- Mechanicsburg Wildcats (CAS based loosely on my high school alma mater, replacing Syracuse in the Big East)
- My write-ups will be short and heavy on pictures since we all know a picture is worth a thousand words
- Recruiting will mostly focus on 2* and 3* players, only a couple 4* or 5* per season
- Only quick-calling to potential recruits, no visits or promises
- All-American Sliders are always a work in progress to get a realistic result
- The coaches will normally speak like real football coaches, but you’ll get to see their personalities a little bit as well :-):-)
Brian Fantana, Ron Burgundy, Champ Kind and Brick Tamland were overjoyed to be named the coaches of the Mechanicsburg Wildcats football program. :-):-)
Head Coach: Ron Burgundy :-):-)
Offensive Coordinator: Brian Fantana :-):-)
Defensive Coordinator: Champ Kind :-):-)
Special Teams Coordinator: Brick Tamland :-):-)
Mechanicsburg Traditions:-):-)
:-):-) Harry the Wildcat Trapper is the Mechanicsburg mascot. Soon after the school was founded in the early 1800s, even before it had an athletics’ department, students became alarmed when a wildcat moved on campus. Not sure what to do, the school president told the school’s janitor, Harry, to get rid of the feline. Being a rough-and-tumble Pennsylvania man, Harry set right to his task, single-handedly trapping the wildcat and returning it to the wild. When Mechanicsburg later adopted several sports programs, the students overwhelmingly voted for Wildcats as the school nickname, and for Harry the Wildcat Trapper to be their mascot.
:-):-)
Senior wide receiver Anthony Ryan does his best Desmond Howard imitation with the Mechanicsburg mascot, Harry the Wildcat Trapper.:-):-)
Mount Mechanicsburg remains one of Mechanicsburg’s best known and most popular traditions. Before the current Memorial Stadium was erected, students were forced to sit on a hill outside the stadium to watch Wildcat games. When the new Memorial Stadium was built, a hill was included for fans to sit and watch the games as an homage to the traditional student hill of old Memorial Stadium. Saturday afternoons in the fall are best viewed from Mount Mechanicsburg of new Memorial Stadium. :-)>:-)> Mount Mechanicsburg has become the traditional home of die-hard Wildcat fans on Saturday afternoons.[Reply]
:-):-)
The Fight for the MountainCat Trophy is held every year between Mechanicsburg and their rivals West Virginia. The trophy originated when West Virginia fans began calling Harry the Wildcat Trapper a rip-off of their own Mountaineer mascot. Soon, the rivalry grew to include the MountainCat Trophy. Recently, the stakes have been upped to where only the winning team from last season can have their mascot at the game. The losing team’s mascot is forbidden to attend next season’s contest. :-):-)
The goal of every young football player in Morgantown and Mechanicsburg is to one day have the opportunity to win the prestigious MountainCat Trophy.:-):-)
:-):-)
:-)>:-)>
Mechanicsburg’s Harry the Wildcat Trapper and West Virginia’s Mountaineer mascot have gotten into several fights over the years, leading the schools to only permit one mascot to attend each game. The winning team’s mascot gets the right to attend next season’s game.
Mechanicsburg’s rivalry with Pittsburgh is called the Turnpike War. The Turnpike Trophy itself resembles a Panther because Pittsburgh won the first ten matchups between the schools and created the trophy to commemorate this occasion. Mechanicsburg won the 11th game and took the trophy home with them, creating one of the most fierce trophy games in the nation.
