Mid-Penn Commonwealth has a bunch of movement, Let’s take a look at 2024 expectations
Tagged under: Conference Previews, District 3, District 6, News
Billy Splain | August 21, 2024
Altoona
Head Coach: Vince Nedimyer
Last Season: 5-7
Last year the Mountain Lions finished 5-7 bowing out to State College in the District VI title game. Coach Nedimyer has been steadily keeping Altoona above water but you can only tread water for so long. Is this a sink or swim year for the Mountain Lions? The future isn’t bright this year with just 4 returning starters with All-Star talent. Lineman Calvin Troutman will lead a young line. Gone is quarterback Brennan Freiwald so it looks like Dante LaRocco, who only threw a couple passes last year, will have to grow up in a hurry. Running back Amar Emeigh-Ballos will get carries. On defense it’ll be returning linebackers Mark Harrington and Logan Wukovich leading the group.
Bishop McDevitt
Head Coach: Jeff Weachter
Last Season: 13-1
Welcome to the Mid-Penn Big League. The Crusaders are coming off a state title, then a flop in the PIAA semi-final game against Dallas. This years Crusaders have some huge holes to fill but still they return All-State Kentucky commit Stone Saunders behind center. Maurice Barnes will continue to churn out yards and freshman Jerome Larue jr is already turning heads. The wide-outs lost a ton of talent. Rico Scott, Nevan Hopkins and Chase Regan are all at D1 schools. The good news is Jontae Quick and Howard Holton Jr should keep Saunders in business in the air. The OL should be ok with JJ Torres and Landon Blauch returning.
Coach Quote: We must step our game up in all three phases of the game after our playoff loss last year. We need some young players to grow up fast.
Defensively Lucas Lawler and Ja’Kye Logan will hold the line. Dominic Diaz is a solid DB with several D1 offers. McDevitt may struggle at first in the division but they’ll be competitive.
Carlisle
Head Coach: Brandon Cook
Last Season: 1-9
The Thundering Herd was a quite storm last year. An experienced set of wide receivers in Devin Vasquez and Xavier Campbell will help ease in a new quarterback. The Herd will look to Curtis Stroud to lead the defense from his cornerback spot. It could be another long year for Carlisle.
Cedar Cliff
Head Coach: Colin Gillen
Last Season: 10-2
Coach Gillen has a nice squad returning from a successful 2023 campaign. Bennett Secrest returns at quarterback along with five others on offense. Big Guner Hiller, 6-3, 310, will lead a young offensive line alongside Josh Gillen. Kade Finkboner at fullback gives this offense a chance to move the ball and receivers Owen Anastasi and Julius Tirado give Secrest a few experienced targets on the edges.
Coach Quotes: Offense: The Colts offense will look to remain balanced and threaten defenses with the run and pass. The passing game will feature senior quarterback Bennett Secrest along with two talented wide receivers Julius Tirado and Owen Anastasi. The rushing attack will need some time to develop as the offensive line will lean on returning starters Guner Hiller and Josh Gillen. Defense: Cedar Cliff will return a solid nucleus of their defensive unit from last season. The front seven will be stout against the run with returning defensive lineman Hezikyah Latini, Guner Hiller and Blake Secrest. The linebacking core will be lead by Kade Finkboner and Will Kocher. The secondary will feature returning starters Julius Tirado and Owen Anastasi.
Defensively Hezikyah Latini, Hiller, Tirado, Finkboner, Anastasi, Will Kocher and Secrest give the Colts a solid defense. Newcomers Payton Schafner and Isaiah Jones at DB/WR will contribute. This is a team that could sneak up on the conference leaders and make some noise.
Central Dauphin
Head Coach: Glen McNamee
Last Season: 6-5
Glen McNamee has a lot of huge holes to fill. If the Rams are going to return to the top of the pack they’ll have to replace their quarterback, two division 1 linemen, six running backs, their kicker and most of the defense. Mason Wydra will be the “go-to” guy from his linebacker spot on defense. Gavin Kirkpatrick looks like the new QB for the Rams. He didn’t get much action last year so there will be a learning curve. With just four returning starters the Rams may struggle this year.
Central Dauphin East
Head Coach: Lance Deane
Last Season: 4-6
Coach Deane is very excited with the team he has returning in 2024. Demaj Jalloh returns to sling the ball and Jared Porter will once again carry the rock for the Panthers. Zach Brown gives Jalloh an experienced target and Amir Lemelle and Santana Young are new receivers that should contribute.
Coach Quotes: Expecting a highly competitive year in hopes of being a historical year for the Panthers lead by a senior class that now have some game experience.
