Changes define Griffin football’s 2008 season

The 2008 season signals a tremendous change within the Seton Hill University (SHU) football program. The most notable change comes in the form of new head coach Joel Dolinski, who takes over the position after serving as the team’s offensive coordinator. “It is now my responsibility to continue building this program and to take the next step: to start a winning tradition and bring a West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) title to Greensburg,” Dolinski said.

As the offensive coordinator, Dolinski’s offense set many school records. The Griffins posted their highest output with 43 points in their win against West Virginia Wesleyan. Additionally, the Griffin’s offensive line led the WVIAC by allowing the least amount of sacks.

By Steve Meredith,

Staff Writer

The 2008 season signals a tremendous change within the Seton Hill University (SHU) football program. The most notable change comes in the form of new head coach Joel Dolinski, who takes over the position after serving as the team’s offensive coordinator. “It is now my responsibility to continue building this program and to take the next step: to start a winning tradition and bring a West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) title to Greensburg,” Dolinski said.

As the offensive coordinator, Dolinski’s offense set many school records. The Griffins posted their highest output with 43 points in their win against West Virginia Wesleyan. Additionally, the Griffin’s offensive line led the WVIAC by allowing the least amount of sacks.

The good news for Griffin football fans is that the Griffins return some of their most dynamic starters in quarterback Matt Dowdell, running back Antwarn Jones, and wide receivers Sammy Tranks and Derrick Thompson. Defensively, the Griffins corps of linebackers, led by Mark Hartz and Rob Ellis, look to dominate the line of scrimmage this season.

The Griffin football program has taken its fair share of knocks in the first few seasons of its existence, but I have reason to believe that the 2008 campaign will be a new chapter for the Griffins. When any team in any sport makes a change to their coaching staff, it brings with it the mindset of a fresh start. This fresh outlook permeates through the players, the assistant coaches, and the fans. That mindset can ensure that players forget about the past seasons and start focusing on the future. If there is any season where the Griffins look to turn their team around, it is the season that is upon us right now. That is why, when the Griffins suit up Saturday August 30th at home under the lights against Slippery Rock, I’ll be looking for the beginning of a new era of SHU Griffin football.

Even though the Griffins lost last season’s matchup with Slippery Rock, the team looked solid in their defeat. Dowdell passed for 229 yards while Jones contributed 98 yards on the ground. In my opinion, success takes time, and even though the Griffins have yet to have a winning season, their growth and success as a program is very apparent. I look for the Griffins to have a breakout seasonthis fall, and to give their fans something to cheer about. Right around this time of year, when the air gets a little colder and you start to see your breath when you exhale, people start asking “are you ready for some football?” I think I can speak for many Griffin football fans when I say we are starved.