:-):-)
The Turnpike Trophy serves as a source of pride each year for either Mechanicsburg or Pittsburgh.:-):-)
:-):-)
Mechanicsburg’s rivalry with Penn State is called the Battle for the Keystone State. The rivalry has lost some luster in the previous decades after Penn State moved to the Big Ten and the teams no longer play each other every season, but rumors abound that a renewal to the rivalry may be in the future. :-):-)
2009 Schedule
:-):-)
9/5 vs Nevada
9/12 vs Air Force
9/19 vs Navy
9/26 at Army
10/3 vs South Florida
10/10 vs West Virginia
10/17 BYE
10/25 at Wake Forest
10/31 vs Cincinnati
11/7 at Pittsburgh
11/14 at Louisville
11/21 vs Rutgers
11/28 at Connecticut
12/4 BYE :-):-)
Coach’s Thoughts: “Well, the Big East is always very competitive. But before we can look at conference play, we need to focus on our out-of-conference schedule. Nevada in the opener is always dangerous with their Pistol offense. Then we have the service academies, Air Force, Navy and Army. Their varied offenses will surely test the resolve of our defense. Out final out-of-conference game comes against a tough Wake Forest team. :-):-)
Within the Big East, we all know who the favorites are. West Virginia and South Florida have both done excellent recruiting jobs over the years and are hoping to capitalize with a BCS berth. Cincinnati is also a team you can’t overlook. :-):-)
We start out with 5 of our first 6 games at home so we hope to get off to a fast start. The back half of our schedule includes lots of road games, however.” :-):-)
Game of the Year: West Virginia. Mechanicsburg and West Virginia renew their rivalry with Big East hopes on the line. The rivalry dates back to the introduction of the Mechanicsburg mascot, Harry the Wildcat Trapper, who West Virginia fans contend is a rip-off of their Mountaineer mascot. The Fight for the MountainCat Trophy may very well play a large role in determining the Big East’s BCS representative. [Reply]
MBFranchise 10:02 PM 08-16-2009
2009 Offensive Philosophy :-):-)
Coach’s Thoughts: “Well, we like our team to be the definition of unpredictable. What this means for our offense is that you will get a little bit of everything. Ace, I-form, shotgun, spread, flexbone, its all in there. Our philosophy is to make defending our offense very difficult, and our unpredictability does not allow the opponent to key in on any one facet of our attack. Our players are also able to switch positions, and the ability to interchange means even though you may see who is on the field, you still don’t know what offensive set we are going to come out in.
Our running game is capable of hurting you in many different ways. We pride ourselves on being able to beat teams up physically out of the I and Ace formations. Once you’ve had some of that, we’ll switch it up a bit by coming out in the flexbone. The misdirection here is one of the keys of our offense’s success. Finally, out of the spread we are willing to motion wide receivers into the backfield. :-):-)
The passing attack is predicated on short routes, mostly crosses and slants. I’ve done some studying on the west coast offense and I like the quick, timing throws that are its staple. Besides, the quick throws emphasize our recruiting tendencies for our wide receivers. We want to get our big guys on quick hits into space so they can make something happen. :-):-)
Overall, I guess you could call it the spread-bone-coast or the west-flex-spread. Whatever you want to call it, it’s our offense.” :-):-)
Quarterbacks :-):-)
SR 4 JJ Rivera 6-2 199 lbs 86 Ovr
SO 11 Lawrence Shaw 6-4 180 lbs 83 Ovr
SO 16 Jermaine Dougherty 6-4 203 lbs 74 Ovr
:-):-) Wildcat fans expect big things from senior signal caller JJ Rivera.
:-)
Coach’s Thoughts: “The quarterback is unquestionably the key to our whole offense. With the multiple sets we run, ace, I-form, flexbone, spread, it is very important to have an upperclassman at the helm who understands what he’s doing and can read defenses.
