Little Lions prepared for J.P. McCaskey

Standing just outside the field gates at Memorial Field, Little Lions football coach Matt Lintal peered through his sunglasses looking out toward his players warming up before practice.

It’s the last practice before the 2016 campaign gets underway — and they’re ready for the season to begin.

“We’re ahead of where we’ve been at this point in other seasons,” Lintal said of the team’s understanding of the playbook and philosophies. “We’re excited about where we’re at and where we’re going.

“But we’re not where we want to be just yet.”

Lintal is going to see exactly where his Little Lions are when State College opens its season on the road at J.P. McCaskey on Friday night in Lancaster.

State College, 9-4 in 2015, is deciding on a quarterback, feeling out a primarily inexperienced offensive line, and replacing a handful of offensive playmakers.

J.P. McCaskey, 4-6 last year, is also a team with questions. It has a new coach and lost several key pieces to its 2015 season.

“I know it’s a program in transition,” Lintal said, “but they’ve got some fantastic athletes. We’ll have to be ready to go.”

Namely, the Red Tornado returns quarterback Jathan Gonzalez and running backs Carlos Lugo, Greg Nunez and Will Brown.

Under new head coach Eric Spencer, J.P. McCaskey runs a pistol offense, predicated on quick decisions and utilizing its athletes.

Gonzalez and the Red Tornado’s stable of tailbacks is what the State College defense is focused on.

“They’ve got some athletes on the edge,” Little Lions linebacker Pete Haffner said. “Just need to play assignment football and make a play.”

Offensively, Lintal is still unsure of who will start Friday night’s game under center. However, senior Tyler Snyder and junior Drew Friberg are both expected to play.

The bigger question might lie on the offensive line.

After losing four starters up front to graduation, senior left tackle Will Swope is the anchor of the unit.

“It’s definitely been like starting over,” the Cornell commit said. “But the three, four weeks we’ve really come together.”

J.P. McCaskey runs a 4-2-5 base defense, rather flexible for a defense to be aggressive.

But Lintal agreed with Swope and thinks the unit will be up-to-snuff.

“We feel very confident with the guys that we have,” the coach said. “They’re progressing each and every day.”

Even still, Lintal understands there are going to be mistakes.

It is the first game of the year, after all.

“Usually in these season openers the team who makes fewer mistakes ends up with a win on the board,” Lintal said.

He’s hoping that’s his side on Friday night.

This story was originally published September 2, 2016 at 12:29 AM with the headline "Little Lions prepared for J.P. McCaskey."