Aug. 6, 2009 — Eighth-year Allegheny head coach Mark Matlak believes the North Coast Athletic Conference Coaches’ preseason poll holds more weight this year than any in his tenure.
The rankings, which were released Wednesday, have the nationally-ranked Wabash Little Giants at the top, followed by Wooster, Wittenberg and Allegheny in the No. 4 spot.
“I think the coaches’ poll, this year more so than any other in my time at Allegheny, was really reflective of the teams,” said Matlak, who is 36-35 overall at AC. “I think the three Ws are clearly the cream of the crop in our league. They certainly have the most talent.
“I think particularly Wabash is a powerhouse football program at this point. All the other ones are muddled up from Allegheny on down. They could go in any order. Fortunately we ended up fourth in it. We have a long way to go, and it’s certainly a place to start off at.”
Wabash earned its top spot with 28 wins in the past 29 NCAC contests and four straight conference titles. Wooster was last year’s runner-up and had its last title in 2004.
Wittenberg was a conference co-champion in 2006, but the Tigers fell to the Gators in 2008.
Allegheny is followed by Denison, Ohio Wesleyan, Hiram and Oberlin tied for seventh, Earlham and Kenyon.
The Gators were 5-5 overall in 2008, 4-3 in the NCAC with wins over Ohio Wesleyan, Wittenberg, Kenyon and Oberlin. Their losses were to Wooster, Wabash and Denison in the conference.
In non-conference action, AC was 1-2 with a win over Juniata to open the season, and losses to Westminster (6-2) and Carnegie Mellon (41-14).
Key returning players include quarterback T.J. Salopek (1,624 yards, 11 TD, 11 INT); running backs Matt Deivert (led with 235 yards), Rodney Still, Eric Mastrogiacomo and Taylor O’Brien; fullback David Tate, receivers Jake Vite (led with 434 yards) and Terry Hartford (led with 4 TDs, also leading punt returner); placekicker Ryan Zipf; inside linebacker Andy Schleihauf (led with 89 tackles); free safety C.J. Bell (second in tackles, led with five INTs); and Saegertown native and starting cornerback Kyle Wilson (second in picks).
Key players lost were fullback Matt Cellini; receivers Pat Kahle, Bobby Burkes and Rob Carlisle; and linebacker Aaron Walter.
Salopek will be the definitive starting quarterback headed into the season, but Matlak is confident in the skills of backup David Strawser as well.
“I feel like T.J. Salopek’s been our quarterback for about a year-and-a-half now,” he said. “We probably were on the bottom of our league on the offensive side of things last year, but that certainly was not T.J.’s fault. He made some drastic improvements in the spring.
“David is also a capable backup and if we feel we need to make a change, we’ll do it.”
In addition to Wilson, Matlak expects all the local players to make an impact this year.
They are Meadville’s Joe Bennett, Drew Perry of Saegertown, Linesville native Doug Williams and Dan Hafner of General McLane.
“I have high expectations for all of them,” he said. “Kyle was excellent last year. He has good ball skills, and we really expect a big year out of him.
“Williams, Perry and Hafner will be sophomores. “Williams is in the mix at middle linebacker. Perry we are going to take a long look at on the defensive line and Hafner at drop linebacker. We need help in all those areas.
“Joe Bennett moved to outside backer this year. He had a good spring. He’s a big strong guy and just needs to make the plays because at that position we have not been that good.”
Hafner and the senior Bennett will both be battling for a starting position at outside backer.
For the second straight year, Fox Sports Network in Pittsburgh will be broadcasting a live game.
FSN Pittsburgh will host a telecast of Allegheny hosting Westminster on Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.
“It’s exciting for the players,” Matlak said. “Most small college kids don’t get to play on TV. You’ve got be excited about that as a player, and I think it’s a good thing for Allegheny College to get exposure of the nice facility we have here.”
The 2009 season opens on Saturday, Sept. 5. NCAC play begins Saturday, Sept. 12.