:-)
We like what we have behind center a whole lot. Starting with a senior quarterback like JJ Rivera is always a good thing. The thing about Rivera is that he’s a great leader, the captain of the team. He’s the one I want heading into the fourth quarter. He’s not the swiftest kid out there, but he’s willing to stick his nose in.:-):-)
We have a couple young guys backing him up who we are really high on. Lawrence Shaw has shown some glimpses of what he is capable of, and Jermaine Dougherty has the ability to make plays with his feet, which is valuable in our multiple offense attack.”:-):-)
A-Back:-):-)
24 JR Marcus Townsend 5-10 191 lbs 85 Ovr
27 FR Ricky Kemp 5-11 240 lbs 83 Ovr
21 SR Matt McIntyre 6-0 215 lbs 82 Ovr
1 FR Jeremy Reyes 5-8 177 lbs 77 Ovr :-):-)
Junior A-Back Marcus Townsend leaps into the end zone versus Notre Dame.:-):-)
Coach’s thoughts: “We have an interesting perspective on the running back position, essentially combining the concepts of several offenses. Since we run some plays out of the flexbone, we designate our runners into A-Backs and B-Backs. However, we also run out of the I-formation, ace, and shotgun as well where our backs will perform more like traditional tailbacks and fullbacks. Again, what we are looking for here is versatility.:-):-)
We like what we are able to do with the stable of A-Backs on this team. Marcus Townsend is a proven commodity that can move the chains. Ricky Kemp is a big, powerful guy who might see some time at the B-Back in the flexbone or the tailback in the I-form. Matt McIntyre has been in our program for years and understands the intricacies of our complicated offense. We also have a little guy, Jeremy Reyes, who has been just electric with his hands on the ball in practice. He is easily one of the fastest players on the team.” :-):-)
B-Back :-):-)
43 JR Brandon Bullock 6-3 242 lbs 79 Ovr
34 FR Daniel Holt 6-3 225 lbs 72 Ovr :-):-)
A scary sight for opponents: Junior B-Back Brandon Bullock prepares to lead the way for senior A-Back Matt McIntyre and freshman A-Back Ricky Kemp.:-):-):-):-)
Coach’s Thoughts: “In our offense the B-Back has two main roles. In the traditional sets like the I-form or shotgun he serves as a lead blocker for the A-back. However, we spend about half the game in the flexbone, meaning the B-Back gets the opportunity to handle the ball as well. I do not anticipate the B-back becoming a big part in the passing game. :-):-)
Brandon Bullock is a tough worker who may be more suited to the traditional roles of the fullback than our hybrid B-Back. He is a tough-nosed kid who enjoys throwing lead blocks and springing runs into the secondary. Daniel Holt is a guy we are really high on for the future but for this season looks like he is a probable redshirt because of the complexities of his position. Don’t forget, Ricky Kemp is so talented he may get a look at this position as well.” [Reply]
MBFranchise 10:06 PM 08-16-2009
Wide Receiver:-):-)
81 JR Andrew Utley 6-4 205 lbs 86 Ovr
6 JR David Peoples 6-2 180 lbs 85 Ovr
5 SR Anthony Ryan 6-2 202 lbs 83 Ovr
82 JR Michael Stone 5-10 170 lbs 83 Ovr
80 JR Travis Irby 5-11 188 lbs 80 Ovr
13 FR Dan Morales 6-2 185 lbs 78 Ovr
15 FR Lionel Poole 6-2 208 lbs 72 Ovr:-):-)
Senior wide receiver Anthony Ryan is dangerous both on quick slants and deep passes.:-):-):-):-)
Coach’s Thoughts: “For wide receivers, we like to look for big, tough, physical guys. The possession-type guys really make our offense work. They provide our quarterbacks with a big target and are capable of throwing blocks downfield in the running game. Since we will be a slightly run-heavy team, it’s important our receivers become part of the running game with their blocking and occasionally even stepping into the backfield to take pitches from the option game.:-):-)
Andrew Utley is the prototype as far as what we are looking for. A little speed to spread the field, but more importantly he is able to use his body to create space. He’s about 6-4 or 6-5 and uses every inch of it. David Peoples is looking to be our second option, while Anthony Ryan is probably our most dynamic threat out of the slot. He does a lot of things, and possesses our favorite trait: versatility. Michael Stone will get some time in our spread formations and is more of a shifty guy who can throw off defenses with his quickness. Travis Irby is a special teams dynamo while we have a couple other young guys, Dan Morales and Lionel Poole, who are still learning the ropes.”:-):-)
