Football Sets Sights On PSAC Title In 2010
The 2010 football season is shaping up to be one of the finest for the C.W. Post Pioneers as they prepare for to have a positive season with the goals of playing for a PSAC championship title and qualifying for the NCAA tournament. In his 13th season as head coach, Bryan Collins has assembled a highly talented group of players that are committed to making C.W. Post a tough team to match up against.
OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK
Senior Erik Anderwkavich (Queens, N.Y.) emerged as the starting signal caller last season and will assume leadership of the offense. Anderwkavich completed 152 of 261 pass attempts for 1,854 yards and 21 touchdowns with five interceptions. He is an outstanding dual threat with the speed and quickness to match some of the top rushers in the division. Last season, he was the top rushing quarterback in the PSAC East with 715 yards and six touchdowns.
Junior R.J. Kuhn (Sayville, N.Y.) will also earn time taking snaps. The lefty completed 13 passes for 31 yards and one touchdown last season. Freshman Steven Laurino (Manhasset, N.Y.) will also push for time in the rotation. Laurino passed for 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns his senior year at Boise High (Idaho).
RUNNING BACK
The running game made great strides last season for the Pioneers as they led the PSAC in rushing offense in 2009, averaging 214.5 yards a game.
Sophomore Thomas Beverly (Wyandanch, N.Y.) surprised many as a true freshman last season and returns to the gridiron more durable with increased size and strength. The 2009 PSAC East Rookie of the Year was second overall in the conference for rushing yards with 1,094 net yards and averaged 99.5 per game.
Freshmen Kevin Allen (Freeport, N.Y.), Anthony Brunetti (Bayville, N.Y.) and Jeff Mack (Bronx, N.Y.) are a great complementary group and give the Pioneers increased depth at the position.
Allen, who was an All-State performer at Freeport, broke the Nassau County season touchdown record with 33 scores last season while rushing for 2,141 yards.
Brunetti received Newsday's Thorpe Award for the outstanding player in Nassau County as he rushed for a county record 2,450 yards and 28 touchdowns during his senior year and finished his career with 5,818 yards.
Mack ran for 947 yards and 17 touchdowns during his senior year at Iona Prep. and was named the CHSFL Most Valuable Player.
WIDE RECEIVER
Senior Darnel Williams (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had an unbelievable season last year where he caught 49 passes for 489 yards and nine touchdowns. Williams has caught on quickly to the offensive system and the coaching staff expects big things from him this season.
Senior Andrew Kell (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) is another receiver the Pioneers will rely on to move the ball downfield as he hauled in 33 passes for 360 yards and four touchdowns in 2009.
Sophomore Grayson Laurino (Manhasset, N.Y.), along with punting duties, proved to be a valuable third-down receiver last year, catching 13 passes for 179 yards and one touchdown.
Hardy is described by Collins as an “impact player”. Sheehy saw limited action on the field last season but is a very physical player. Derham is a talented slot receiver and has great hands. Persch has a lot of speed and is an experienced wideout. At 6-foot-3, Botti is a tall and fast receiver.
Senior Kenny Reid (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and junior Andre Davis (Piscataway, N.J.) will also give the offense some added strength on the short pass.
Reid started nine games last season and is an excellent blocker. Davis shifts over from the defensive line and is described by Collins as a “goal line receiver” and his 6-foot-6 frame will give him an advantage over his defenders.
OFFENSIVE LINE
The offensive line is solid this season and looks to continue its excellent efforts in providing blocking for the top rushing team in the entire PSAC. The unit returns with starters Kevin Martin (Patchogue, N.Y.), Will Strano (East Patchogue, N.Y.), Hasan Radoncic (New York, N.Y.), John Siopa (Centereach, N.Y.) and Mike Miller (Mar-Lin, Pa.).
At left tackle, Martin is among the best blockers at his position in the conference and was recognized as a Consensus Draft Services preseason All-American. Siopa is slotted at right tackle. Strano returns to the center position while Radoncic and Miller return to the guard positions. Sophomore Chris Williams (Syosset, N.Y.) allows more flex at guard and will push for playing time.
DEFENSE
Defensive Line
The C.W. Post defensive line returns three starters with big game experience to a unit that had 16 sacks and 47 tackles for loss last season.
Senior Xavier Brown (Bayshore, N.Y.) heads up the group after putting together a season that earned him All-America recognition with 8.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. Brown is a dominant player on both the run and pass and his size and speed make it difficult for opponents to single block him and demands double team blocks.
