Bloomsburg Huskies Picked As Team to Beat by PSAC Football Coaches
BLOOMSBURG-- The Bloomsburg University football team has been selected to repeat as Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division champions in 2006 in voting by the league's coaches. The poll was announced at the league's annual media day on Wednesday at Kutztown University.
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The Huskies sailed through the 2005 season with a perfect 11-0 record before falling in the first round of the NCAA playoffs. Bloomsburg returns 14 starters, including PSAC East Player of the Year Jamar Brittingham (Langhorne/Neshaminy) who rushed for an NCAA-leading 2,260 yards and 32 touchdowns, while also catching 20 passes for 299 yards and two scores. Brittingham also finished third in the balloting for the Harlon Hill Award, the first sophomore since 1987 to be among the top three in balloting.
Defensively for the Huskies, a trio of first team All-PSAC East players return in Rob Biernat (Bristol/Conwell Egan), Tyler Trettin (Hummelstown/Hershey) and Scott Keating (Lansdale/Lansdale Catholic). Biernat led the Huskies in tackles last year with 87, while Trettin made 62 stops and Keating 44.
Bloomsburg, ranked ninth in the Street and Smith Pre-Season poll, will open its season on Saturday, September 2nd at James Madison University at 6 p.m. The Huskies will host their home opener on Saturday, September 9th against California (PA) the pre-season pick for number one in the PSAC Western Division, at 1 p.m.
Below is a summary of the team's, by position in poll, as compiled by the PSAC Office.
After a league title and an unblemished regular season, Bloomsburg has been chosen by the coaches to repeat as Eastern Division champions in 2006. Winners of the 2004 title, West Chester is picked to finish second, followed by 2005 Northeast Region champion East Stroudsburg at third. Rounding out the poll is Millersville at fourth, with Kutztown, Mansfield and Cheyney coming in at fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively.
1. Bloomsburg (11-1,6-0 /1st / Head Coach: Danny Hale
Returning Starters: 7 off, 7 def
1st Team Returnees:G Wynton Shelton, RB Jamar Brittingham, TE Luke Kuklick, DL Scott Keating, LB Rob Biernat, DB Tyler Trettin
BLOOMSBURG won its fifth Eastern Division title in six years in 2005, relying primarily on the league's top rushing game.The most significant element of that attack, RB Jamar Brittingham, is back for his junior season after leading Division II in rushing (188.3 ypg) and scoring (17.0 ppg) last year. Though tackle Jahri Evans, a fourth-round selection by the New Orleans Saints in the NFL Draft, is gone, a nucleus of three linemen, a tight end and fullback are back to provide the blocking for this year's unit. DL Scott Keating, LB Rob Biernat and DB Tyler Trettin will provide leadership for their respective units a defense that posted four shutouts in 2005.
2. West Chester (8-4, 5-1 /3rd /Head Coach: Bill Zwaan
Returning Starters:9 off, 7 def
1st Team Returnees:WR Mike Washington, OG Kevin O'Neill, OT Mark Maynard
With a fairly inexperienced team in 2005,WEST CHESTER still managed to reach the NCAA playoffs for the second straight year and win eight games for the third year in a row. This year's team should show more of a veteran presence and have high expectations. RB Osagie Osunde (1,151 yds in 2004), injured early in 2005, will team with his replacement Brent Steinmetz (1,181 yds), to form one of the league's top rushing tandems.They will have the luxury of running behind a line that returns all five starters. Seven players are back on a defense that ranked third overall in the PSAC. At the forefront are LBs Lateef Ferguson (102 TT) and Jimmy Lewis (70 TT, 16 TFL, 7.5 Sk).