Tight End:-):-)
88 SO Thomas Strickland 6-4 252 lbs 80 Ovr
84 SR Terrence Rose 6-3 238 lbs 74 Ovr:-):-)
Sophomore tight end Thomas Strickland provides Mechanicsburg quarterbacks with a big target in the red zone.:-):-):-):-)
Coach’s Thoughts: “Well, we only carry a couple tight ends on the roster because they usually alternate with the B-Backs as well. We do like to run a lot of underneath stuff with our tight ends since our passing game is generally short. They will become an important part of the quick-hitting passing game.:-):-)
Thomas Strickland is only a sophomore but has already shown glimpses of what he can do. He’s a big guy, around 250 pounds, but he can move for his size. And he still has room to grow. Terrence Rose remains one of our big goal line threats in multiple tight end formations. He’s adept at slipping through the cracks into the end zone on playaction passes.”:-):-)
Offensive Tackles:-):-)
76 JR Brad Lester 6-7 320 lbs 85 Ovr
77 SO Clifton Ryan 6-7 295 lbs 84 Ovr
72 SO Charlie Mills 6-6 305 lbs 81 Ovr
75 JR Brad Powell 6-8 314 lbs 79 Ovr
70 SO Chad Perez 6-5 302 lbs 79 Ovr:-):-)
Offensive Guards:-):-)
73 SO Geoff Newby 6-4 285 lbs 83 Ovr
65 SO Grant Bradford 6-3 305 lbs 82 Ovr
63 SO Sean Lowe 6-4 319 lbs 80 Ovr
66 SR David Fenton 6-3 300 lbs 77 Ovr
67 SO Courtney Upshaw 6-5 260 lbs 76 Ovr:-):-)
Centers:-):-)
68 SR Cody Powers 6-2 300 lbs 85 Ovr
65 JR Robbie Stevens 6-3 291 lbs 75 Ovr:-):-)
Junior offensive tackle Brad Lester paves the way for another Wildcat big gain.:-):-):-):-)
Coach’s Thoughts: “Well, you can probably guess what we look for in our offensive line. Yup, versatility. We don’t always look for the biggest guys, but we value feistiness and competitiveness. They have to be nasty.:-):-)
Our tackles provide us with a launching pad for our run game. Clifton Ryan is a big kid who did well last year as a freshman. On the other side Brad Lester is capable of so much, the sky’s the limit for that guy. We don’t have any seniors at the tackle spot, so we are really looking forward to next year on the line.:-):-)
Our guards are pretty young as well. Geoff Newby and Grant Bradford look like they have the best chance of starting now, but you never know. They are still being pushed in practice everyday. That’s what we like to do in practice, really get after it.:-):-)
One thing I do know is who our center is going to be. Cody Powers is going to be a fourth-year starter and really controls what is going on up front. He’s careful to look after the young kids and get them into the right spots. He’s really like a coach on the field.”
[Reply]
MBFranchise 10:07 PM 08-16-2009
Originally Posted by kobe360x:
following and love the coaching staff lol
Thanks! We'll see how long it is before I run out of Anchorman quotes :-)[Reply]
MBFranchise 10:14 PM 08-16-2009
2009 Defensive Philosophy
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Coach’s Thoughts: “Our goals for defense are very similar to what we do on offense. We seek to be very flexible and get our best players on the field. While our offense is still in search of a name, we call our defense a ‘junk’ defense because it incorporates 4-3, 3-4, 3-3-5, 4-2-5, depending on the situation and personnel.
We will be very aggressive in blitzing. We don’t believe in allowing the other team to dink and dunk us down the field. We realize this may make us susceptible to screens and draws, but we’d rather be the team forcing the tempo than simply accepting how the opposition wants to play us.
:-)
We will mix up coverages, which once again creates confusion within the opposition. We’ll play either zone or man, but I would venture that most of the plays will be more man principles because of our heavy use of blitzes. We won’t hesitate to substitute players, and defensive depth is something we are looking for in terms of recruiting.
