By T.J. Turrisi
Meadville Tribune
Sept. 3, 2010 7:00 a.m. —
Meadville has won just one season-opener in the past six seasons. Fairview has been in the postseason in each of the last six.
The perennial Region 4 power Tigers will be visiting for a 7 p.m. kickoff in a non-region affair at Bender Field to open the 2010 campaign this evening. The Tigers were 6-5 overall, 6-2 in their region in 2009.
The Tigers lost two of the district’s premier running backs in Peter Jackson and Jared Lane. Jackson and Lane combined for 1,986 and 24 TDs in their senior campaign.
They do, however, return senior fullback Jordan Kerner, who blocked for Lane and Jackson last season and will be heading to Penn State next fall to play linebacker, where he was an all-state selection last year. He carried the ball 45 times for 293 yards and four touchdowns.
Kerner, along with the line of scrimmage, will be a focal point for the ’Dogs defense tonight against a pro set, power-running Tigers offense.
“They are a sound football team,” Meadville head coach Ken Achenbach said. “They have a lot of kids back from last year’s team. They feed (Kerner) the ball, but he’s an outstanding blocker as well. They are a run-first team, and they are not afraid to throw the football.”
Also returning is junior running back Dan Rosendahl, who had similar numbers to Kerner — 44 carries for 213 yards — as a sophomore.
Junior Tom Weidle will be the starting quarterback in the absence of graduate Jordan Boice who threw for 796 yards and seven scores last season.
His top targets will be Joe Kocan and Luke Cramer. Kocan caught three tosses for 66 yards and a score.
Meadville will have the services of sophomore halfback Artrel Foster, who sat out most of the first scrimmage and all of the second during camp with a minor injury.
“I think we were fortunate to come through the preseason without any major injuries,” Achenbach said. “(Foster) made his way back into practice this week. He responded better each day, and I think he will be good to go.”
Foster rushed for 153 yards last season, leading all returning MASH rushers, and should make an impact with his speed. Joining him in the backfield will be fullback Zach Towers, halfback Terence Goodrum and quarterback Aaron Lloyd.
Lloyd is actually the largest of the group at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, and is not shy of contact.
“Aaron put on some pounds in the offseason,” Achenbach said. “We want to make him part of what we do in the run game, too. He is very capable of putting his shoulder down and running the ball. The other guys are not real big, but they do a capable job of running the ball and can block too. We will be looking to spread the ball around.”
Fairview runs a five-man front defensively, so the rushing battle will be a tell-tale sign of who wins the contest.
Goodrum and Foster will likely see some action in the passing game as well, and Travis Jensen and Calvin Heagy will play the starting roles at split end and tight end.
Defensively, strong safety Lloyd and inside linebacker Alex Minnis have emerged as two of the vocal leaders. Keeping their crew focused in what is sure to be a physical game at the first and second levels.
Minnis, at 5-10, 212, will be working the middle with Towers.
“I was real impressed with the scrimmage that Alex Minnis had,” said Achenbach of the second contest with Wilmington. “He filled the holes well. He and (Towers) will continue to get better.”
