Football

Entering his 28th year as head coach, Coach Denny Douds sees many strengths for his 2001 East Stroudsburg University football team.

The Warriors should have a solid running game headed by record-breaking tailback Andre Castiglioni and offensive guard Jim Sodano, both All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference first team selections.

The team’s defense will have experience on both the front line with three starters back and in the secondary where the entire unit returns intact. The kicking game should be solid with two-time All-PSAC punter Adam Hostetter.

Douds says there are question marks, however, which could determine whether the team can better last year’s 6-5 record.

"We have to solve our linebacker puzzle and we have to stay healthy," says Douds. "If we do this, it’s going to be exciting and we’ll have a legitimate shot at competing for the conference title."

The major concern is replacing Associated Press Little All-America linebacker Kevin Nagle, the PSAC Eastern Division Defensive Player of the Year last year.

The team’s outlook by position area:

The Warriors return nine offensive starters for new offensive coordinator Mike Terwilliger, an assistant coach for the Warriors for 23 years.

Castiglioni rushed for a school-record 1,160 yards with six 100-yard games, also a school mark. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry and 116.0 yards per game.

Leading him through holes will be fullback A.J. Oliveri, a two-year starter considered one of the conference’s best blockers at the position.

The front line has three All-PSAC players back in first teamer Sodano (6-3, 305), who led the team with 17 pancakes blocks and didn’t allow a sack, and second team tackles Dan Bratton (6-4, 280), and Mike Serafin (6-9, 320).

Center Joe Burton also returns, but he may be pushed by senior Rich Hromoko and transfer Greg Munch (6-3, 310). The open guard position could be filled by any of the three plus red-shirt freshman Brian Violan te (6-5, 305) or sophomore Chris Monachello (6-3, 330).

The quarterback position is set with senior Jeremy Palm, who has enjoyed many big games during his career. Keep-ing him healthy is a major concern, how-ever. He has missed five games each of the last two seasons because of in juries.

Three veteran wide receivers are available in seniors John Kotarsky, who made a team-leading 45 catches for 724 yards last season, and Larry Harrison and sophomore John Jeffries.

Harrison, who missed almost all of last season because of an injury, is the team’s fastest player and has a career average of 24.3 yards per reception.

The Warriors’ defense allowed only 290.7 yards and 19.5 points per game last season, best in the PSAC Eastern Division. There are six starters returning.

Returning upfront are tackles Dustin Barno (6-3, 275) and David Dean (6-6, 265) and end Rich Kane (6-3, 250). All have the talent and physical attributes to be take-charge players in any game.

There also are two experienced back-up tackles in senior Bryan Rybicki and sophomore Scott Schifter.

The vacant end spot is wide open with converted fullback Mike Bemis and Bryan Falcone among the candidates.

In the secondary, Jeremy Brown, a two-year starter, is moving from corner-back to safety to take advantage of his ball-hawking skills and athletic talent.

That will leave another speedster, Michael Glover along with Pat Good and Nick Beisker, the team leader in inter-ceptions with four, at the corners. Glover will be the team’s kick returner.

At linebacker for the first time in five years, Douds has to find a new anchor for his defense with the departure of Nagle, who made a career-total of 477 tackles.

The heir apparent for the inside linebacker post will be sophomore Phil DeCecco, who earned a letter on the special teams last season. He will be wearing Nagle’s jersey number, 44, and reminds Douds of him with his strength a nd sideline-to-sideline speed.

The other inside linebacker spot is expected to go to another sophomore Ryan Vermillion, who also was a special teams player last season.

There is one veteran player at outside linebacker in junior Eric Marcovcy, an opening-game starter the last two years who then has suffered injuries which have limited his play to only three full contests.

Red-shirt freshman Nick DeCecco, Phil’s brother, could be a candidate for an outside linebacker spot along with letter-man Devin Wiley and junior college transfer James Plowden.

The Warriors ranked eighth in the nation in net punting last season thanks to Hostetter, one of the premier punters in the NCAA Division II ranks. He averaged 37.0 yards on 67 punts and opponents returned them only 49 yards.

Place-kicker Mike Berry led the 2000 team in scoring with 36 points on four field goals and 24 extra points