Friday, November 19, 2004
The Bison are 0-9. Their opponents are 1-8.
BETHANY, W.Va. -- Two Youngstown-area senior players on the Bethany College football team will be climaxing their careers Saturday when the Bison play host to Defiance College at Rine field starting at noon.
Nazih Banna, a quarterback from Boardman, and Mike Skrinjar, a linebacker from Southern Local, will try to help Bethany avert a winless season in the game that originally was scheduled for Sept. 18 but was postponed because of flooding in the Bethany area.
Banna has been having a good season even though the Bison (0-9) have not won. He has completed 127 of 250 passes for 1,552 yards and seven TDs with 21 interceptions.
Banna's 172.4 yards per game rank No. 4 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference.
Skrinjar is academic pick
Skrinjar, an education major, recently was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America District II Football Second Team.
Skrinjar has 38 tackles, including 10 solos, to rank No. 7 on the team. He also has one fumble recovery and two forced fumbles.
Banna and Skrinjar are among seven Youngstown-area players on the Bethany team.
The others are T.J. Parker, a sophomore wide receiver from Austintown Fitch; Gary Gerba, a junior defensive back from Warren JFK; and three East Liverpool High graduates-- Daniel Suznevich, a freshman defensive lineman; Kris Simmons, sophomore offensive lineman; and David Delaney, freshman running back.
Parker, Gerba sparkle
Parker has 34 pass catches (for 480 yards) to rank No. 3 on the team. His 53.3 receiving yards per game rank No. 9 in the PAC, while his 3.78 receptions per game rank No. 10.
Gerba has 51 tackles, including 30 solo stops, to tie for No. 2 on the team; while Suznevich has 24 tackles, including 11 solo hits and 4.5 tackles for losses of 8 yards.
Defiance (1-8) also has been struggling this season. The Yellow Jackets' only win was 19-14 over Manchester, and they are coming off a 30-0 loss to Bluffton.