Lions exceeding expectations so far

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September 25, 2008

By T.J. Turrisi The Meadville Tribune Thu Sep 25, 2008, 11:09 PM EDT

September 26, 2008 — Expectations have been high coming into the season in Linesville for many years.

But fourth-year head coach Pat Gould has to be pleased with a perfect start given the level of competition the Lions face on a yearly basis since the region realignment.

“We’re excited about where we’re at,” Gould said. “The kids are really excited about playing Farrell. As of right now we’re healthy. We had some injuries last year at this time

“But it doesn’t get any easier.”

Linesville is 23-16 since the switch, second only to Saegertown (29-14) amongst former French Creek Valley Conference members.

And although the Lions’ previous coach was Dan McCullough, one of the longest-tenured and winningest coaches in county history, things had to change with the Linesville program to remain successful.

“Things have changed a lot since then,” Gould said in reference to the way the program was before ’04. “We do things a lot differently than we used to.

“In the past we didn’t play these teams until the playoffs. Now we face them five or six times a season. We weren’t ready for these teams in the past, but now I think we are getting close.”

So far this season, the Lions have earned a 4-0 overall mark, 3-0 in Region 1.

In Week 4, they avenged a one-point loss from 2007 by defeating defending region champion Mercer 28-21.

Much like in the past, the Lions have done it all despite a small roster and the inevitable injuries. They had 31 players on the squad at the beginning of this season.

“For the most part it’s been the kids’ work ethic,” Gould said of the root of his team’s success. “They don’t quit. We’ve put in a lot of young kids to play at different times.”

Freshman blocked a punt, another freshman recovered it in the end zone.”

Freshmen Jimmy Kearns and Jon Weidner made a play which is a great example of how Gould’s young players are stepping up.

In Week 4, Kearns blocked a Mercer punt attempt and Weidner pounced on it in the end zone for the early lead against the Mustangs.

Another area where a player is filling in is on the line. Senior Zach Sherman is currently sidelined, but junior Tanner Urbanick has stepped in to play without a hitch.

“All the skill players have been stepping up,” Gould added.

The offense is led by the usual suspects. Quarterback Trevor Litwiler is 20-for-28 for 414 yards with five pass TDs, zero picks, 161 rush yards and another four TDs.

Doug Farley has 58 carries for 458 yards and five scores. And Matt Laird leads the team with nine catches for 199 yards and two scores.

But freshman Kearns and sophomore Stephen Gaetano have also added a combined 167 yards on 34 carries (4.9 yards per carry).

Linesville is currently outscoring opponents 163-40 with one shutout. The Lions average 326 yards of offense per contest while allowing just 125.

The numbers just go to show the program is producing strong players ready to jump into the fire regardless of age.

Linesville has another tough test this week, facing an experienced Farrell team (2-2, 1-1) on the road.

“As long as the kids can relax a little bit, we’ll be fine,” Gould said. “We’ve got to slow Farrell down. They can make a play at any time, so we’ve got to slow them down.”

From there, Gould believes good things can continue to happen if the kids are ready to go on game day.

“It’s up to the kids on how they are going to perform on Friday night,” he said. “They showed up last Friday. They played hard from beginning to end. Hopefully we can do the same thing this Friday.

“Our goal has been to get into the playoffs all year and be one of the top teams in our region.”

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