CRANBERRY TWP — After 21 years of trying, California (Pa.) University has the target on its back.

By a vote of conference coaches, the Vulcans are the preseason favorite to win the PSACWest football title.

"It's OK," said Vulcans coachJohn Luckhardt said. "This is where we want to be. For us, the preseason ranking is kind of nice.

"It shows respect from the other coaches in the league."

California, which earned a share of the league title last year for the first time in 21 seasons, must replace running back Antoine Bagwell, who signed with the NFL's St. Louis Rams after rushing for 1,588 yards and 21 touchdowns last season. But the team does have 10 starters returning on both sides of the ball.

Included among the returnees are quarterback Joe Ruggiero (2,200 yards, 20 TDs passing), receivers Nate Forse and Marcellus Garner (75 catches, 958 yards combined) and All-PSAClineman Tim McCutcheon.

"You don't replace a Bagwell, but we can still have a productive offense," Luckhardt said. "We'll just have to be more deliberate in moving the ball downfield. We can't expect to get four 55-yard runs a game anymore."

Former Moniteau High School standout Matt Schandelmeier is a freshman linebacker at California and might not be redshirted.

"He has a chance to travel with us and only three or four of our incoming freshmen are in that category," Luckhardt said. "If Matt can help us this year, he'll be on the field."

In his fifth year at California, Luckhardt has turned the program around. The Vulcans won eight games in a season for the first time since 1984, had a school-record 13 All-PSACWest selections and defeated a team ranked in the top 25 (Edinboro) for the first time in school history.

The PSACunderwent a shuffle of head coaches during the off-season. Frank Cignetti, the winningest coach in league history, retired at Indiana (Pa.) and was replaced by Edinboro mentor Lou Tepper.

Scott Browning, a 20-year assistant at Edinboro, takes over the Fighting Scots. Longtime Slippery Rock University defensive coordinator Jay Foster replaces Malen Luke as head coach at Clarion.

Edinboro has shared the past three PSACWest titles and returns seven players to a defense that led Division II last season with 9.3 points allowed, 211.2 yards per game allowed and 53.7 yards rushing allowed.

Knoch graduate Josh Bzorek (6-foot-4, 295 pounds), only a sophomore, is one of three starters returning on the Scots' offensive line.

"Josh is already one of the premier linemen in the league,"Browning said. "He has a brilliant career ahead of him.

"The strength of our defense is the front seven. Our linebackers are as strong as anybody's."

Tepper takes over an IUPprogram that returns 16 starters, including nine on offense. Kevin Weidl returns at quarterback after sitting out last year, and all-conference running back Chris Morgan (1,276 yards) and receiver Anthony Cellitti (31 catches, 444 yards) are at his disposal.

"It was a tough decision, leaving Edinboro,"Tepper said. "But my wife is an IUPgraduate and we have family here. And the tradition at IUPis incredible. It's one of the top 10 Division II programs in the country, without a doubt.

"We'll be OKif we avoid injuries. Our second unit will be newcomers. If they don't have to play much, we'll be fine. But we definitely lack depth."

Shippensburg slipped to 4-7 last season, but returns 10 offensive starters and nine on defense. The Red Raiders return their entire offensive line and front seven on defense.

Foster inherits a Clarion team without a winning season since 2002. His defense will feature stellar linebacker Matt Morris (102 tackles, 22 for loss), and Knoch graduate Mark Rupert is the leading candidate to quarterback a young offense.

"As a new coach, I found changes that had to be made and ruffled a few feathers along the way,"Foster said. "That's all part of the process.

"We're going to run the football. We have a solid offensive line and we're going to rely on our front five. If we can't get it done on the ground, we're in trouble."

Foster said Clarion's football tradition and history are as solid as any PSACprogram, but the team's recent history is his biggest obstacle.

"We have to reverse the losing," he said. "It all starts with attitude. That's the first step."

John Klacik returns for his second year at Lock Haven and has nine defensive starters returning. Two-time All-PSACWest receiver Rafael Smith (37 catches, 502 yards) is the Bald Eagles' biggest offensive threat.