Local Sports
Wabash, Wooster, Wittenberg top Allegheny in NCAC poll
- Local Sports
-
-
DISTRICT 10 BASEBALL: Big Reds shut down Lions
SLIPPERY ROCK — The Linesville baseball team, with its mix of experienced and lesser-experienced players, has been capable of two different kinds of games this season.
The first is the sharp, skillful kind of effort the Lions put together Monday in their 10-7 win over Cochranton in the District 10 Class A quarterfinals. -
DISTRICT 10 BASEBALL: Mercyhurst outslugs Lake in D-10 semis
ERIE — After a District 10 Class A championship game appearance last year, the Conneaut Lake baseball team lost four seniors who were important to the team’s success.
Even though the talented quartet graduated and Lake featured just three seniors this year, the team came together and reached the district semifinals. The team’s end result, and the school’s last game as a baseball team due to Conneaut Lake, Conneaut Valley, and Linesville consolidating into Conneaut Area Senior High, was a 15-4 loss in six innings to Mercyhurst Prep on Friday at Ainsworth Field in Erie. -
DISTRICT 10 BASEBALL: Panthers edge Tigers, reach D-10 title game
ERIE — The Saegertown baseball team made an art form of compiling mercy rule wins this season. Nearly all of the Panthers’ 20 regular season victories were by 10 runs or more, as double-digit hits and runs scored were the norm.
The playoffs have been a different beast for the defending District 10 Class AA champion Cats, but they continue to find ways to win. -
BOYS VOLLEYBALL: Cardinals come back from losers’ bracket to win D-10 title
The very first word spoken by Cochranton boys volleyball coach Brad Custead in his post-match interview will sum up Friday night’s District 10 championship finale better than all the words that follow it.
“Incredible,” he said. -
Bulldogs' trio ready for state track and field meet
Meadville’s best now look to be among Pennsylvania’s best as Paige Kassab, Chaykala Lindsey and Heather Sternby compete in the PIAA Class AAA Track and Field Championships, which run Friday and Saturday at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium.
-
D-10 SOFTBALL: Tigers no-hit in loss to Braves
HARBORCREEK TOWNSHIP — The Maplewood softball team had no answer for Iroquois starting pitcher Megan Martin on Tuesday during the District 10 Class AA quarterfinals on the campus of Penn State Behrend in Erie.
Martin worked around two errors during a no-hitter that included zero walks. And the Braves’ offense was sure to back her up during Iroquois’ 10-0 victory in five innings. -
D-10 BASEBALL: Prep rolls past ’Dogs in four innings
ERIE — Hitting, they say, is contagious. And the Cathedral Prep baseball team had a full-blown outbreak against Meadville on Tuesday at Ainsworth Field, notching 13 base hits in a 16-1, four-inning rout of the Bulldogs during opening round action of the District 10 Class AAA playoffs.
-
DISTRICT 10 BASEBALL: Lake storms past Eisenhower
ERIE — The Conneaut Lake baseball team started off its postseason with a bang. Numerous bangs, actually.
The Indians (12-7) slugged 19 base hits while bumping off Eisenhower 15-5 in six innings during opening round action in the District 10 Class A playoff tournament Monday at Ainsworth Field. -
DISTRICT 10 BASEBALL: Lions top Cards
ERIE — If this story had to describe every clutch hit, gutsy pitch, run-saving defensive play, or momentum-shifting moment during Monday’s playoff classic between Region 3 foes Cochranton and Linesville; there wouldn’t be room for much else in today’s newspaper.
The bottom line is: You should have been there. -
BOYS VOLLEYBALL: Bulldogs stop Trojans to cap perfect region slate
Meadville junior Matt Izbinski laced a hard spike down the line, and so ended the regular season for the Bulldogs boys volleyball team — with a 3-1 win over McDowell, and a 9-0 run through Region 1. It all summed up on Friday night at the House of Thrills.
- More Local Sports Headlines
-
DISTRICT 10 BASEBALL: Big Reds shut down Lions
UN Blames Syrian Forces for Shelling Houla
Raw Video: Gay Protest Blocked in Moscow
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
