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Five Year History
2014: 6-5
2013: 7-4
2012: 5-5
2011: 3-8
2010: 3-8

Head Coach: Denny Douds (250-176-3, 42nd season)
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Terwilliger (15th season as OC, 42nd season at ESU)
Defensive Coordinator: Chad Braine (2nd season)

Five Players to watch
QB Matt Solts
WR Jon Schnaars
RB Robert Healy
DB Teron Dobbs
LB Kaje Cowans



No team in the PSAC should be more eager to get back on the field this year than the East Stroudsburg Warriors. Twelve months ago, the Warriors entered summer camp with loads of talent, experience, confidence and expectations. A week two loss to eventual PSAC champs Slippery Rock was quickly put in the rear view mirror and the Warriors went on a 5 game winning streak to set themselves up for a championship run in the final month of the season. At 6-1, they were just a game behind first place Bloomsburg, and had a week 8 date with the Huskies to look forward to. Unfortunately for the Warriors, the season fell apart in the October 25th meeting with Kutztown. The Warriors had a bad day in all aspects against the emerging Golden Bears, but a single play doomed the rest of the season. While trailing 17-9 midway through the third quarter, Jr. Harlon Hill candidate quarterback Matt Soltes was sacked at the Kutztown 19 yard line. The play resulted in a fumble, which was recovered by Kutztown and subsequently turned into 7 points, and also a season ending injury for Soltes. The Warriors were about to enter the critical stage of their schedule, closing out the year with Bloomsburg, West Chester and Gannon - three teams that finished 2014 with a combined record of 30-6. Sadly, ESU simply was not prepared for life without Soltes. An 0-4 finish to a season that began with so much promise was tough to take in the Poconos, but 2015 offers a chance for another run, if a few key components come together.

Everything is in place for ESU to, once again, have one of the best offenses in Division II. The offensive line is still relatively young, but the group comprised of three redshirt sophomores, one junior and one senior, should be a robust group, with the left side of the line looking particularly strong. In 2014, LT Fran McMenamin, LG Devon Ackerman and C John Appice started all 11 games in the same positions and helped lead the way for the Warriors' 450 yards per game. TB Robert Healy will return to lead the rushing attack, which struggled a bit when the pressure was amped up in Soltes' absence, but did average a respectable 4.0 yards per carry (8th in the PSAC). The Warriors had the third fewest rushing attempts in 2014, and that isn't likely to change in 2015 with the talent returning to execute the passing attack.

Departing graduates Dusty Reed and Steven Jones will definitely be missed, but there is no shortage of talent ready to step up. Sr. WR John Schnaars has had an excellent career (career stats: 125 career catches, 1837 yards, 23TD) and will be ready to slot into the role of number 1 receiver. Schnaars finished second in the PSAC last season with 14 touchdown receptions. Joe Welk (20 catches, 423 yards, 1 TD)and Gerard Wendowski (14 catches, 182 yards) were regular contributors last year and should see more balls thrown their way this season. Both are seniors that have played in nearly every game for the past two seasons. The depth behind them will be a little unproven, but the Warriors never hurt for talent at receiver and Healy is a huge threat out of backfield as well (46 catches, 561 yards, 6TD). Of course, it all starts with the quarterback position and there won't be a better one to be found in D2 than Matt Soltes. Through just 26 starts at QB, Soltes is already second in ESU's history in total offense, passing TDs, total TDs and rushing yards by QB. He is a two time Harlon Hill trophy candidate, and if this unit performs as well as it should in 2015, he'll probably make it a three-peat and possibly even be a finalist. Soltes has all the physical tools you want in a quarterback, but also possesses all the intangibles. He's a natural leader that has a good sense for when he needs to provide the calming influence or the emotional fire for his team. If Soltes has the senior year he is capable of, the post season honors will be streaming in by mid-November.

Unfortunately, Soltes doesn't play defense, and that is where the Warriors have been significantly impacted by graduation. That's a bit troubling for a team that finished last in the PSAC in total defense. Filling the holes up front will be especially challenging. Bryan Thomson is one of the most decorated linemen they've ever had at ESU and his leadership will be hard to replace. DE Brandon Gatelli and LB Cody Simcox will also be missed. They will have good senior leadership from LBs Kaje Cowans (76 total tackles, 5TFL), Jamyl Aminu (63 total tackles, 4.5 TFL) and DB Teron Dobbs (41 total tackles, 5 INT). Dobbs tied for third in the PSAC with 5 interceptions and also had 8 pass breakups. He will be joined in the secondary by returning starters Dean Vitale (69 total tackles, 2 INT) and Marc Gaudet (56 total tackles, 4 TFL). DE Ahmad McFarland will have to be the anchor up front. Steven Wright is an interior lineman that has seen significant action (played in 10 games last year). He'll be a senior this fall and can definitely help the team if he's ready to take on a starting role. The defensive two-deep is going to be very young and you'll probably see a lot of redshirt freshmen filling some gaps. The good news is that secondary will be very solid and of the five full time starters returning, each started all 11 games in 2014 in the same position.

The defense does not have to be great - the offense will take a lot of pressure off of them by scoring points in bunches. But they do have to be opportunistic and they have to be able to get off the field. In 2014 the Warriors were last in the PSAC in first downs allowed (24.3 per game), 12th in 3rd down defense, 16th in fourth down defense and 11th in INTs. To contend for the PSAC East title, they will have to improve in all of those areas.

The final word
Offensively, the Warriors should come out with all pistons firing and I expect them to be among the highest producing units in D2. Defensively, they'll have to mature in a hurry. They have a lot of key players to replace. Establishing the depth chart in defensive line will be important in the preseason.