The Herald, Sharon, PA Published Tuesday, Aug. 26, 1997
Football '97

THIS TEAM'S...
  • Schedule
  • Season preview
  • Roster

    BACK TO HERALD...
  • Football previews
  • Football '97 page
  • Sports page
  • Home page



  • GROVE CITY HIGH SCHOOL
    1997 season preview


    A Bell tolls for Grove City

    It won't take Grove City High School first-year head football coach Jeff Bell long to find out what kind of coach he is.

    The Eagles, 4-5 a year ago, face Pine-Richland and the coach whom Bell replaced _ Clair Altemus _ in the first game of the season. Then the county's all-time winningest coach _ Jim Wildman _ takes his perennially-strong Sharon Tigers to Grove City for the second game.

    Bell, an assistant under Altemus last year and a life-long resident of Grove City, took over as head coach in June after Altemus resigned to take the top coaching spot, along with the athletic director duties, at Pine-Richland. The Eagles romped over the Rams, 47-0, in the '96 season-opener, but because of that game, Bell said he's in a no-win situation.

    ``The Pine-Richland game is not one I'm looking forward to,'' Bell said. ``I feel it's a no-win game. If we win 14-12, I feel the town will be after me. They won't be, but that's just the way I feel.

    ``I have a lot of respect for Clair. I would much rather play somebody I didn't care for. That night, we're going to square off and go at them. The kids are real excited about playing them. I think that's going to be a game where I'll have to bring them down a little bit, not try to get them up.''

    Those games should be an adequate warm-up for Class AA teams Wilmington and Hickory and Class AAA rival Slippery Rock, which barely edged the Eagles out of a playoff spot last season.

    But other than that, Bell agrees that he has an advantage over most first-year head coaches, since he's familiar with the players and the community.

    ``I've been with the program. I know the kids,'' Bell said. ``I think they have confidence in me. I don't have to win that trust and that confidence. Really it's been a smooth transition. The biggest thing is going to be when we get into a big game; if we get into a tight situation and how I react. I think the kids, if I do well, they'll have confidence me.''

    It helps that Bell has 13 returning starters, headed by senior quarterback Justin Bell. Bell is somebody familiar with the playbook, being the coach's son. He played in five games last season _ missing four due to a shoulder injury _ and completed 16 of 40 attempts for 289 yards and 7 TDs.

    His most productive game was against Kennedy Christian. In just his second game back from injury, he completed 4 of 7 passes for 52 yards and 3 TDs.

    ``He has worked extremely hard all winter and all summer throwing the ball,'' Bell said. ``He knows the offense. He sees things on the field and that's a tremendous help for me. It's like having another coach on the field.''

    Bell's top target will be tight end Michael Schuessler, who at 6-5, 265 pounds, is drawing the attention of several NCA Division I coaches. Last season he caught 6 passes for 90 yards and a TD.

    In the backfield Bell has a pair of senior running backs he can go to, both with differing styles. Jason Russell (5-11, 240) is a straight-ahead runner who had 214 yards on 44 carries last year. Then there is Anthony Errera (5-9, 160), who is more evasive and led the team with 8 TDs last season. In '96 he ran 64 times for 323 yards and caught 9 passes for 136 yards.

    ``I'm looking for him to have a big year,'' Bell said of Errera. ``I think that he's a very capable runner. He's not big, but he'll get us some yardage. Russell, I think he's going to be a force this year. He's going to open up some eyes this year.''

    The offensive line is young, but may be the strongest point of the Eagles' attack when they have the ball. Under the tutelage of line coach John McCall, Bell said the group has ``improved tremendously.''

    Tackle Glenn Cornelius (6-0, 230) is the only senior on the front line and will lead a group of four juniors, headed by tackle Tanner Kolb (5-11, 225), center Danny Kocher (5-10, 185) and guards Joe Rendos (5-11, 200) and Nick Graham (5-8, 165).

    ``Those guys have worked extremely hard,'' Bell said. ``They're going to be 100 percent better. Last year, going into the season, we thought our offensive line was going to be our strength. They just never came together. I think this year's group is going to make the difference for us.''

    The biggest loss for the Eagles was Amos Upshaw, a key wide receiver and the leading tackler from his safety position. Also gone is Kris Knepper a 400-yards-plus rusher and defensive end.

    Schuessler and Russell will anchor the defensive line from tackle positions. Matt Barnes (5-8, 160) and Matt Tomeo (6-1, 175) shore up the linebacker corps, along with Joe Rendos. Errera will play outside at cornerback.

    Helping Bell are former Grove City College standout Duke Joncour, Mike Hostetler, McCall and Ken Isles.




    Your ad could be here! advertising@sharon-herald.com (412) 981-6100 Ext. 261


    Back to TOP
    BACK TO HERALD Football previews // Football '97 page // Sports page // Home page

    Updated Aug. 26, 1997
    Questions/comments: herald@pgh.net
    For advertising and Web site design info: advertising@sharon-herald.com
    Copyright ©1997 The Sharon Herald Co. All rights reserved.
    Reproduction or retransmission in any form is prohibited without our permission.