2023 Team Preview: Northern York Polar Bears

Written by: David Mika on Saturday, August 19th, 2023. Follow David Mika on Twitter.

 

Head Football Coach: Bill Miller 22nd year as a head coach (8th at Northern) (14 at Dover) (32nd overall)

Varsity Assistants:
Brad Livingston
Scott Link
Marty Green
Kyle Goss
Jason Stacknick
Dave Borrell
Greg Bowman
Donnie Bell
Aaron McClintock
Dom Salomone

Jr. High Head Coach:
Chuck Thomas

Jr. High Assistants:
Joel Brosious

Record in 2021: 8-5 **Loss in Semi-Final round of District III playoffs

District: 3

Class: AAAAA

League: Mid-Penn Conference, Colonial Division

Key Losses to Graduation:
Talon Belluscio 12th (RB/LB)
Timmy Bonin 12th (QB/DB)
Mason Yohn 12th (WR/DB/P/K)
Glenn Sadler 12th (RB/LB)
Joel McClintock 12th (RB/LB)
Sam Gunning 12th (OL/DL)
Wyatt Hazen 12th (OL/DL)
Nathan Deller 12th (TE/DL)

Key Returners:
Cole Bartram 12th (RB/LB)
Spencer Siegel 12th (OL/DL)
Magarrin Macke 12th (RB/LB)
Blaise Webb 12th (OL/DL)
Cory Johnson 12th (OL/DL)
Jake Bechtel 12th (WR/LB)
Trey Tyree 11th (RB/LB)
Michael Hill 11th (OL/DL)
Austin Miller 11th (WR/DB)
Jorge Castillo 10th (OL/DL)

Strengths for 2023: 2022 finished with a deep playoff run. With road victories over Southwestern and New Oxford, we found ourselves in the District 5A semi-finals against Exeter. A valiant effort that allowed us to close the score to 14-7 with only 9 minutes left was not enough to pull out a victory. However, it became the deepest run a Northern York football team has made in the playoffs.

We were able to finish another (8th consecutive) winning season and another visit to the District III playoffs. Many of our experienced players return after getting that taste of success, we hope they are hungry for more. On the offensive line we return 5 linemen, Spencer Siegle (all-conference at center), Blaise Webb, Michael Hill, and Jorge Castillo, and we welcome the return of Cory Johnson, who missed his entire junior year due to injury.

We also return some experience in the offensive backfield with 1600+ yard rusher Cole Bartram (all-conference at RB) as the headliner. Also returning are Trey Tyree and Magarrin Macke who were primarily blockers for Bartram, but should see their roles increased this season. On the defensive side, we return several defensive linemen in Siegel, Webb, Hill, and Johnson. Bartram (148 tackles with all-conference honors as an LB as well as all-state honors) and Macke return as linebackers. We return our free safety from 2022 in Austin Miller.

Concerns for 2023: Continued development of the offensive line is always a concern. The loss of virtually all of our wide receivers is another area of concern going into 2023. We will also need to find an answer at the QB position with the graduation of 2-year starter Timmy Bonin. There are several holes to fill on the defensive side in terms of front line, linebacker, and secondary. The return of Johnson and Jake Bechtel (who lost all of his junior years as well) at the linebacker position should help to bolster the defensive front.

Coaches Outlook: There exist many question marks among the large, and motivated senior class. We are hoping that this class will develop the kind of leadership quality that they have enjoyed in recent years. Returning to district play (including our historic run to the semi-finals) should be a source of motivation for this group to continue the winning tradition of the past and revisit the last 8 seasons.

We are trying to find ways to motivate players to put more dedication into the program. Continuing to develop a strong running game is always the main concern. The emergence of several underclassmen is seen as a positive. We will continue to try to develop model citizens as well as good football players through the use of stricter team policies and practices. Overall, the coaches are excited about this group of returning players in addition to the younger players, and are looking forward to 2023.

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