SRU seeks a leader
SLIPPERY ROCK — From four-year starter to starting over.
That is the Slippery Rock University quarterback situation entering the 2008 football season.
Nate Crookshank has graduated after breaking a number of Randy McKavish's school records. SRUenters this season with two unproven commodities at the collegiate level — red-shirt Brandon Frohnapple and red-shirt junior Brad Galvan — vying for the position.
Frohnapple held the No. 1 spot at the beginning of summer training camp. He was 0-for-2 passing last season with no rushing attempts.
Galvan completed 2-of-7 passes for 18 yards a year ago. He was 4-of-6 for 36 yards and a touchdown in 2006.
"These guys have ability. They just lack game experience,"Rock coach George Mihalik said. "We have to be careful about how much we put on them.
"We can't expect them to read too much at the line of scrimmage. Early in the year, we're going to have to be patient."
A third quarterback was supposed to be in the mix this summer — red-shirt sophomore Joe Desanzo, a transfer from Temple University who started five games for the Owls as a freshman.
Family issues are prohibiting Desanzo from playing this season, however.
"Joe's a good friend of mine,"Galvan said. "I wish he could be here, but he just can't play football right now."
Galvan expects to be The Rock's No. 2 quarterback this fall. If so, it would mark his third straight season in that role.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Galvan completed 113 of 182 passes for 2,142 yards and 18 touchdowns during his senior year at Strongsville (Ohio)High School, leading his team to its league championship.
"Situations like mine legitimize Division IIfootball,"Galvan said. "I could have gone to a Division IIIschool and probably played, but I like this level.
"Division IIis high quality football and the back-up guy is always one play away, as they say. I have to stay as prepared as Brandon."
The 6-3, 180-pound Frohnapple made first team all-Ohio his senior year at Lakewood St. Edward High School, throwing for 1,600 yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Frohnapple was 17-1 as a starting quarterback in high school and led his team to the state semifinals his senior year."It's going to take me a while to get my feet wet with playing experience at this level, but this is not my first time ever playing football,"Frohnapple said. "And I know how to win games."Frohnapple said he can throw on the run and "make things happen" if a play doesn't develop as planned.He admitted Galvan has a stronger arm, but added that "I can get the ball 40 yards downfield with accuracy."It's a friendly competition between myself and Brad,"Frohnapple said. "We both want the job, but there's no hard feelings. Even with Joe not here, Brad sees this as an opportunity like I do and he's pushing me. I can't relax and just figure the job's mine."Anticipating Desanzo's presence in camp, SRU's coaching staffdid not pursue a more experienced quarterback via the transfer route during the off-season."There were some options out there, but we didn't want to overcrowd the situation,"Mihalik said.Besides Frohnapple and Galvan, two true freshmen quarterbacks are in camp. They are Ryan Sabo from Steel Valley and Brenden Bongiorni from Burgettstown."If a true freshman was to show himself as the best quarterback for the job, we would do it," Mihalik said. "But the chances of a kid learning and developing through 23 summer practices what other guys who have been here two or three years have is pretty remote."It's one thing to be able to physically do it. You also have to be able to mentally do it."
