OLYPHANT – The Susquehanna Sabers had their 2012 football season disrupted by a series of injuries that contributed to a 3-7 record and created at least some doubt about the team’s ability to complete the season.

The Sabers will hope to be more fortunate this season, but they also did what they could to address the injury problem.

“We really attacked the weightroom hard,” said Kyle Cook, who will make his head coaching debut, giving Susquehanna three head coaches in the last three seasons. “ … One of the ways a team can stop injuries is by being healthier, being stronger.”

A large turnout in the weightrooms at both Susquehanna and Blue Ridge, which has players on the team as part of a cooperative sponsorship of the sport between the two schools, carried over into a 42-player roster to open official practices last week.

“If the numbers stay the way they are, we may have JV games as well,” Cook said during the Lackawanna Football Conference's preseason media day at the Regal Room.

A year ago, Susquehanna played a junior varsity game in the first week only, then stopped as the number of available players dwindled.

After winning the LFC Division 4 title in 2010, Susquehanna slipped to .500 in 2011, the final season under Dick Bagnall, the school’s winningest all-time coach. The record dropped to 3-7 last year in the only season under John Salinkas.

Cook, a former Saber, moves up from assistant coach.

“I think they were down a little,” Cook said of the large group of players who return for another shot. “They thought they could have been more competitive at times.”

Cook said that he joined the players in being excited about the possibilities of this season.

“I think we would have been a lot more successful,” said James Murnock, one of the players lost to injury when he broke his ankle after starting the first two games as running back and linebacker. “Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way.

“Injuries took a lot out of us.”

They may have helped inspire the team this year.

“Everybody is more like rededicated,” said Curtis Mills, a returning tight end/linebacker. “We’re ready to prove, hopefully, that we’re better than we looked.”

In part because the lineup changed so much from the injuries, the Sabers will have players with at least some starting experience available to fill the majority of the positions this season.

Junior Austin White is back after spending most of the season at quarterback. He took over in the second week and stayed there until missing the finale with an injury. White was second on the team in rushing with 452 yards and six touchdowns while also throwing for 393 yards and four touchdowns.

Early-season starter Murnock is back at one running back spot.

Brad Hepler, Austin Felter and Luke Brinton all gained some experience and are the other possibilities at running back, one of the team’s deepest positions. Hepler was third on the team with 143 yards rushing.

Including receiver Craig Monks, the Sabers return six of their seven leading rushers.

Monks, who was third in receiving yards, and Craig Stanley, who was third in receptions, are back at wide receiver. Mills is back at tight end.

Center Lyle Lawson and tackles Josh Potter and Jon Haines all return in the offensive line. Christian Miller has some experience at both guard and tight end. Sophomores Evan Aldrich and C.J. Mallery are the other possibilities at guard.

Cook said he will keep much of the option offense that was developed under Bagnall.

“We’ll run the triple option offense with the veer and the mid-line option,” Cook said. “Maybe we’ll change up formations and split teams out a bit more.

“We have a lot of experience at running back and receiver.”

The Sabers will be looking for a nose guard but has veterans returning in the other four spots in the five-man front. Lawson is back at tackle where Potter also has some experience. Miller and Aldrich are ends. Miller came on strong as his sophomore season progressed, leading the team with eight tackles for losses, and Aldrich made some starts as a freshman.

Lewis Esposito also finished strong as he gained more playing time late in the season and is the top returning tackler. Mills will join him at linebacker.

Cornerbacks Stanley and Monks are back along with Hepler, a safety.

Murnock, who started at linebacker before being hurt, could be at the remaining linebacker or strong safety position.

Jon Haines, who joins Lawson and Hepler as the top returning tacklers behind Esposito, is also available in the defensive line.

White was not far behind their tackle total while sharing the team leads in interceptions and passes broken up. Because of his offensive responsibilities, however, Cook may try to limit his use on defense.

The Sabers open Aug. 30 at Western Wayne. The remaining schedule is: Sept. 7, NORTHWEST; Sept. 14, NANTICOKE; Sept. 20, at Riverside; Sept. 28, LAKELAND; Oct. 5, at Holy Cross; Oct. 11, MONTROSE; Oct. 18, at Lackawanna Trail; Oct. 26, CARBONDALE; Nov. 1, at Old Forge.

The last five games are LFC Division 4 games. The Montrose game is the team’s only home night game of the season.

