The Carbondale Connection

Looks like one of Jared Nepa's friends, Zach Lasavage, has given his verbal committment to Colgate. Zach is from Carbondale, PA, home of All-American and Defensive Player of the Year (and all around kick ass linebacker) Nepa. Although Zach is a running back, we can only hope he is cut of the same mold as Jared.

From the sounds of it, he is. This tough cookie had a third degree separated shoulder in the first game of the 2005 season, and instead of taking it easy proceeded to rush for 1,437 yards and 20 touchdowns. He's Carbondale's all-time leading rusher with 4,185 yards.

Some more on Lasavage:

Lasavage the definition of tough in ’05

We already knew Zach Lasavage is to Carbondale football what Emmitt Smith is to the NFL — the all-time leading rusher.

Now, let it be clear, Lasavage is more John Wayne than Emmitt Smith.

How tough is he? How many examples do you need?

Statistics will tell the story. He carried 22 times Friday, took a hit on most every one of them, still gained 231 yards.

There’s more, though.

There were times against the Chiefs, who had beaten the Chargers every time they played since 1978, that Lasavage’s shoulder wasn’t his biggest pain. On a 10-yard carry at the start of the fourth quarter, Lasavage’s right hamstring cramped violently. Three plays later, he limped back onto the field, and with that leg drilled a 30-yard field goal that gave Carbondale a 15-14 lead it would never relinquish.

Comeback of the Year

It was a comeback that really wasn’t. Injured with a third-degree separation of his right shoulder in the first game of the season, Lasavage was expected to be out for the season. He played sparingly in three losses, but returned to full duty in Week 5 and led the Chargers to a 6-4 season and finished with more than 4,000 yards rushing in his career.

Lasavage carries Chargers past Wildcats

As Zach Lasavage goes, so goes the Carbondale offense.

With the junior tailback churning out yardage in chunks, the Chargers defeated Western Wayne, 19-0, on Friday night at the Andrew J. Cerra Sports Complex. Lasavage finished with 212 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.

"Zach is an amazing back," Western Wayne coach Bob Matoushek said. "Nobody stops him. He runs through almost anybody. We really hustled on defense today, he's just that good."

Welcome to Colgate, Zach! Get healthy and get ready for some Colgate football this fall!