[tps_title]Penn Charter Quakers [/tps_title]
Replacing Hnatkowsky first big hurdle for Quakers
Preseason football forecasting must always be tempered with the knowledge that high school coaches tend to use a “glass half-full” approach when sizing up their team’s chances in the upcoming season. Despite any loss of personnel due to graduation from the previous year, coaches tend to be eternally optimistic that someone will step up and fill any and all roster holes. This is certainly the case with the 2017 Penn Charter squad and it’s head coach, Tommy Coyle. 
Coyle, entering his fifth season at the helm of the Quakers, has compiled a 20-20 record over that span. PC is coming off a 6-3 season, however, the Quakers were only 2-3 in the highly competitive Inter-Ac league. It should be noted that those three losses were by a combined 11 points, including a heartbreaking 17-14 defeat at Germantown Academy on a last-second field goal in the season finale. A break here or there in those games could have resulted in things going in a more positive direction and possibly a 4-1 Inter-Ac record.
The No. 1 question coach Coyle has to address as he readies his charges for its opener with Lansdale Catholic on Sept 2 in Ocean City is how to replace Mike “Neeko” Hnatkowsky at the quarterback position. Hnatkowsky rewrote the record book on passing at PC and set all-time Inter-Ac marks in completions (394), passing yards (6172) and TDs (60). That’ll be some big shoes to fill. Waiting in the wings for a shot as starting signal-caller is a trio of hopefuls, including Will Samuel, Jordan Wilson, and Kyle Jones. Coyle says that the “competition is still wide-open”. Samuel and Wilson each took snaps in 2016 and have experience running the offense. Jones also happens to be a main cog as a linebacker in Coyle’s defensive scheme.
Although PC lost some valuable skill players from 2016 in the likes of receiver Chris Tucker and tight end Luke Stansfield, junior running back Edward Saydee will return to carry the bulk of the offensive load. Saydee, who transferred to PC after his freshman season at Prep Charter and accumulated over 900 yards rushing last year along with 16 TDs, will be a dual threat out of the backfield. Coyle sees the blossoming of some other players as having impact on the offensive game plan as well. They include the multi-purpose John Washington, along with running backs Jalon Jones and Gavin Tygh. The receiving corps include Brendan Thomas, Ryan Maloney, Trajan Womack and Terence Thompson, all with varsity experience and two-way players.
Coyle sees his defensive secondary as being perhaps the team’s “greatest strength.” He is especially high on the return of safety Brendan Thomas, who he feels might be his best defensive player. Coyle noted the coverage strengths of Saydee, Terence Thompson, Jalon Jones and newcomer Andre O’Neill.
Senior center Casey Nicastro will anchor an O-line that will also include key returnees like senior Luke Mattice, sophomore Dean Crocetto and first year left tackle Ryan Reece. Defensive end Ryan Maloney will use his speed and quickness to boost the defensive line and create havoc on opponent’s offenses.
If last year’s underclassmen can step up and fill the vacancies brought on by graduation, as Coyle believes they will, Penn Charter has the pieces to challenge the Inter-Ac hierarchy. There’s no way to predict the intangibles that come along as the realities of the season get underway, yet PC does have the tools to improve on 2016’s 2-3 league mark if things do indeed fall into place.
By Rick Cawley; For Digital First Media
Who has the best student section?
[totalpoll id=”61551″]
