They have a career record of 291-174-8, with a .626 winning percentage and .632 non-losing percentage. This year the Mustangs have a fine nucleus of returning starters and lettermen and promising new players to watch, and the winning tradition, nine league titles since 1990, should continue.

Seniors Robert Barnett, Mark Bittinger, Matt Bosley and Jeremy Renoll, and juniors Shawn Rider, Tim Smith and Drew Snyder are returning starters. Other returning lettermen are seniors Kevin Alwine, Joe Ault, Seth Bolte, Adam Hartman, Curtis Maphis, Clint Shaffer, Dustin Shaw, Cody Smith, Max Wagaman and Ben Yelton. Juniors Randy Buffington, Jason Gigous, Chad La Gore, J.C. Laughlin, Aaron Repman, Cody Shue, Jesse Smith, Jason Sneeringer, Eric Updegrove and Chris Wilson are up and comers to watch this year.

The graduation of quarterback Jon Berwager leaves that position wide-open and senior Max Wagaman and juniors J.C. Laughlin & Cody Shue will vie for it. We expect to have an exciting receiving corps from among Hartman, Maphis, Renoll, Shaw, Snyder and Jesse Smith. Dustin Permenter was nothing short of sensational at running back last year and his graduation leaves a big hole to be filled. We look for Ault, Barnett, Roach, Rider, Cody Smith, Tim Smith, and newcomers Gigous, Repman and Updegrove to carry on the running tradition of the Mustangs.

Alwine, Ault, Bittinger, Bolte, Bosley, Renoll, Roach, Shaffer, Shaw, Cody Smith, Snyder and Yelton all should figure prominently at the lines and line backer positions, with a lot of help from newcomers Buffington, Gigous, La Gore, Shue, Jesse Smith, Sneeringer, Updegrove and Wilson. Barnett, Hartman, Maphis, Rider, Tim Smith and Wagaman should all see plenty of action in the secondary, with help from Laughlin and Repman.

The kicking game is in the very capable hands, make that foot, of Drew Snyder. As a sophomore last year he tied the school single season record by kicking 8 field goals and he is already within 2 of the school career record of 10. He also kicked 31 extra points and had a punting average of 34.7 yards and a kickoff average off 52.1 yards.

Don Seidenstricker is going into his 28th year with the Mustang program and has a 150-56-1 (.728) record as he goes into his 20th year as head coach. Don is ready to lead the galloping Mustangs against the Gettysburg Warriors. He said, “2004 was a great season as our team was able to accomplish most goals. A league championship, City Cup, and return to the PIAA District III Playoffs were a few of the highlights. The league’s ‘sights’ will be firmly set on us as we enter the 2005 season. The potential for a very good season is there and will hinge solely upon our desire and commitment to work during the summer in the weight room, team camp, and skill development. If this team realizes, as many “Mustangs” of the past have, that not our talent but rather our attitude and work ethic will determine our fate, then we have a shot at another respectable season."

From here it looks like the South Western Mustangs will be ready to thrill and excite their fans and challenge their opponents. I am anxious for the 2005 season to start. GO MUSTANGS GO.