BY MIKE MASTOVICH
The Tribune-Democrat
June 18, 2009 09:00 am
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Central Cambria coach Ken Bussard believes his North squad’s offense has the tools to break the South’s three-year reign in the Ken Lantzy Finest 40 all-star football game on Saturday at Johnstown’s Trojan Stadium.
“We've got a team with a lot of speed and skill. It's an all-star team,” Bussard said. “In the past we might not have been able to match up speed-wise and size-wise with the South. This year, at least from early appearances, it looks like we can. Whether that translates to success on Saturday night remains to be seen.”
The North offense will rely on a pair of Heritage Conference standout quarterbacks – Homer-Center’s Garrett Sisak and Blairsville’s Justin McGinnis.
The running backs include Northern Cambria’s Isaac Lieb, Forest Hills’ Scott Mehall, Central Cambria’s Andrew
O’Saben, Northern Cambria’s Andrew Paronish and Cambria Heights’ Jeremy Priester.
“Things are coming together pretty well,” said Portage’s Bill Corrente, who serves as offensive coordinator for the North. “These kids are nice to work with. Everybody is willing to take everything you give them and accept it. They develop pretty quick.”
Corrente brings with him experience in the wing-T offense of Mustangs veteran head coach Gary Gouse. But the North will run more than the wing-T.
“We’re doing a little bit of traditional pro I with a mixture of the wing-T,” Corrente said. “We’re going to use multiple formations and spread the ball around a little bit.”
Receivers include Northern Bedford’s Marshall Clapper, Bedford’s Zach Hess, Everett’s Cory Waltman and tight end Anthony Burba of Purchase Line.
“It’s similar to what we run at Everett, a wing-T,” Waltman said. “We have a little bit of a spread. Coach is a big runner, so we run a lot. But we have a few pass plays. It’s really cool how he’s done it. We didn’t think it was going to come together this well. But it did.”
“It’s surprising how quick it goes,” Corrente said. “Things are pretty much in place.”
The offensive line includes Portage’s Steven Fuller, Tussey Mountain’s Sean Foster, Cambria Heights’ Andrew Gause, Central Cambria’s Mitch Kudlawiec, Penn Cambria’s Mark Sanford, Portage’s Kevin Stager, Homer-Center’s Nathan Tedjeske, and Penns Manor’s David Thachik.
“The offensive line, we have a couple of kids who have been in the wing T system, and we have a couple kids that were in the traditional I too,” Corrente said. “We’ve mixed those kids with those series.”
Waltman likes the mix that the North coaches have implemented.
“We all play all over the field,” Waltman said. “We throw a good bit. The quarterbacks are really good. We have a really big line.”
Bussard is pleased with how quickly the team has jelled despite losing some time on Wednesday due to rain.
“We have an abbreviated schedule but they’re all stars,” Bussard said. “They’re ready to go now, and we’re not even halfway there yet.”
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