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Flyers have 13 fifth-year seniors staying for football

By Doug Harris, Staff Writer 11:30 PM Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Former University of Dayton football coach Mike Kelly never knew how many players who were redshirted as freshmen would come back as fifth-year seniors and use their final season of eligibility.

Without scholarship money, most would just finish their degrees in four years and move on to their chosen professions or other pursuits.

But the Flyers will have 13 fifth-year seniors next season, virtually all of them offensive and defensive stalwarts. And Kelly said of that unusually high number: “What that tells me is they’re enjoying their experience.”

What’s not to like? The Flyers won a share of the Pioneer Football League championship in their second year under Kelly’s successor, Rick Chamberlin. And they’ve found a formula that should work again in 2010.

Steve Valentino, who will be among that group of fifth-year seniors, earned All-PFL honors in 2008 as a receiver, but he was moved to quarterback because of a rash of injuries at that position last season and was named the league’s offensive player of the year.

He’s a perfect fit for UD’s spread offense — a speedy, elusive runner with a live arm.

“You’ve got everybody spread out defensively, and if he sees the pass isn’t there, he can take off and gain 20 or 30 yards just by running the ball,” Chamberlin said.

Valentino is the first player in the 17-year history of the PFL to earn first-team all-league honors in back-to-back seasons at different positions.

Those injured QBs all will be back in 2010, but Chamberlin said: “We’re going to keep him at quarterback. He’s into it now. The players are confident in his abilities. That’s great to have him coming back.”

Defensive end Brandon Wingeier, linebacker Joe Reis and linebacker-safety James Vercammen also will return as fifth-year seniors after being named first-team All-PFL. Receiver Justin Watkins, a second-team all-league pick from Northmont High School, also is returning for a fifth year. Only two who had a chance to come back for one last season have opted to move on.

The 5-foot-10, 172-pound Valentino is the second Flyer to be named the league’s offensive player of the year — Kevin Hoyng captured the award in 2007 — but the Solon, Ohio, native still has a hankering to try one more position.

He was an all-state safety in high school and believes he’s better suited to play defense.

“I played DB all through high school. Obviously, here, you’ve got to be a different size. I would love to play DB, but I don’t think some of my offensive coaches will let me,” he said with a smile.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125

or dharris@Dayton

DailyNews.com.

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