IUP’s successful run has WPIAL influence
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Less than 30 minutes after IUP’s upset loss in the Division II national semifinals, Damon Lloyd had a message to give.
“This was cool, but we’re right back at it in March,” the sophomore linebacker said.
West Florida may have ended the Crimson Hawks’ championship hopes last Saturday, but it doesn’t alter the fact that the 2017-18 campaign was one for the books. IUP finished 13-1 overall, tying a program record, and captured a PSAC championship in Paul Tortorella’s first season as head coach.
The Crimson Hawks will return most of their key players on both offense and defense next season, 14 of whom are WPIAL alums. That list includes nine WPIAL players who received minutes last season. So, Lloyd had a reason to be optimistic going into next season.
Redshirt junior quarterback Lenny Williams Jr., a Sto-Rox product, is the team’s biggest returning piece. Williams is a Harlon Hill award candidate for the third consecutive season after passing for 2,789 yards and 31 touchdowns, to go with 406 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, this season.
Joining Williams from the WPIAL ranks are the freshman running back duo of Justice Evans (Central Catholic) and Duane Brown (Apollo-Ridge), who were the second- and third-leading rushers on the team with 1,011 yards and seven touchdowns, and 500 yards and six touchdowns, respectively.
Williams and Evans formed one of the more formidable rushing attacks in the nation last season behind sophomore Samir Bullock, who led the team 1,252 yards and 11 touchdowns.
On the defensive side is sophomore linebacker is Nick Amendola (Norwin), who joins Williams as the team’s two WPIAL products who started all 14 games last season. Amendola was second on the team with 109 total tackles, and recovered two fumbles.
Redshirt junior defensive back Anthony Davis (Gateway) and sophomore defensive back John McDonaldHorner (Gateway) could be in line for more minutes next season, as the Crimson Hawks’ two leading tacklers in the backfield are set to graduate. Davis and McDonald-Horner were steady contributors and appeared in 13 and 14 games, respectively.
Before Saturday’s game, Williams said he noticed a new focus from his teammates after Tortorella took over as head coach in January.
“We can see the change that was going on around the environment, it was a little bit different,” Williams said. “Everyone seemed a little more happy. It translated to summer camp and then the room bought in. Everybody bought in and Tortorella made sure westuck to our plan.”
Year two of the Tortorella regime could be just as fruitful for IUP if Williams continues his ascent as one of the best quarterbacks at the Division II level.
“Here, we always have goals of winning the conference and winning the region and hopefully having a chance at winning the national championship,” Tortorella said. “That was our goal at the beginning when we took over in January and the kids believed in it. We fell a game short. But like I told the players after the game, we’re not letting this game define our season because we were the only undefeated team in the country at this point in the season.”