The Berwick school board Monday night appointed George Curry as head football coach at a special meeting. The position became open when Gary Campbell, Jr. resigned to take his old job at Wahconah Regional HS in Dalton, Massachusetts. Curry has accepted the school’s appointment on a one-year interim basis only.
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Rob, I agree with you to a degree. Brace was a shell of himself do due to injury early on in the season. Dunn had a terrific year on both sides of the ball, and will be difficult to replace. Roccograndi and Artsma were terrific inside and will also be difficult to replace.
The new system will be a 4-3 on defense with two of the linebackers coming back from last season. Chris roccograndi looks terrific at Linebacker and they have an absolute stud as a Junior in Mike Mihal and ILB.
This senior group will have a chip on their shoulder, and they are a very close group. Reminds me a little bit like Valley View from last season.
Zapoticky is 100% from what I am told and he has gotten bigger. Siminovich is huge and several new receivers are also very good.
I think Berwick, Coughlin and VV will all be there. I can’t wait for Kickoff. Good Luck to all of the players and teams for this season!!!
Disagree Mark. Dallas loses two 3 year starters in Dunn and Brace at WR and they also lose their entire linebacker corps and secondary. They won’t be as good as last years team but I can see them going 8-2 or 9-1 anyway.
Great to hear that George Curry is returning to the sidelines. He is the ambassador of coaching and the football is much better with him in the game.
My observation in D2 AAA is Dallas is the team to beat. Most of these players have played for Jackson for 2 seasons. They have been in his system for 3-4 seasons.. His demeanor is engrained in them, the work ethic the same.
Team personnel: Zapoticky is finally healthy at QB and should have a huge year. Offensive line is massive and very very talented. Wr Siminovich is huge and should prove that he is the go to guy this season. They have several new players who have come out for the team that will help them sure up some holes. I think this years team will be better than last.
New coach will be the recipient of having coached a great senior class.
D2,
Can you please just change your name to Western Wayne already. It is obvious you are a huge supporter of there program and there is nothing wrong with that, but to come on here and constantly talk WW in every single one of your posts is starting to get old. Lets just let time tell how good the wildcats will be and if Sicalri is as good as you advertise him to be, not sure if this is true or not bc i wasint there but in his huge game agianst WA was it true most of his damage came after WA had built a huge lead and then pulled the plug alittle to early allowing WW to mount a comeback mainly agiasnt the second team then returning the starters who had sat for more than a quater back into the game? I just cant see how a team that was 6-14 in the previous 2 seasons can all of a sudden compete for a AAA championship?? Esp one that plays in the LL Div 2, which is comprised of mainly A and AA teams! To even make the playoff is AAA WW will have to go 9-1 at worst to get in and looking at the schedule i cant find 9 wins can you? I would think loses to Prep, Coughlin,Riverside, Dunmore, Lakeland and Mid Valley as a game that can go ethier way so im my opinion 6-4 at best and that by far does not get you into the AAA playoffs
Well anyways enough of my rant I wish WW the best of luck as well as all other d2 teams and to Robbie best of luck coming off a devistating injury please go out and prove me wrong, i will be the first to admit if i was mistaken
heard George on his way to new orelans to see if Breese has any eligibility left since he not signed lol lol
berwick is returning some good players, but it is the underclassmen about to rise that is scary. That freshman team last year was rediculous. The team was all athletes top to bottom and deep at certain positions. Curry is gonna get the credit, but I think just about anybody could’ve won with this group coming up. But with the legend leading them it should be fun to watch. Go Dawgs.
Rollie,
This is what I wrote on another site, this is my breakdown of the WVC AAA. Of course that was before Curry came back.
Also, I thought Harrison for Berwick was a senior.
“In AAA, I like Coughlin. (Not sure what the Lackawanna AAA schools look like tho)
The Crusaders should be better then last year, and even play an easier schedule (dropped Strousburg and Valley View). They return a 1000 yard rusher in bruiser Zac Evans and the team has three quality starters back on the O-line, including state Heavyweight placer Brad Emerick (6-2, 275). I have Coughlin returning 6 starters on Offence, and 7 on Defence. Of course, trying to move on without a three year starter like Joey Parsnick will be tough, but with an easier schedule, and a strong group of returning players, I think Coughlin goes 8-2.
Dallas should be tough as always, especially with their QB Ryan Zapticky returing. They also return Buddy Shuttlock (6-4 275) an outstanding lineman. But I have to wonder what they will look like without Teddy Jackson, or Teddy Jr on the sidelines. If this new coach can get the team to buy into him and his system, Dallas has the talent to stay on top of WVC AAA. But, replacing a legend is never easy anywhere, and I just don’t see this new coach (all due respect to him) being very successful. I think Dallas struggles, goes 5-5, and makes the Eastern Conference.
Berwick will be an interesting team. They finished 9-3 last year, and won the AAA EC playoffs. But the Dawgs lost a lot of production to graduation. Gone is starting RB Jermey Freeman (1750 yards, 24 td’s), starting QB Jarod Pierce, Kicker Alex Oliver (best kicker in the WVC last season), and their best linemen Jake Jola and Adam Harrison. That’s a lot to replace. But, Berwick only had about a dozen seniors on the roster, so a lot of underclassmen saw playing time.