WEEK IN REVIEW

Elk Lake’s Cole Tyler shot a 1-under-par, 71 Friday at Scranton Municipal Golf Course to win the low sophomore title while finishing second overall at the Jackman Memorial Boys’ Tournament.

Anthony Sebastianelli of Abington Heights won the tournament with a 67 while leading the Comets to the team title.

Montrose finished eighth out of the 22 full teams in the tournament with a four-player score of 340. Codi Benedict shot 83, Austin Smith 84 and Kory Morrison 86. Cameron Dean and Bradley Wayman tied for the fourth-best score with an 87.

Dylan O’Dell’s 80 helped Forest City finish 11th with a 354.

Mountain View was 16th with a 389. Tyler Salak led the way with an 80.

Elk Lake and Blue Ridge did not have complete team.

In professional football, Montrose graduate Chris Snee made his return from hip surgery, playing briefly at guard early for the New York Giants Sunday in a 20-12 National Football League preseason loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

In professional baseball, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and Lehigh Valley IronPigs split a pair of games that were decided on last-inning home runs at PNC Field in Moosic.

Lehigh Valley won, 4-3, in 11 innings Saturday night on a home run by Cameron Rupp.

Rupp homered off outfielder Corey Patterson, who was called on to pitch because of the fatigued RailRiders bullpen.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre came back Sunday afternoon to win, 2-0, when Melky Mesa doubled and Dan Johnson followed with a homer to start the bottom of the ninth inning.

Caleb Cotham and Yoshinori Tateyama combined on a five-hitter.

Mesa was named the International League Batter of the Week for Aug. 5-11.

Mesa led the IL in hits (12), homers (3) and RBI (11) during the week while hitting .429 with seven runs scored. He had five multiple-hit games during that stretch.

LOOKING AHEAD

High school teams are preparing for their season openers.

Football opens Aug. 30 along with Lackawanna League boys’ soccer, Lackawanna League girls’ volleyball and Wyoming Valley Conference field hockey.

Lackawanna League girls’ soccer opens Sept. 3, followed by Lackawanna League boys’ and girls’ cross country the next day.

Golf started last week and girls' tennis began this week.

TOM ROBINSON writes a weekly local sports column for the Susquehanna County Transcript. He can be reached online at RobbyTR@aol.com.

LOGANO GETS MICHIGAN WIN

Joey Logano, winner of Michigan Cup race

BROOKLYN, Mich.—Polesitter Joey Logano won Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway.

Logano had a fast car, but as the laps wound down in the 200-lap race, he found himself running second to Mark Martin. But he didn’t have to worry about getting around Martin, because with two laps remaining, the fuel tank in Martin’s No. 55 ran dry.

Logano was the new leader, and all he had to do was keep the second-place finisher, Kevin Harvick, in his rearview mirror.

“This is unbelievable,” said Logano. “When we started the race we weren’t too good. The guys kept tuning the car until here we are.”

The win was the first for Logano since 2012, and the first as a driver for Penske Racing. A.J. Allmendinger, driver of Penske’s Nationwide car won Saturday at Mid-Ohio road course.

“We knew we needed another caution if we were going to win the race,” said Martin, who finished 27th. “We didn’t pull it off, but we showed we had the speed.”

Kevin Harvick led some laps during the midway point of the race, but could not close on Logano near the end.

“You know when we could get out front, we could hold Joey off,” said Harvick. “All in all it was a good day. We’ve put ourselves in a good position for the Chase, and that’s when the real racing will begin.”

Kurt Busch finished third. He was able to lead, but each time he pitted, he would lose several positions, and on the last restart, was not able to make it back to the front.

“Third was as good as we could hope for today. We just didn’t have the speed,” said Busch.

Paul Menard was fourth, followed by Clint Bowyer, Marcos Ambrose, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Burton, Greg Biffle, and Carl Edwards.

Austin Dillon, who was subbing for the injured Tony Stewart was 14th.

It was not a good day for the Hendrick Racing teams. Kasey Kahne’s seventh-place finish was the highest of the four drivers. Jeff Gordon finished 17th, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. came in 36th after hitting the wall. Jimmie Johnson lost the engine in his car early in the race and finished 40th.

Kyle Busch had a good run going but spun out and finished 31st, three laps down.

Top-10 leaders after 23 of 36: 1. Johnson-813, 2. Bowyer-772, 3. Edwards-762, 4. Harvick-749, 5. Kyle Busch-706, 6. Kenseth-688, 7. Earnhardt-679, 8. Keselowski-667, 9. Kurt Busch-665, 10. Biffle-663.

