McConnell

SLIPPERY ROCK— Mike McConnell plans to put his best foot forward at Slippery Rock University when the Karns City graduate tries to make The Rock's football roster as a backup punter to veteran starter Kyle Witman.

"We had no backup to Kyle last year,"SRUcoach George Mihalik said. "Had he gotten hurt, (running back)Corey Manfull would have been put back there."

There is no other punter among SRU's recruits this year. K.B. Justus, a defensive back-punter from Ohio, enrolled at The Rock in January and punted along with Witman in the annual spring Green and White Game.

Neither current Rock kicker C.J. Bahr nor kicking recruit Kurt Brackman is a punter.

"This is a chance for Mike to show us what he can do,"Mihalik said. "He's a versatile kid who can do a lot of things on the football field, and he comes from a winning program.

"You can never have enough winners."

The 5-foot-11, 165-pound McConnell was first-team all-Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference as a punter last fall. He was second-team all-KSACin 2005 and 2006.

He had seven catches for 124 yards and three touchdowns, as well as four rushes for 35 yards and a score, last season.

"He was an outstanding punter for us,"KCcoach Ed Conto said. "He had to punt quite a bit on a short field, but when we needed him to boom one out of there, he did it.

"Against Jeannette in the playoffs, a snap sailed over his head, Mike retrieved the ball, avoided a couple of tacklers and got off a great kick under pressure. He took a bad snap against Moniteau and ran for a first down. He's athletic enough to make things happen back there."

McConnell played basketball and ran track at Karns City as well. He was a second-team all-KSACdefensive back the past two years.

"He has unlimited potential,"Conto said. "Once he receives instruction from a punting coach in camp, he's going to get even better."

McConnell lettered four years in football and basketball with the Gremlins.

Despite SRU's lack of depth at the punting position, Mihalik said rosters are still limited on game days.

"We have to stay within a certain number, so it comes down to deciding how many specialists can we carry," the coach said.

"Mike is an athletic kid. We may look at him as a defensive back, too. We'll see what he can do for us."

<B>Name...........High School...........Postion</B>Billy Altman...........Sharon...........WRJamar Anderson...........Aliquippa...........WRMitch Blackwell...........Central Cambria...........DEBrendan Bongiorni...........Burgettstown...........AthleteKurt Brackman...........Milton Union...........KMike Carnahan...........Hubbard...........WRKenny Cottmann...........Beaver Falls...........WREric Cunningham...........Ford City...........DLZach DeCicco...........Thomas Jefferson...........DBNick Edwards...........New Brighton...........LBTyler Edwards...........Meyersdale...........RBZacjk Ejzak ...........Slippery Rock...........AthleteAustin Fedell...........N. Allegheny...........OLJosh Gardner...........Hempfield...........TEMike Genoble...........Crestwood...........OLMarquis Knight...........Strong Vincent...........DBMike McConnell...........Karns City...........PAaron Moul...........Hempfield...........LBRyan Sabo...........Steel Valley...........QBAkeem Satterfield...........Cathedral Prep...........RBEric Schaude...........Pine-Richland...........OLKyle Smedi ...........Lakeview (Ohio)...........LBShayne Tate...........Tyrone...........RBJeff Thompson...........Clairton...........LB