Defensively Porter is a solid player at DB and Brown at linebacker gives them a good set of leaders. If the Panthers are going to move up the ladder, they’ll need newcomers like WR-Brendyn Smith, RB/LB- Jeremiha Hunter, RB/LB Legend Johnson, RB/LB-Cameron Diehl and more to step up in a hurry.
Chambersburg
Head Coach: Mark Luther
Last Season: 4-6
There’s reason for optimism at Chambersburg. Coach Luther has 11 players with starting experience returning this year. Gone is QB Riley Harmon but running backs Antonio Harrison and Imari Watson along with returning wide-outs Trever Luther and Jason Chambers will help ease in the new signal caller. Kevin Demory, Evan Brown, Dominick Curtis, Cole Edwards and center Eli Vosburg give the Trojans a nice returning line to lead the way for new qb Ceagan Truett.
Coach Quotes: Every team goes into the new season with high expectations. Playing in arguably the toughest 6A conference in the PIAA, we know it is going to be a real challenge every week. We need to lean on our senior experience and leadership and approach the season one day at a time. Build upon each day to become the best team we can.
On defense it’ll be Luther, Stanley Lozius at linebacker and Demory leading the way. The Trojans return eight players to stop the opposing offenses. Newcomers Devonte Scott (WR/CB), Nick Pompeii (LB), Cooper Stockslager (WR/OLB), Tavian Ferguson (WR/CB) will also contribute.
Cumberland Valley
Head Coach: Josh Oswalt
Last season: 7-5
Not many teams started as cold as CV and finished as hot. The Eagles started off the year 1 & 4, then rattled off six straight wins to get into the District 3 playoffs. They bowed out to a strong Manheim Twp. team but coach Oswalt seemed to have set the wheels in motion for this season. The hitch? They lost a lot of talent to graduation. Bryce Staretz was solid carrying the ball but with him gone they’ll need someone to step up fast. Luckily QB Grant Shepley, Tight End Nolan Buzalka, receivers Ke’Aune Green and Brody Pines give the offense a bit of stability. Lineman Tyler Merill has D1 offers coming in from all over the place and along with seniors Levi Clay, Graeson Brickner and Brady Hubbard on the line the offense may have some time to develop.
Defensively the Eagles are a veteran group. Hubbard, Buzalka, Haydin Holmes and Brady Hockenberry from front to middle and Ryan Hunter and Gavin Kendrick in the outfield should be able to create situations that give the Eagles good field position. It just all depends on what they do with it. We’ll know quickly as they open with the last team that beat them.
Harrisburg
Head Coach: Calvin Everett
Last Season: 12-2
Last year the Cougars didn’t make it out of Altoona’s Mansion Park with a semi-final win. That honor went to North Allegheny. This year, there is a distinct possibility that the Cougars could return to the PIAA Class 6A title game. They have most of the parts back from last season. . With one of the bets offensive lines in the state returning, the Cougars are set up nicely. One of the top recruits in the country, lineman Kevin Brown, will lead the way. Shawn Lee lost his eligibility hearing so a new quarterback will be in place, but he’s got Elia Coke and his many D1 offers to throw to for comfort. Quincy Brannon is also a familiar face at wide-out. The off season was busy too. New to the team are former Trinity and State College running backs Messiah Mickens and D’Antae Sheffey have joined the squad.
Coach Quotes: We look to compete in a very competitive Mid Penn Commonwealth league. Our goals are to when the league , Districts and compete for a State Championship at the 6A level.
As promising as that sounds, the defense may be better. Brown and Britton are scary good up front. Brannon and Kymir Williams roaming the middle along with Lee (if he plays) make for a lock down defense. The season doesn’t start easy for Harrisburg. They start off with a loaded LaSalle team followed by the renewing of the McDevitt/Harrisburg rivalry and State College the third weel.
State College
Head Coach: Matt Lintal
Last Season: 7-4
It was a tough season for the Little Lions in 2023. They had the tall task of rebuilding a line loaded with all-state talent, and get a new quarterback familiar with the offense fast. Edie Corkery does return as do several stud pieces from last years squad. Ty Salazer is fun to watch if you like route running. He’s also pretty good from his DB spot. They’ll have to replace Sheffey. They’ll have Michael Gaul and Cooper Brushwood at receiver along with a good portion of last years line returning. Luke Milito, Sam Mayer and Reese Wilson should give Corkery time to throw.
Coach Quotes: We are excited to return 3 four year letterwinners in Ty Salazer, Mike Gaul and Sam Mayer. We also return 3 captains from that group and Cooper Brushwood. With the success of Eddie Corkery as a QB as a junior, we are looking to build off of last season with lots of perimeter talent returning. Defensively, we have a great deal of experience returning on all three levels.
Defense is what will carry this team. All-State linebacker Gaul, Thomas Keller and Natan Haas at DE, Sam Mayer in the middle and Salazar roaming the backfield make this a scary good squad.
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