By John Bassetti

sports@vindy.com

BROOKFIELD

The NBA’s Warriors have a championship in hand, but the AAC’s Warriors want one, too.

Since leaving the All-American Conference in 2009, Brookfield played as an independent and had some playoff success.

Now the Warriors are back in the AAC as a Blue Tier member with Girard, Liberty, Campbell, Newton Falls, Champion and LaBrae.

Brookfield’s 6-4 record in 2014 ended the string, but coach Randy Clark begins his 12th year with players full of Friday night experience.

With just four seniors on the 2014 team, Clark welcomed nine returning starters on offense and an equal number on defense for two-a-days.

Offense

The Warriors have nine seniors and the offensive line alone has four three-year starters: center Carmen Furillo (6-0, 240, Jr.), right guard Zach Hosick (6-0, 230, Sr.), left tackle Zach Hackett (6-3 1/2, 245, Sr.) and left guard Josh Zinkuc (5-10, 240, Sr.).

Sophomore Trevor Pegg (6-5, 285) is another offensive lineman at right tackle.

“He’s going to be a good one,” Clark said of Pegg, who played JVs as a freshman.

Augustus Necastro (6-2, 190, Sr.) will be Brookfield’s third-year starter at quarterback with Noah Harnett (5-11, 170) the sophomore backup.

Including his freshman year, Necastro has thrown for more than 3,500 yards.

“We’ll throw the ball a lot this year,” Clark said. “It’s no secret.”

Three of four receivers will be three-year starters: Kasey Tingler (5-11, 165, Sr.), Caleb Hunkus (6-3, 180, Sr.) and Marc Kraml (5-10, 185, Sr.), while Xavier Bailey (5-11, 170, Jr.) and Chad Filipovich (5-11, 170, Jr.) will battle for the fourth receiver spot.

Clark’s son, Alex (5-8, 190, So.), was strictly defense last year as a freshman nose guard, but the coach’s youngest son is expected to be Brookfield’s main running back in 2015, when he’ll also play defensive end.

Along with Alex Clark, sophomore Luke Bender (6-0, 170) will be a running back with Bailey getting some snaps.

Defense

Hackett (DE), Zinkuc (DL) and Furillo (DL) will play for a third year. Furillo started on both offense and defense as a freshman.

Pegg is another defensive lineman in the mix, as are Noah Wilrich (6-1, 170, Jr.) and Jacob Maretich (6-3, 300, Jr.).

“When you have that many big linemen, you should feel pretty good,” Randy Clark said.

Linebackers returning are Hosick at “Mike”, Sam Hunkus at “Sam” and David Swope (5-9, 190, Jr.).

Cornerbacks will be Tingler and Bailey, while Kraml, Filipovich and Harnett are competing as safeties. Harnett will also play some corner.

Clark’s oldest son, Joey, who graduated two years ago, was a running back in 2013, the season the Warriors made their third straight playoff appearance.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Tingler will do kickoffs, field goals, extra points and punting.

“He’s the best kicker in the area,” the coach said, noting that 85 percent of Tingler’s kicks reach the end zone, while he kicked field goals of 45 yards once last year and 37 a few times. As a sophomore, Tingler’s 42-yarder in the 2013 season opener beat Springfield Local.

Outlook

“We’re excited to be back in the AAC, playing local teams,” said Randy Clark. “Having the AAC Blue Tier crown to shoot for is a plus.”

The playoff void of 2014 lingers.

“With so many kids returning, there’s the feeling that they let their school and everybody down last year,” the coach said. “They worked their tails off during the offseason and, now, they’re eager to go after it.”

This will be Brookfield’s third year in Division VI after a two-division drop from IV following realignment and lower enrollment numbers.

New to Clark’s staff as running backs coach is Ryan Mosora, Brookfield’s all-time leading rusher.

“Sometimes he hears me yelling or screaming and he gets nervous because he thinks he’s a player,” Clark said. “But, coaching-wise, he’s learning. He’ll be all right.”

Mosora transferred from YSU to Geneva, where he played last year. Now he’s enrolled in school at YSU this fall. The whereabouts of some other former playoff-tested Warriors include Jeremy Quinlan, who pitches for YSU’s baseball team, and Jimmy Quinlan, who plays football at Geneva, where he will be a second-year starting linebacker.