:-)
Basically, we want to use our talents to dictate the game.”:-):-)
Defensive Ends :-):-)
JR 49 Jason Pratt 6-2 258 lbs 78 Ovr
JR 48 Marcus Taylor 6-2 235 lbs 73 Ovr
SR 99 Justin Owen 6-2 234 lbs 72 Ovr
JR 53 Jason Nealy 6-3 230 lbs 69 Ovr
SO 97 Randall McIntosh 6-4 225 lbs 68 Ovr
:-)
Defensive Tackles :-):-)
SR 90 Matt Shaffer 6-3 320 lbs 88 Ovr
SR 46 Joe Barrow 6-4 309 lbs 84 Ovr
SR 98 Jake Davis 6-5 288 lbs 76 Ovr
SO 96 James Franz 6-5 265 lbs 75 Ovr
JR 95 Gary Fine 6-3 260 lbs 68 Ovr
:-)
Junior defensive end Jason Pratt celebrates a tackle against rival Pittsburgh in the Turnpike War.:-):-):-)
:-)
Coach’s Thoughts: “Well, the defensive line is one area that we do have some experience. We like our ends to be light and quick and our tackles to be space eaters. We are a little light on depth so this is an area we are looking to upgrade through recruiting.
:-) Jason Pratt and Marcus Taylor are a couple upperclassmen we expect to be leaders on the defensive line. Pratt is a high-motor guy who just loves the game, while Taylor is a little undersized but uses his quickness to get around the opponents’ offensive line. Justin Owen, Jason Nealy, and Randall McIntosh round out our ends.
:-) Matt Shaffer is one of the stars of our defense. He is adept at stopping the run and rushing the passer. For as big as he is, between 320 and 330 pounds, he is really quick. Joe Barrow is a guy who came in as a B-Back on offense but ate his way onto the defensive line. He lines up next to Shaffer and they are disruptive. Jake Davis is another senior at one of our more deep positions, and James Franz and Gary Fine may be redshirted because of all the upperclassmen.”
:-)
Outside Linebackers
:-)
JR 57 Kris Bostic 6-0 207 lbs 74 Ovr
SR 56 Geoff Bowman 6-2 226 lbs 73 Ovr
SR 55 Aaron Mixon 6-2 231 lbs 71 Ovr
SO 42 Jason Anthony 6-3 195 lbs 68 Ovr
SO 51 Anthony High 6-1 205 lbs 60 Ovr
:-)
Middle Linebackers
:-)
SO 50 Markell Bryan 6-3 230 lbs 84 Ovr
SR 59 Jonathan Carey 6-1 224 lbs 82 Ovr
SR 54 Tommy Porter 6-1 241 lbs 78 Ovr
:-) Sophomore middle linebacker Markell Bryan shows his coverage abilities with an interception during the rainy Mechanicsburg Wildcats spring game.:-):-)
:-)
Coach’s Thoughts: “Well, looks like we have more talent on the inside than on the outside so that will help dictate what we run. We look to get the best athletes on the field as much as possible. That being said, we like to have speed with our linebackers. Moving sideline to sideline is a huge plus in our junk system.
:-) Kris Bostic is a smaller linebacker but he just gets after people. Because of his size, he’s a little quicker, which is a big plus when he’s in pursuit. Geoff Bowman and Aaron Mixon provide us a few seniors on the outside, while Jason Anthony and Anthony High are young guys who just love to hit people.
:-)
At middle linebacker we have the real star of the defense. Markell Bryan is actually faster than any of the safeties, so you know he can cover ground. We expect him to be a force throughout the Big East this season. Jonathan Carey and Tommy Porter are a couple seniors who are listed at middle linebackers, but will likely see the field on Bryan’s flanks. Again, versatility is what we are looking for, and no one player is married to his position. If you play well, you will see the field.”
:-)
Cornerbacks
:-)
SR 1 Julius McNamara 5-9 176 lbs 86 Ovr
SO 21 Booker Shelby 5-11 190 lbs 84 Ovr
FR 20 James Kent 5-10 184 lbs 81 Ovr
JR 23 Martin Morris 6-2 190 lbs 80 Ovr
FR 22 Jordan Cooper 6-0 180 lbs 78 Ovr
:-)
Strong Safety
:-)
JR 40 Darren Ervin 6-0 187 lbs 81 Ovr
FR 25 Anthony Martinez 6-1 180 lbs 79 Ovr
SR 49 Dominic Ewing 6-3 211 lbs 40 Ovr
:-)
Free Safety
:-)
JR 38 Jamal Cook 6-0 213 lbs 80 Ovr
SO 36 Bryan Guerrero 6-1 190 lbs 76 Ovr
:-)
Senior cornerback Julius McNamara has an eye for the ball and for quarterbacks. The returning starter is adept both in coverage and on the blitz.:-):-)
:-)
Coach’s Thoughts: “Depth is definitely something we are looking for in the secondary. We aren’t quite there yet with our safeties, but we are fairly pleased with how our cornerbacks match up. Our safeties we like to be hard-hitting run supporters, while our corners are primary used as covermen and to blitz the quarterback.
