SOUTH WESTERN MUSTANGS GRIDIRON 2013-1

Preseason Review

By Bill Engelhardt
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The Mustangs of South Western return to gridiron action Friday night, August 30, as they travel to the Warriors of Gettysburg to kick off the 2013 season.  The Mustangs are looking forward to a successful season as they enter the 54th year of the football program.  They have a career 338-202-8 record with a .626 winning percentage and a .631 non-losing percentage.  They are 332-193-8 in regular season play.  This year the Mustangs have a good group of returning seniors, returning starters and lettermen, and some exciting new players to watch, and hope to continue the winning tradition, which includes 12 league titles since 1990 and 16 in the history of the school.

The Mustangs begin their second year under coach Damian Poalucci.  Damian is updating the Delaware Wing T offense by having the quarterback operate out of a “Pistol” position (halfway between directly under center and the shotgun) this year and he is the ideal guy to do that.  He was a star option quarterback for the Bees of Bayonne NJ High School.  He really blossomed as a gunslinger in college and broke just about every quarterback passing record for the Warriors of East Stroudsburg University.

Seniors Logan Bowman, Gunner Holtz, Ryan Lane, Jordan Markle, Tyler Sterner, Payton Taylor, and Dillon Thomas, and juniors Matt Helwig and Ryan Krebs are returning starters.  Seniors Rick Bosse, Camden Brown, Brendan Fahs, Tyler Kohler, Brandon McMinn, Zach Osborne, Elder Sterner, Wyatt Trostle, and Josh Walker, and juniors Bret Hertzog, Gus Landis, Hunter Palmer, and Brady Thayer are also returning lettermen.  Juniors Tyler Jachelski, Mitch Muir, T.J. Sneeringer, and Jonas Walter, and sophomores Corbin Byers, Scotty Dickmyer, Mike Farace, Miles Frances, Brock Geiman, Zach Hughes, Noah Staub, and Josh Zeroth are up and comers to watch this year.

The graduation of key players Devon Ackerman, Mike Duffy, Aram Moffit, Mike Mooradian, Gabe Morela, Jerome Robinson, Shawn Secola, and Brady Shultz still leaves the Mustangs with a passel of seasoned players.  Senior Tyler Sterner split playing time with Mike Duffy last year and is ready and excited to be running the offense from the Pistol position as the quarterback.

We look for three-year starter Thomas to lead the vaunted rushing attack and Brown, Osborne, Taylor, and Trostle will round out the offensive backfield and continue the great running tradition of the Mustangs.  Thomas led the rushing attack last year with 1,541-yards and 17 touchdowns.

We are looking for Fahs, Lane, Markle, Palmer, Staub, and Thayer to form the nucleus of a solid receiving corps. Osborne, Taylor, Thomas, and Trostle have experience catching the ball out of the backfield.

Among the returning players, Holtz (48 tackles), Walker (9 tackles), Helwig (7 tackles), Jachelski and Landis (5 tackles each), Bosse (4 tackles), and Kohler (3 tackles) in 2012, have significant experience on either the offensive or defensive line and should figure prominently again this year, along with Muir, Sneeringer, and Elder Sterner.  The trenches will be a significant factor in the success of the Mustangs this year.

Krebs (29 tackles), Lane (27 tackles), Thomas (25 tackles), Trostle (11 tackles), McMinn (7 tackles), Jachelski (5 tackles), and Osborne (1 tackle) in 2012, leave the Mustangs in great shape at the linebacker position.  All are seasoned veterans.  And, Elder Sterner, Tyler Sterner, and Walter should fit in nicely here as well.

Taylor (52 tackles), Palmer (14 tackles), Markle (8 tackles), Fahs and Thayer (2 tackles each), and Logan Bowman (who missed last season due to injury), should all see plenty of action in the secondary.

It remains to be seen who will step up to replace departed Brandon Utz (37 punts) and Gabe Morela (5 punts) in the punting game.  Krebs has some kickoff experience and may be the replacement for the departed Jake Tracy.  Tracy kicked all 31 of the extra points last year and I’ll be looking to see who steps up in this vital area.

Damian Poalucci is ready and eager to lead the Mustangs into a new season against the Warriors of Gettysburg.  In his preseason outlook he said, “The Mustang Corral should be filled with offensive excitement this season with the return of three year starting fullback Dillon Thomas, who set the school’s single season rushing record last season (1,541) and is 270 yards shy of breaking the school’s career rushing record.  The rest of the offensive backfield will be filled by returning lettermen Wyatt Trostle, Camden Brown, Payton Taylor, and Zach Osborne.

Tyler Sterner will be returning to the starting quarterback position this season after splitting reps with Shippensburg recruit Mike Duffy.  With a strong receiver corps consisting of returning lettermen Jordan Markle, Brady Thayer, Hunter Palmer, and newcomer Noah Staub he should have many options to get the ball downfield.

The old cliché’ that “it all starts with the line” has never been more applicable.  The fate of the Mustang Football Team clearly rests up front.  The offensive and defensive line will be anchored by seniors Rick Bosse, Gunner Holtz, Josh Walker, and Elder Sterner.  Newcomers to the offensive and defensive line Matt Helwig, Skylar Bowman, Tyler Jachelski and Scotty Dickmyer will play a vital role on both sides of the football.

We do return significant playing experience in the defensive backfield with Payton Taylor and Jordan Markle returning to their safety and cornerback positions.  Logan Bowman will also be returning after suffering a season ending injury early in summer camp last season.  The outside backer position returns starters senior Ryan Lane and junior Ryan Krebs.

Earn The Right is 2013 mantra in the South Western Corral.  The off-season work ethic in the weight room, 7v7s, voluntary camps, and instructional sessions was excellent, actually the best in many years.  The up and coming sophomores (Zach Hughes, Miles Frances, Josh Zeroth, Tyler Fulmore, and Brock Geiman) 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 the starters, lettermen, and “players to watch” (noted elsewhere in this article) and these young men really want to continue the strong tradition of Mustang Football!”

From here it looks like the South Western Mustangs are ready and eager to provide all the thrills and excitement their faithful fans have come to expect in their 54th season.  I think the Mustangs are up to the challenge of continuing their winning ways.  I can’t wait for the start of the 2013 season.  GO MUSTANGS GO.