Junior Abrom Shepard (Staten Island, N.Y.) returns this season a more steady and solid player. He was a bit overlooked last season but still made 31 tackles, including nine for loss, with three sacks. He has good speed and plays well against the run.
Junior Kadeem Huggins (Corona, N.Y.) will see time at both the defensive end and tackle positions. He possesses great toughness with his 6-foot-3, 240-pound size frame.
Senior Ryan Contee (Charlestown, R.I.) will play inside and also defensive end. Contee saw action in six games last year and made seven tackles. He is looking to have a breakout season.
At the defensive tackle spots, juniors Lou Scala (Coram, N.Y.) and Andrew Jackson (Middletown, N.Y.) are an upgrade with their size and strength. Scala moved to defensive tackle during the second week of camp last season and made 35 tackles, including 7.5 for loss along with three sacks, two pass break ups and three forced fumbles. Jackson's quickness and hustle on the inside provides great depth to the unit. Last season, he made 36 tackles, including nine for loss, with one sack, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
Junior TuQwan Ashley (Hoboken, N.J.) will be the third man in the rotation and has the ability to be one of the better inside tacklers in the defensive unit. Ashley made 15 stops and 1.5 sacks in 2009.
LINEBACKERS
Junior Ronnie Modick (Levittown, N.Y.) had an outstanding spring and is slated to see action defending inside. Modick possesses good size and strength and can also run.
At inside linebacker, junior Billy O'Connor (Sayville, N.Y.) is at the top of the depth chart after earning starting time when then-starter Matt Bright went down with an injury last season. O'Connor's season was nothing short of a breakout as he was third overall in tackles with 61, which gave him a lot of experience playing in the PSAC.
Booth and Moody showed glimpses of being outstanding players last season and McVea had a positive spring. Mauro has the versatility to play inside and outside and Tenebruso had experience starting at Nassau.
SECONDARY
The loss of graduated senior outside linebacker Tayrance Smith will be felt this season but sophomore Ciwan McCoy (North Babylon, N.Y.) moves from defensive back and is ready to step up and fill the position. McCoy is an outstanding athlete and was a solid punt returner for the Pioneers last season.
Sophomore Sean Smith (Farmingdale, N.J.) will play extensively at the outside position with McCoy. Smith played in all 11 games last season and made 33 tackles.
At the defensive back position, senior Juma McKenley (Bronx, N.Y.) is described by Collins as “the quarterback of the defense”. A four-year starter, McKenley had an outstanding year in 2009 with 44 tackles, one interception and a recovered fumble. He now has three years of experience playing in the PSAC and a big year is expected from him.
Sophomore D.J. Young (Highland Mills, N.Y.) will get the nod at cornerback. Young had a great spring and will be a solid fit at the position.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The kicking team will see a fresh face in senior Paul Stoltz (Smithtown, N.Y.), who is transferring in from Delaware and specializes in field goals and will kick off. Sophomore Justin Bertone (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) also returns and will figure into the kicking rotation. Freshman Keith Hadnagy (Farmingdale, N.Y.) has the potential to become the kicker of the future for the Pioneers and could also pull double duty as a punter.
Grayson Laurino will remain the punter with Hadnagy providing backup. Tenebruso is penciled in as the long snapper.
McKenley retains his status as the premiere kick returner for the Pioneers, as 2009 saw McKenley bring back 17 kick returns for 384 yards, averaging 22.6 yards per return. Meanwhile, McCoy will serve as punt returner after leading the team with 18 returns for 75 yards last season.
SCHEDULE
This year's schedule will feature five home games but will start the season September 4 on the road against Northeast-10 opponent American International College in Springfield, Mass. The Pioneers look to avenge a 21-6 loss in 2009 and snap a three-game losing streak against the Yellow Jackets.
C.W. Post begins play in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference with back-to-back contests at home, first against California University (Pa.) on Sept. 11, and Mercyhurst College on Sept. 18.
On Sept. 19, the Pioneers take to the road, traveling to Shippensburg University on Sept. 25, then visiting West Chester University on Oct. 2.
The squad is back at home for a meeting with Millersville University on Oct. 9. The Pioneers remain at home on Oct. 16 to host East Stroudsburg University, in conjunction with C.W. Post Homecoming.
The Pioneers head back out on the road as they travel to Kutztown for a night game on October 23.
Bloomsburg University comes to town Oct. 30, and from there, C.W. Post closes out its regular season by playing its final two games on the road, traveling to Cheyney University on November sixth, before ending the regular season at Slippery Rock on Nov. 13.