Lebanon Valley Week
As we prepare for this Saturday's season opener, keep an eye on the blog for information about this week's opponent Lebanon Valley College.
I'll start with information from D3Football.com's season preview:
Lebanon Valley Flying Dutchmen
Last playoff appearance: None
Last year: 6-4, 5-4 MAC
Last conference title: None
Wins increase from 05-06: Plus-4
Preseason ranking: 60 of 238
Head coach: Jim Monos, 15th year, 54-83-2
Starters returning: 16 (six offense, eight defense, two specialists)
Position battle to watch: Quarterback where Lebanon Valley will replace graduated record holder Dan Kelly. With the other returning offensive weapons, the Flying Dutchmen are looking for a reliable signal caller who doesn’t turn the ball over and can make plays at the edge of the pocket. Sophomore Patrick Weiss enters camp as the favorite to win the job.
Pressure is on: The team’s new cornerbacks, which is one of the few positions where the Flying Dutchmen don’t return starters. With fellow safety Andrew Shambach back from injury, Donnie Burton can slide over to fill one spot. A strong front seven should help ease the transition.
Where did he come from? Lebanon Valley’s preseason roster includes at least 10 transfers, which is more than usually found in Annville. Several come from Division II schools in Pennsylvania, like Stroudsburg or Bloomsburg, and were originally recruited by the Flying Dutchmen.
Their season will be defined by: October 6 versus Delaware Valley. Leb Val had Del Val on the ropes last season before the Aggies rallied to silence a stunned homecoming crowd. With many starters back from that game, the Blue and White will have added incentive to make sure this year’s homecoming game has a different result.
Predicted record: 7-3, 4-3
Capsule: The midway mark of 2006 may prove to be a key turning point for Lebanon Valley football. After suffering a heartbreaking loss to Delaware Valley on homecoming, the Flying Dutchmen rallied to win four of their last five games and nearly picked off conference champion Wilkes. The 6-4 finish was the team’s first winning record in 14 seasons and could be a precursor to a special 2007. The offense returns Adam Brossman, the best wide receiver in the conference who enters his senior year already holding the school career records for receiving yards and touchdowns. With great hands and speed, Brossman can turn an eight-yard slant route into six points. It will be up to junior wide receiver Sean Donovan and senior Clint Vinju to get open as defenses focus on Brossman. The running game is led by the talented, tough-to-tackle sophomore Charlie Parker. The staff hopes to find another back to help Parker carry the load since graduated quarterback Dan Kelly contributed a lot to the conference’s top running attack. The offensive line returns three starters to a unit that gave up just nine sacks in 2006. The defense vastly improved last year over 2005 by using a more aggressive style that balanced pressuring the quarterback with preventing the big play. Returning linemen Kevin Krause, Jimmy Selfinger and Daryl Buck will need even better years since starting defensive end Brian Drew transferred to Montclair State. The linebacking corps will be very good with all three starters back, including junior Brian Cottone who plays the pass and run very well. The team’s goal is a postseason appearance, which would be another big step forward even if it is in the ECAC playoffs. With home games against three of the four teams that beat them last year, the Flying Dutchmen have a golden opportunity to make that happen.
I'll start with information from D3Football.com's season preview:
Lebanon Valley Flying Dutchmen
Last playoff appearance: None
Last year: 6-4, 5-4 MAC
Last conference title: None
Wins increase from 05-06: Plus-4
Preseason ranking: 60 of 238
Head coach: Jim Monos, 15th year, 54-83-2
Starters returning: 16 (six offense, eight defense, two specialists)
Position battle to watch: Quarterback where Lebanon Valley will replace graduated record holder Dan Kelly. With the other returning offensive weapons, the Flying Dutchmen are looking for a reliable signal caller who doesn’t turn the ball over and can make plays at the edge of the pocket. Sophomore Patrick Weiss enters camp as the favorite to win the job.
Pressure is on: The team’s new cornerbacks, which is one of the few positions where the Flying Dutchmen don’t return starters. With fellow safety Andrew Shambach back from injury, Donnie Burton can slide over to fill one spot. A strong front seven should help ease the transition.
Where did he come from? Lebanon Valley’s preseason roster includes at least 10 transfers, which is more than usually found in Annville. Several come from Division II schools in Pennsylvania, like Stroudsburg or Bloomsburg, and were originally recruited by the Flying Dutchmen.
Their season will be defined by: October 6 versus Delaware Valley. Leb Val had Del Val on the ropes last season before the Aggies rallied to silence a stunned homecoming crowd. With many starters back from that game, the Blue and White will have added incentive to make sure this year’s homecoming game has a different result.
Predicted record: 7-3, 4-3
Capsule: The midway mark of 2006 may prove to be a key turning point for Lebanon Valley football. After suffering a heartbreaking loss to Delaware Valley on homecoming, the Flying Dutchmen rallied to win four of their last five games and nearly picked off conference champion Wilkes. The 6-4 finish was the team’s first winning record in 14 seasons and could be a precursor to a special 2007. The offense returns Adam Brossman, the best wide receiver in the conference who enters his senior year already holding the school career records for receiving yards and touchdowns. With great hands and speed, Brossman can turn an eight-yard slant route into six points. It will be up to junior wide receiver Sean Donovan and senior Clint Vinju to get open as defenses focus on Brossman. The running game is led by the talented, tough-to-tackle sophomore Charlie Parker. The staff hopes to find another back to help Parker carry the load since graduated quarterback Dan Kelly contributed a lot to the conference’s top running attack. The offensive line returns three starters to a unit that gave up just nine sacks in 2006. The defense vastly improved last year over 2005 by using a more aggressive style that balanced pressuring the quarterback with preventing the big play. Returning linemen Kevin Krause, Jimmy Selfinger and Daryl Buck will need even better years since starting defensive end Brian Drew transferred to Montclair State. The linebacking corps will be very good with all three starters back, including junior Brian Cottone who plays the pass and run very well. The team’s goal is a postseason appearance, which would be another big step forward even if it is in the ECAC playoffs. With home games against three of the four teams that beat them last year, the Flying Dutchmen have a golden opportunity to make that happen.
posted by Pat McConnell | 8:19 AM
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