Glenville State on the road to face Northwood in opener
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GLENVILLE -- Glenville State University and fifth-year boss Mike Kellar will open the season at 2 p.m. today in Michigan when the Pioneers invade Hantz Stadium to take on Northwood University.
The Timberwolves started off 2-0 a year ago, but finished 3-8 while competing in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
In December, NU hired Dustin Beurer as its new head coach. In four previous seasons at Division III Albion College, Beurer had a 29-5 record.
Northwood was picked to finish sixth in the G-MAC preseason poll. Conversely, the G-men were slotted fifth in the Mountain East Conference behind Notre Dame, Frostburg State, Charleston and Concord.
GSU, which closed the 2022 campaign by winning four of its final five affairs, has a deep roster. However, the biggest question mark on paper comes in the kicking department.
The G-men, who were 7-4 in 2022, will be breaking in a new punter and kicker. Redshirt freshman Zander Watson, a Point Pleasant High School graduate, will handle punting duties when called upon. True freshman Brody Layman, a product of Hidden Valley High School (Va.), won the kicking job.
"They've been good. You worry about the inexperience of that group, but I tell them all the time we just choose to believe in talent and talent they got," said Kellar, whose squad pulled out of Glenville at 6 a.m. Wednesday. "The only way you can get experience is by doing it.
"All you can go by is what we see every day in practice. I'm sure there will be some nerves and growing pains and adversity to come, but at the end of the day I know they are going to do well. I hope we don't have to wait long for it."
Northwood kicker Max Gonos, who hit 11 of 15 field goals with a long of 43 last fall, was named second team All-GMAC. The Timberwolves also boast punter Matt Paull, who had 15 boots downed inside the 20.
Coach Beurer is expected to start Jake Kelbert at quarterback. He was 36 of 66 for 510 yards and five touchdowns a year ago. NU's top returning wideout is Shamarr Wright (23-241).
Albion College transfer Duwayne Legette, who had 15 tackles for loss last season, will help bolster a defense that features third team All-GMAC linebacker Mbaimba Tunkara as well as defensive back Drew Carpenter.
GSU is expected to counter with Anthony Garrett under center. Garrett, who had six starts last fall, completed 55.1% of his 205 attempts, which went for 1,415 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Orion Bonner (42-636-5) returns as his top target and the Pioneers also boast the one-two backfield punch of Alfred Menjor and Saeed Galloway.
"I think camp isn't what it used to be," added coach Kellar, whose experienced defense is led by two-time All-MEC second team pick Seth Arnold at linebacker, whose 95 stops ranked top 10 in the league. "It's long and it's three weeks, but there's no two-a-days. It used to be back in the day, 20 years ago, half your team was beat up coming out of camp.
"We got some bumps and bruises, but we had a pretty good camp. The kids have done everything we've asked from them and practiced hard. A lot of scrimmages and live tackling. We came out of that pretty unscathed. Now it's time to go play ballgames. It's really going to be about just coming out and hopefully playing our best football."
Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com