Carmichaels plans to build another winner
Carmichaels’ Jacob Turner takes a water break with his teammates during a hot day of practice.
Quarterback David Morgan looks to pass during camp. Morgan is one of two quarterbacks vying for the starting role for the Mikes.
Carmichaels’ Joey Minor tries to tackle Isiac Schmelzlenduring preseason camp.
Carmichaels’ Austin Strahan and Jacob Shaw practice blocking drills.
CARMICHAELS – The 17-month, multi-million-dollar renovation project of the high school is almost complete at Carmichaels, but the Mikes’ football team is still very much a work in progress.
Chief architect Ryan Krull, now in his third year as head coach, had a major rebuilding project on his hands last season when only three players with any significant playing experience returned from an 8-2 team in 2013. One of the most inexperienced squads in school history suffered growing pains last year and produced a 3-6 record, missing the WPIAL Class A playoffs.
The Mikes’ makeover staff brought in the heavy equipment in the offseason and Krull said a solid foundation for future success is in place.
“It started as soon as we got back from Christmas break. We had more guys training on a consistent basis than ever before,” Krull said. “We have 42 guys on the roster. Just about all of that number was training. We always had in the mid-30s for workouts.”
Armed with more experience, improved athleticism and a better work ethic, the Mikes should be trending in the right direction in the Tri-County South Conference. One key to success will be finding more offense. The heralded advantage of a dominant defense aside, it is offense that makes football fun and Carmichaels was too often short on points and fun last year. The Mikes averaged only 10.2 points per game and were the second-lowest scoring team in Class A. Four times they failed to score an offensive touchdown in a game.
“We were so one-dimensional,” Krull admitted. “We saw nine in the box constantly. If you want to win against that, then you have to have success on the outside. You have to be able to throw it and we couldn’t. We had problems in protection, we’re talking issues with guys getting open and catching the ball, and the quarterback had to make the right reads and decisions.”
So Krull is overhauling the offense. Senior Coty Allen, last year’s quarterback who never before played the position, moved to wide receiver and also will line up in the backfield. Senior Chevy Miller or junior David Morgan will start at quarterback and have some experienced skill-position players to work with.
Senior Shawn Dulaney is back at running back along with sophomore Nick Mundell. Krull is high on his group of receivers, which includes Allen, senior Jake Barnish and juniors Cody Brown and Johnny Christopher. Krull is quick to point out Allen caught passes in important games as a sophomore.
Juniors Robert Meadows and Noah Kaczmarczyk, and sophomores Tim Currey and Austin Strahan, give Carmichaels four experienced offensive linemen for this year and beyond.
The strength of the defense is at linebacker with Dulaney, Allen and Brown.
“Shawn Dulaney is a sparkplug, a firecracker,” Krull said. “There’s not another guy I’d like to have playing the positions he plays. We believe in him and what he’s about.”
It is advisable for Carmichaels’ opponents to not throw in the direction of Allen. He led the WPIAL in interceptions as a sophomore with six and picked off six more passes last season.
“If they would count interceptions on two-point conversions, then I would have had seven as an outside linebacker my sophomore year and nine as a free safety last year,” Allen said. “It seems like I’ve been able to bait the quarterback into throwing into my zone. Most of the interceptions were me just roaming in my zone.”
Allen said he has both team and individual goals for this season.
“We want to win more games. We should do that because we have more weapons on offense,” he explained. “As for individual goals, they have a single-season interception record here of seven and 18 in a career. I’d like to break those.”
Allen might not be spending as much time playing defense. The Mikes’ top priority is improving the offense, which will keep their defense off the field.
“You can’t expect those guys to play defense for 70 percent of the snaps. That’s not setting yourself up to be successful,” Krull said. “We have to not turn the ball over, take what we can get and get up the field. If we do that, then points will show up at the end of the game.
“I like to believe we’re better. I hear people say you have everybody back. That doesn’t automatically make you better because you played last year. We didn’t blow anybody out of the water last year, so just because we’re bringing them all back doesn’t mean we’re going to flip the script. A year older doesn’t always mean a year better. But, if the guys do what they’re coached to do, then they’ll control just how good we’ll be.”