Aug 22, 2018 4 min read

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by Joe tuscano

photo by Celeste Van Kirk

Gary Dunn knew this time was coming.

Michael Keir, a dependable starter at one of the most important positions, quarterback, graduated, leaving one big hole in California University’s football team. It’s Dunn’s job to find someone to fill it.

A four-way competition began in the spring but no one has emerged as the favorite.

“Coming out of spring, it was a really good battle,” said Dunn, who begins his third season as head coach of the Vulcans. “They all showed something. Going into preseason camp, it’s really wide open.”

Jordan Castelli, a 6-1, 200-pounder, decided to take a redshirt season and come back strong this year. The Canon-McMillan graduate is one of the four players who got a long look in the spring.

The other competitors are Brian Alsobrooks, a 6-2, 215-pound junior; Erick Taylor, a 6-3, 235-pound sophomore; and Noah Mitchell, a 6-2, 200-pound freshman.

Alsobrooks, with seven pass attempts last year, is the most experienced of this group.

“We’re a really young team,” said Dunn. “We graduated a lot of players, all-conference players. We’re young but I think we’ll be hungry.”

Keir completed 58 percent of his 453 passes for 3,332 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior. He led the Vulcans to a 9-3 record and a first-round appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs. That’s where the bar is set.

Mitchell enrolled at Cal early and was able to participate in spring drills. Dunn said he would have no problem starting a freshman if he were clearly the best choice.

“He’s super talented, a great athlete,” Dunn said. “We were able to teach him the offense and we’re really excited about him. The big thing for him is that, even though he is a freshman, he was able to go through spring ball. It’s a lot different with a guy going through camp as a true freshman and a guy going into camp (in August) for the first time. He also spent the whole summer here so it’s like he’s a sophomore.”

Dunn was impressed with Castelli’s improvement from last season. He got bigger and has a better command of the offense.

“He still needs to develop a little bit,” said Dunn, “but he is a great guy to have competing at that spot.”

Whoever wins the quarterback job will have some intriguing targets at wide receiver. Junior Chad Livingston returns from a 31-catch season and junior Jordan Dandridge has a ton of potential but struggled with injuries last year. He had 15 receptions in three games.

“He’s learned from playing with a lot of great receivers over the last few years, Gary Brown, Tom Greene and Luke Smorey,” Dunn said. “It was a big blow to us when he went down with an injury. He could take the top off the defense and that’s what we missed last year.”

Jalen Bell, a cousin of Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, will be the featured running back. The junior rushed for 447 yards and seven touchdowns and caught 27 passes for 184 yards.

“His role will develop more,” said Dunn. “He’s been our second tailback. He can do everything for us. His role will be expanded.”

Bell will run behind a big, strong offensive line, led by junior right tackle Craig McCorkle.

McCorkle started the first eight games of the season before going down with an injury. He returned to start at right tackle in the playoff game against Assumption, giving him 20 starts for his career.

Junior cornerback Lamont McPhatter II, who led the team with five interceptions last year, headlines a defense that was prone to allowing points. Cal gave up 30 or more five times, including 41 in a three-point win over Seton Hill and 47 in a three-point overtime loss to Slippery Rock.

The Vulcans lost their leading tackler in linebacker Luke Hrapchak and Cam Tarver, a linebacker who led the team with 16 1/2 tackles for loss and 7 1/2 quarterback sacks.

In a scheduling oddity, Cal opens the season with three away games – Ohio Dominican, Kutztown and Shippensburg – before the Sept. 22 home opener against Edinboro. o