Plymouth St. fifth in poll

PLYMOUTH – The Plymouth State University football team was picked to finish fifth in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) by the league’s head coaches, as the conference announced the results of its annual Preseason Coaches’ Poll on Thursday.

The Panthers tallied 49 points to finish just behind Framingham State for the fourth-place spot. UMass Dartmouth edged out WestConn, the defending MASCAC champions, for the top spot. Both teams snagged four first-place votes, with the Corsairs earning 76 points just ahead of WestConn’s 74.

Bridgewater State claimed the final two first-place votes to finish third with 68 points, ahead of Framingham State (56) and PSU (49). The bottom half of the poll includes Mass. Maritime (39), Westfield State (32), newcomer VTSU Castleton (27), Worcester State (15) and Fitchburg State (13).

Head coach Paul Castonia is back for his 22nd season. Last fall he led the Panthers to a seventh straight .500 or better MASCAC record after going an even 4-4 in league play. PSU came up short in a pair of close non-conference games to start the year, then dropped three straight league games before rallying in the second half of the season. The Panthers battled back by winning four straight games, including a 20-19 win at Westfield State on a Hail Mary play, to extend the streak.

Castonia will lean on senior quarterback Braden Lynn (Littleton, Mass.) to run the offense. Lynn threw for more than 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns last fall, completing more than 61 percent of his pass attempts. Lynn will have some new targets this year as five of the top six receivers by receiving yards have graduated. Senior Willie Lombard (Bridgewater, Mass.) was a dual threat out of the backfield, hauling in 14 catches for 163 yards and two TDs and also leading the team with 760 rushing yards and seven scores a year ago.

Lombard will also make an impact on special teams where he earned All-MASCAC First Team honors and a spot on the D3football.com All-Region Second Team as a return specialist last year. He averaged just shy of 24.5 yards per kickoff return and amassed over 700 kickoff return yards last season, finishing as one of just four MASCAC players with a return TD, going 95 yards for a score in a win over Fitchburg State.

Senior linebacker Evan Wilson (Derry) will anchor the defense. He posted career bests in tackles (95), tackles for loss (11.5), solo tackles (62), sacks (4) and fumble recoveries (2) last year. Senior Josh Crosswhite (Westford, Mass.) and sophomore Robert Leveillee (Rumford, Maine) were also among the team’s leading tacklers as defensive backs. Crosswhite finished with 48 tackles and two fumble recoveries, while Leveillee contributed 33 tackles, including seven for a loss, and forced two fumbles.

Plymouth State opens the season at home with an exhibition against first-year program New England College on Sept. 7. The Panthers jump right into MASCAC play in week two with a trip to Worcester State on Sept. 14, before returning to Panther Field to host Bridgewater State on Sept. 21.

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