KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Coming off a 9-2 season and the program's third-ever trip to the NCAA Division II Championship tournament, anticipation is high as the Kutztown University football team gets set to kick off its 2019 season against Northeast 10 Conference foe Assumption College on Saturday afternoon (12:05 p.m.) at Andre Reed Stadium.
The Golden Bears are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. The offense returns fifth-year dual threat quarterback
Collin DiGalbo (Secane, Pa./Monsignor Bonner), its entire starting offensive line and third-leading receiver from a year ago, tight end
Jack Pilkerton (La Plata, Md./La Plata). Kutztown produced top-five seasons in program history in total yards (5,182), yards per game (471.1), touchdowns (61), passing yards (3,229), passing yards per game (293.5), points scored (418) and set a school single-season record with 30 rushing touchdowns.
Defensively, KU brings back seven starters, including three in the secondary in senior cornerback
Ahkee Cox-Cowan (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg), redshirt senior cornerback
Nyiem Nevarez (Effort, Pa./Pleasant Valley) and redshirt junior safety
Shawn Turber-Ortiz (Northumberland, Pa./Shikellamy). Linebackers
Luke Snyder (Levittown, Pa./Pennsbury) and
Chris Thomas (Norwood, Pa./Interboro) are back along with
Eric Miller (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) and
Nick Vasger (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn) up front.
Special teams should be a strength for the Bears as well, where All-PSAC East First Team punter
Dean Krcic (Saylorsburg, Pa./Pleasant Valley) is expected to also handle the kicking duties.
Head coach
Jim Clements, who enters his sixth season on the KU sideline having produced winning seasons in each of his previous five campaigns, knows that the 2019 team will need to forge its own identity, but hopes the experience of playing in last year's national tournament fuels the current roster's hunger to get back there.
"Camp went well for us, but the biggest thing was to try and stay as healthy as we could," said Clements. "A lot of new faces were working hard. We have great depth at certain spots on the field and wish we had more at others, but overall the coaching staff took a lot of positives away from preseason."
Kutztown committed just 13 turnovers a season ago, finishing plus-eight on the season. The Golden Bears were also one of the nation's top teams in red zone efficiency. If this year's team can limit self-inflicted mistakes the same way last year's did, Clements likes KU's chances to have another successful season.
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GETTING TO KNOW THE KUTZTOWN OFFENSE
QUARTERBACKS
DiGalbo's impact on Kutztown's success over the last three seasons can not be understated. The Secane, Pennsylvania, native threw for nearly 2,500 yards and 15 touchdowns, while adding 553 yards and 11 scores on the ground. His poise and leadership emanate throughout the offense. "Collin is a rock back there and then he can also break you down with his feet," explained Clements. "He's quick and it presents problems for the defense." DiGalbo enters the season opener four yards shy of surpassing Rob Holmes for third on KU's career passing yards list (6,092) and is four completions away from 500 in his career, which ranks fourth in program history. He's also within reach of finishing top three in career TD passes (44), career passing attempts (785) and career rushing touchdowns (23).
Behind the four-year starter, redshirt junior
Eric Nickel (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) has proven plenty capable of getting the job done. The redshirt junior from Bridgewater, New Jersey, filled in for an ailing DiGalbo last year and completed 66.7% of his attempts for 740 yards and 10 touchdowns. He torched Gannon for 394 yards and five touchdowns through the air, while running for 44 yards and a score on Sept. 15. Nickel's feet are an asset, too, a style of play Clements seems to favor. Against Millersville last November, Nickel accounted for five total touchdowns with 141 yards rushing supplementing 182 yards passing.
