Plymouth State preview: Defense may carry Panthers
Plymouth State University has posted a a 19-2 mark in NEFC Boyd Division games the last three years, with one conference championship and NCAA Tournament berth and two ECAC Championship Bowl game appearances. Plymouth State coach Paul Castonia says the ingredients are there for continued success.
"We have some positions where we have key returnees and a lot of experience," Castonia said. "And we have areas where we lost a lot to graduation and will be very young. Our success will (depend) on our returning players getting better at what they do and finding young people to fill in the other spots."
PSU earned its success last season with a strong running attack, ranking 11th in the nation in rushing offense, an effective passing game, ranking fourth in the country in pass efficiency, and a strong, all-around defense, ranking 46th overall in team defense.
Castonia welcomes back 15 starters this season, seven on offense and eight on the other side of the ball. The linebackers and defensive backs are experienced groups and will backbone the defense while several veterans return at the skill positions on offense. The Panthers will have to rebuild the offensive and defensive interior lines.
"How the offensive line performs may dictate how our offense goes," Castonia said. "We've had a veteran line the last couple of years and had success running the ball. We'll have to see how this year's line comes together to see where our strength on offense lies."
OFFENSE
The Panthers have ranked in the top 11 in the nation in rushing offense the past three years,handing off the football more than 80 percent of the time. PSU lost three starters from its offensive line, and will look to its two returnees, senior center Nick Fuccillo (East Falmouth, Mass./Falmouth) and sophomore guard Xander Fuccillo (East Falmouth, Mass./Falmouth) to lead this year's unit. Castonia said two or three returning guys or a couple newcomers could step in.
"Nick Fuccillo is a two-year starter and Xander jumped right into a starting role as a freshman last year," Castonia said. "We'll rely on those two to help rebuild the line. Some young guys who haven't played a lot of snaps had a good spring, so hopefully that improvement will continue."
The offense will be spearheaded by senior quarterback J.J. Brooks (Seabrook, N.H./Winnacunnet), who was Second Team All-Conference last year. He rushed for 761 yards (4.1 average) and 12 touchdowns while completing 64-of-120 passes (53.5 percent) for 1,243 yards and 16 touchdowns (six interceptions).
"There's no substitute for experience and the experience J.J. got as a starter last year was extremely beneficial," Castonia said. "We'll build on all the things he did well and learn from the mistakes."
Sophomore Ty Long (Dover, N.H./Dover) and senior Chris Francher (Weare, N.H./John Stark) will likely get the bulk of carries out of the Panther backfield. Long was the NEFC Boyd Division Rookie of the Year in 2009 after rushing for a team-leading 764 yards (5.8 avg.) and five touchdowns. Francher rushed for 488 yards (4.1 avg.) and four scores.
"Ty came in and took advantage of an opportunity and we're hoping he can build on that," Castonia said. "Chris has continued to improve every year, and he's become a big part of our offense."
One of Brooks' top receivers is back in senior wideout John Creamer (Hanover, Mass./Abington), who caught a team-high 27 passes last season for 434 yards and seven touchdowns. Senior tight end Aaron Getz (Palmerton, Pa./Palmerton Area) is also back, and junior Christian Mulcahy (Norwich, Conn./St. Bernards), who has been impressive as a kick returner, had a solid spring after moving over from defensive back.
"We've got some talent returning in that area, but we'll also be looking to see if any of the young guys can step up.," Castonia said.
DEFENSE
PSU has the luxury of having four returning senior linebackers who all have starting experience, and Castonia plans to take advantage of that. Those four are Brian Castellucci (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton Academy), Harry Fallon (Hampton Falls, N.H./Winnacunnet), Mike Bruning (Abington, Mass.) and Steve Campbell (Northborough, N.H./Algonquin).
Castellucci was a First Team All-Conference selection last year, and Fallon was a Second Team pick.
"All four of those guys have taken a lot of snaps and we'll use all four of them a lot this year," Castonia said. "We'll be able to use some of those guys on special teams as well, giving us more experience on those units. There's no doubt they'll be the backbone of our team."
The Panthers also have three key returning veterans in the backfield. Senior safety Zach Parsons (Florence, Mass./Northampton) and senior cornerback Kevin Whalen (Wallingford, Conn./Sheehan) are both two-time All-Conference selections, and senior safety Dan Kelly (Londonderry, N.H.) is a three-year starter. Having those three returning veterans allowed Castonia to move the other starter, Christian Mulcahy, to wide receiver.
