SOUTH WESTERN MUSTANGS GRIDIRON 2011-1

Preseason Review

By Bill Engelhardt
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The Mustangs of South Western return to gridiron action Friday night, September 2, as they visit the Warriors of Gettysburg to kick off the 2011 season. The Mustangs are looking forward to a successful season as they enter the 52nd year of the football program. They have a career 328-203-8 record with a .618 winning percentage and a .623 non-losing percentage. They are 323-194-8 in regular season play. This year the Mustangs have a large group of returning seniors, a good group of returning starters and lettermen and some exciting new players to watch, and hope to resume the winning tradition, which includes 11 league titles since 1990 and 15 in the history of the school.

Seniors Ryan Dotson, Mike Felton, Carnie Fryfogle, Jesse Good, Jeremy Loughlin, Brandon Krise, and Keith Pappas are returning starters. Seniors Rich Delea, Zach Gross, twins Dillon and Jaelen Langenfeld, Matt Stroda, and Zach Townsend, and juniors Devon Ackerman, Chad Kolper, Dakotah Moses, and Jerome Robinson are also returning lettermen. Seniors Alex Baugher and Reid Cruz and junior Mike Mooradian are up and comers to watch this year.

The graduation of key players Aaron Bosley, Brady Conroy, Tyler Frederick, Matt Funk, Jeff Hacker, Josh Hertz, Ryan Sexton, Jake Shaffer, and Leonard Sturgis still leaves the Mustangs with a very good group of seasoned players. Seniors Good and Gross are contending to be the starting quarterback. Good was the starter last year but both saw significant playing time and the stiff competition should bring out the best in both of them and leave the Mustangs in good shape at that position.

We look for Mike Felton, who already is in third place in the history of the school in career pass receptions with 47, fourth place in touchdown pass receptions with 10, fourth place in career pass receiving yardage with 747-yards, and tied for third place in punting with a season average of 39.04-yards, to be all over the field this year. He has already committed to attend Temple University next year.

Felton should lead the vaunted rushing attack and Cruz, Fryfogle, Dillon Langenfeld, Moses, and Stroda will vie for playing time and continue the great running tradition of the Mustangs.

We are looking for Felton, Krise, Jaelen Langenfeld, Robinson and Mooradian to form the nucleus of a solid receiving corps. As a junior, Felton led the receiving corps with 23 receptions for 378-yards and 4 touchdowns, for a 16.44-yard average last year. Krise and Jaelen Langenfeld also have experience at catching passes, and Fryfogle could get into the act here too.

Among the returning players, Pappas (35 tackles), Dotson (22 tackles), Delea (12 tackles), Townsend (10 tackles), Loughlin (8 tackles), and Ackerman (3 tackles), have significant experience on either the offensive or defensive line and should figure prominently again this year, with help from up and comers Baugher and Mooradian. With the lack of additional experience or depth, the development of the rest of the trenches will be a significant factor in the success of the Mustangs this year.

Fryfogle (62 tackles), Pappas (35 tackles), Moses (8 tackles), Stroda (6 tackles), and Good leave the Mustangs in great shape at the linebacker position. All are seasoned veterans. And Cruz, Kolper, and Mooradian should fit in nicely here as well. Felton (74 tackles), Krise (9 tackles), Jaelen Langenfeld (3 tackles), Dillon Langenfeld (2 tackles), Robinson (1 tackle), and Gross, should all see plenty of action in the secondary.

The punting game is in the capable hands of senior Mike Felton. Last year he punted 28 times for an average of 39.04-yards, with the longest going for 71-yards. Kickoffs are also in the very capable hands of Felton. Last year he registered 30 kickoffs for 1351-yards. Cruz also has experience in this area. Felton is also the go to guy for extra points.

Don Seidenstricker is going into his 34th year with the Mustang program and has a 187-85-1 (.688) record, including 12 league championships, 9 District 3 playoff appearances, and 9 times League Coach of the Year, as he goes into his 26th year as head coach. As always, Don is ready and eager to lead the Mustangs into a new season against the Warriors of Gettysburg. In his preseason outlook he said, “We should experience a lot of offensive excitement with the return of three year starter, and Temple bound, Mike Felton. For three seasons he has produced some outstanding moments as a running back, wide receiver, and kick returner. In addition his presence has been felt defensively from outside linebacker and in the secondary.

We do return significant playing experience at linebacker with both Carnie Fryfogle and Keith Pappas returning inside where they made a lot of contribution last season. Further, both Ryan Dotson and Jeremy Loughlin return to line positions where they both saw quality time in 2010, and Brandon Krise returns to split end on offense and corner back on defense where he started most of the season.

There will be a battle at quarterback where we return starter Jesse Good in addition to Zach Gross who started one game and saw significant action in a few others.

A few players do NOT a team make and there are a lot of questions marks in the south Western Corral. We have significant questions in both lines and very little depth in these positions. The off-season work ethic in the weight room, 7 v 7s, voluntary camps, and instructional sessions was excellent. The up and coming sophomores (Dillon Thomas, Logan Bowman, Tyler Sterner, Payton Taylor, and Wyatt Trostle) worked tirelessly this summer and may contribute to the returning players and lettermen.

The absolute, number one, positive with this group has been the bond of classes and willingness to work together. There has been outstanding senior/junior leadership from returning starters and lettermen, and players to watch, and these young men really want to return to our past winning ways.”

From here it looks like the South Western Mustangs are primed and ready to provide all the thrills and excitement their faithful fans have come to expect in their 52nd season. I think the Mustangs are up to the challenge of resuming their winning ways. I can’t wait for the start of the 2011 season. GO MUSTANGS GO.