Former CCHS and Lehigh standout remains with the Steelhawks

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/

FROM KEITH GROLLER

Earlier this month, the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks announced that quarterback Adam Bednarik, coming off a fantastic season last spring, will be back with the indoor league team that plays its games at Stabler Arena.

And on Monday, the Steelhawks announced that they have retained another local connection.

Former Central Catholic and Lehigh University star Matt Cohen will remain with the team as one of its coaches. Cohen will run the special teams and serve as a defensive assistant on Chris Thompson's staff.

Cohen, who played for the Steelhawks for two years after graduating from Lehigh in 2010, became a Steelhawks coach last season and eventually filled in as defensive coordinator. He is in his third season as a member of the Bethlehem Catholic High School staff, coaching the running backs.

In addition, former CCHS and Penn State player Mike Cerimele is remaining with the Steelhawks as their strength and conditioning coach. This is Cerimele's second year with the team. Cerimele is a strength and conditioning consultant for Gatorade and has spent the last five years as the director for Velocity Sports Performance facility in Cetronia.

The Steelhawks new defensive coordinator is Preston McKnight, who has been on the Steelhawks staff for the last two seasons in a more reserved role of quality control consultant

McKnight enters his 30th season of coaching football, and his fifth in coaching in the indoor game. He has coached high school football for 22 years, seven as the head football coach at Schuylkill Valley HS and Reading HS, earning Coach of the Year honors in 2003. He coached at Kutztown University under Dave Keeny and Raymond Monica before moving to the professional indoor game with the Reading Express, leading the defense to the AIFA national championship in 2009.

During the 2012 and 2013 AFL season, Coach McKnight was the Director of Football Programming for the Philadelphia Soul, which went to back-to- back Arena Bowl championship games.

The Steelhawks have yet to announce their 2014 schedule, but the season will begin sometime in late February or March. The Professional Indoor Football League anounced that it has added franchises in Trenton and Harrisburg, which is good news for the Steelhawks since it will allow travel costs to be reduced.