By Joe Scalzo

He’s expected to have surgery on Thursday.

CANFIELD — The season hasn’t started yet, but the Canfield High football team has already suffered a big loss.

Senior Dan Banna, a projected starter at fullback and linebacker, tore the ACL in his right knee during the team’s scrimmage on Aug. 9 against Louisville and will miss the season.

“We’re gonna miss him, there’s no doubt about that,” Cardinals coach Mike Pavlansky said. “The thing we’re really crushed about is he’s a senior and this is his last year. If it happens to a junior or a sophomore, it’s a little easier to stomach.

“I just feel so bad. He’s a great kid. But as disappointed as we are, he’s 10 times more disappointed.”

Banna is scheduled to have surgery on Thursday and is expected to rehab for six-to-eight months. If all goes well, he could play baseball in the spring.

Banna spent the first 10 plays of the scrimmage at linebacker, then switched to offense. On his first carry of the game, he broke free for a 30-yard run, planted on his right foot and collapsed.

“Nobody touched him; it was just one of those freak things,” Pavlansky said.

Banna hobbled off the field as the Cardinal coaches hoped for the best. When they reviewed the film afterward, “everybody on staff knew what happened,” Pavlansky said.

Banna rushed for 728 yards and 12 TDs last season as a two-way starter. He had been getting looks from several Division I colleges and Pavlansky expects him to play college football once he recovers.

“I think there’s a program out there for him,” Pavlansky said. “I do believe he’d be a great addition to any scholarship school, either at the MAC [Mid-American Conference] level or the I-AA level.”

The injury is a big blow to Canfield, which was counting on Banna to be a big part of its team this fall.

“We’ve certainly got some young guys who haven’t seen time because Dan has been the guy, who are excited about proving their mettle on Friday nights,” Pavlansky said. “But, again, there’s nothing that’s gonna replace Dan Banna as a teammate or a senior leader.”

Banna’s older brother, Kyle, was a two-way starter for the Cardinals in 2005 when they advanced to the Division II state championship game. He now plays at YSU.

scalzo@vindy.com