RUNNING BACKS
The graduation of Washington Redskins practice squad signee
Craig Reynolds (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington) leaves large shoes to fill in the backfield. Redshirt senior
Abdul-Hassan Neblett (Newark, N.J./Paramus Catholic) hopes this will be his time to do just that. He averaged 4.4 yards per carry on 57 totes and also accounted for 103 yards on seven receptions. With quarterbacks who can also run, Kutztown features an offense that can beat you in numerous ways from different spots on the field. Redshirt freshman
Darryl Davis-McNeil (Roslyn, Pa./Abington), a redshirt freshman from Roslyn, Pennsylvania, is slated to back up Neblett, while Clements was also quick to praise the work of incoming freshman
Jordan Davis (Plainfield, N.J./Saint Joseph Metuchen) from Saint Joseph Metuchen in New Jersey.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Perhaps no one position took a bigger hit in depth than wide receiver for the Maroon and Gold. All-PSAC Second Team pick
Conor Sullivan (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) led the team with 593 yards and five touchdowns, but has since graduated. The only player remaining among last year's top five on the team in receiving yards is tight end
Jack Pilkerton (La Plata, Md./La Plata).
Diego Torres (York, Pa./West York), a redshirt senior out of York, elevates to the top of the depth chart after tying Sullivan for the team-high in receiving touchdowns last fall. At 6-foot-3, he's a big target for DiGalbo in the red zone. Junior
Mason McElroy (Reading, Pa./Wilson) (15 rec, 131 yds),
Jake Novak (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central),
Derek Anderson (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) and
Troy Brown Jr. (Lincoln University, Pa./Oxford Area) are others ticketed for increased roles.
TIGHT ENDS
Veteran leadership is also on display at tight end where Pilkerton enters his redshirt senior season after setting career-highs in receptions (39) and receiving yards (492) in 2018. He's expected to once again be the Golden Bears' top pass-catching option at the position, with redshirt sophomore
Tyler Borg (Lititz, Pa./Lititz Christian) and sophomore
Matthew Wasco (Levittown, Pa./Lincoln) providing depth.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Continuity up front should be among the most valuable aspects of Kutztown's offense in 2019. Not only is the entire starting offensive line back, but three of its anchors: left tackle
Justin Tindull (Seven Valleys, Pa./Dallastown), center
Matt Cella (Secane, Pa./Springfield) and right guard
Jayson Williams (Pomona, N.J./Cedar Creek) are coming off All-PSAC East seasons. With left guard
Luke Lozowicki (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) and right tackle
Jake Adams (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove) also back up front, expect DiGalbo and the KU quarterbacks to be well protected. There's no reason to believe that the offense can't enjoy similar success if they continue to win battles up front. "Controlling the line of scrimmage is going to be real important and these guys do it extremely well," noted Clements. "They are very athletic, which helps us get to the edge and I think this is the best offensive line we've had in my time here at KU."
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GETTING TO KNOW THE KUTZTOWN DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE LINE
Defensive tackle
Eric Miller (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) and defensive end
Nick Vasger (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn) show the way up front, with junior
Ryan Meyers (Hellertown, Pa./Saucon Valley) expected to fill a starting role at DT and
Togba Porte II (Collingdale, Pa./Academy Park) one at DE. "We lost some guys on our d-line, but we've got pretty good depth that will allow us to rotate other guys in," said Clements. Meyers came up with 3.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss, while Vasger accounted for three sacks and four TFL. Redshirt seniors
Hez Trahan (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic), a Temple transfer, and
Corey Tomasetti (Dickson City, Pa./Mid-Valley) are options to see time at DT, while a pair of redshirt freshmen in
Tom Griese (Dover, N.J./Morris Knolls) and
Nigel Wilson (Bound Brook, N.J./Bound Brook) should factor in at DE.
LINEBACKERS
Senior captain
Luke Snyder (Levittown, Pa./Pennsbury) will try to take the reins from graduate
Tajier Jefferson (East Orange, N.J./Queen of Peace), who Clements referred to as last year's leader of the defense. Snyder totaled a career-high 53 tackles (4.5 for loss) and 1.5 sacks as a junior.
Chris Thomas (Norwood, Pa./Interboro), a junior from Norwood, also finished with 53 tackles in 2018.
TwyNique Chisholm-Wilkerson (Harrisburg, Pa./Steelton-Highspire) is slated to join Snyder and Thomas as starters at the position. Clements lauded the efforts of
Amani Justice (Salem, N.J./Salem) and
Kyle Sapp (Westampton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional) in preseason camp, and
Chase Stephensen (Lacey Township, N.J./Lacey Township) is also knocking at the door.
