Dallastown

By Steve Navaroli

GameTimePA.com

A lot of things will be different when Dallastown takes the field this season. In fact, the playing surface itself is new as crews finished installing the synthetic grass in time for the opener against Lancaster Catholic.

That’s not the only new thing for Dallastown, as a fresh set of skill players will be in the lineup.

Gone are Andrew Henry, who threw for 1,444 yards with 13 touchdowns; Robert Catchings, who ran for 1,447 and 14 scores; and the sure-handed Malik Lewis, who hauled in 51 passes for 800 yards and nine TDs.

“Make no bones about it, Malik Lewis, Andrew Henry and Rob Catchings were our offense last year,” coach Kevin Myers said. “Look at the numbers: They were about 90 percent of what we did.”

However, the Wildcats will bring back the largest line in the YAIAA, in terms of both numbers and size of the players. It’s been the area of strength for the team during Myers’ successful nine-year tenure.

Offense

Quarterback >> Junior Cade Gold (5-foot-11, 148 pounds) completed last season’s only pass not thrown by Henry and headed into camp as the front-runner for the job.

Running back >> Senior Dez Jones (5-9, 175) had 49 carries for 231 yards with five touchdowns, but Myers said he can plug several player in to the position.

Receivers >> Seniors made 87 of last season’s 110 receptions, but the good news is lanky receiver Owen Ritter (6-4, 175) is back and primed to become a go-to target.

Offensive line >> Large and in charge, the line is no question Dallastown’s strength, starting with monstrous Zaire Willis (6-5, 355), Justin Tindull (6-3, 240), Tray Noye (6-2, 260), Kristoffer Phennicie (6-1, 200) and Jordan Burns (6-0, 205), just to name a few.

Defense

Defensive line >> Phennicie made 52 tackles, including five sacks last season. Defensive end Damoni Weaver, who had 5.5 sacks and 28 tackles, provides plenty of pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Linebackers >> Sean Roberts (5-10, 160) burst on the scene and made 55 stops with two sacks in only eight games. Jones and Hayden Schimp (5-10, 160) are two more of several players who will see time at the position.

Secondary >> Quinones (5-10, 185) was a first-team all-league selection a year ago after 134 tackles, six pass deflections, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Coming off a solid sophomore season, Jake Jansen (5-9, 160) will be an important part of the secondary.

Special teams

Soccer player McKinley Curran debuted as a kicker last season and didn’t disappoint. He was 36-of-39 on extra points and 9-of-11 on field goals, including a 43-yarder. He is a weapon for the Wildcats.

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Save the date >> It’s always easy to point to the final game of the regular season against rival Red Lion. With the improvement shown by the Lions, that game could also help determine the Division I champions.

Bottom line >> The offensive line is terrific. The returning defense is very good. The key for Dallastown will be plugging the right people into the skill positions. If Myers can do this, and the offense takes care of the football, the Wildcats will be in the hunt for division supremacy.