2006 Season Preview
Jay Foster Leads Clarion Into New Era
Clarion Returns 16 Starters & 28 Lettermen
First year head football coach Jay
Foster heads into the 2006 season with a squad that has a total of 16 starters
and 28 lettermen returning.
The Golden Eagles are also entering
their fourth season with a new stadium playing surface and night football.
CLARION 3-7 IN 2005
Clarion was 3-7 in 2005 and 1-5 in
the PSAC-West. The three victories came in a record-setting four overtime win
over Kutztown (29-23), a 15-12 come-from-behind victory over Mansfield and a
16-0 shutout win over Lock Haven. The team is hoping for an improved outcome in
2006.
Team strengths for 2006? The offense
has a strong, veteran line returning to anchor the scoring unit, while the
defense will be strong at linebacker and in the secondary.
EAGLE OFFENSE RETURNS 7 STARTERS
The offense returns 7 starters and 14
lettermen from a unit that averaged 245.4 yards of offense per game. The 2005
Eagles averaged 112.5 rushing yards and 132.9 passing yards per game.
QB POSITON COULD BE CAMP BATTLE
Coming out of Spring practice
red-shirt freshman quarterback Mark Rupert has the edge at quarterback. Rupert,
who has a strong passing arm, is from Knoch High and transferred from Duquesne.
Rupert passed for 3,466 yards and 29 td’s in high school. Slippery Rock transfer
Ryan Hart had the backup spot. Also expected to vie for the starting spot are
incoming freshmen Tyler Huether and Gino Rometo.
RUNNING BACK SPOTS UP FOR GRABS
The running back spots are also up
for grabs. Talented red-shirt freshman A.J. Graves, a 1,000 yard rusher at
Jeannette and a PIAA State wrestling champion in 2005, along with junior Dan
Grazier expect to battle to start at tailback. Converted linebacker Kevin Brady
will head a list of candidates at fullback. The Eagles have a number of new
recruits that will also battle immediately.
BROWN & ODOM LEAD TALENTED RECEIVERS
The receiving corps has talent.
Junior transfer Clint Brown, a starting strong safety at Div.I-AA Maine, will
add athletic ability and a deep threat to the offense. Brown had 44 tackles, 6.5
tfl’s and 1 int in 2003 and 20 hits in 13 games in 2002.
2004 starter Pierre Odom, who led the team in 2003 and 2004 in receptions and
sat out 2005, is also back. He has 62 career catches for 784 yards and 4 td’s.
Pierre grabbed 33 passes for 418 yards and 3 td’s in 2004. Also back is Joe
Farkas (17 catches, 234 yards, 2 td’s - 2004) after missing 2005 with injury.
Farkas caught caught a 47-yard “Hail Mary” pass against Cal in 2004 to beat the
Vulcans on the final play 35-34. Jewell Stephens (16 catches, 139 yards) and and
Dane Williams also return to make the Eagles deep at receiver.
The tight end position has depth with
John Dominic (10 grabs, 137 yards), Matt Foradora (3 catches, 33 yards and Brett
Heller (Berwick). Dominic is also Clarion’s long snapper.
SNYDER & DELIERE ANCHOR VETERAN LINE
Clarion’s “O” line looks very strong
up front with the return of two-time All-Region center Zack Snyder (Sr. 6-5,
310) and 2004 All-Region guard Eric Deliere (Sr. 6-2, 305). Deliere missed the
final 7 games of 2005 with an injury. Starting guards Mike O’Brien (Jr. 6-5,
280) and Mike Melampy (Jr. 6-4, 330), along with tackle Bill Johnson (Jr. 6-5,
310) give the Eagles a formidable front wall. Those five returnees give Clarion
a front line that averages 6'4" and 310-pounds.
CLARION DEFENSE RETURNS 7 STARTERS
Seven starters and 12 lettermen
return for a tough Clarion defense that has led the PSAC in tfl’s for the past
six seasons. Clarion had 98 tfl’s in 2005, 110 tfl’s in 2004, 106 in 2003, 113
in 2002 and 102 in 2001 and 128 in 2000.
Overall the defense permitted 401 yards of offense per game, including 202
rushing yards and 199 passing yards per game.
SIMMONS & GILES BATTLE UP FRONT
Up front Jimmy Simmons (23 hits, 8
tfl’s), Corey Giles (24 stops, 4 sacks), Nate Griffin (5 stops) and Rich McCune
hope to plug the front wall.
RIGBY GUARDING THE PERIMETER
The perimeters will be guarded by
2004 All-Region outside linebacker Kevin Rigby (64 jolts, 3 tfl’s), Jim McHale,
Kyle Cathcart and Colin McDonough.
MORRIS & GOURLEY TOUGH MIDDLE TANDEM
The middle has two talented
linebackers to anchor the defense. Matt Morris (102 tackles, 22 tfl’s), a 2005
Third team Football Gazette All-American, and teammate Zach Gourley (78 hits, 8
tfl’s) will clog the middle. Morris has had a tremendous career collecting 249
career tackles, 45 tfl’s and 2 int’s, while Gourley has totaled 170 stops, 24
tfl’s and 2 int’s.
The secondary was expecting to get All-America safety Bo Busch back from an
injury, but re-injuring himself in the off-season, Busch will not return.
WOODARD & BRAZIL LEAD SECONDARY
Back to anchor the secondary will be
corner 2004 All-Region corner Dwaon Woodard (51 stops, 2 int’s, 4 blocked kicks)
and safeties Quintyn Brazil (23 tackles) and Tom Schreppel. Woodard has 126
career tackles, 6 interceptions and 19 break-ups. Corners Brian Edwards and Erik
Yonish also expect to pick up the defense. Edwards, who has plenty of potential,
made 8 stops last year. Yonish, who has moved from qb to corner, is a talented
defensive back and was an All-State player at that position in high school.
SNOKE & PERLA RETURN TO SPECIAL TEAMS
Senior placekicker Kyle Snoke, who
connected on 6 of 7 field goals in 2004, including a 46-yarder against West
Chester, returns as the placekicker, while All-PSAC punter Nick Perla (38.4
avg.) returns to boot the pigskin.
Woodard is back to return punts and kickoffs. He averaged 8.6 per punt return
and 20.6 per kickoff return in 2005. He gained 11.2 per punt return in 2004.
CLARION NOTES: Clarion is tradition rich in football ... 27 straight
non-losing seasons from 1961-87, a 45-year (1961-05) record of 261-179-6,
(59.2%) and 10 PSAC-West titles (1966, 67, 69, 77, 78, 80, 83, 92, 96 and 2000).