SECONDARY
If Kutztown is healthy, its secondary boasts an impressive lineup of talent, with senior
Ahkee Cox-Cowan (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg) and redshirt senior
Nyiem Nevarez (Effort, Pa./Pleasant Valley) at cornerback and redshirt junior
Shawn Turber-Ortiz (Northumberland, Pa./Shikellamy) and junior
Nick Palmer (Montville, N.J./Bergen Catholic) securing the safety positions. Turber-Ortiz collected a team-leading 107 tackles and intercepted three passes last season. Cox-Cowan also recorded three interceptions while leading the Bears in pass breakups (14) and passes defended (17). The Harrisburg native starts the year 10 breakups shy of breaking English Peay's career record of 47 and six passes defended away from surpassing Peay's benchmark of 52.
Nevarez, who is also featured in the kick return game, recorded 48 tackles, an interception, eight breakups and nine passes defended in 2018. Palmer made 45 tackle to rank eighth on the team.
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GETTING TO KNOW THE KUTZTOWN SPECIALISTS
KICKER/PUNTER
Redshirt junior
Dean Krcic (Saylorsburg, Pa./Pleasant Valley) inherits kicking duties following the graduation of
Alec Rosenfeld (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem) and has looked good in camp according to Clements. The Saylorsburg product is already widely regarded as the best punter in the PSAC East, having been named First Team last year after earning Second Team honors in 2017. Krcic averaged 41.6 yards per punt in 2018, an asset for the Golden Bears at flipping the field. Twelve of his punts landed inside the opposition's 20-yard line and 10 exceeded 50 yards.
Behind Krcic are freshman
Stephen Mulville (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape), who is also a dual kicker/punter, and kicker
David Burns (Blackwood, N.J./Triton Regional).
HOLDER/SNAPPER
Junior wide receiver
Mason McElroy (Reading, Pa./Wilson) is expected to serve as the holder, while
Cody Scherer (Lehighton, Pa./Lehighton) is the lead long-snapper.
KICK/PUNT RETURNS
Craig Reynolds (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington) was the Golden Bears primary option on punt returns and shared kick return duties with
Tyshyn Harmon (Allentown, Pa./Louis E. Dieruff (East Stroudsburg)) a season ago.
Nyiem Nevarez (Effort, Pa./Pleasant Valley) will step into a kick return role after averaging 21.2 yards per return on eight attempts, including a long of 44 yards.
Abdul-Hassan Neblett (Newark, N.J./Paramus Catholic) is expected to be a primary return man as well. McElroy looks to get the first shot at returning punts.
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WEEK 1 NOTES
- Kutztown University begins its 104th season of football on Saturday against Assumption College at University Field at Andre Reed Stadium. The Golden Bears are looking for a repeat of last year's opener, in which they traveled up to Worcester, Mass., and defeated the then 17th-ranked Greyhounds, 32-28.
- Kutztown and Assumption have developed a non-conference rivalry of sorts in recent seasons. Since 2015, the two teams have opened their respective seasons against one another. The Greyhounds hold a 3-1 edge in the series, but three of the four games have been decided by four points or less. The Maroon and Gold are searching for their first home victory in the series today.
- The Golden Bears are once again expected to finish near the top of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's Eastern Division in 2019. KU was voted third by the league coaches when the Preseason Poll was released in early August.
Jim Clements' team received a first-place vote and slots in behind nationally-ranked West Chester and PSAC newcomer Shepherd.
- Assumption College is a member of the Northeast 10 Conference and is coming off a 6-4 season in 2018. They won NE10 championships in 2015 and 2017, but are now under the direction of head coach Andy McKenzie, who embarks on his second season in 2019. The Greyhounds return leading rusher Doug Santos (98 rush, 492 yds., 8 TD), but will be tested with the graduation of All-American WR Deonte Harris, QB Cody Williams and their top five leading tacklers from a season ago.
