CURWENSVILLE – 2015 was another typical season for the Curwensville Golden Tide football squad. Win a bunch of games, make the playoffs and then re-load for next year.
Next year is of course now, and the Tide is seeking another big season and perhaps a deeper run into the District 9 Class A playoffs.
Last year Curwensville defeated Clarion 46-14 in the D-9 playoff quarterfinals and then ended the year losing to Kane, the eventual District 9 A champions, 49-13 in the semifinals.
With a record of 8-4 in 2015 head coach Andy Evanko enters his 17th season at the helm for the Golden Tide with an overall record of 128-51 for a winning mark of 72 percent.
Evanko and staff greeted 16Â returning letter winners for the start of fall practice on August 15.
Leading the offense once again will be running back Nick Stewart who is entering his junior year after accumulating 3,502 yards rushing and 44 touchdowns his freshman and sophomore seasons.
The Tide will go to junior Bryce Timko at quarterback while senior Eli Jacobs will spell Timko at times. Both Timko and Jacobs have had playing time under center in the past.
Senior Tanner Lezzer will anchor the offensive line at center with juniors Steven McClure and Derrick Bressler at the guard spots backed up by sophomore Jeremiah Farley. Kevin Shaffer, another senior, is back again at a tackle position while sophomore Hayden Walnock and senior Dylan Warrick will also see time on the line.
The tight end position is again manned by sophomore Avery Francisco who in 2015 caught three passes for 51 yards and two TD‘s.
At slot will be Jacobs and sophomore Cole Bressler, with Zach Marshall, a senior, and junior Josh Terry seeing plenty of action at wide receiver.
Marshall had 16 catches for 267 yards and Jacobs eight receptions good for 251 yards. Both had two touchdowns receiving.
Backing up Stewart at running back will be sophomore Blake Passarelli  in the Curwensville Multiple-I offense.
Three players will get a shot at fullback action in seniors Kaleb Witherite and Alec Opaliski, with junior Matt Carter also in the mix.
Marshall returns as the Golden Tide punter and Nate McKenrick, a junior, will be in charge of kickoffs.
Madison Weber, a sophomore, also has kicking duties as she will be attempting extra points and field goals for the Tide.
Curwensville’s main defensive scheme will be the Split-4 with various different looks as the game dictates.
McClure and Shaffer will anchor defensive end spots with Derrick Bressler and Lezzer at the tackle spots. Caleb Bloom, a junior, will also see action on the defensive front.
The outside linebackers will be Witherite, Stewart and Timko and on the inside the Tide will utilize Francisco, Opaliski and Carter.
Patrolling the secondary will be Marshall and Terry at the corners with Jacobs playing safety.
Leading tacklers returning from last season are Jacobs with 101, McClure 63 and Witherite 48.
Marshall also was one of the area’s best thieves in the secondary with five interceptions.
Assisting Evanko will be coaches Chris Folmar and Mickey Morgillo, both with 17 plus years experience on the Golden Tide sideline. Other coaches are Jimmy Thompson, Shawn Sopic, Brad Sopic and Luke Grata.
Listen to Golden Tide football every week on WOKW-FM, 102.9 with the pre-game show beginning at 6:45 pm, starting with Friday’s game against Cameron County.
Curwensville has one Saturday afternoon game, September 10, at Sheffield.
ROSTER & POSITION (offense/defense)
SENIORS: *Eli Jacobs QB/DB, *Tanner Lezzer OL/DL,*Zach Marshall SE/DB, Cameron Moore SE/DB, Alec Opaliski SLOT/ILB, *Kevin Shaffer OL/DL, *Dylan Warrick OL/DL, *Kaleb Witherite RB/OLB
JUNIORS: *Caleb Bloom RB/DL, *Derrick Bressler OL/DL, Zach Brewer OL/DL, *Matt Carter RB/ILB, Noah Holt SLOT/DB, *Steven McClure OL/DL, Nathan McKenrick SLOT/OLB, *Nick Stewart RB/OLB, *Josh Terry SE/DB, *Bryce Timko QB/OLB, *Logan Waroquier RB/ILB, *Anthony Winebold SE/DB
SOPHOMORES: Dakota Bloom SE/DB, Cole Bressler SLOT/OLB, Shayne Derrick OL/DL, Jeremy Dunlap TE/ILB, Jeremiah Farley OL/DL, *Avery Francisco TE/ILB, Mason Gasper RB/DB, Lincoln
Giuffre QB/DB, Dylan Hipps TE/OLB, Alec McGarry OL/DLB, Blake Passarelli RB/DB, Noah VonGunden QB/SE/DB, Hayden Walnock OL/DL, Madison Weber K
FRESHMEN: Jacob Bressler OL/DL, Camron Brown OL, Benjamin Bumbarger SE/DB, Justin
Hartman OL/DL, Nicholas Holbert SE/ILB, Mason Warren SE/DB
* DENOTES RETURNING LETTER WINNERS
SCHEDULE:
AUGUST
26 CAMERON COUNTY
SEPTEMBER
2 SMETHPORT
10 (SAT) at Sheffield
16 PORT ALLEGANY
23 KANE
30 at Brockway
OCTOBER
7 at Ridgway
14 ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC
21 at Bradford
