COUDERSPORT — It was certainly a memorable first season at the helm for Coudersport football coach Tom Storey.
The Falcons lost their first three games of the season but rallied to win five of their final six in the regular season. That streak earned them a spot in the District 9 Class A playoffs where they pulled a first round upset before losing to eventual champion Ridgway.
Now in Year 2, Storey is hoping to combine last year’s momentum with a full offseason of work without the first-year distractions.
“We’re not doing all the groundwork, and we’re getting the chance to start off a little higher up than we did last year,” Storey said. “Going into this year with all of that set and building off what we started last year makes it a lot easier and a lot more exciting.”
He’ll do it with the return of 11 starters and 18 letterwinners overall. A good portion of those returning players will be up front, surely a welcome sign for All-AML running back Steve Kelly.
Kelly tore through opposing defenses in 2017 with 879 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.
“My line does a pretty good job of giving me holes and that’s a big part of it,” the 5-foot-8, 170-pound back said. We’ve got a lot of starting linemen back this year.”
The Falcons return four of their five starting linemen from last year, including All-AML center Eli Ayers. For Storey, in his sixth season with the program overall, he knows just how important a strong offensive line can be.
“The line hopefully is steadied up for us,” he said. “In years past, it was kind of our Achilles heel. This year it’s pretty set and that’ll be a nice thing to work with going into this season. In addition to the four guys we have back, we’ll also have three or four other guys who rotated along the line last year.”
Hayden Keck, who got extensive playing time on both sides of a ball as a freshman in 2017, figures to have an even more vital role in this year’s offense after the graduation of quarterback Jared Green. Storey said that Keck will compete with Mason Klesa for the starting job, but likes the fact that both guys are versatile players and will use them in a variety of roles this year.
The defense will also get a boost from last year’s returning starters. Coudy brings back six players who had at least 30 tackles last season, including Travis Gleason (58 tackles, 7.5 sacks) and Keck (80 tackles, three interceptions).
Ayers, who posted 67 tackles and four sacks, said the key to one of the best regular season defenses in D-9 last season was the guys on the field trusting each other.
“You have to go in hitting hard, like always,” the linebacker said. “It’s about taking the fight to them and not sitting back on our heels. If I do my job and the guy next to me does his then we end up winning ball games. That’s what it’s all about.”
The number of teammates around Ayers at practice this summer has grown, as well, part of a promising trend for Coudy. Just two seasons ago the Falcons had 25 kids at the beginning of camp. During the first practice this season, that number has swelled up to 40— a welcome sight for any head coach.
“Hopefully it feels like the culture is starting to take effect,” Storey said. “The guys want to go and they want to work. That makes it even better for me the second time around.”
Storey was also one of the more outspoken coaches in the district on the new league alignment.
Last season the Falcons faced Ridgway, Bradford and Kane to begin the new season. It was a daunting slate that saw the Coudy get outscored 91-22. This year will feature a much more level playing field, with the Falcons matching up against Cameron County, Elk County Catholic and Sheffield to begin the season.
“It really equalizes things and it’ll be exciting for the fans as well,” he said. “I think it’s going to make for an exciting season and it’s going to give us the chance to really excel throughout the year. Sometimes the attitude was that we were just going to get through the (AML South).”
With the talented returning class, and a chance at a level playing field Storey is confident that his group can finally lay the last brick in the foundation they’ve been building since he joined the staff as an assistant in 2012.
“You want to strive to have your team be at that big school level, whether you’re a small school or not,” he said. “You want to be that good and that’s what we’re doing. We’ve been building for the last couple of years. We’ve changed coaches and made some changes and now with the new league I think we are ready to compete and do well in it.”
THE RETURNING starters:
Hayden Keck, sophomore, 5-11, 165, quarterback/linebacker
Steve Kelly, senior, 5-8, 170, running back/safety
Kolby VanWhy, junior, 6-0, 180, running back/linebacker
Travis Gleason, junior, 6-1, 190, tight end/defensive end
Thomas Wilson, junior, 5-10, 170, running back/linebacker
Preston Cobb, senior, 5-10, 235, tackle both ways
Elijah Ayers, senior, 6-0, 195, center/linebacker
Brandon Gross, sophomore, 6-0, 250, tackle both ways
Wyatte Osborne, senior, 6-2, 275, tackle both ways
Dillon Keglovits, junior, 6-1, 165, wide receiver/safety
Cale Ayers, sophomore, 5-11, 195, guard/defensive end
ALSO LETTERING were:
Mason Klessa, senior, 5-11, 145, quarterback/defensive back
Jacob Pitcher, junior, 5-9, 150, running back/defensive back
Daniel Frame, junior, 5-11, 145, wide receiver/defensive back
John Minor, junior, 6-1, 165, wide receiver/defensive back
Josh Powell, senior, 5-9, 165, running back/linebacker
Griffin Haskins, junior, 5-11, 160, wide receiver/defensive back
Brandt Kightlinger, sophomore, 5-11, 165, running back/defensive end
THE PLAYERS, by position:
Offense
Quarterbacks: Keck, Klessa, Dalton Keglovits (so., 5-11, 145)
Running Backs: Kelly, VanWhy, Pitcher, Wilson, Powell, Kightlinger, Taylor Heverly (jr., 5-6, 140), Dylan Kelly (fr., 5-7, 126), Logan Ruter (fr., 5-5, 125), Devon Nelson (fr., 5-8, 145), Logan Rogers (jr., 5-7, 160)
Ends/Receivers: Gleason, Di. Keglovits, Frame, Minor, Haskins, Zachery Phelps (fr., 5-6, 120), Sage Strotman (fr., 5-7, 140), Garrett Watson (sr., 5-7, 140)
Guards/Tackles: Cobb, Gross, Osborne, Ayers, Brandon Neefe (sr., 5-11, 175), Dylan Hajzus (fr., 5-7, 170), Kaden Blaniar (fr., 5-8, 270), Quinlan Bailey (sr., 6-2, 270)
Centers: E. Ayers, Ricky McCord (sr., 6-0, 215), Levi Boucher (fr., 5-9, 235)
Kickers: Drew Page (so., 5-9, 150)
Defense
Ends: Gleason, C. Ayers, Neefe, Kightlinger
Guards/Tackles: Cobb, Osborne, Gross, Bailey, McCord, Blaniar, Boucher
Linebackers: E. Ayers, VanWhy, Keck, Wilson, Powell, Watson, Rogers, Hajzus
Defensive Backs: Di. Keglovits, Kelly, Frame, Klessa, Minor, Pitcher, Haskins, Da. Keglovits, Heverly, Nelson, Phelps, Ruter, Strotman
THE SCHEDULE
August
24 – Cameron County, 7 p.m.
31 – at Elk County Catholic, 7 p.m.
September
7 – Sheffield, 7 p.m.
14 – at Clarion-Limestone, 7 p.m.
21 – at Port Allegany, 7 p.m.
28 – Curwensville, 7 p.m.
October
5 – Otto-Eldred, 7 p.m.
12 – at Redbank Valley, 7 p.m.
19 – Smethport, 7 p.m.
Up next: St. Marys
