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Vulcans have clean slate, title hopes in PSAC

5 min read
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No team in the PSAC West Division has ever had its season unravel the way California University’s did last year.

The Vulcans were riding a six-game winning streak and looking poised to win the conference when it came undone. An altercation in town that allegedly involved six football players and sent a man to the hospital with what was termed “serious brain injuries” led to the administration forfeiting that week’s game against Gannon.

The following week, a shorthanded Vulcans team lost a 59-49 shootout to Mercyhurst and the playoffs were suddenly an unattainable goal.

The ramifications of the altercation led to a task force formed by the school to review the incident and the hiring of an outside firm to review the practices of the football program. More than 30 changes – from evaluating transfer requirements to closer supervision at the Vulcan Village apartments, where the number of student-athletes has increased – were put in place.

“We need to be more transparent,” said football coach Mike Kellar. “I’ve talked to the players about the difference between perception and the truth. We know how successful we’ve been on and off the field, we know the success we’ve had with raising grade-point averages, we know the success stories of some of these kids. The perception is that we have a bad bunch of kids and there is nothing further from the truth. We’re not a perfect team but no different from any other team in the country. We’re working hard to change that perception.”

That perception seemed the seep into the preseason poll, where the Vulcans are picked fourth, the lowest since Kellar took over three years ago and lowest in the past seven seasons.

That’s why Kellar and the Vulcans welcome a new beginning with this season. Kellar wants the emphasis to be on football again, and the best way to do that is to have the season open Saturday at Virginia State.

This is a talented team returning with James Harris back for a final season after passing for 3,055 yards and 24 touchdowns; Garry Brown returning to wide receiver after a season in which he caught 62 passes for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns; and Jawan Turner back at defensive end after turning in a team-high eight quarterback sacks and 14 tackles for loss.

The emphasis on this camp will be on finding a running back. The first loss of the season occurred in the spring, when Nick Grissom tore an ACL and underwent surgery a month later that ended his season. Grissom was expected to be the feature back after splitting the job with Terrell Roberson, who graduated. Derrick Fiore, a Ringgold graduate and third-leading rusher, was moved to safety in the spring.

That’s a loss that’s going to hurt,” said Kellar. “We’re going to have to coach it by committee. It’s some early (problems) we have to overcome.”

Sophomore John Franklin, a 6-0, 220-pound basher, will get a long look after just six carries for 12 yards last season. Jimmy Wheeler (5-8, 175) led the WPIAL in rushing while at West Mifflin and Marcus Davis (5-11, 205) ran for 1,257 yards and 12 touchdowns at Cincinnati’s Winton Wood are in the mix. Both are freshmen.

“It will be a young backfield but it will be a group of talented kids,” Kellar said. “We could always bring Fiore back over but I don’t want to do that to Derrick. It’s what we did to Jeff Knox, playing both ways. If we can’t run the ball, I’ll bring him back. James (Harris) is all for it. He said we’ll just throw it more.”

“Our wide receivers are awesome,” said Harris, a transfer last year from Wake Forest, where he played baseball. “I just throw it up there and they can go get it. I have confidence in our passing game.”

Harris sat out spring because of the 10-semester restriction but Kellar wasn’t concerned.

“He works hard. He takes care of his body,” Kellar said. “He has a great grasp of the offense, and he’s talented. He was a Division I baseball player and got drafted. It’s just a matter of polishing himself up. James takes his craft very seriously and he plays the way I expected him to play.”

On defense, the Vulcans need to find linebackers. Spencer Lynn, Branko Busick and Jeff Knox – who combined for 214 tackles and nine sacks – are gone. Sophomore Luke Hrapchak (6-2, 235) played in 10 games and redshirt freshman Brendan Blair (5-10, 195), the cousin of former Pitt basketball player DeJuan Blair, have the inside track after strong springs.

The defensive front and secondary are experienced and will be counted on to play well while the linebackers develop.

“We took a loss (losing) Gris,” Turner said. “We might need a little time to get the running game started but it will get started. If we’re on the field more because we’re scoring too much, that’s fine with me. If they aren’t scoring, we pick each other up on the field. It’s checks and balances. We work well together.”

The secondary has three returning starters – juniors Jordan Bowman (6-0, 210), Arnel Farmer (5-11, 200) and Aaron Terry (5-11, 185) – and Fiore could step in and start right away.

Gannon was the preseason pick to win the division, but Kellar believes the talent level is pretty even among the top half of the teams.

“Slippery Rock is right there. I don’t care where they pick IUP, they are right there,” he said. “Gannon had a great season last year and Mercyhurst has given us fits. They have it figured out. It’s the usual suspects. Any of the five or six teams can win it.”

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