Walsh gets Valley flavor

The Youngstown area will have a substantial investment in the Walsh University football team team next season as 17 players are expected to be on the roster to help the Cavaliers rebound from two straight losing seasons.

Nine of the area players are on the Walsh roster for spring practice that will conclude today with the Maroon-Gold Scrimmage starting at 10 a.m. at the Cavaliers’ practice field.

The other eight area players are among Walsh’s 2009 recruits who will be freshmen next season to help rebuild the Cavaliers. After much success during their first 12 years of intercollegiate football, Walsh struggled the past two seasons.

Walsh had a 3-8 record last year, including 1-5 in the Mid-States Football Association, after going 5-6 and 3-8 in 2007.

But Jim Dennison, the only coach in Walsh’s 14-year football history, believes that he has reloaded his team with a promising recruiting class.

“We believe we have filled our needs and achieved our recruiting goals. We have skill, size and speed in this class,” said Dennison, who still sports an outstanding 96-56 record through 14 seasons.

“The class includes four North/South game participants, five first-team All-State players, 19 Captains, and the Prep School rushing leader in the Nation.”

Walsh, also a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics located in North Canton, will open the 2009 season on Sept. 5 at West Liberty State.

Among the Cavaliers’ top 2009 recruits is Jack Dawson, a versatile quarterback from South Range who was a second-team All-State selection for coach Dan Yeagley.

Dawson is looking forward to going to Walsh and joining his former South Range teammate, J.C. Willison, on the Cavaliers’ roster. Willison is a freshman punter on the team.

“Walsh really interested me a lot because it is close to home, and academically [pre-medicine] was the program I wanted,” said Dawson, who also was a first-team All-Inter Tri-County League, All-Quad County and All-Area selection.

“And I was very impressed by the coaching staff, and Willison told me good things about the school and team and I liked the campus.”

Dawson said that he has visited Walsh only once but has been to Fawcett Stadium in Canton many times “which also was intriguing as well because they play all home games at Fawcett Stadium,” he said.

Dawson expects to play quarterback at Walsh, but doesn’t know too much about his competition for that position.

“I am being recruited as a quarterback. I know they have a graduating senior [who is a quarterback but] I’m not sure what’s going on underneath that [at that position],” he said.

The son of John and Carol Dawson, Jack has a 3.87 grade-point average.

The other 2009 Walsh recruits are Dan Baco, an offensive lineman from Ursuline High; Justin Brown, a defensive end from Ursuline who will transfer from Iowa Community College; Cory Farcas, an outside linebacker, and Cody KIlar, a linebacker, both from Hubbard High; Clay Cooper, offensive lineman from Howland; Nathan Elliott, defensive lineman from LaBrae; and Nick Tarolli, a linebacker from United.

Two of the top returning area players on the Walsh roster for today’s spring practice game are Mike Welce, a sophomore defensive back from Columbiana High; and Tony Reed, a freshman interior lineman from Warren Harding and Southern Maryland.

Welce played in 10 games and was the Cavaliers’ eighth-leading tackler last season with 38 stops, including 26 solo hits. Reed played in nine games and ranked No. 12 in tackles with 25, including 10 unassisted.

Other returning area players are sophomores Tyler Pierce, wide receiver from Salem High; Michael Seibert and offensive lineman from Poland. Freshmen are Brad Schrecengost, tight end from Lakeview; and freshmen Michael Paul Jenkins, offensive lineman from Ursuline; Alvin Howard, tight end from Warren JFK; and Robert Wigfall, wide receiver from Hubbard.

XJohn Kovach writes about college athletics for The Vindicator. E-mail him at kovach@vindy.com.