SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa (WKBN) – The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is preparing for its reboot in September with eight games ready to kick off on Thursday, Sept. 2. Last year’s season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can Slippery Rock become the first school to win back-to-back championships since The Rock did it in 2014 and 2015?

Below is a glance at each school:

Frank Sheptock was hired at Bloomsburg in December 2019 as the school’s head football coach. Sheptock – who was a prestigious linebacker for the Huskies in the early 1980s – was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007. Sheptock brings a wealth of coaching experience as he led Wilkes to a 107-81 record from 1996 to 2013. He most recently led Berwick High School in northeast Pennsylvania for three seasons.

The Vulcans made back-to-back appearances in the Division II NCAA Tournament (2016 and 2017) before not qualifying the past two seasons despite posting seven wins each year. Gary Dunn is back for his 5th campaign as Cal’s head coach.

Coach Chris Weibel begins his 7th season at the helm of Clarion football. Since winning 11 games in 1996, the Golden Eagles have finished with a winning record in just four of the past 23 seasons of football. The last coming in 2015 when they closed out the season with a 7-4 mark.

Area Players on Roster
Jacob Chimiak, FR/OL (Wilmington)
Kareem Hamdan, SO/LB (Boardman)

Jimmy Terwilliger, the former Harlon Hill Award winner back in 2005, begins his 3rd season at the helm of East Stroudsburg. In 2019, Terwilliger’s Warrior group went 6-5, giving the school their first winning season since 2015.

In January 2020, Edinboro hired their next head coach in Jake Nulph. After the pandemic, he’ll begin his first season as the Fighting Scots’ leader. In 2019, the Scots recorded a 3-8 record. Over the previous three years (2016-18), Edinboro was able to accumulate a 22-11 mark.

Area Players on Roster
Josh Giardina, SO/OL (Greenville)

Erik Raeburn begins his first full campaign as the leader of the Gannon football program. In the spring, the Knights went 1-3, topping Mercyhurst in the finale on April 24 (28-21, in overtime). Gannon is seeking their first winning season since 2015 (6-5).

Paul Tortorella has registered 30 wins in just 35 games in his first three seasons as the Crimson Hawks’ head coach. Since 2010, IUP has registered a winning record in each of the past 10 years.

Jim Clements has yet to experience a losing record in 6 years as Kutztown’s head football coach. In 2019, his Bears compiled an 11-2 mark while averaging 36-points per game.

Lock Haven hired John Kelling – the former Frostburg State defensive coordinator – in January of 2020. The Bald Eagles are desperate for success on the gridiron. The last time, Lock Haven finished with a winning record was in 1981 (6-4). The last time they finished with a .500 mark was a year later in 1982 (5-5).

After beginning the 2019 season with a 3-5 record, Mercyhurst went on to post wins in each of their last three games to close at 6-5. Marty Schaetzle enters his 20th season at the helm of Laker football. He’s 7-wins shy of reaching the 100-victory plateau (93-105).

Area Players on Roster
William Hines, FR (Howland)
Jacob Yohman, SO/TE (Wilmington)

J.C. Morgan looks to end Millersville’s long drought of not playing winning football. The last time the Marauders finished with a winning record was in 2000 (6-4). Since 2007, Millersville has been able to win 4 games in a single season just once (2017).

Daniel Day returns for his second season at Seton Hill. Looking to turn around the program in 2021, in his first year (2019), the Griffins won 2 games – the most since 2016 (5-6).

In Shepherdstown (WV), the Rams have finished with 10 or more wins in 4 of the last 5 years. Longtime assistant, Ernie McCook begins his 4th summer as Shepherd’s head coach.

At Shippensburg, Mark Maciejewski begins his 10th season at the helm of the Raiders. Last time out in 2019, Shippensburg snapped their 8-year streak of posting a winning record by finishing 4-7.

2019 PSAC champion Slippery Rock is out to defend their title this season. Shawn Lutz was named the West Division’s Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons (2018, 2019). He’s compiled a 39-11 record in his first 4 years at The Rock.

