Kicker Madeline makes Thiel’s starting lineup

Photo

John Madeline

Photo

Thiel College coach Jack Leipheimer

By John Kovach

The freshman from Hubbard is one of several Tomcats with area ties.

John Madeline from Hubbard High has won the starting job as freshman placekicker for the Thiel College football team in Greenville, Pa.

The diminutive Madeline (5-9, 155) has been selected by coach Jack Leipheimer, a native of Sharon, Pa., to kick extra points and field goals for the Tomcats, who will open their 104th varsity football season on Saturday at home to Marietta College.

Madeline is one of 13 area players at Thiel, which is looking to improve its 8-12 record of the past two seasons after going 11-1 in 2005 for the school’s most successful season.

That year, the Tomcats went 6-0 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference to win the championship and advance to the NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time.

Leipheimer has led the Tomcats to a 26-16 record over the past four years, including a perfect 10-0 regular season in 2005. He is optimistic about turning around a 3-7 record (1-5 PAC) last year that followed 5-5 (4-2 PAC) in 2006.

“We are faster and stronger than ever before,” said Leipheimer, who inherits 20 lettermen, 10 each on offense and defense.

“We don’t make predictions about the season’s outcome; we focus on the process of daily improvement — something we call RYFP [reach your full potential],” Leipheimer said.

In addition to Madeline, other area freshmen are David Urey, a free safety from Hubbard; Silas Copeland, a cornerback from Niles; Joe Grech, an outside linebacker from Howland; Dominic Moore a center from Lowellville; Justin Angermeier, fullback, and Curtis Esquibel, wide receiver, both from Mercer; and Ryan Dawes, middle linebacker, Reynolds;

Returning area players are junior DE Josh Steel (East Liverpool); and sophomores Matt Shields (DE, Jackson-Milton); Tom Besser (DT, Brookfield); K.J. Smith (WR, Sharon); and Joe Stenger (CB, Pymatuning Valley).

“We expect KJ [Smith] to make a significant contribution this year,” said Leipheimer, also noting that Urey, Shields and Stenger should see playing time.

“[Urey is] currently second on the depth chart [and] should see time on special teams and get varsity playing time.”

He expects [Shields] to be in a rotation at defensive end with two seniors and said Stenger will see significant time on special teams and is at third corner.

Leipheimer said that Besser is looking good.

“Tom has had a good camp [and] may see time [with] the varsity,” said the coach, noting that Steel, Angermeier, Grech, Dawes and Esquibel also may play special teams, and that Copeland and Moore will play on the junior varsity.

Leipheimer said the team captains are tailback Dan Hess and outside linebacker Sam Swartzfager, and that other expected leaders are offensive linemen J.R. Kenna and Ryan Jordan and free safety Matt Joy, tackle Matt Turek and cornerback Tom Butera.

In addition to football, Leipheimer’s emphasis on academics has helped 43 percent of last year’s team to achieve 3.0-or-higher grade-point averages, with 13 players named to the PAC Academic Honor Roll.

Over the past eight semesters, the team has achieved a higher combined GPA than the all-male average of the college.

Thiel also has several assistant coaches with area ties: Frank Amato, former coach at Reynolds High School; Bill Brest, an assistant at Hickory High and coach at Mercer and Slippery Rock high schools; Brian Dickison, a Reynolds High graduate; and Barry Oman, who got his master’s degree from Youngstown State University.

kovach@vindy.com