Points could be plentiful for Academy New Church
With Charlie Coyle running the high-powered pistol Wing-T, and sturdy backs like Anthony Weizer crashing through holes, Academy of the New Church may once again chase — and catch — perfection.
The Lions were 9-0 a season ago and have a tremendous shot of doing it again.
“This is basically Charlie’s third year as a starter — he started halfway through his sophomore year,” coach Ty Klippenstein said of the senior. “He’s gonna be a heck of a player. He threw three interceptions last year and two of them bounced off the receiver’s hands.
“He’s a little guy,” Klippenstein said of the 5-foot-9, 165-pound Coyle, “but he’s got a great release and he knows how to work the ball. He’s one of the better quarterbacks that we’ve had.”
“It’s gonna be a great year,” Coyle said. “It’s hard to top the season we had last year but we have some good talent. We just gotta keep working hard.”
Big things come in small packages, and the same could be said for ANC as a whole — the roster stands at 26, but there is plenty of quality within.
“We have options,” Klippenstein said. “There’s not gonna be any one player who is gonna get the ball 30 times and be our bell cow. That’s a great thing for us.”
Sophomore Seamus Hogan is a new weapon for the Lions, and his versatility allows him to be penciled in as a receiver, running back, and he may even take some direct snaps.
Speedster Kam Kittrels gives the Lions another dimension out of the backfield and serves as a perect complement to the 5-foot-9, 190-pound Weiser.
“I love it,” Weizer said of the offense. “I feel like there’s not much we can’t do. Inside-outside game, running, throwing…We have a lot of skill guys that can make plays.”
The 4-4 defense, meanwhile, returns several starters, looking to find a few more.
“Defensively, the biggest question marks are can we find two defensive ends that can get it done and can we find one more defensive back,” Klippenstein said. “I think we have guys that can do it, but they’re untested.”
The Lions, who are in search of a league to join, play independently — they used to be a member of the Independence League until the league folded a few seasons ago.
The team will try to duplicate its 9-0 finish against an even tougher schedule than a year ago, and open with its annual battle against crosstown rival Lower Moreland.
“I’ve been counting down the days to get out here,” Weizer said of the opening days of camp. “(I can’t wait for the opener), just to get some contact. It’s gonna be awesome, especially against a veteran team. As soon as we get together, I think we’ll really start clicking.”
Top Photo:Quarterback Charlie Coyle gets ready to pass at Academy of the New Church football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2015. (Bob Raines/Montgomery Media)