Area Players on Roster
Lance Craig, SR/DL (Grove City)
Melvin Hobson, FR/OL (Farrell)
Jeff Marx, JR/DL (Ursuline)
Peyton Remish, SO/LB (South Range)
Colton Rossi, SO/OL-TE (Wilmington)

The Golden Rams have never finished with a losing record in coach Bill Zwaan’s 18-year tenure at West Chester. The 2018 PSAC champs have accumulated a winning percentage of 76.6% (36-11) over the past 4 years.

2019 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Standings
East
Kutztown – 7-0 (11-2)
Shepherd – 6-1 (10-3)
West Chester – 5-2 (9-3)
Shippensburg – 4-3 (4-7)
Bloomsburg – 3-4 (5-6)
East Stroudsburg – 2-5 (6-5)
Millersville – 1-6 (2-9)
Lock Haven – 0-7 (2-9)
West
Slippery Rock – 7-0 (13-1)
Indiana U PA – 6-1 (10-2)
California, PA – 5-2 (7-4)
Mercyhurst – 3-4 (6-5)
Edinboro – 3-4 (3-8)
Seton Hill – 2-5 (2-8)
Clarion – 1-6 (3-8)
Gannon – 1-6 (2-9)

Recent History
PSAC Champions
2019 – Slippery Rock
2018 – West Chester
2017 – IUP
2016 – Cal
2015 – Slippery Rock
2014 – Slippery Rock
2013 – Bloomsburg
2012 – IUP
2011 – Kutztown
2010 – Mercyhurst

Harlon Hill Award Winners (Division 2’s Most Outstanding Player)
2019 – Roland Rivers III, QB/Slippery Rock
2005 – Jimmy Terwilliger, QB/East Stroudsburg
1997 – Irvin Sigler, RB/Bloomsburg

2021 Schedules
Bloomsburg
Sept. 4 – at Stonehill
Sept. 11 – at Seton Hill
Sept. 18 – Gannon
Sept. 25 – at Shippensburg
Oct. 2 – at West Chester
Oct. 9 – Kutztown
Oct. 16 – Lock Haven
Oct. 23 – at East Stroudsburg
Oct. 30 – Shepherd
Nov. 6 – at Millersvile
Nov. 13 – Cal

Clarion
Sept. 2 – Lake Erie
Sept. 11 – Millersville
Sept. 18 – Shippensburg
Sept. 25 – at Gannon
Oct. 2 – at Slippery Rock
Oct. 9 – IUP
Oct. 16 – at Cal
Oct. 23 – Seton Hill
Oct. 30 – Mercyhurst
Nov. 6 – at Edinboro
Nov. 13 – at Kutztown

Cal U (PA)
Sept. 2 – at Fairmont State
Sept. 11 – Lock Haven
Sept. 18 – Millersville
Sept. 25 – at Edinboro
Oct. 2 – Mercyhurst
Oct. 9 – at Gannon
Oct. 16 – Clarion
Oct. 23 – at IUP
Oct. 30 – Seton Hill
Nov. 6 – at Slippery Rock
Nov. 13 – at Bloomsburg

East Stroudsburg
Sept. 2 – Pace
Sept. 11 – at Slippery Rock
Sept. 18 – Mercyhurst
Sept. 25 – at Lock Haven
Oct. 2 – at Kutztown
Oct. 9 – Millersville
Oct. 16 – at West Chester
Oct. 23 – Bloomsburg
Oct. 30 – Shippensburg
Nov. 6 – at Shepherd
Nov. 13 – Gannon

Edinboro
Sept. 2 – at Grand Valley State
Sept. 11 – Shippensburg
Sept. 18 – at West Chester
Sept. 25 – Cal
Oct. 2 – at Seton Hill
Oct. 9 – Slippery Rock
Oct. 16 – Mercyhurst
Oct. 23 – at Gannon
Oct. 30 – at IUP
Nov. 6 – Clarion
Nov. 13 – at Millersville

Gannon
Sept. 4 – Open
Sept. 11 – Shepherd
Sept. 18 – at Bloomsburg
Sept. 25 – Clarion
Oct. 2 – at IUP
Oct. 9 – Cal
Oct. 16 – at Seton Hill
Oct. 23 – Edinboro
Oct. 30 – Slippery Rock
Nov. 6 – at Mercyhurst
Nov. 13 – at East Stroudsburg

