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EDINBORO, PA – The Edinboro University
football team will begin its second year under head coach Scott
Browning as spring drills begin on Saturday, March 31. Browning
will put the Fighting Scots through 15 practices between then and
the conclusion of spring drills on Saturday, April 28.
Edinboro finished with a 6-5 record during
Browning’s first campaign, the most wins ever under a
first-year coach. At the same time, the Fighting Scots saw their
three-year reign as PSAC West champions come to an end.
“Our kids have worked extremely
hard during the offseason,” related the long-time Boro
assistant who took over a year ago. “We have some great
leadership, and not just among the seniors. It’s amazing to
me how hard they’ve worked.”
Edinboro returns seven starters on the
offensive side of the ball, but just five starters return to a
defense that has ranked among the best in Division II the last two
years, and the special teams will undergo numerous personnel
changes.
“Defensively we have some older
guys who have been here and will now step in,” Browning
pointed out. “We lose all three linebackers, but we’ve
got Hardin Moss, who has been here for three years, Y’Hoshua
Murray, who has played in the league before, and James English, a
senior who’s been here a long time and seen a lot of action.
And don’t forget about Mike Cradduck, another seasoned
player. Then we have some younger players who have redshirted.
“The secondary is thin. On the
defensive line we lose A.J. Cousins. That’s a big loss. With
all the changes, we’ll look to establish a two-deep and see
where people fit in. We’ll get our base D taught.”
The defense is not without talent, however.
Senior Chris Amico was the PSAC West Defensive Player of the Year
in 2005 and was a first team All-PSAC West choice at defensive
tackle a year ago. He finished with 61 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Like
Amico, Tom Davidson enters his fourth season as a starter. He has
twice been chosen a second team All-PSAC West selection at free
safety, and has 14 career interceptions.
Offensively the Fighting Scots made drastic
changes late in the year, due in large part to an inability to run
the ball. In fact, Edinboro failed to have a ballcarrier rush for
500 yards for the first time since 1982. But that doesn’t
mean Browning is about to abandon the ground game and rely solely
on the right arm of Trevor Harris.
“We need to establish who we are
offensively,” Browning admitted. “Our personnel will
dictate what we do. We want to pick up where we left off last
year. But we have to able to run the football better than we did a
year ago.”
Picking up where we left off means plenty of
points and yards through the air. Harris shattered numerous
records while leading the Fighting Scots to back-to-back wins
against Shippensburg and Lock Haven. At the end of the year the
redshirt-freshman had thrown for a school-record 2,547 yards with
20 TDs and just 7 INTs. He was recognized as the PSAC West Rookie
of the Year.
In Kyle Witucki, the Fighting Scots possess one
of the top tight ends in the country. The senior was named to
several All-American teams after catching 31 passes for 455 yards
and 5 TDs.
The special teams will feature many new faces,
including at placekicker, where Justin Gomes has transferred from
Ohio University and is expected to take over for Kody Robertson.
“We want to get the personnel
placed,” noted Browning. “We want to get the basics
down.”
Edinboro’s success in 2007 will ultimately
rest with how well the returning veterans mesh with the young
talent. To that end, the coaching staff recently put the team
through a week of basic training, courtesy of the Edinboro ROTC
Department. With ROTC leaders at the control, the workouts were
not only meant to serve as a conditioning tool, but also foster
teamwork and leadership.
“We have a lot of young talent,”
Browning concluded. “Now, how does it play out? Who steps up?
That’s the fun of coaching.”
Edinboro opens the 2007 season on Saturday,
September 1, hosting West Chester. That is also expected to be
when Edinboro will debut the numerous improvements at Sox Harrison
Stadium, including a new artificial surface. |
