2009 preview

Oilers coach Matt LaVerde says he likes to gives his players a word to live by everyday -- how it applies to football and how it applies to life.

On one of the days the first week of practice that word was "excellence."

"We have an administration and an athletic director that supports us and wants us to be a program that's going to demonstrate excellence.

"They got us a new facility, they got us a new field. Now we have to rise to the challenge and step forward and play at a level that deserves the type of facility that we're going to have -- a top-class, A-1 facility," LaVerde said.

As LaVerde begins his second season as coach, the Oilers -- armed with plenty of talented holdovers at the skill positions -- hope to do the new facility right and improve on last year's 3-7 record.

"It's going to be an exciting year. We've got a new stadium...it's going to be great. It's not quite finished yet (as of Aug. 21), but when it's done, it's going to be great," he said.

Line play on both sides of the ball will key the Oilers' hopes this year.

"If we can have an offensive line that gels and works together, we can win a number of ballgames," LaVerde said. "If they don't come together and be physical...then we're going to be fighting for a winning record."

And on defense, playing teams like defending state champion Wilmington along with Greenville, it comes down to stopping the run, LaVerde said.

"We've got a lot of depth," he said. "We have a lot of guys who can play football -- now we just need guys who want to play it the right way -- being physical, intense and tough."

The Oilers will play a split back pro offense with a lot of two-tight end sets. "It makes it a lot harder on the defense, so I like two-tight end sets," LaVerde said.

Defensively, they'll play a 4-4 with lots of blitzes.

OFFENSE


Koyack	Forgey	Taylor

Tight ends

Start with junior Ben Koyack, a big-time prospect who according (former Oilers and current Franklin) coach Ray Beers is up to 26 offers. Koyack caught 48 passes for 800 yards and 10 TDs last season.

Devin Forgey and Conor Taylor are battling for the second tight end spot.


Lantz	Williams

Wideouts

Yarnell

Two more juniors, Logan Lantz and Dallas Williams, are established here with Lucas McVay and Dan Yarnell as backups.

The Oilers return their top two receivers in Lantz (55-799, 8 TDs) and Koyack. RB Cody Johnson (14-153) followed by Williams (9-112) and RB Sam Heasley (8-64). And Logan Carson has eight catches for 88 yards in his career.

"We've got a lot of strong tight ends, so we're going to use a lot of tight end sets," LaVerde said. "Of course, we've got a lot of strong wideouts, so we'll spread the field a lot, too."


May	Kulinski

Quarterbacks

Senior Steven May and junior Mark Kulinski combined for more than 2,000 yards passing last season. May completed 93 of 189 for 1,115 while Kulinski came off the bench to throw for 917 (46-69) and 11 TDs.


Heasley	Heber	Fleeger

Running backs

Carson, Johnson, Heasley, junior Brett Heber and junior Tyler Fleeger, a transfer from Derry in Westmoreland County are battling for time along with Luke Klena. Johnson is the top returning rusher with 267 yards. Heasley had 198 and Klena added 138.


Updegraff	Hopwood	Xander

Line

Joe Hopwood and Brandon Xander are battling it out at center. Blaise Rex, Xander and Andrew Angros are contending at guard and Michael Moon, Seth Updegraff and Paul Mitchell are bidding for tackle positions.


Rex	Angros	Moon

DEFENSE

Secondary

Lantz will be at one corner; in fact, he'll never come off the field, an exception for what LaVerde normally likes to do. "What I like is to make a guy offense and rotate on defense, or make a guy defense and rotate on offense to try to keep a little bit of freshmess in them," he said.

The other corners will be by committee -- Heber, Fleeger and Williams.

Fleeger and Heber are battling at safety.


Johnson	Carson	Deloe

Linebackers

McVay

Carson (77 tackles in 2008) and Johnson (72) are established on the inside with McVay and Alec Deloe as backups. Deloe has been the surprise in camp after hitting the weight room hard. "We're grooming him for middle linebacker. He'll probably take that spot next year when Carson leaves," LaVerde said.

Outside linebacker will be a rotation of Taylor, Heasley, Koyack, Klena and Deloe.


Bradley	Rankin	Mitchell

Line

The rotation at end will have Moon, Xander, Forgey and Rex. Mitchell, Angros, Hopwood, Steven Bradley and Matt Rankin are in the mix at tackle.

The defense will have some different looks, depending on the opponent.

Kicking game

Klena

Klena handled the place kicking last year, and Carson returns at punter, but Koyack and Forget can also handle that. Koyack probably will handle kickoffs and long snapping, along with Taylor and Xander.

LaVerde noted the Oilers play in a pretty tough league, what with Wilmington reigning as Class AA state champion. Greenville, Sharon, Slippery Rock and Titusville also have been to the playoffs recently.