Seton Hill Football

The Seton Hill University Football Team has high expectations for the much anticipated 2009 season. High expectations in just their fifth season of football, you ask. Yes. With a solid core of returning players and a second year coaching staff, the Griffins are preseason ranked for the first time in school history after an impressive 10-3 record last year. Sporting News and Lindy’s are the two preseason magazines that have the Griffins ranked among the top 25 Division II teams in the nation.

Seton Hill will begin its second season with Head Football Coach Joel Dolinski at the helm. During last year’s remarkable season, the Griffins established themselves as a true WVIAC contender and made their mark in NCAA Division II Football. Seton Hill won an opening round playoff matchup against American International University before falling to PSAC powerhouse California (PA) in the second round of the NCAA playoffs. Many people in the Greensburg area are still in awe of what the fourth year program was able to accomplish last season; however, after just a few minutes of talking with members of the team or coaching staff, one can quickly see that there is still a burning passion to be better and to win the school’s first ever conference championship. The Griffins came up just two yards short of a conference title last season in the finale against rival West Liberty State.

“Last year is over and has nothing to do with the success that we want to have this year,” states Coach Dolinski. “It is a new year and there need to be new leaders emerge to help continue to build our program.”

This year’s squad will be led by five captains: All-Americans Matt Galadyk, All-American Sammy Tranks, and WVIAC All-Conference players Darnell Jones, Antwarn Jones, and Dorian Scott. The captains were selected by the team after the spring practices as well as one appointed by the head coach and they will look to lead the way for a fairly young squad.

Offensively, the Griffins return 6 starters, along with 7 other key role players that will be used to generate one of the WVIAC’s most effective offenses. The offense will rely on the legs of All-Conference senior running back Antwarn Jones (Cardinal Gibbons/Baltimore, MD) who is coming off his second consecutive 1,000 yard rushing season, with 1,323 yards gained last season. Jones is the all-time career rushing leader at SHU with 3,501 yards amassed. Helping pave the way for Jones, the offensive line will be led by two year starter TJ Seftas (Ligonier Valley/Ligonier, PA). The receiving core will look for leadership from second year captain Dorian Scott (Penn Hills/Pittsburgh, PA) and there will be a great competition for the starting signal caller this season. Matt Dowdell (Moon/Moon, PA), the starter for the Griffins in 2007 is coming back from an injury that sidelined him during the 2008 season, looks to be the front runner, but Nick Monteleone (Butler/Butler, PA) got some quality playing time in 2008 and freshman Mike Bongivengo (New Castle/New Castle, PA) are fighting for the chance to lead the offense.

Defensively, Seton Hill returns 5 starters. Looking to start up front and anchor the defense will be three returning starters in All-American Matt Galadyk (JFK Memorial/Colonial, NJ), All-Conference Selection Darnell Jones (Bishop McCort/Johnstown, PA) and senior Tom “Bam-Bam” Whalen (Carteret/Carteret, NJ). Chris Galadyk (JFK Memorial, Colonial, NJ) looks to take over the last position up front but has three new comers vying for playing time: Gabe Robinson (Hilliard Darby/Columbus OH), Calvin Mason (Ridge Community/Haines City, FL) and Orlando Irby (JR Tucker/Richmond, VA). The linebacking core is the deepest position on the defensive with 6 players competing for starting jobs: Rob Ellis (Sarasota/Sarasota, FL), Steve Trent (Penn Hills/Pittsburgh, PA), Isaiah Jackson (Serra Catholic/Pittsburgh, PA), Nick McGahagan (Ursuline/Youngstown, OH), Rob Jordan (Cleveland Heights/Cleveland, OH), and Rich Mutkus (Hopewell/Aliquippa, PA). The secondary will be totally revamped in 2009 with Dairrick Alexander (Reynoldsburg, Reynoldsburg, OH) being the lone returning player with any significant playing experience.

Special teams played a significant role for the Griffins’ success last season. The Griffins led the nation in punt return yardage at 18.3 yards per return. A major component for that success was All-American Sammy Tranks (M.L. King/Philadelphia, PA), who led the nation with a 24.3 yard return average. Tranks is looking to rewrite the record books for touchdown returns. Last year he had 5 returns for touchdowns (4 kick and 1 punt) and has 7 returns for touchdowns during his career, only 3 away from tying the all-time Division II National Record. The Seton Hill special teams also blocked 3 field goals last year, including a one to clinch a victory in the closing seconds versus Walsh University.

So you can see why the Greensburg community and Seton Hill community have such high expectations for the Griffin Football team this season. Although there will be many new faces on the field this year, one thing will be for sure, the Griffins will be ready to complete at a high level as they look to climb the ladder to their first ever WVIAC Championship.