As for some other WVC AAA teams:
Crestwwod lost a fantastic QB Nick Aigeldinger and a great lineman in Tony Morgante. I don’t see them returning enough talent to get back into the district playoffs, or even the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Pittston area may be a sleeper team. Last year, first year head coach Mike Barrett seemed to have gotten the program moving in the right direction. They have a great athlete in Jordan Houseman returing, and could surprise a few teams this year. They may be able to win enough games to qualify for the Eastern Conference playoffs, but I don’t see them being a district playoff team.
Tunkhannock, I hate to say, is going to have a tough, tough year. They were bad last year, really bad. I saw them play against Coughlin, and Parsnick could have rushed for 500 yards if the coaches left him in during the 2nd half. The Tigers don’t pass the eyeball test. They don’t look like a AAA squad. They look small and would struggle with a single A schedule. The coach has an uphill battle.”
Coughlin lost their best player, Joe Parsnik. They must have a lot coming back to be so highly regarded. Any details?
Regarding Berwick, Pierce (QB) may be difficult to replace but if Cos Curry is any good, it might not be a problem. Freeman…yeah he was tough but replacement there won’t be difficult if Berwick has a good OL coming back.
Also, agree on Dallas…perhaps not as good with the new, untested coach. I think other qualified coaches didn’t apply out of deference to Ted Jackson. If Dallas underperforms this year, look for the new coach to be gone. Then, I expect all the guys with experience (Michaels, Downing etc) will be tripping over themselves to apply there. Who knows? Maybe Jackson or his son will apply.
have to agree wirth rons list team are close i think coaching will make the difference like berwick and prep remember prep has owned valley view the last few years
Agreed with Ron. Dallas might take a step back with the new coach. 3A in D2 is going to be tight. No clear favorite.
RON-
I guess we could agree on the top 5 just a diffrent order. Valley View is still loaded from a team that won the d2 championship last year…i do realize they will have a hard time replaciing 4 d1 kids but they have 2 lineman the qb rb and slew of wr/dbs return…
The sleeper team to look out for will be Western Wayne. They return almost everyone. They have a player that not to many teams know of in Robbie siclari, He is an beast. They have their qb back who thew for over 1,000 yds, an 3rd team all-state DB in James Berger, honarble mention all-state LB in conner rosensweet. Im assuming that Siclari will be back on the offensive side again so WW will have a back up tailback that ran for 800 yds. There offense was 2nd offense in the whole Lackawanna leauge averaging over 350 yds a game. Their Defense was the big problem they were the 2nd to last giving up over 350 yds.If they could improve there defense they will be a force. Early games aginst Scranton prep and Coughlin in weeks 2 and 3 will tell a lot.
I watched Berwick play twice last year against Coughlin. Freeman and Pierce were 99% of their offense.
1. Berwick
2. Scranton Prep
3. Valley View
4. Dallas
3 WB Coughlin
Berwick will be so much better with George Curry
Dallas will really miss Ted Jackson
week 3 Dallas at Berwick will be the game of the year,if Berwick wins they should be #1 seed in d2 playoffs.
well this changes a ton in the pre season rankings for AAA in D2 in my opinion…
1. Dallas
2.Valley View
3. Berwick
4. Coughlin
5. Scranton Prep
6. Paupack
7. Western Wayne
8. Pittston
9. Abington heights
10. Honesdale
11. North Pocono
12. West Scranton
13. Tun
14. Crestwood
15. Montrose
10.
Harrison will be a senior this year but I agree with you anyway. Berwick is 2 years away from another good run.
Harrison is back. Groome is a monster lineman. Gavin Harter is another lineman. Skill guys Cashman, Steeber, Peccorelli and DiPippa. Forgot Klinger. Mausteller and Potter plus Updegrove and Dalberto. Dawgs are very good.
Rollie, who does Berwick return?
The Dawgs lost a lot of production to graduation. Gone is starting RB Jermey Freeman (1750 yards, 24 td’s), two year starting QB Jarod Pierce, Kicker Alex Oliver (best kicker in D2 last season), and their best linemen Jake Jola and Adam Harrison. That’s a lot to replace.
Berwick has a ton of kids coming back. Berwick would have had a terrific team with either Campbell or Curry. Of course, everyone’s happy as the prodigal son returns. Curry is set up for success with the kids coming back. At his age, I think Curry’s 1 year & done. Campbell’s leaving for the optimal family situation. Curry, being a great guy and understanding Campbell’s situation is doing the community a solid. Good things happening all around here.
think it makes berwick a contender he a coach who keep up on things been running camps and watching a lot film from his sports shows he know what going on in the state and i bet berwick will throw the ball !!!!
It’s nice to live right around the corner from crispin field. Since curry is back, I will attend the home games now. I hope he can turn things around and make a run into districts.
Its great to see my old coach is going back to Berwick. I wish him and the team best of luck this year!!
Friday Night Lights are back in Berwick, PA
Welcome back Coach!!
What impact will Curry have returning to Berwick?
nice
Awesome.