Seven area players on Lake Erie’s first team

Seven area players will dot the roster on Lake Erie College’s first football team.

The Painesville school, founded in 1856, will play its first official game as a provisional member of NCAA Division II Aug. 28 against Gannon University at 7 p.m. at Painesville Kiwanis Recreation Park.

On the Storm’s 100-player roster are Jonathan Zyznar (Cardinal Mooney), Matt Krumpak (McDonald), Jarrett Welton (Columbiana), Steve Bensinger and David Heck (both from South Range), Thomas Cage (Champion) and Devon Ludwig (Beaver Local).

Krumpak, Ludwig and Bensinger are 2008 Lake Erie recruits, while Welton, Zyznar, Heck and Cage were recruited last year and played on the Storm’s club football team in 2007.

Coach Mark McNellie, who led the two-year development of Lake Erie’s program from the ground up beginning in August 2006, said “Krumpak and Welton are among three starting quarterback candidates,” and that Zyznar, Heck, Cage and Ludwig also are battling for first-team spots.

Zyznar is a strong safety, Heck an inside linebacker, Cage a defensive end and Ludwig a free safety.

McNellie, 42, who came from Mercyhurst College where he spent 17 years as an assistant coach, said most of the players on the roster are freshmen, including the area seven, except for a few sophomore transfers.

That’s because none of last year’s players lost any eligibility due to playing club football, and will have four years to play.

School adds football for public relations

McNellie said Lake Erie decided to add football to its athletic program because it saw the sport as a good public relations tool that wasn’t being used.

“The school wanted to spread the word of all the good things we were doing here, and wanted football to be one of the vehicles to get that word out there,” said McNellie, whose biggest challenge was developing new recruits without any experience last season as a club team.

“Last year when we went to camp we had 100 new players and no upperclassmen. Everyone was new and there were no veterans,” said McNellie, pointing out that it took a whole year to recruit players. “This year we are a little better.”

McNellie led the 2007 club team to a successful season against NCAA Division III junior varsity teams.

“We played nine games and won seven. It was our freshmen against their freshmen who were pretty good,” said the coach. And, “The kids who survived have [become] leaders.”

Now he said, “The biggest question is how our freshmen and sophomores match up against [the opponents’] juniors and seniors]” this season.

Believes jump to Div. II from scratch is precedent

McNellie believes Lake Erie is doing something that no school ever has done.

“I don’t think any school has jumped from ground zero to [NCAA Division II], none that I am aware of,” said the coach.

The Storm held its first spring game April 12 at Perry High School, and will have an 11-game schedule this year, including seven Division II opponents.

The football team is part of Lake Erie’s entire transition in intercollegiate athletics from Div. III to Div. II.

The Storm expects to complete Div. II requirements during 2008-09 while competing on the provisional level.

Lake Erie also will join 200 colleges nationwide to participate in the NCAA-sponsored Take a Kid to the Game Program Sept. 27 in the Storm’s home game against Adrian (Mich.).

XJohn Kovach covers area college athletes for The Vindicator. Write to him at kovach@vindy.com.