40 Teams in 40 Days – Day 23 – Bloomsburg Area (4) – Small School Team # 9

Written by: David Mika on Tuesday, August 13th, 2013. Follow David Mika on Twitter.

Bloomsburg Area (4)

Conference: PA Heartland Athletic Conference, Division III

Class: A

Nickname: Panthers

Coach: Mike Kogut

2012 Record: 8-3

Returning Players – Offense: Sr. C Derek Sneidman; Jr. OG TJ Harkins; Sr. TE Cole Frye; So. OG Nick Kremer; Sr. QB Ricky Klingerman; Jr. FB Sam Miller; Sr. TB Evan Ball; Sr. SE Zach Ashford; Sr. WR Colby Klingerman

Returning Players – Defense: Sr. DE Derek Sneidman; Jr. DL Jacob Williams; Sr. OLB Evan Ball; Jr. OLB Sam Miller; Sr. ILB Cole Frye; Sr. FS Zach Ashford;

Special Teams: “We will have Zach Ashford, Colby Klingerman and Javel Hemphill will probably be our returners. We have a couple of soccer kids battling at the kicking position. We do need a punter. My long snapper is Sam Miller.”

Top Newcomers: Fr. RB Javel Hemphill

 

Coaches comments:

How’s your offense line?

“We have returning on the line at center Derek Sneidman. T.J. Harkins returns at guard. Cole has great hands and is a big target. Nick Kremer is a returning letterman at fullback and we moved him to guard. At the tackle positions I really like what Jacob Williams and Mike Somerville have done this summer. Also Joey Kurelja is in the mix and is a lineman that has made significant strides since I have been here. I am really happy with what these kids have done in the weight room. They all have gone to camps this summer to better themselves.”

“We have Cole Frye returning at tight end.”

 

You return a talented quarterback. Talk about him.

“Ricky Klingerman is one the most focused athletes I have seen. He has a passion that is outstanding for the game of football. He’s very intelligent and a extremely hard worker. He and some of the other guys during baseball would wake up at 4am and go lift, run and do a day at school and go play baseball. He has gone to camps and he works hard at bettering himself. He has a great attitude and he is a team player. Last year his numbers were great, he threw for about 2,500 yards. He is very accurate and has a great touchdown to interceptions ratio. He really doesn’t make bad decisions. He is a winner and just wants to win.”

 

How’s your running game look?

“We have two backs returning from last season. We have our fullback and his name is Sam Miller. Evan Ball will be the feature tailback. Both kids can play either fullback or tailback this season. Both are outstanding blockers. Both of those kids are extremely capable of making big plays in the run game. Evan is a smart player and he does it in the class room. He is ranked number one in is class. He is a great kid. These kids will get some playing time this year. There is a kid, we may use at wideout or tailback, Javel Hemphill. He’s a freshman and he is one of the purest athletes I have seen for that age. He runs a 4.5 in the 40. Going into ninth grade he has superb feet. He has it. The shimmy, the shake and he’s strong. Zack Gotshall will see time at fullback.”

 

How are your receivers?

“Returning at receiver we have Zach Ashford. He will be our split end. He plays much bigger than he is listed. He’s fearless. He is a guy that would go over the middle. He will block on the outside if we need him to and he is great at finding the open spots. Colby Klingerman caught 60 balls last year. This is going to be his breakout year. We are going to use him in many facets, whether its wildcat or running the ball. He will be our go to guy and get many touches. He’s extremely talented. He’s a hard worker in the weight room. He’s a three-sport kid and great in the class room. Brandon Breisch is another guy that will see some action.”

 

How’s your defensive line?

“Derek Sneidman is returning. He was a tackle last season. We are going to move him to defensive end. Jacob Williams saw sometime at end last year. We have seven or eight guys that we think can fill that rotation and do a nice job for us. So, we have Mike Somerville who will play tackle. Williams will play tackle. Shane Snyder has looked good this summer. He will get some reps. Nick Kremer is a defensive end/linebacker type. Zac Gotshall has a incredible motor. We are looking for him to play either end or on the weak side. So we have a lot of depth at line.”

 

How are your linebacker?

“This is the best set of linebackers I have ever had. On the outside I have Evan Ball and Sam Miller. My inside linebacker is Cole Frye. Colby Klingerman and Tyler Hendricks will be in the mix. Nick Kremer could play both outside or inside. T.J. Harkins can play linebacker or defensive end. A freshman by the name of Hunter Thomas could see some playing time.”

 

How’s your secondary?

“Zach Ashford will be our free safety and he understands coverages. I saw the film on this kid and he is a ball hawk. He had almost 60 tackles and he is a great run supporter. He’s fearless and will smack you. On the corner position we are going to have a little bit of a battle there. I think Brandon Breisch is doing a real nice job this summer. We have another kid named Christian Lee. He’s a sophomore and has had a nice summer. Javel Hemphill and Coty Kashner will add depth in the secondary. Ricky Klingerman will be a backup free safety for us.”

 

This is your first year at Bloomsburg. What are you bringing that you did at Tri-Valley?

“We are going to run the ball. To be successful you need balance on your offense. The running game is in my blood. That is the way I was brought up. We are going to run the ball. My biggest challenge is to get the run mentality in offensively and to get them to go north and understand the system. It’s a new system. But when you have those skills back we are going to pass the ball and it reminds me of my 09 team but with more skill at the passing game. We are going to keep more people honest. Our goal is to have a fast paced offense. I really like our offense from the pass game to the running game.”

 

What concerns you going into the season?

“The offensive and defensive lines. It’s how quickly we gel on the line.”

 

What are your strengths?

“Our skill positions. We have a lot of experience coming back. On offense we want them to pick up the pace. On defense we need to be aggressive. We think we have the guys in the secondary that can lock up with receivers. I like how the kids fly to the ball.”

 

What is your key this year?

“For the kids to be comfortable in what we are doing. We are working hard with the kids. We have great athletes and they will make plays. We have got to stay healthy and play smart. We have to be disciplined when we run offense and defense. I want the kids to be confident and have fun. Basically, have fun and enjoy the year.”

2013 Schedule

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