LHAC Scrimmages Week 1, What to Look for....

Penn Cambria at Bishop McCort

Penn Cambria

Mac Behe

1. How will the Panthers live up to the hype? Penn Cambria was picked as the preseason favorite by the coaches after a 9-3 record in 2011. The Panthers have a strong Senior class led by Mac Behe and Devin Lawhead.
2. We know the Defense is good, How will the offense be? Gone is Andrew Buck and Jordan Fuller, Who will take on the QB and RB roles? Mac Behe,Devin Lawhead, Nathan Keagy, and James Mardula will be the primary play makers.

Bishop McCort

1. Who will be the skilled position players? Leech,Cooper,Varga, and Wilson did most of the damage last year and they all have graduated.  Jordan Spangler will be one to watch. Keep an eye on Dustin Belskey and Luke DiFranceco too.
2. Will the Line be big enough? Last year McCort had some undersized players stuck on the line due to lack of numbers. Will some of the bigger underclassmen take those spots?

Bishop Carroll at Richland

Bishop Carroll

1. What kind of offense will first year head coach, Greg Snyder employ? BC has run a spread rushing attack throughout Sponsky's tenure, but BC may be lacking the athletes to run such an offense. It could be a wing-T or a traditional pro set.
2. Will inexperience play a factor? The Huskies only have a handful of seniors and will have to rely heavily on juniors and sophomores. Transfers and decreasing enrollment only have 26 kids on the BC roster for 2012 unless they call up the freshmen. 

Richland

Tanner Solarczyk

1. How will the running game be without Rizzo?  Coach Bailey has always been known to be a passing coach. John Rizzo obviously made running a priority the past couple years, but he has now graduated. Tanner Solarczyk is a good back but not the same style of Rizzo.
2. Can the defense get better?  Richland allowed a lot of points for a 10 win team. They had such a good offense that they could outscore teams in shootouts, but to take the next level they may need to get better on that side of the ball.

Bishop Guilfoyle at Somerset

Bishop Guilfoyle

1. Can BG turn the corner after tough 2011? Justin Wheeler needs to be given a chance as the coach, but it appears he is building the program the right way. 
2. Does BG have the talent to take on the LHAC? The move to the league a few years ago has not been real kind to BG. The Marauders are just 17-33 in five seasons in the LHAC. They have an experienced Quarterback in Pat Irwin and young play makers in Brendan Chadbourn and DJ Kitt.

Somerset

1. Somerset was better than their 3-7 record in 2011, Will it show in 2012? Tanner Stull is a tough little QB that will be among the league's best. Keep an eye on him.
2. Will the offense line be ready to block for some talented skilled players. Somerset is losing almost everyone linemen from 2011. There will be plenty of new faces that will need to step up for Somerset to have a big season.

Central Cambria at Westmont

Central Cambria

1. Who will be carrying the ball? Central Cambria had a rough 2011, but they had some tough skilled position players. They have all graduated leaving the 2012 with some question marks.
2. Can Central Cambria return to the upper echelon of the league? Central Cambria is one of the marquee programs locally, but they have been on a bit of a downward stretch. They usually have big lines and good running games, they need to get back to that.

Westmont

Pat Barron

1. Will coach Pat Barron have the offense in place? Westmont was left in a bit of a bind when Glennon stepped down in the middle of Summer. Westmont alum, Pat Barron has taken the reigns and has the area excited again, but they are working on a small amount of time.
2. Can Westmont's size up front steal them some victories? Westmont has a big offensive line, but that does not always mean everything. Are these guys ready to step up and dominate up front?

Cambria Heights at Johnstown

Johnstown

1. Who will be the play makers? Johnstown loses just about all of their offense from last season.  It is still up in the air as to who will be throwing, running, and catching the football.
2. Is Johnstown's offensive line ready to carry the offense?  The line was often overlooked the past two seasons with the high flying offense, but this year it may have to be the calling card for the Trojans. 

Cambria Heights

1. Is Cambria Heights ready to be a playoff team? They have the Quarterback,Running Backs, and Receivers to match anyone else in the league. Can the line be as good as the skilled guys? Can they get over the reputation that the school has placed on itself the past decade?
2. Can Nathan Bearer have a Vescovi-like season? He struggled at times last year, but showed signs of being a really good QB. He has lots of weapons and a year of experience at his disposal.

Forest Hills at Bedford

Bedford

1. Can Bedford have a successful season without Marcus Shippey? It is hard to say on eplayer defines a team, but Shippey did that for three seasons. They need to develop a new Quarterback and Middle Linebacker to replace Shippey.
2. Is this the best team in District Five?  They only have to beat out Everett and Chestnut Ridge. Back in 2009 Bedford made an improbable run through a number of state playoff games, the new playoff format could help out Bedford again.

Forest Hills

1. Is there a better Quarterback tradition in the league than Forest Hills? Coach Bailey always has a new underclassmen Qb waiting in the wings to be the next star. Is there somebody ready to take on that role?
2. How good can Jared Shope be? Shope may be the best all around player in the whole league, and he will be a lot of fun to watch. Definitely keep an eye on him.