Quarterback Issues

The Bombers will begin their season on Saturday without their backup quarterback. Senior quarterback Jason Hendel has quit the team after being named as the backup behind junior Phil Neumann.

Hendel becomes the second quarterback to leave the South Hill squad after freshman quarterback Dom Scavo left earlier in training camp to play for the baseball team. Sophomore Tom Dempsey will be the backup for Saturday’s game at the Moravian College Greyhounds (1 p.m., WICB).

The game at Moravian will be the first time the two schools have met since 1948. The Greyhounds enter the season with their own personnel questions as their sophomore quarterback Jimmy Lahue last played in 2009 with Widener University. He replaces senior Matt Johnson, whose career was cut short due to concussions.

Transitioning from the Transition

As noted in the season preview, the Bomber defense (the front seven in particular) is looking to put behind any communication issues last season that came as a result of Mark McDonough’s first season as defensive coordinator. The Greyhound offense is also looking for improvement in the second season of a totally revamped coaching staff that saw Jeff Pukszyn take over as head coach and Jim Newhard take over as defensive coordinator. The Greyhounds main issue was an offense that only averaged 10 points and 214 yards per game.

Running Home
Game one is a homecoming for senior running back Jarrett Naiden. Naiden, an Easton, Pa. native, will be playing about ten miles away from his eastern Pennsylvania home. Naiden averaged a little more than 36 yards per game playing in ten games last season. In order to make an early improvement on that, he and the offensive line led by senior center Nathaniel Hemingway will need to shut down senior linebacker Jake Hildebrand. The four-year starter led all returners with 48 tackles and is the only returning starter in the Greyhound front seven.

Prediction:
Bombers 20 Greyhounds 7