New-look Boyertown seeks breakthrough season.

by Mike Drago, Reading Eagle

Posted on September 2, 2009

Boyertown Bears

District 1-AAAA

Head coach: Mark Scisly, second season, 5-7.

Top offensive players: All-league T Wilmer Barndt (moving to G), QB Dylan Pasik, FB Logan Herb, RB Ryan Schwager, RB Chase Stewart, TE Jared Giles, WR Brook David, T Jake Semple, C Aaron Lepre.

Top defensive players: All-league LB Jared Giles, all-league T Wilmer Barndt, NG Chris Muller, LB Dalton Schaeffer, LB Kyle Fultz, LB Zach Heffner, S Tyler Mauger, CB Chase Stewart, CB Brook David.

Outlook: The Bears were close in a lot of games last season but lost four times by five or fewer points and five times by eight or less. They'll have more people touching the ball on offense this season, starting with junior QB Dylan Pasik, a solid pocket passer with a good arm. Logan Herb and Ryan Schwager give them some veteran backs, but the offensive line will be totally revamped. The only returning starter there is Wilmer Barndt, who moves from tackle to guard.

The 6-1, 290-pound Barndt will play a big role in the new-look 3-4 defense. He'll team with 6-6, 300-pound NG Chris Muller to provide some bulk up front and clear the way for Jared Giles and a swift LB crew to clean up.

PAC-10 outlook: Pottsgrove, which went unbeaten in the league a year ago, is again considered the team to beat, and for good reason. The Falcons return eight starters from an offense that averaged 33.5 points per game a year ago. All-State LB Preston Hamlette, along with QB Terrell Chestnut and RB Maika Polamalu, each a 1,000-yard rusher, are among the league's best players. Hamlette returns to FB to give the Falcons a devastating backfield that rushed for more than 3,000 yards and combined for 46 TDs a year ago.

Boyertown figures to be in the hunt, along with Owen J. Roberts and Upper Perkiomen.

Schedule

Fri. Sept. 4: at William Allen

Fri. Sept. 11: Gov. Mifflin

Fri. Sept 18: at Pottsgrove

Fri. Sept. 25: St. Pius X

Fri. Oct. 2: Phoenixville

Fri. Oct. 9: at Perkiomen Valley

Fri. Oct. 16: Pottstown

Sat. Oct. 24: at Spring-Ford

Fri. Oct. 30: Owen J. Roberts

Sat. Nov. 7: at Methacton

Fri. Nov. 13: at Great Valley

Thur. Nov. 26: Upper Perkiomen

9/2/2009


New-look Boyertown seeks breakthrough season
On cusp of PAC-10 title last year, the Bears have plenty of motivation
By Mike Drago
Reading Eagle


During conditioning drills the Boyertown Bears do 24 push-ups.

When a player blows an assignment in practice the Bears do 24 up-downs.

The Bears have a theme this season, one that Kiefer Sutherland - who plays special agent Jack Bauer on Fox TV - can fully appreciate: It's 24.

That's the number of points that stood between the Bears and a possible run to the Pioneer Athletic Conference title a year ago.

Granted, the Bears had a losing record in Mark Scisly's first year as head coach and were just 5-4 in league play. Those four losses, however, came by a total of 20 points.

"We want to make up those points," Scisly said. "Twenty-four more points would've won it. We need to make up those 24."

"That's been our whole theme (this preseason)," said senior linebacker Jared Giles. "It's to get that into our minds, that's all we lost by. That's all we have to beat (this season)."

The Bears will also have to beat Pottsgrove, which made an unbeaten run to the PAC-10 title and returns many of its top players.

The Falcons' closest call a year ago came in Week 5 with a 24-20 win over Boyertown. The Bears' 2009 theme was forged in that one as they came up just short, driving for the go-ahead score before David Crognale was stopped at the 1 on fourth down.

"The kids have not forgotten about (that)," Scisly said. "Our guys were right in that game. We had our shot there."

The Bears will have a decidedly different look this season.

Crognale, the record-setting quarterback and a dominant force as both a runner and passer, is gone.

In his place will be 6-3, 195-pound Dylan Pasik, a junior who started several games at St. Pius X last season before transferring.

Fullback Logan Herb, who had a combined 900 yards rushing and receiving, will also be a focal point of a Wing-T offense that figures to spread the wealth a little more this season.

The Bears will look different on defense, as well.

With a host of agile linebackers and some big linemen, led by 6-1, 290-pound all-league tackle Wilmer Barndt, Scisly figures a 3-4 look will suit his team's personnel.

"We have a lot of speed there, and guys who like to hit and have a nose for the ball," Scisly said of his linebacking crew, led by Giles, an all-league pick as a junior. "We're excited about them."

Giles is looking forward, not backward, though he admits the lessons of last year should provide ample fuel.

"We're not going to let that happen again," he said of losing games by three, four, five and eight points. "We have a lot of kids who want to win."

Contact Mike Drago: 610-371-5067 or mdrago@readingeagle.com.

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