3. East Stroudsburg (11-3, 4-2 /3rd/Head Coach: Denny Douds
Returning Starters: 3 off,6 def
1st Team Returnees:WR Evan Prall, QB Jim Terwilliger, DL Andrew Marstellar
EAST STROUDSBURG finished third in the Eastern Division last year, but the Warriors advanced further than any other league team by reaching the national semifinals of the NCAA playoffs. The team has only nine returning starters, including just three from its record-setting offense. QB Jim Terwilliger already holds numerous season and career records entering his final season. The 2005 Harlon Hill winner threw for 50 touchdowns and 4,571 yards, most often hitting WR Evan Prall (88 rec,1766 yds).Prall led the league with 23 TD catches and finished second in Division II with 126.1 yards per game.The defensive front should be solid with the return of linemen Greg Thoman (90 TT, 18 TFL), Andrew Marstellar and Morris Jackson. LB Fred Rice led the team with 132 stops and posted 15 tackles for loss.
4. Millersville (5-6, 3-3/4th)/Head Coach: Joe Trainer
Returning Starters: 9 off, 7 def
1st Team Returnees:LB Chris Donati
MILLERSVILLE hired defensive-minded Joe Trainer to take over the program last year and the decision has already produced results. Last year's group allowed nearly a touchdown fewer points per game than its predecessors, moving from 10th to fourth in the league in points allowed per game (21.4). Returning LB Chris Donati posted a team-best 88 tackles and 20 tackles for loss last year, and will be surrounded by three regulars back on the line and in the secondary. QB Dan Csencsitz has completed close to 62% of his passes during his career, and will again have dynamic wideouts Randall Eggleton (46 rec, 649 yds) and Omar Sanders (31 rec, 337 yds)hauling in passes this year. A key to success will be replacing RB Juan Jones (1,332 yds, 16 TD),yet the new starter will benefit from four starters back on the O-line.
5. Kutztown (2-8, 2-4/5th)/Head Coach: Raymond Monica
Returning Starters: 8 off, 6 def
1st Team Returnees:DL Mike Grosso
KUTZTOWN will be under the direction of newly appointed head coach Raymond Monica, who comes to the Golden Bears after eight seasons at Temple. Though he inherits a program that went 2-8 a year ago, there are 14 starters back from a group that lost four games by a touchdown or less in 2005. RB Maurice Adams has led Kutztown in rushing in each of his first two seasons, averaging 4.9 yards per carry, and will team with QB Kyle Spotts (1,297 yds, 11 TD) and WR Larry Baumgardner (38 rec, 447 yds, 8 TD) to lead the offense. DE Mike Grosso (56 TT, 14 TFL, 6 Sk) is the lone senior starter on defense. He will pair up with an up-and-coming group which includes LB Tom Cressman (47 TT, 6 Sk).
6. Mansfield (1-10, 1-5 /6th)/Head Coach: Jim Shiffer
Returning Starters: 7 off, 6 def
1st Team Returnees:None
Though MANSFIELD returns seven starters who enter their senior years, that experience is counteracted by a massive youth movement.Sixty-four players listed on the preseason roster are either sophomores, redshirt freshmen or true freshmen.The passing game thrived last year and three of the top five receivers from 2005 are back in the fold. At the forefront is slot back Rodney Davis (64 rec, 734 yds, 6 TD) and WR Ozzie Mathis (35 rec, 487 yds, 7 TD), who will find time to get open with the blocking of three-time All-PSAC lineman Jamar Foulks. Senior LBs Andre Turner (100 TT, 6 TFL, 6 PB) and C.J. Okogeri (63 TT, 3 FR) head up a defense with six regulars back in the fold.
7. Cheyney (2-9, 0-6/7th / Head Coach: Tim Newsom
Returning Starters: 9 off, 9 def
1st Team Returnees:LB Brandon Hawkins; DL Jamar Johnson, DB Tyree Cooper
CHEYNEY looks to gain strides under second-year coach Tim Newsom. Hired late in 2005, Newsom brings one of the largest recruiting classes in Cheyney history into the program this year.The newcomers will try to find some time behind 18 returning starters - nine on both sides of the ball. The offense will get a charge from WR Dominique Curry,who averaged 17.7 yards per catch on his way to PSAC East Rookie of the Year honors. Among the returnees on defense,LB Brandon Hawkins (105 TT, 15 TFL), DL Jamar Johnson (54 TT, 5.5 Sk) and DB Tyree Cooper (74 TT) all earned first-team league recognition last season.