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COLLEGE PREVIEW
WVIAC: Despite loss of leading rusher, Glenville State is the pick
WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. -- Defending champion Glenville State was picked to repeat as the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion.
Following is a look at each of the teams with their 2009 overall and conference records.
GLENVILLE STATE (8-3, 7-1) must replace the nation's leading rusher in Jerry Seymour (WVIAC record 2,282 yards in '08), but the Pioneers have plenty on hand in an attempt to defend their crown. Quarterback James McCants was ultra-efficient last season tossing a dozen touchdown passes, while only allowing four interceptions for an attack that averaged 33.9 points per game.
Fleet Antwan Stewart grabbed 38 passes as a rookie, but Adam Adkins is the only returning starting offensive lineman from a unit that helped GSC establish a league record with 282.2 rush yards per game in 2008.
Coach Alan Fiddler's Pioneers should be tough on defense. Terrell Parker and Kaleb Lawrence are a potent pair at linebacker, while Scott Sears can disrupt offenses from his defensive end slot.
CHARLESTON will rely on an experienced defense and speedy skill players. The Golden Eagles (7-4, 5-3) welcome back 11 defenders with significant starting experience, including a solid linebacker corps that includes Joey Lindamood and LeDominique Williams. Free safety Xavier Drakeford anchors the secondary, while Dominick Iacovone and Ted Schaible are forces up front.
Coach Tony DeMeo's Triple Gun attack is triggered by junior quarterback DaRante Hunter. The Florida native topped the WVIAC with a 163.42 pass efficiency rating and rushed for a team-high 478 yards. Aaron Higdon and Julian Johnson are big play threats from the slot back position. However, UC must find a replacement for Terrance Spencer, the school's career receiving leader, in the passing game.
SETON HILL (10-3, 6-2) shocked many people in NCAA Division II football circles as the Griffins qualified for the NCAA postseason in the school's inaugural season of eligibility and the first season for head coach Joel Dolinski.
SHU will look for back-to-back seasons of playoff football behind the electricifying duo of Antwarn Jones and Sammy Tranks. Jones, who ranks tenth on the WVIAC career rushing list with 3,501 yards, keys the Griffin rush attack. Tranks is one of the most dangerous kick returners in the country after posting five (four punt, one kickoff) runbacks for scores in 2008. He also grabbed 63 receptions for 826 yards and seven more touchdowns.
Matt Dowdell looks to resume his starting role at quarterback. The senior threw for 2,092 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2007 as a regular.
The Griffins face heavy losses in the secondary, but DE Matt Galadyk DT Darnell Jones, LB Rob Ellis and LB Steve Trent should help form a strong front seven.
WEST LIBERTY (7-4, 6-2) has developed into an annual contender for the WVIAC title after posting winning marks in each of coach Roger Waialae's four seasons at the helm in the Northern Panhandle.
Strong-armed quarterback Zach Amedro, who has passed for 5,730 yards and 39 scores in two seasons, leads a potentially explosive attack. Versatile Eddie Hills shuttles back into the tailback spot in 2009. The senior rushed for more than 1,000 yards in his first two seasons as a Topper before leading the WVIAC in with 61 receptions as a junior.
The defense returns eight starters and is led by the linebacker duo of Clay Beeler and Nick Harding. Beeler was recognized as an All-American by Don Hansen's Football Gazette after racking up 20 tackles for loss in 2008. Harding is a two-time All-WVIAC pick and paced the league with 115 stops last season.
SHEPHERD (5-6, 3-5) experienced a rare down year in 2008 after the Rams had claimed four straight WVIAC crowns. Head coach Monte Cater, the all-time WVIAC leader with 155 victories, looks to get back in the championship chase with 17 returning starters.
All-WVIAC honoree Jeremy Hairston is among five offensive linemen with starting experience. Running back Jimmy Sutch continued the Rams' tradition of a strong rush game with 885 yards and 15 touchdowns. Deante Steele, who took four kicks (two punts, two kickoffs) back for scores in 2008, is an All-American return specialist. The junior pairs with Layton Hersh to comprise one of the WVIAC's top defensive backfields.
FAIRMONT STATE (5-6, 3-5) returns a whopping 42 of 49 lettermen for head coach Mike Lopez, including 20 of 22 starters. Wide receiver Perry Baker established himself as a premier offensive threat after accounting for 589 receiving yards, 258 rush yards, and 11 scores as a sophomore. Quarterback Vick Bradford tossed 15 touchdown passes in 2008.
The Falcon defense is keyed by senior Nate Black, a first team All-WVIAC selection. Kicker Alex Ashley is climbing the WVIAC career charts after booting a dozen field goals last season, two of which were 50-plus yard efforts.
WEST VIRGINIA STATE (7-3, 5-3) has experienced back-to-back seven-win campaigns for head coach Earl Monroe after going through a drought of 14 seasons without a winning mark.
Senior quarterback Kevin O'Brien is an all-region candidate and is a good bet to rewrite the Yellow Jacket career record book after throwing for 6,088 yards in his first three years as a starter. Jermain King is one of O'Brien's favorite targets after making 51 grabs in 2008.
St. Albans native Andrew Eggleton, a 2008 first team All-WVIAC pick at linebacker, is one of six returning starters on defense.
CONCORD (0-11, 0-8) will look to turn things around as former California (Pa.) and Fairmont State coach Mike Kellar takes the helm of the Mountain Lion program after helping Cal to back-to-back regional titles. Only eight total starters are back for CU, including four on each side of the ball.
Noseguard Dan Stone is one of the WVIAC's top interior defensive linemen. The wide receiver corps of Thomas Mayo, Kareem Royal and Nate Tanner could be a strength.
WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN (1-10, 1-7) has a new head coach for the first time in a quarter-century as Dennis Creehan now guides the Bobcat program. The experienced Creehan has a 71-54-1 mark as a head coach with previous stops at Edinboro, South Dakota, and San Francisco State along with tenure as an assistant at Hamilton and Edmonton in the Canadian Football League. He also served on staffs at Army, Duke, Rutgers, and Arkansas State.
WVWC welcomes back a league-low seven starters, but running back Reggie Taylor is one of the league's best after gaining 1,165 yards in 2008. DL Keith Branch and LB Donovan Pearson lead the Bobcat stop troops.
