2011 Central Columbia Football Preview

Written by: Vince Pellegrini on Monday, May 23rd, 2011. Follow Vince Pellegrini on Twitter.

2011 Central Columbia Blue Jays Football Preview
Head Coach: Jason Hippenstiel
2010 Record: 0-10
League: Heartland Athletic Conference-Division II
Class AA
Past Five Season Record: 11-39

2011 Schedule
Sept. 2: at Montoursville, 7 p.m.
Sept. 9: Loyalsock, 7 p.m.
Sept. 16: Danville, 7 p.m.
Sept. 23: at Southern Columbia, 7 p.m.
Sept. 30: at Shikellamy, 7 p.m.
Oct. 7: Mount Carmel, 7 p.m.
Oct. 14: at Mifflinburg, 7 p.m.
Oct. 21: Lewisburg, 7 p.m.
Oct. 28: at Warrior Run, 7 p.m.
Nov. 4: Bloomsburg, 7 p.m.

Returning Team Leaders
Passing: Jordan Thivierge, JR. (48.4 Comp%, 244yds, 1 TD)
Rushing: Eric McCracken, JR. (3.3 avg, 208 yds, 4 TDs)
Receiving: Dylan Hine, JR. (16 rec, 11.8 avg, 1 TD)
Tackles: Eric McCracken, JR. (81)
QB Sacks: Chris Roberts, SR. (3.0)

Eleven consecutive losses. Six straight seasons without a winning year. Those trends are hanging over the Central Columbia program entering the 2011 season. The Jays scored just under 6 points per game (5.8 points) and allowed an average of 31.5 points last year.

Head coach Jason Hippenstiel is now entering his third season of his second stint with the program.

In 2010, the Blue Jay rushing attack averaged 31.6 yards per game and finished two contests with negative total rushing yards. For only the second time in the past twenty years, Central Columbia’s leading rusher compiled under 300 yards for the season. Junior Eric McCracken had 63 totes for 208 yards and 4 touchdowns to lead the Jays on the ground. This is the same program which saw five players accumulate over 1,500 rushing yards in one season over that stretch.

Year	Rusher	Yards
2001	Osagie Osunde	1618
1996	Trent Flick	1603
1994	Jason Bartholomew	2093
1991	Brian Klingerman	1718
1990	Brian Klingerman	1867

Central Columbia will most likely turn the keys to the offense over to junior Jordan Thivierge as last year’s starter, Cody Craig, has graduated. Thivierge completed 48.4% (15-31) of his passes in 2010. Craig threw for 673 yards but only completed 57 of 170 tosses. Between both signal callers, the passing game converted on just 4 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions. The lone contest which saw the Blue Jays complete more than half of their passes was in week one against Montoursville when Central had a percentage of 58.1% (18-31). Junior Dylan Hine should help support Thivierge as he hopes to improve on his 16 catch year in 2010.  

The leading rusher, McCracken, also was the team’s top tackler with 81 defensive stops. Senior Chris Roberts also returns as he finished as the Jays’ best sack artist in 2010. Roberts sacked opposing quarterbacks three times and closed out the year as Central’s third leading tackler (57).

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