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(Statistical Information Courtesy of Professor Briggs' archives)

SLIPPERY ROCK ROCKETS 2021 FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW

Head Coach: Larry Wendereusz, 6th season (21-30)
Last Year: 2-6 overall, qualified for District 10 playoffs

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SLIPPERY ROCK -- While much of the attention in Region 3 has been focused upon defending District 10 Class 3A champion Hickory, senior-laden Grove City and traditional Mercer County power Sharon, the Slippery Rock Rockets are positioning themselves for a return to contention this fall.

The Rockets return nine offensive starters and six defensive starters from the 2020 season. Slippery Rock also boasts a 50-man roster, the largest squad in recent program history. Head coach Larry Wendereusz feels that the improved numbers and depth will help push those 15 returning starters.

"One of the things that I have asked our guys is 'Are they returning starters because they deserve to be starters or did they start out of necessity?'" Wendereusz said. "There's a difference there. We have guys who are pushing the returning guys and we have some young kids that are coming up and are doing a nice job in our program. I think we'll see that on Friday nights, with some different names showing up.

"Hopefully, that's going to bode well for us as the year progresses."

William "Zip" Mokel is a familiar name that will show up on Friday nights for Slippery Rock again this fall. The junior quarterback returns for his second year as a starter after throwing for 1,134 yards and six touchdowns in eight games last season. He completed 53 percent of his passes last year and according to Wendereusz, Mokel has improved in all aspects.

"Zip has become a big kid. He's worked really hard in the offseason. He has joined our 1,000-pound club, which is a big deal in our program," Wendereusz said. "He's gotten stronger and faster and he's worked on his throwing technique. We're excited about what he can do and also how he leads by example."

Mokel will be joined by a bevy of experienced backs and receivers this fall. Slippery Rock returns five men who caught nine passes or more last year, including junior John Sabo. Sabo led Slippery Rock with 25 catches last year and earned All-Region honors. In the slot, senior Brendan Earl returns for his third year as a starter. He had nine catches last year after averaging 20.8 yards per catch in 2019.

"Sabo has great hands and runs great routes," Wendereusz said. "He had some great work over the summer. Earl also has great hands and good speed. He does what he needs to do there."

Senior running backs Ryan Montgomery and Shane Thompson respectively caught 20 and 18 passes last year while junior running back Brett Galcik hauled in 16 passes. Thompson led the Rockets with 301 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Thompson and Galcik both earned All-Region recognition last year.

Wendereusz noted that senior Andrew Massella, junior Maddox Allen and sophomore Sal Mineo will also compete for time in the backfield in Slippery Rock's various offensive sets.

The backs and receivers will benefit from a veteran offensive line that features two All-Region selections at tackle and two starting guards. Senior Tony Pilosi and junior Brody Galcik return at tackle while senior Jacob Humes and junior Isaac Bell are back at guard.

Slippery Rock also welcomes back senior Russell Barkey, who missed 2020 due to injury. Senior Landen Shaffer and sophomore Mathew Cratty are battling for time on the offensive line, along with junior Braiden Reich. Reich has the inside track to start at center.

"We think that we have about seven or eight offensive linemen who could get some time on a Friday night," Wendereusz said.

Slippery Rock aims to improve its rushing offense and rushing defense this season. The Rockets averaged only 2.4 yards per carry last year while yielding 5.6 yards per attempt in 2020.

"As much as we have guys coming back, we still have work to do," Wendereusz said. "We have to get better at stopping the run. Offensively, we have to get better at running the football. If you can't run the ball or stop the run, that's a problem."

The Rockets have primarily used the 3-4 on defense during Wendereusz's tenure but will use a four-man line on a regular basis this season to help shore up the run defense. Brody Galcik, Pilosi, Cratty and sophomore Blaise Mullen are competing for time at defensive tackle. Galcik and All-Region honoree Pelosi started at end in the three-man line last year.

Humes, senior letterman Dylan Twentier and senior Trent Duncan are expected to see time at defensive end.

"We think that we have seven guys for the front four, which is going to be a positive for us," Wendereusz said.

Brett Galcik returns at linebacker after earning All-Region in 2020. Reich, Massella and senior Walker Just are competing for the other inside linebacker spot. Junior Lucas Allison has the inside track at outside linebacker/safety in the Rockets' 4-2-5 alignment.

Allen and sophomore Sam Schwartz are expected to start at cornerback. Montgomery returns at safety and will be joined by Mineo.

Junior soccer player Nick Kingerski will handle place-kicking. Several players are working at punter, according to Wendereusz.

Wendereusz cited Slippery Rock's junior high program for helping the varsity roster grow this year. "I'm going to give credit where credit is due and that's to our junior high staff, Roger Hall, Dylan Neal and Camren Neal. They've worked to get guys in our program and once they get them in our program, for the most part, they stay. That's a big thing."

Slippery Rock has approximately 30 candidates out for its junior high (7th and 8th grade) team this fall.

Wendereusz feels that his team's work ethic and experience will help the Rockets navigate the 2021 regular season. "The guys have put in the effort and the time in the summer," he began. "When we had a little bit of adversity in our scrimmage (against Freeport), they responded. When you have experienced teams, they can respond to adversity. When you don't have an experienced team, like we had last year, when adversity hits, it's a snowball."

Last year, Slippery Rock faced Grove City, Hickory and Sharon twice each in region play. This year, the Rockets will play those teams, along with Conneaut, Ohio, and Titusville. Slippery Rock will host Grove City, Hickory and Sharon this year.

"Conneaut got a big win right out of the gate, so you're adding another quality football team into the mix," Wendereusz said. "You know Titusville is going to play you hard. You look at the conference and it beats you up.

"The one thing that you can get somewhat acclimated to is that the region coaches don't change a lot. You have a pretty good idea of what you're going to see week in and week out. There will be some tweaks and changes here and there. You know they're going to be good and that they're going to be well-coached. You have to get your kids to play hard and play well."