SHENANDOAH - The summer winds are about to make way for a change in the season. Fall is about to take hold and along with it a sports season that is relished in this area.
The changes that come each season are more prevalent for Shenandoah Valley this fall than in the past three years. The Blue Devils graduated the most prolific passer in school history.
Chris Palubinsky is now at Bloomsburg University after setting Shenandoah Valley's passing record with 5,391 yards. Those numbers are next to impossible to replace.
Not only is Palubinsky's departure going to make way for a change at quarterback, there is another makeover at the top of the program. Nick Sajone decided not to return after nine seasons as Blue Devils coach. The mantle has been passed to Randy Maksimik.
Maksimik is no stranger and the vernacular stays the same. The faces that were under Sajone are basically intact, too. Maksimik has been a part of the program since his playing days at Shenandoah Valley, and the majority of the assistant coaching personnel under Sajone returns under his leadership.
"It's a new way of doing things for me," Maksimik said. "The kids know me, they know the staff. The most important aspect is going to revolve around a strong core of senior leaders.
"Our seniors are going to have to step up and take control. If they do that, we will be fine. There is hardly any change in our staff. We've added a few new guys, but the players are familiar with the approach we've had here for years."
Maksimik got a late start when he was suddenly appointed coach in early June, replacing Mike Reese. Reese was named head coach last winter, but stepped down a few months later.
"Of course we've had the late start, but the most important thing for our team was the offseason," Maksimik said. "Our players were in the weight room and that's a huge part of getting ready for the season.
"I just had to scramble and make sure everything went smoothly. To be honest, our seniors and our underclassmen have been very good throughout the summer."
Transferring that determination to the football field is another story. First, there is the new approach on offense. That depends on which one of two candidates ends up as the new quarterback.
One of the candidates is junior Angelo Maskornick (6-foot-3, 200 pounds), the club's top receiver as a sophomore. The other is sophomore Ian McCole (6-1, 175 pounds), who earned a letter last fall mainly at defensive back and was Palubinsky's backup.
"It probably comes down to the final week of practice," Maksimik said of who gets the nod. "We will take a long look in our scrimmages between Ian and Angelo. They'll get their share of reps in those two workouts."
Whoever wins the QB battle will have an experienced, veteran offensive line with good size in front of him.
Senior two-way starter Chris Bonk (6-4, 295) leads that group. He's joined by a pair of senior veterans at tight end in Kayin Herb (6-1, 200) and John Storm (6-3, 220). All three have extensive playing time, some since
their freshman year. Toss in letterwinners Nick Gurski (6-1, 210) and Clarence Grutza (5-9, 220), both juniors, and the picture is a little brighter.
Depth comes into play from juniors Jeff Hollinger (6-2, 280), Mike Nedinsky (6-1, 220), Chris Kline (5-8, 215) and Nick Krusinsky (5-10, 210); sophomores Derek Dombrowski (6-2, 218) and Grant Shadle (6-1, 185); and freshmen Devin Davis (6-0, 275), Jake Gallo (6-3, 240), James Thomas (5-11, 240) and Gabe Whitecavage (6-0, 210).
The down side, however, is another familiar tune for the program: Lack of depth.
"Our numbers aren't the greatest," Maksimik said. "Our tradition is great, but when it comes to getting players out we struggle. That's nothing new to the staff. We've just got to stay healthy."
If Maskornick is the quarterback, the Blue Devils will need a big year from senior Tyler Marnell (6-0, 165) at one flanker and fellow seniors Shai Abrachinsky (5-6, 160) and Steven Quinn (6-0, 175) at the other wideout position. There is also junior Riley Miller (6-1, 165), and sophomores Elijah Welch (5-3, 109), Andrew Dalvet (5-6, 150) and Blake Florio (5-11, 150). Freshmen Josh Taylor (5-4, 117) and Tolik Stutts (5-9, 160) could also see time.
"Marnell is a big leader for us on both sides of the ball," Maksimik said of his three-year letterwinner, who is also a defensive back in the "Devil 44" scheme. "Tyler's got quality hands. He was a quarterback for us early in his career."
The big noise is going to come from a running game that features senior and three-year starter Dave Gotshall at power back and and speedy junior Jeremiah Ney (5-8, 180).
"Dave has gotten bigger and more physical and if we can break Jeremiah into the next (level) we can do some nice things running the ball," Maksimik said.
With a new quarterback and a new offensive game plan, the Blue Devils will look to get early results from their defense.
"Most of our 'O' linemen will flip over to the defensive side of the ball," Maksimik said. "And the kids at the skilled positions will be either playing linebacker or in the secondary. Our kicking game is pretty solid with Krusinsky back.
"We are relying on our defense to set the tone until our offense comes around. Our big concerns come from the depth of our team. We need to stay healthy."