Football: Training camp confidential: Shawnee

By Phil Anastasia

Training camp confidential: Shawnee

Coach: Tim Gushue

Last year: 9-3, shared WJFL National title with Kingsway, won South Jersey Group 4 title

Schedule: at Williamstown, CH West, at Washington Twp., Moorestown, CH East, bye, at Cherokee, at Seneca, Eastern, Lenape (Thanksgiving)

Player to watch: Senior TE/LB Curtis Corley (pictured). The 6-1, 215-pound Corley, a Maryland recruit in lacrosse, is a two-way returning starter for the Renegades. He was a key player for a shawnee team that caught fire midway through last season and captured the SJ 4 crown. He plays a physical style of football that fits perfectly with Shawnee's approach: Run-heavy, clock-controlling offense and hard-hitting defense. "The tradition here is that we have a bad-ass defense and we want to keep that going," Corley said.

Outlook: Shawnee returns 17 starters from a sectional title team. Coach Tim Gushue, his assistants and some of the team's senior leaders have attempted to tamp down the expectations. Gushue even removed the sectional championship banner from the weight room to remind this year's team that they have not accomplished anything yet. "That's gone," Gushue said of last year's title. Shawnee should have a rock-solid defense with returning veterans such as Corley, fellow senior linebackers Max Busca (6-1, 190), David Smith (5-10, 180) and Cole Troyano (6-0, 195), senior DBs Jake Parola (5-10, 180) and Rhett Saltiel (5-10, 175) and junior lineman Davis Gajderowicz (6-0, 245), among others. The offensive line returns starters in senior center Pat Fryer (6-0, 200), senior right guard Braedon Parker (6-0, 215) and senior right tackle Eric Hawkinson (6-3, 280). Junior QB Mike Welsh started last season and played some as a freshmen. He passed for 520 yards and 5 TDs last season and ran for 390 yards and 6 TDs. Parola, who is wearing the No. 44 jersey that carries so much weight in the Shawnee program, ran for 349 yards and scored 6 TDs, including two in the title-game victory over Timber Creek. The receiving corps should be solid with returning veterans in seniors Nick Pressler (6-0,180), Austin Grose (6-0, 180) and Jack Tyrrel (6-2, 190) and the addition of junior Anthony Mague (6-3, 180), a transfer from Rancocas Valley.

Fast fact: Shawnee was 3-3 on Oct. 18 after a 31-0 loss to Cherokee. The Renegades won their last six games to capture the program's fifth sectional title (all since 2002).

Quote: "We're senior-heavy and a lot of us played a lot last year. But this is a whole new year. What we did last year doesn't matter," Corley said.

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