By RICHIE HALL
With 12 returning starters back on the field, Guerin Catholic is looking to add another winning season to its history book.
The Golden Eagles have a new opponent to open the season, welcoming McCutcheon to the Eagles Nest tonight for a 7 p.m. kickoff. That will launch Guerin into a challenging schedule, including Class 6A team Columbus North and games in the Circle City Conference, which is quickly becoming a tough football league.
“We are excited about our season,” said GC coach Tom Dilley. “We have had a good two weeks of pre-season camp, and we are looking forward to a very challenging schedule this year. Great leadership and daily improvement will be key to our success.”
The Golden Eagles had dominant seniors at the quarterback and lead running back positions last year, so there will be some big shoes to fill. At quarterback, junior Christian Gelov got into a few games last year, completing seven of 17 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown.
Senior Dylan Crossen returns as tailback and strong safety; he rushed for 134 yards and five touchdowns last season. Junior Cam Murray returns with 156 yards and one score. A key return will be senior Will Poynter, who started his entire sophomore year as tight end but missed his junior season due to an injury.
Junior Bernie McGuinness will be an offensive leader. As a sophomore, McGuinness led the receivers with 22 catches for 217 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Chris Augustinovicz returns on the Guerin Catholic offensive line, along with seniors Reece Davies at center and Hank Bates at offensive linebacker.
Senior Charles Bock will mark his third year as a starting linebacker; he led the Golden Eagles in total tackles last season with 126. Other key players back are seniors Billy Freudenthal at cornerback, Roc Ricker at free safety and Brian Ponder at cornerback. Two juniors are also returning starters: Charlie Sawyer at guard and Nick Szymczak at defensive end.
