2020 Team Preview: The Wilmington Greyhounds @westonphanco76 @Kat_McConahy @smcconahy44

Tagged under: Conference Previews, District 10, News

Billy Splain | August 5, 2020

Wilmington Greyhounds

Head Coach Brandon Phillian

Assistant Coaches
Robb Shimrack,
Dave Welch,
Bob Mitcheltree,
Mike Crawford,
Mark Shenker,
Casey Hilton,
Sean McConahy,
Mike Neurohr,
Josh Phillian,
Pat Matsook,
Dom Johnjulio,
Jimmy Reed,
Alex Ramirez,
Jason Hess

2019 Season Record 12-1

2020 Schedule

DATE	OPPONENT	LOCATION	TIME/SCORE
08-28	@ Reynolds (0-0) *	Reynolds HS Football Stadium	7:00 pm
09-04	vs. West Middlesex (0-0) *	Greyhound Stadium	7:00 pm
09-11	vs. Oil City (0-0)	Greyhound Stadium	7:00 pm
09-18	vs. Greenville (0-0) *	Greyhound Stadium	7:00 pm
09-25	@ Lakeview (0-0) *	Lakeview Stadium	7:00 pm
10-02	vs. Sharpsville (0-0) *	Greyhound Stadium	7:00 pm
10-09	@ Farrell (0-0) *	Lou Falconi Field	7:00 pm
10-17	@ Kennedy Catholic (0-0) *		1:00 pm
10-23	vs. Mercer (0-0) *	Greyhound Stadium	7:00 pm

* – denotes league game
(SCR) – denotes scrimmage

Key Starters Lost

Junior McConahy
Shane Cox
Jon Takash

Offensive Starters Returning

POS # Name YR

LT 78 Chimiak, Jake 12
LG 64 Whiting, Morgan 12
RG 76 Phanco, Weston 12
RT 58 Vass-Gal, Connor 12
FB 1 Edwards, Luke 11
HB 4 Susen, Ethan 12
HB 34 Miller, Darren 12
QB 5 Bender, Caelan 12

Defensive Starters Returning

POS # Name YR

DT 76 Phanco, Weston 12
DT 78 Chimiak, Jake 12
DE 64 Whiting, Morgan 12
ILB 61 Sholler, Skyler 11
OLB 34 Miller, Darren 12
C 4 Susen, Ethan 12
C 17 Reed, Mason 12
S 7 Shimrack, Braxton 12
S 5 Bender, Caelan 12

Special Team Starters Returning

KICK 22 Hartwell, Daniel 11

KICK 15 Winters, Ethan 11

Key Newcomers

Juniors

Elon Horchler
Cole Mahle
Cole McCallister
Brayden Penwell
Ashton Williamson

What’s your outlook on the season?

First off, throughout the pandemic, the team’s thoughts and prayers have been that those who have contracted the Coronavirus will be healed, that families who have lost loved ones would be comforted, and that the doctors, nurses, first responders, and front line workers would be safe and protected as they serve others. We are hopeful that from a health standpoint, it will be safe enough to have a football season this fall. We, the players and coaches, are preparing for the season to the best of our ability from the safety of our own homes. We are excited about the opportunity to build relationships through the camaraderie of being part of a football team while playing and competing in the game we love.

People are saying you may be the best team in the state in 2A, your thoughts?

It’s an honor to be mentioned as one of the top teams in the state, and ultimately, it’s a compliment to the football program at Wilmington. However, while being mentioned as a top team in the preseason is nice, what truly matters is how you perform on the field and where you finish the season as a team. My thought is that we must remain humble and hungry while focusing on our vision. What this team will remember is not what people said in the preseason, but what we, as a team, are able to accomplish on the field.

With most starters returning from deep playoff run last year, what challenges will this team face?

I think this team has the potential to be very solid. There is no substitute for experience, and we will have a lot of experienced players on our team this season. With that being said, nothing will be given to them. If they try to rest on their laurels from last year and do not continue to work hard, they could fall short of meeting their goals. The key to this group being successful is that they remain humble and hungry while striving to improve and get better each and every day. I also think a key will be to focus on our vision, not our circumstances. The circumstance of COVID-19 has provided a lot of uncertainty. Staying focused on our vision throughout the uncertainty will be a challenge this season.

What can people expect from an offensive perspective?

I think the strength of the offense will be the offensive line as we return four of five starters from last year’s team. While we still need to fill some skilled positions, we have guys returning who got a lot of experience last year and made significant contributions in big games. The key to the offense will be our ability to fill both the tight end and split end positions. We need guys to step in and strive to understand the positions the way the two seniors (Junior McConahy and Shane Cox) did a year ago. Filling those spots will go a long way in determining how we perform on offense this season.

What would you like to accomplish defensively?

The key defensively will be making up for the graduation of two (McConahy and Cox) seniors. Both of these seniors played in the front seven. They were extremely versatile, and their versatility allowed us to do a number of things schematically on both offense and defense. We will have to fill a linebacker spot and a defensive end spot. Seeing guys understand how they fit into the scheme the way Junior and Shane did will go a long way in determining who earns those positions. How well our new starters are able to communicate and play with one another will determine how strong we are on defense. During camp, we will be looking for guys to compete for these spots. Every player will be given an opportunity, and the best competitors will win these spots. Filling these spots with the best players will be the focus on defense heading into camp. We look for our secondary to be solid as all four of these positions will be filled with returning starters.

Who are some key players people should keep an eye on this season?

I think the key players are the eight returning starters on offense and the nine returning starters on defense. I believe they are all worthy of being mentioned as key players heading into the season. The experience they have gained and the commitment they have made will allow them to be leaders and impact players on our team this season.

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