"We feel good about the returners we have back there," Castonia said. "They've got good experience and have been all-conference performers. Their experience and skill will help is develop other areas of the defense."
Senior end Matt MacLean (Abington, Mass.) is the only returning starter on the defensive line, so Castonia will be looking for new players who can step in. Junior Pat Sullivan (Hampton, N.H./Winnacunnet), senior Jim Buckley (Burlington, Mass.) and sophomore Matt Fiore (Merrimac, Mass./Pentucket Regional) are candidates to fill the roles, along with some newcomers.
SPECIAL TEAMS
"We were inconsistent on special teams last year," Castonia said. "We did some good things in some games, and we hurt ourselves in some others. We need to get better. The bigger the game, the more important this becomes."
Sophomore punter Nick Provost (Stratham, N.H./Exeter) averaged 42.6 yards a kick last year, and was named First Team All-Conference. His average would have ranked fourth in the nation but he lacked enough attempts to qualify. As a team, PSU ranked 11th in the nation in net punting (35.1 yds.).
Mulcahy kicker/returner is back in several areas on Panther special teams. He averaged 22.3 yards in kickoff returns with one touchdown last year, earning All-Conference honors as a return specialist, and he was 7-for-11 in field goal tries and 34-of-40 on extra point kick attempts. He can also kickoff and punt if needed.
Long took over as a solid punt returner last season, averaging more than 13 yards a boot. Castonia says Long or someone else could end up carrying the load.
OUTLOOK
Curry recaptured the NEFC Boyd Division title last season after PSU had wrestled it away in 2008. Castonia says this year's champion will likely again have to go through Curry.
"We know Curry will be a big obstacle for us, but there are other teams on our schedule that will be tough," Castonia said. "Endicott should be one of the top teams this year, and Western New England has gotten a lot better. Curry is not our only tough opponent.
"Our first three games will be challenging. Mount Ida has an All-American running back; Castleton is a second-year program that would love to knock us off; and Bridgewater State is one of the top teams in the other division of the NEFC. We'll have our hands full every week."
NEFC PRE-SEASON POLL: The Panthers were picked to finish second in the Boyd Division in the 2010 NEFC preseason coaches' poll. Curry topped the poll with six first-place votes, while PSU was second with one top vote. Endicott got the other top vote and was ranked third, followed by Western New England, Nichols, Salve Regina, MIT and UMass Dartmouth. Defending NEFC champion Maine Maritime received five first place votes to lead the Bogan Division polling, with Bridgewater State runner-up with the other three top votes. Curry was picked to win the overall NEFC title with 11 of the 16 votes, with PSU and Maine Maritime getting two votes and Bridgewater one.
PANTHER CAPTAINS: After having only one captain last year, the Panthers have five co-captains this season, all seniors. They are quarterback J.J. Brooks (Seabrook, N.H./Winnacunnet), linebackers Brian Castellucci (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) and Harry Fallon (Hampton Falls, N.H./Winnacunnet), and defensive backs Zach Parsons (Florence, Mass./Northampton) and Kevin Whalen (Wallingford, Conn./Sheehan).
COACHING STAFF: Head coach Paul Castonia (Trinity '86) is in his eighth season in charge of the Panthers, with a PSU record of 36-35. He has five assistants returning from last year - Devin Zeman (Associate Head Coach/Def. Coordinator/Def. Backs), Lou Desloges (Running Backs), Tom Pabst (Offensive Line), Brandon Clough (Receivers), and Ryan Harrington (Defensive Line). The new members of the staff are Eric McCarthy (Linebackers) and Zac Duval (Student Asst.).
2010 PSU Football Schedule
September
Sat., 4 at Castleton, 1:00 p.m.
Sat., 11 MOUNT IDA, 1:00 p.m.
Sat., 18 at Bridgewater State, 1:00 p.m.
Sat., 25 at UMass Dartmouth*, 12:00 p.m.
October
Sat., 2 NICHOLS*, 2:00 p.m.
Sat., 9 at MIT*, 1:00 p.m.
Sat., 16 ENDICOTT*, 1:00 p.m.
Sat., 23 WESTERN NEW ENGLAND*, 1:00 p.m.
Sat., 30 at Salve Regina*, 12:00 p.m.
November
Sat., 6 CURRY*, 12:00 p.m.
Sat., 13 NEFC Championship game, TBA
* - NEFC Boyd Division game
