FOOTBALL

BEA has its own dozers in backfield

Guy Cipriano

WINGATE — Bulldozers plow through once-green grass surrounding Bald Eagle Area Junior/Senior High School.

CDT file photo/Christopher Weddle

Bald Eagle Area senior Jonathan Gingrich, who averaged 6.1 yards per carry last season for the Eagles, will team up with Stevie Eisenhuth to provide a 1-2 punch on both offense and defense this season.

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The renovations force the football team to hold grass practices at Doc Etters Field, the home of the school’s successful baseball program.

Nobody mentioned the temporary distraction after Wednesday afternoon’s practice.

BEA athletes and coaches are a hearty lot.

Plus, they have two bulldozers of their own preparing to work this fall.

Part of the football optimism here surrounds the return of rugged seniors Stevie Eisenhuth and Jon Gingrich.

Both players are playing one new position, with Eisenhuth moving from center to slotback/tight end on offense and Gingrich switching from defensive end to inside linebacker on defense.

The moves place the duo side-by-side on both sides. Eisenhuth plays inside linebacker on defense, a spot where he compiled 133 tackles and earned second team Pennsylvania Football News All-State honors last season. Gingrich plays running back on offense, a position where he averaged 6.1 yards per carry in 2008.

An offensive backfield with the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Eisenhuth clearing space for the 6-foot-2, 235- pound Gingrich creates intriguing scenarios. But Eisenhuth’s offensive talents extend beyond his ability and willingness to move opponents. Coach Jack Tobias said Eisenhuth can also catch passes, and Eisenhuth has dunked basketballs while passing preseason time in the gym.

“He’s as athletic of a kid as you’re going to get,” Tobias said. “He’s made some spectacular catches in practice. You look at it and say, ‘Wow, how does he make that catch?’ When he catches the ball in the secondary, it’s not your average wide receiver getting down the field.”

Gingrich, a three-sport standout who placed fourth at last season’s PIAA wrestling championships at 215 pounds and qualified for the state track meet, also brings finesse to an offense that averaged 12.5 points per game last season.

“It’s better to make a move and get a touchdown than run over somebody and get tackled,” Gingrich said.

Don’t be fooled by the statement. Gingrich is savvy enough to know when a situation warrants contact. Take defense, for example, where Gingrich’s move to linebacker makes it difficult for teams to move away from either senior.

“Both of us are on the inside and both us want to hit somebody,” he said. “It’s going to be awesome.”

Strength and experience gains on the offensive and defensive lines made the decision to move Eisenhuth on offense and Gingrich on defense easier for Tobias. The Eagles return three offensive linemen — senior Dillon Shreffler, junior Ruger Brower and Eisenhuth’s younger brother, Nate, who played as a freshman last season. Eisenhuth appeared in the backfield toward the later stages of 2008, scoring the game-winning touchdown in a dramatic Week 10 victory over Bellefonte to send the Eagles into the District 6 Class AA playoffs.

“I’m really excited,” he said. “I have been looking forward to this season since last season ended.”

When they weren’t playing other sports, Eisenhuth and Gingrich made regular weight-room appearances. Tobias said both players can bench press more than 300 pounds, an impressive feat considering Gingrich didn’t start lifting until this past off-season.

Eisenhuth and Gingrich want to play college football, and they look more like college freshmen than high school seniors. Eisenhuth has gained 35 pounds since last season. Gingrich gained 20 pounds after the PIAA wrestling tournament.

They are bulldozers Tobias wants to ride to BEA’s first winning season since 1994.

“They are two guys you can count on,” Tobias said. “They are two great leaders. They are kids that can talk to kids and get them pumped up and back it up with their play. They do what needs to be done.”

Former head coaches fill staffs

Three former BEA head coaches have returned to the Centre County football scene.

Gawen Stoker, who retired as Indian Valley’s head coach after 2007, helps Tobias, Mike Markle serves as Bellefonte’s defensive coordinator and Curt Heverly is working on P-O coach Jeff Vroman’s staff. Tobias’ staff includes two former Eagle coaches, as Ron Hoover returns as defensive coordinator.

“I’m excited to have Coach Hoover and Coach Stoker,” Tobias said. “One thing when I took this job I said is that it isn’t about me. It’s about the football program. It’s about the kids. A lot of guys aren’t comfortable having those kind of guys around.

“But if I don’t have the best people I can get as assistant coaches, then I’m not doing the best thing for the kids. If I want this program to be the best it can be, then I have to hire the best guys out there.”

Scrimmages, Part 2

The preseason reaches its final stage Friday when all five county teams conduct their final scrimmages.

The headliner is State College’s tune-up against defending PIAA Class AAAA champion Bethlehem Liberty at 4 p.m. at Memorial Field. The Hurricanes feature one of the state’s top players in dual-threat quarterback Anthony Gonzalez.

Other scrimmages include Bellefonte at Central Dauphin East at 4:30 p.m., Penns Valley at Juniata at 6 p.m. and Philipsburg- Osceola at DuBois and Southern Huntingdon at BEA at 7 p.m.

Extra points

Former Penn State offensive lineman Gus Felder has joined Al Wolski’s staff at State College. Felder was an assistant coach at Cheyney University from 2005-07 and most recently served as the offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Melbourne (Fla.) High School. ...State College is ranked fourth behind Liberty, McKeesport and North Penn in the Pennsylvania Football News’ Class AAAA preseason rankings. Tyrone is ranked 10th in Class AA. ...WTAJ will air its annual preview show Saturday night before the Pittsburgh Steelers-Buffalo Bills preseason game.

Guy Cipriano can be reached at 231-4643.