:-) Julius McNamara is a real leader in the secondary, and he’s been around the block a time or two. His experience is real important and he’s a great example for our young guys. Booker Shelby has shown glimpses of what he can do, he’ll show a big improvement this season. James Kent is another freshmen that adds a lot of speed to our team. He may see some time returning kicks. Martin Morris and Jordan Cooper will be important in our nickel and dime packages when teams try to spread us out.
:-) Darren Ervin is a real playmaker at strong safety. He will line up all over the field and just fly to the ball. Anthony Martinez is a young guy, but he played at a real successful high school and should be able to step in right away. Dominic Ewing is interesting because he splits time between safety and quarterback, and he has talents at both.
:-) Jamal Cook looks to be our starting free safety. He’s not really a centerfielder since he likes to get up in run support. We like his aggressiveness. Bryan Guerrero is a transfer who’s had to sit out a year, so you know he is ready to get on the field in the maroon and gray.”
:-)
Specialists:-) :-) :-):-)
Junior punter Isaac McMahan lets one fly.:-):-)
:-)
SO 16 Justin Bell 6-5 209 lbs 78 Ovr
JR 41 Isaac McMahan 6-3 221 lbs 82 Ovr :-):-)
Coach’s Thoughts: “Well, our kickers we expect to kick the ball. Our punters punt it. That’s about it.”
[Reply]
Mechanicsburg junior A-Back Marcus Townsend celebrates after beating two Nevada defenders to the pylon during a third quarter touchdown reception from senior quarterback JJ Rivera.:-):-)
Key Stat: 391. Nevada ran the ball 29 times for 60 yards and 1 touchdown. Mechanicsburg rushed 48 times for 391 yards and 4 scores.:-):-)
Game Ball:Matt McIntyre. It isn’t often your third string running back rushes for over 100 yards. With limited touches, McIntyre made sure to make them count. The senior rushed 7 times for 159 yards and 1 touchdown, averaging an astonishing 22.7 yards per carry.:-):-)
Senior A-Back Matt McIntyre leaves defenders in his wake during a 55-yard first quarter carry.:-):-):-):-)
Junior punter Isaac McMahan gets things started at Memorial Stadium :-):-)
Given their similar approach to offense, perhaps it comes as no surprise that Mechanicsburg and Air Force lit up the scoreboard in the first half. Air Force quarterback Tim Jefferson was on fire early, connecting with wide receiver Kyle Halderman to give the Falcons the early lead. The Wildcats showed their resiliency, however, and had taken a 28-21 lead by halftime. The second half saw the Wildcats’ combined flexbone, ace, and I-formation running attack wear down the Falcons. Once the running game was established, the Wildcats looked to the air, where they got big games from senior quarterback JJ Rivera and junior wide receiver David Peoples.
:-)
Air Force junior quarterback Tim Jefferson put the Falcons up early as he connected with junior wide receiver Kyle Halderman, who beat sophomore cornerback Booker Shelby for a first quarter touchdown.
:-) Key Stat: 402. Air Force was moderately successful on the ground, accumulating 131 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Mechanicsburg, however, racked up 402 yards and 4 scores on 55 carries.
:-) Game Ball:David Peoples. The Junior Wide Receiver hauled in 7 receptions for 134 yards and 1 touchdown in the Wildcats’ win.
:-)
Senior quarterback JJ Rivera looks downfield to a wide-open junior wide receiver David Peoples en route to Mechanicsburg’s second touchdown of the day.:-):-)
:-) :-):-) :-):-) Coach’s quote: “I look good. Everyone! Come see how good I look!”
[Reply]
