LHAC Preseason Discussion 2016

[Coach]

It is now August and we are just a few Fridays from starting the 2016 season.  It will come earlier than ever with most teams in our area trading the second scrimmage for a game.  We have some great posters who follow each conference and hopefully these threads will get them going. 

Who are the favorites?
Best returning players?
Darkhorse?
New players that will have an impact?


I'm hopeful that many teams will get previewed in these threads in the coming weeks.  The first week will be here before you know it!

[Crimson's Ghost]

Shot in the dark predictions....

Section I
1. Bishop Guilfoyle
2. Forest Hills
3. Central Cambria
4. Penn Cambria
5. Cambria Heights
6. Bishop Carroll 

Section II
1. Johnstown
2. Somerset 
3. Bishop McCort
4. Bedford
5. Richland 
6. Westmont 

[Crimson's Ghost]

Some Players I like....

BG - Trybus, Irwin, Frederick, McGeary, Leamer brothers and more. Loaded team, lots of individual talent, a good number will continue their careers in college. Not to mention, their best player Evan Chadbourn is out for the season with an ACL tear. They've won 32 games in a row for a reason.

Forest Hills - Adam Cecere is a 6'4" 210 sophomore at QB. He's one of the more intriguing QB's in the LHAC in some time. I also think Elgin should have a nice season. Nice player.

Central Cambria - Bezek is a fun QB to watch, and he'll make things happen this season. Holsinger's 6'5" frame makes him one to watch as well.

Penn Cambria - Hite and Zupon should be their workhorses.

Cambria Heights - James Baum and Nick Brawley should connect for a strong passing game.

Bishop Carroll - Roman Lessard was their main tackler last season, probably will be this season as well.



Johnstown - Exree Loe is one to watch. He's a power 5 type recruit. He was once committed Pitt, but looks like he will head to WVU or Maryland. They need a QB to get him the ball. Bryce Gibson is an underrated running back, and should have a nice season. He has a Youngstown State offer. Big Shamar Jones is only a junior, but also holds D1 offers. He should be one of the better Defensive Linemen in the league.

Somerset - Ryan Funa is a heck of a linebacker, he will have a big season. Austin Hemminger and George Coyle are also solid players. Coyle is a really good athlete, and one of the better receivers in the area.

McCort - Anthony Walters is a tough kid that plays RB and MLB for the Crushers, tackling machine. Carnell Andrews is a speedy player that brings a home run threat for them on offense.

Bedford - Tanner Coughenour is a key offensive linemen and linebacker for the Bisons. He is one of the few returning starters they have.

Richland - Ethan Dabbs should be Richland's go-to player this season. Moved around a good bit last season, but I imagine he will take the QB spot this year.

Westmont - Hilltoppers lose a lot, Brock Bennett is one of the best players remaining from last season's playoff team.

[kmr]

1. BG - So much talent
2. CH - Size and I can see Brawley moving to RB
3. CC - Returning 1000yd QB, CC is young inexperienced but athletic.   Holsinger is not playing.
4. FH - Good at the skilled positions but couple worries the line and the QBs arm.
5. PC -  Numbers are good they got some athletes they should be winning more then one game.  
6. BC - not many kids lucky to finish the season 

1. BM - Starters return all over.  4yr starter at QB, nice sized FB, and speed on the outside. If the line can hold up this could be a good team.

2. Johnstown - Should be a top team every year.  
3. Somerset - lost some playmakers should win 6 games
4. Bedford - Replacing so much tough year ahead
5.  Richland 
6. Westmont

[Crimson's Ghost]

I'm still a little skeptical of McCort.  Cook, Walters, Andrews, and Nash are a good set of skill guys. Jones and Hughes seemed to grow up a lot on the line last season. 

They only managed 3 wins last season. But Richland and Westmont could have gone either way. They also played Forest Hills and Somerset for four quarters. Hung with Johnstown for a half. And they got destroyed by BG and Bedford as they should have been. 

Basically if they can close out games. They should go from 3 to possibly 6 wins. I think picking them ahead of Johnstown and Somerset is placing the expectations a little too high on them. 

[Panthersfan]

Section 1

1) Bishop Guilfoyle (9-1) - even without Chadbourn they will still be very good.
2) Forest Hills (6-4) - best QB in the league, Gavlak and Peretin good lineman. Elgin, Long, and Sikora good skill players.
3) Penn Cambria (5-5) - return everyone should be better, might surprise some people. Hite is a very good back, Zupon another tough back and Zach Krug is a very big and talented TE. Return tackles Darion Conrad and Patrick Farrell and guard Caleb Hurley.
4) Cambria Heights (3-7) - they lose just about everyone but still have talent coming back. Lost too many kids last year to match win total. Lost all five starting lineman, starting tight end, starting QB and top three rushers. Evan Bobby and Cody Bogus good big lineman, Brawley and Baum both very talented skill players. Ben Yahner should have a good year too as a RB/DE.
5) Central Cambria (1-9) - heard Holsinger isn't playing and lost 3 best lineman and all their leading receivers and ball carriers. Bezek is a good QB but this team is a year away, will be good in 2017.
6) Bishop Carroll (0-10) - hopefully fields a team the whole season.

Section 2

1) Johnstown (9-1) - should win at least 8 games every year in this league, they have some good players such as Loe, Gibson, Brehm, Shamar Jones etc.... Will win at least 8 games and very possibly another district title.
2) Bishop McCort (8-2) - very good QB and skill players, should win AA District title.
3) Somerset (6-4) - very good experienced oline and even though they lose Heiple and Barnes still will be over .500 George Coyle and Ryan Funa very good skilled players.
4) Bedford (5-5)- lose too many kids from last season, definitely will not be 10-1 again. Around a 4-6 or 5-5 team at best. Tanner Coughanour best LB in the conference, good lineman returning in Jorge Canales and Vinny Fernandez, Davis Kline should be a good QB but the production that Montgomery, Cook, Shaffer, Lazorka, Downs gave them over the past few years is gone and not going to be able to be replaced.
5) Richland (3-7)- lost a good bit of production last year with Kutchman, Ball, Warshel, and Frear. Also lost three lineman up front. Ethan Dabbs is a solid player on both sides of the ball, heard they have a freshman QB who will start who is pretty good, Horsely, Instone, and Dinniney are good lineman but they lost too much to improve on their win total.
6) Westmont (1-9) - lost everyone, return some big lineman but lost two 1,000 yard rushers and playing at Trojan stadium will not help their ground and pound game. Elders, Bulas, and Weinzerl are all very good but it will be a down year for the Hilltoppers.

[Crimson's Ghost]

I notice you have BG at 9-1. Who would the 1 be? 

[Panthersfan]

I notice you have BG at 9-1. Who would the 1 be? 

To be honest will you, I could see them going 10-0 again but I just put 9-1 instead. I think the Johnstown and McCort games will be a challenge for them but they could very well go 10-0 again.

[12HankQB]

I think any of these teams could potentially upset the Marauders. They just have to go out and get better players than BG has. Better hurry, recruiting season is all but over. (This is a funny, don't anyone dare turn this into a recruiting topic)

[RamsFootball]

Forest hills having the best QB in the conference? Possibly the most upside but from a production standpoint he's on the lower half.