Vulcans return from long, unwanted break
By JEREMY SELLEW
jsellew@yourmvi.com
Last year was the first time since fourth grade that Cal U head football coach Gary Dunn didn’t have a football season. That went for most of his coaching staff and players, as well.
Instead of manning the sidelines, Dunn was hitting the golf course into October.
This year, the Vulcans are back where they belong on the turf at Adamson Stadium.
Cal U, which finished 7-4 and 5-2 in the PSAC West in 2019, will hit the field for its first game in nearly two years Sept. 2 at Fairmont State.
“It’s been crazy. I’m so excited to have the guys back on campus and having them do the thing they love, and that goes for the coaching staff, too,” Dunn said. “We’ve had probably the best winter and spring in my 5 1/2 years here as the head coach, so I’m really excited to see how this team developed and watch them hit someone else.”
A big bonus for the Vulcans is the return of junior Noah Mitchell at quarterback. Mitchell threw for 2,464 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2019.
“You ask any college coach that has a returning quarterback coming back and they’ll tell you they feel a lot bettering having that guy than trying to fill in a new guy into the system,” Dunn said with a laugh. “He’s really committed himself. He’s stayed here every summer since his freshman year.
“He’s put on some size and now he’s pretty much a coach on the field for us. It makes me sleep better at night having a returning starting quarterback.”
The backfield has been the best competition of camp, Dunn said, with at least three running backs looking to snag the starting tailback position.
Tiffin transfer Kyle Brunson and sophomores Richie Sykes and Eric McKan III are leading the competition.
“Those guys are really battling it out right now, by far the best competition of camp,” Dunn said. “It’s a real strong depth position for us and I don’t know who’s going to be the guy that steps out on the field for us on Sept. 2.”
For Dunn, it’s not about statistics.
“They’re aware. There’s just not enough footballs for all of them to carry,” Dunn said. “They all understand that. It’s about 97 days, that’s from the first practice to our last scheduled contest. We’re going to need all of them.”
The receiver corps is a strength thanks to graduate senior Tyson Hill’s return this fall. He’ll be joined by another fifth-year guy in Cam Tarrant. Two local products seem to have a hold on the third and fourth wide receiver spots.
Hill caught 54 passes for 912 yards and seven touchdowns in the 2019 season.
“Derek Lockhart (South Allegheny) is doing a real nice job and looks like he’s a top-three guy for us in that group,” Dunn said. “Another local guy, Serra Catholic kid Jaquae Jackson, he’s having a real nice camp. There are those four and we have some other guys behind them really battling. I can say we could probably roll out eight strong in that group right now.”
Tight end is the position with the least depth for the Vulcans as Laurel Highlands grad Ian Edenfield leads that competition with redshirt-freshman Junior McConahy.
“Ian’s taken hold of the starting job,” Dunn said. “The spring was huge for him. He’s had a really nice fall camp. There’s not a lot of depth, though, but we feel comfortable with those guys.”
To read the rest of the story, please see a copy of Thursday’s special football edition in the Mon Valley Independent. Call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at http://monvalleyindependent.com.
