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Bucks are favorite to take division
The players lost to graduation would seem difficult to replace, but the returnees from a District 2 Class AA champion and state quarterfinalist make Dunmore the favorite to capture the Lackawanna Football Conference Division 2 championship.
Running back Michael Perry, receiver/defensive back Mike Ehnot and two-way end Brian Copeland are among a group of 10 players back with starting experience for the Bucks, who have been one of the state’s final eight teams each of the past two seasons.
Perry,who is entering his fourth year as a starter, was a second-team Associated Press Class AA all-state selection last season after carrying 218 times for 1,823 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Ehnot caught 23 passes for 444 yards and four touchdowns.
The group of returnees also includes fullback Frank Santarsiero, guard George Sebastian, defensive tackles Joe Sabia and Tim Brier, defensive end Chris Dempsey, linebacker Ben Coleman and cornerback Matt Hilson.
The veterans need to help offset the loss of first-team, all-state offensive lineman Ryan Eitutis, second-team, all-state free safety J.J. Dempsey and four-year starting quarterback Miller Holmes.
“We’ve got to replace Miller at quarterback and J.J. Dempsey at free safety,” Dunmore coach Jack Henzes said. “That’s where our difficulties are right now.”
If the Bucks slip, Lakeland and Scranton Prep seem to be the teams most likely to take advantage. Defending champion Riverside and Valley View could also give the other contenders trouble.
Western Wayne and Montrose do not appear to have enough to keep up with the rest of the division.
Injuries could help dictate the fate of Lakeland and Scranton Prep.
Lakeland has one of its smallest rosters in years but a strong starting lineup.
Scranton Prep has talented youth, but preseason injuries already cost the team four or five players that could have been in the opening day starting lineup and some of them will not play at all this year.
“Our first 11 could be very good,” said Jeff Wasilchak, whose Lakeland team was third in the division with a 4-2 record last season. “It makes it difficult to practice with 31 kids.
“When you have two or three bumped up, you don’t have enough for some of what you want to do.”
Fullback/inside linebacker Al Tuzze, two-way tackle Andrew Humphreys, wide receiver/outside linebacker Tony Peregrim and two-way end Jeff Demming all return. Demming has moved from wide receiver to tight end.
Quarterback Ryan Keihart and guard Justin Moyle are also back on offense while tackle Matt Boyarsky, end Jared Loch and outside linebacker Brett Kuwik return on defense.
Scranton Prep went just 2-4 in the division and returns starters at less than half the positions but the Cavaliers appear to have a promising future.
“A lot of sophomores are going to get on the field,” Prep coach Nick Donato said. “We had an outstanding freshman team.
“They did a great job and went 10-0. That doesn’t always translate to varsity success, but it helps quite a bit.”
Donato said he expectsthe title raceto tighten up compared to the last two seasons when Riverside beat Dunmore in late-season showdowns for the title.
“It should be a little bit more balanced than the last couple years,” Donato said. “Dunmore and Riverside were clearly head and shoulders above everyone else.”
Defending champion Riverside graduated all five of its all-state players and eight of its nine all-stars.
Junior back Corey Talerico is the lone returningall-star from a team that went 13-1 overall.
“They still have four or five kids coming back that will be as good as anyone else in the league,” said Wasilchak, who expects the Vikings to remain in contention.
Valley View returns just two starters on each side of the ball, including quarterback Shane Gensiak.
“Gensiak will be one of the better quarterbacks in the area,” according to Cougars coach George Howanitz.
Center Joe Klinko, defensive tackle Kenny Simmons and junior defensive tackle Tyler Havrilak are the other returning starters.
Howanitz is also counting on big contributions from senior tailback/safety Kelly Swift and the sophomore linebacker combination of Nyeem Wertman and Tyler Kapinus.
“We’ll have a lot of sophomores playing, but we’ll be athletic,” Howanitz said.
Former Scranton Prep and Wallenpaupack head coach Stan Kucharski, who helped as a volunteer last year, has been added to the Valley View coaching staff. Kucharski is working with wide receivers.
Western Wayne broke a 41-game overall losing streak last year in the second game after Allen “Butch” Keller returned to coach the team.
The Wildcats continued to struggle, however, in their fifth straight winless season of divisional play. They gave up at least 41 points in all six Division 2 games and an average of 48.7.
Josh Harrison rushed for 784 yards as a sophomore.
While the Wildcats enter the season on an eight-game losing streak, Montrose comes in on a six-game losing streak since its only division victory over Western Wayne. The Meteors were outscored, 259-60, in those six games.
Montrose returns just four players with starting experience.
Rob Volk, a 6-foot-5 senior entering his third year as quarterback, is joined by two-way tackle Bryan Castrogiovanni, tailback/defensive back Dalton Smith and junior fullback/linebacker Ethan Jones.
“We’re a very young and inexperienced team,” Montrose coach Jack Keihl said. “We’ll have to rely on Robbie and Castrogiavanni quite a bit.”
Keihl gets a boost on his coaching staff from the return of Tom Lucenti, the school’s all-time winningest coach who will serve as an assistant working with running backs and linebackers.