IUP
Sept. 11 – Kutztown
Sept. 18 – Shepherd
Sept. 25 – at Mercyhurst
Oct. 2 – Gannon
Oct. 9 – at Clarion
Oct. 16 – at Slippery Rock
Oct. 23 – Cal
Oct. 30 – Edinboro
Nov. 6 – at Seton Hill
Nov. 13 – at West Chester

Kutztown
Sept. 4 – Assumption
Sept. 11 – at IUP
Sept. 18 – Seton Hill
Sept. 25 – at Shepherd
Oct. 2 – East Stroudsburg
Oct. 9 – at Bloomsburg
Oct. 16 – Shippensburg
Oct. 23 – at Lock Haven
Oct. 30 – Millersville
Nov. 6 – at West Chester
Nov. 13 – Clarion

Lock Haven
Sept. 4 – at Lincoln
Sept. 11 – at Cal
Sept. 18 – at Slippery Rock
Sept. 25 – East Stroudsburg
Oct. 2 – at Millersville
Oct. 9 – Shepherd
Oct. 16 – at Bloomsburg
Oct. 23 – Kutztown
Oct. 30 – West Chester
Nov. 6 – at Shippensburg
Nov. 13 – Seton Hill

Mercyhurst
Sept. 4 – Alderson Broaddus
Sept. 11 – West Chester
Sept. 18 – at East Stroudsburg
Sept. 25 – IUP
Oct. 2 – at Cal
Oct. 9 – Seton Hill
Oct. 16 – at Edinboro
Oct. 23 – Slippery Rock
Oct. 30 – at Clarion
Nov. 6 – Gannon
Nov. 13 – at Shippensburg

Millersville
Sept. 2 – American International
Sept. 11 – at Clarion
Sept. 18 – at Cal
Sept. 25 – West Chester
Oct. 2 – Lock Haven
Oct. 9 – at East Stroudsburg
Oct. 16 – Shepherd
Oct. 23 – at Shippensburg
Oct. 30 – at Kutztown
Nov. 6 – Bloomsburg
Nov. 13 – Edinboro

Seton Hill
Sept. 2 – Wheeling
Sept. 11 – Bloomsburg
Sept. 18 – at Kutztown
Sept. 25 – Slippery Rock
Oct. 2 – Edinboro
Oct. 9 – at Mercyhurst
Oct. 16 – Gannon
Oct. 23 – at Clarion
Oct. 30 – at Cal
Nov. 6 – IUP
Nov. 13 – at Lock Haven

Shepherd
Sept. 2 – at Ohio Dominican
Sept. 11 – at Gannon
Sept. 18 – at IUP
Sept. 25 – Kutztown
Oct. 2 – Shippensburg
Oct. 9 – at Lock Haven
Oct. 16 – at Millersville
Oct. 23 – West Chester
Oct. 30 – at Bloomsburg
Nov. 6 – East Stroudsburg
Nov. 13 – Slippery Rock

Shippensburg
Sept. 4 – West Virginia State
Sept. 11 – at Edinboro
Sept. 18 – at Clarion
Sept. 25 – Bloomsburg
Oct. 2 – at Shepherd
Oct. 9 – West Chester
Oct. 16 – at Kutztown
Oct. 23 – Millersville
Oct. 30 – at East Stroudsburg
Nov. 6 – Lock Haven
Nov. 13 – Mercyhurst

Slippery Rock
Sept. 2 – at Wayne State
Sept. 11 – East Stroudsburg
Sept. 18 – Lock Haven
Sept. 25 – at Seton Hill
Oct. 2 – Clarion
Oct. 9 – at Edinboro
Oct. 16 – IUP
Oct. 23 – at Mercyhurst
Oct. 30 – at Gannon
Nov. 6 – Cal
Nov. 13 – at Shepherd

West Chester
Sept. 3 – at Bentley
Sept. 11 – at Mercyhurst
Sept. 18 – Edinboro
Sept. 25 – at Millersville
Oct. 2 – Bloomsburg
Oct. 9 – at Shippensburg
Oct. 16 – East Stroudsburg
Oct. 23 – at Shepherd
Oct. 30 – at Lock Haven
Nov. 6 – Kutztown
Nov. 13 – IUP