The Little Lions have to replace 15 starters, but head coach Al Wolski's club has plenty of numbers to plug the gaps and fill out No. 1 depth chart. Irwin accounted for nearly 1,900 total yards and 22 touchdowns last season. Most of the running backs and wide receivers will be new. The front seven on defense will be rock solid. This is their Countdown to Kickoff preview.
School Name: State College Little Lions
Coach: Al Wolski
Last Year: 9-4, 4-3 Commonwealth
Last 5 Years: 48-20
Returning Starters: 4 on offense; 5 on defense
Key Players: QB Patrick Irwin; OL-DL Adam DeBoef; LB Ben Roeshot; DE Patrick Begg; RB-DB Anthony Paffie Misher; OL-DL Jordan Good; RB-DB Jordan Misher; DE Lonnie Koudela; LB Mike Hall.
Offense Overview: Always a player in the Commonwealth Division, the spread, I-formation offense of the Little Lions functions best when a handful of players are spreading the touches around. For 2013, who most of those players will be is a work in progress. Anthony Paffie Misher and Jordan Misher have emerged as the duo at the top of the list. There will be more names as the season moves on. It’s what State College does. Having dual threat quarterback Patrick Irwin pulling the trigger is the key ingredient. Last season Irwin accounted for nearly 1,900 total yards (1,455 pass, 438 rush) and 22 touchdowns. And he has two of his five interior linemen back. Who exactly spreads around the catches from Irwin is the biggest mystery the State College staff needs to solve during camp.
Defense Overview: There’s only five starters back, but enough at each level of the defense for the Little Lions to have a leg up on most of the competition come Week 1. Adam DeBoef and Jordan Good, a combined 535 pounds, work inside and DE Lonnie Koudela has added 30 pounds of muscle this offseason. Mike Hall is one tough hombre at inside LB. He’s a tackling machine. And partner Ben Roeshot gives the front seven even more stability. The secondary will be a little green, but that’s a common theme in high school football. State College doesn’t overpower teams with defense, but it’s never easy to make hay against the District 6 Class AAAA kingpin.
Biggest Game: Oct. 25 at Mifflin County
More State College: 2013 Schedule | Tentative 2013 Roster
Shay’s Crystal Ball: Nine starters back is a good number in this division for 2012, and the Little Lions have 15 players with varsity experience and 37 seniors. All numbers that lead to a top three team in the Commonwealth. Irwin will power an offense that will get better as the skill players become more comfortable. Veteran coach Al Wolski lost 15 starters, but his numbers allow his staff options when it comes to plugging gaps. I fully expect the Little Lions to be a player in the hunt for the division crown.
More: Complete Countdown to Kickoff coverage
SHAY ON TWITTER: @APShay