ALLMENDINGER WINS SECOND ROAD COURSE

A. J. Allmendinger is two for two in Nationwide starts this season. Both wins have come on road courses, the latest came this past weekend at Mid-Ohio near Lexington, Ohio.

Allendinger led 73 laps of the 94-lap race, but had to fight off a hard challenge by pole winner Michael McDowell.

Sam Hornish was third, followed by Max Papis, and Brian Vickers.

Top-10 leaders after 22 of 33 races: 1. Hornish-769, 2. Sadler-756, 3. Smith-754, 4. A. Dillon-754, 5. Vickers-751, 6. Allgaier-722, 7. Scott-706, 8. Bayne-696, 9. Larson-695, 10. Kligerman-689.

MATT CRAFTON HOLDS TRUCK LEAD

Top-10 Truck Series leaders after 12 of 22: 1. Crafton-464, 2. Burton-413, 3. Buescher-412, 4. T. Dillon-402, 5. Paludo-391, 6. Gaughan-390, 7. Peters-382, 8. Blaney-379, 9. D. Wallace-370, 10. Sauter-369.

IS NASCAR TOO FANCY

“We got too fancy and messed up NASCAR,” said Humpy Wheeler in a YouTube post. “I think we've messed it up a little, folks. I think we got too fancy. I think as it soared back in the 90's a lot of people wanted to change it. They didn't like the way it was, they thought it was too country or too unsophisticated or whatever. And those people were dead wrong.”

Wheeler is the former Promoter/President and General Manager of the Lowe’s Motor Speedway, in Concord.

"We need to put the emphasis on winning, he continued. “And we need to put the emphasis on leading and passing people as the race progresses. Give points for the repass. People in the grandstands are gonna go crazy when we do that.

“Give winners and leaders bigger bonuses. That will make races more exciting and that will bring fans back to the track. You've got to give them a reason to come back to the ballpark, whether the ballpark is a racetrack or whether it's a stadium. Part of that reason is excitement.”

Wheeler went on to say that one of the reasons fans are staying away from the track is the increases in the quality of TV broadcasting. Due to better TV coverage, fans are satisfied to stay home and watch.

But better TV coverage doesn’t always equate to more fans viewing. Television ratings for 2013 are slightly lower than 2012. Each year for the past four racing seasons, there has been a decline.

Meanwhile, Felix Sabates, co-owner of Earnhart-Ganassi Racing, said Juan Montoya, driver of the No. 42 will not return in 2014.

“We did not renew the contract for next year,” Sabates said on Sirius Radio. “It was a difficult decision. He understands. You have to move on in life sometimes. It’s frustrating for everybody when you know you’ve got good equipment and you can’t seem to put everything together.”

Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 1 EGR car is expected to return in 2014.

Chase contenders Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman could be viewed as candidates to drive the No. 42 car, because neither of them have contracts for next season.

Greg Zipadelli, Race Director of Tony Stewart’s No. 14 team held a teleconference last week to report on the condition of Stewart’s broken leg.

“He went to the doctor’s this week, he had a decent visit,” said Zipadelli. “No setbacks. Basically, very simple instructions, stay in his bed with your leg up over your heart for the next seven days and then come back and see me. We’ll reevaluate you and tell you what you can do. That’s what he’s doing.

“We spent a couple hours together just kind of filling him in on all the things that we’ve got going on. He’s in great spirits and they changed some of his medicines and things of that nature. He’s going through a little bit of a transition period, but like I said the doctor’s appointment went well or as good as it can. He said the next seven to 14 days will tell a lot of how it heals.”

Weekend Racing: It’s back to night racing at Bristol’s .53-mile bullring for all three of NASCAR’s major racing series.

Wed., Aug. 21, Truck Series race, 13 of 22; Starting time: 8 pm ET; TV: FoxSports1.

Fri., Aug 23, Nationwide race, 23 of 33; Starting time: 7:30 pm ET; TV: ESPN.

Sat., Aug. 24, Sprint Cup Series race, 24 of 36; Starting time: 7:30 pm ET; TV: ABC.

Racing Trivia Question: What make car does Denny Hamlin drive in the Cup Series?

Last Week’s Question: Where is Ryan Newman’s hometown? Answer. It is South Bend, Indiana.

You may e-mail the Racing Reporter at: hodges@race500.com.