August 31, 2012 7:00 a.m. — There are plenty of reasons to be bummed as fall approaches. Summer is over. School is back in session. It’s an election season.

However, there is one huge, glaring reason to be pumped about autumn..

Football is back.

Tonight, those Friday night lights will flare back on, illuminating gridiron battles through Crawford County and all around the state.

And this season we’ll be seeing new players, new leagues, new challenges, even an entirely new team.

What follows are just a few of the story lines that we’ll be following throughout the 2012 campaign:



1. A new day dawns in Conneaut

It’s not often one gets to watch history in the making. But that’s what we get this year with the newly-formed Conneaut Area Senior High School football squad.

Conneaut is the result of the merger of three former Crawford County programs: Conneaut Lake, Conneaut Valley and Linesville. Each program had a storied history of its own. But now that’s part of the past.

Today, players from all three schools are united under one banner: The Eagles. And each time they do something this year, anything — score a touchdown, earn a win, suffer a loss — it’s going to be a historic first.

For example: Tonight is game No. 1 of the Conneaut franchise. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. when the Eagles take on the Girard YellowJackets at Girard Stadium.

 

2. New coaches, new eras

Four area teams will be taking the field tonight with a new head coach leading the way.

At Meadville, former assistant and MASH alumnus Mike Feleppa is carrying the big whistle, turned over by legendary helmsman Ken Achenbach following the Bulldogs’ 7-5 season last year.

Meadville opens things up against Northwestern tonight at Bender Field.

At Cochranton, the Cardinals will be led by former Linesville assistant coach Nate Liberty. He’ll be Cochranton’s fifth head coach since the modern-day program started in 1979 (the school also fielded teams from 1926 to 1935). He’s taking over for Tom Haynes, who had guided the squad since 1996.

The Cards kick things off tonight, hosting Seneca.

Over at Maplewood, former Meadville and Neshannock assistant Bryan Borkovich takes over at just 26 years of age. He’s following former coach Matt Crocker, who was at the Tigers’ wheel for six seasons. Borkovich is the seventh head coach in Maplewood’s history.

The Tigers get things underway at 7 p.m., hosting Reynolds.

Last but not least, Randy Gunther is leading the way at Union City. Gunther is actually a veteran of the game, having headed up Seneca’s program for 14 seasons from 1996 to 2009. He’ll be the third head coach for the Bears over the last three years.

Union City’s season starts tonight at Lakeview.



3. Big names returning

Locally, there are some big-time returning players that are going to be fun to watch this year.

n A perfect example is Meadville’s senior halfback Artrel Foster. He’s one of three backs that broke 1,000-yards rushing with the Bulldogs’ offense. Foster gained 1,205 yards and scored 10 touchdowns on the ground. He also led the team in receiving with nine catches 174 yards and two scores. And this year, he may even be playing some quarterback in Meadville’s spread variation.

n Another exciting return is Lakeview’s feature running back Blake Reddick. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound junior collected 218 carries for 1,353 yards and 10 TDs on the ground. And this year, he’s got a huge, experienced line throwing blocks for him. He could be in for a monster season.

n Cochranton’s Austin Andrews is in line for an exciting season. A year ago, he tallied 804 yards and eight touchdowns on 100 carries, and he caught 14 passes for 123 yards and another TD. And he’s once again expected to be a major factor in both the Cardinals’ rushing and passing schemes.

n Ethan Moody didn’t produce a lot of eye-popping stats last year. But the Maplewood senior has reportedly made some huge strides physically in the offseason. And as the Tigers’ feature back this year, he could very well come into his own.



4. Same faces, new jobs

Each year, football teams are in need of a little reshuffling. Players graduate, and those left behind are needed to fill in. And sometimes those fill-in duties can create some pretty interesting opportunities.

n For example, General McLane senior Quinn Thompson is one of the largest physical specimens on the Lancers’ roster at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds. Yet, instead of lining up where you might expect (on the line, where he used to play tight end), this year he’ll be at quarterback, running McLane’s always dangerous triple option attack. That’s going to be something to see.

n Last season Meadville’s Trevor Martin played primarily a defensive role. But this year he’s going to have numerous duties on offense. He’ll be lined up mostly at wide receiver. But he could also see some time at running back ... or elsewhere.

“Trevor, he’s such a utility guy for us,” said MASH head coach Mike Feleppa. “He’s so smart. I’m sure if I needed him at guard, he’d be able to go in at guard and know the plays. I’m serious.”

n Titusville is going to have a bruising run game this season now that 6-2, 200-pound senior Sam Bodamer has moved from tight end to halfback. And his teammate, Jayce Corklin, was a halfback last season. But he’ll  be taking up QB duties in 2012, giving Titusville a reworked but promising backfield.

n Quentin Stafford was listed as a tight end in 2012. He brought in four receptions for 86 yards. This year, his touches should increase dramatically as he takes on the role of running back in the Blue Devils sleek triple-option attack.

n Union City has a promising returnee in senior Josh Reinke. Last year, he was one of the area’s top pass-catchers with 19 catches for 343 yards and six touchdowns. So he’s already proven himself as a receiving threat. And this year he’ll be the Bears’ featured running back. So his total offense could skyrocket.