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By ANDREW WOODLEY
BETHANY -- The Bethany College football team was picked to finish seventh at the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) annual Football Media Day held on the campus of Saint Vincent College last month.
The Bison will enter the season with more than 15 starters returning to campus, including senior quarterback Chase Kinemond, who was an all-state player at Shadyside during his prep days. Kinemond started all 10 games last season and threw for nearly 2,000 yards with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
"(Chase) had a great offseason," said Bethany head coach Bill Garvey, who is entering his fifth season. "We've talked a decent bit over the summer here, and he is ready to go. We are very happy to have him back, because you can't teach experience. It's one thing we've been lacking a little bit. From a team standpoint, we are going to be a little more comfortable this season."
Kinemond will be joined in the offensive huddle by five other returning starters, including senior tight end Dustin Hess. Hess enjoyed a break-out season in 2016, going from two catches as a sophomore to 24 as a junior, and will be looked to as one of the senior leaders this season.
"I have to step up and be a bigger part of the game this year," Hess said. "I want to bring a mindset of a strong work ethic and help the team get past these last few years where we may have let some games slip away."
The Bison will have a new feel on the defensive side of the ball. Former NFL player David Arnold takes over as the defensive coordinator and replaces Joe Battaglia, who accepted a position on the coaching staff at the United States Naval Academy. Bethany will also need to replace Donavan Hayden, the reigning PAC Defensive Player of the Year, who graduated this past spring.
"Each year we are going to change a little bit based on our strengths," Garvey said. "You can't replace Donavan, but have to find that guy or a group of guys to match that production."
Arnold will inherit a strong front-seven that returns a trio of all-conference performers, including senior defensive end Khallid Pierce. Pierce is a two-time All-PAC Second Team selection and enters the year with 19.5 career sacks, the fifth-highest total in school history.
"We think we have as deep a group as there is in Division III," Garvey said. "We have a bunch of guys that we can rotate in and who can get after the passer. We hope their experience moves us forward this fall."
The Bison return a pair of special teamers in senior kicker Chris Ray and senior long snapper Zach Lowe. The Bison will need to find a replacement for all-conference punter Aaron Frye, who graduated with a school-record 42.0 yards per punt over his career.
Bethany is looking to build off of its late-season success last season. The Bison closed 2016 with victories over Grove City and Saint Vincent. The win over the Bearcats saw Bethany erase an 18-point fourth quarter deficit.
"It was great to end on two wins," Hess said. "We worked a lot harder this offseason than we have the last few years. The class that came in last season really took to the mentality of getting into the weight room and working hard and putting in the time during spring ball, so that when this season starts they are ready to go."
The Bison open the regular season Sept. 2 when they head to Collegeville, Pennsylvania to take on Ursinus College at 12 p.m. in a non-conference matchup. Bethany forced five turnovers in a 23-13 season-opening win over Ursinus at Bison Stadium last year.
Defending league-champion Thomas More, playing in its final season as member of the PAC, were picked to win the conference. W&J, Case Western Reserve, Westminster, Carnegie Mellon and Saint Vincent rounded out the top six.