Pine Grove's Logan Troup breaks into the clear as the Tri-Valley defense gives chase (Photo by Charlie Roth).

Every rough season has silver linings.

Pine Grove head coach Dave Shiffer hopes that the experience Wyatt Snyder gained under center in the second half of last season is just that.

Snyder, a 6-foot-3, 227-pound senior, took over as the Cardinals’ signal-caller midway through last year’s 1-9 campaign, completing 29-of-73 passes for 389 yards and four touchdowns.

After an entire offseason perfecting his craft, the three-sport standout is ready to add a passing element to Pine Grove’s run-based offense.

“Last year Wyatt took over halfway through the year due to injury and we really liked what we saw from him and the dynamic he brought to our offense,” said Shiffer, entering his fourth year as the Cardinals’ head coach. “He’s worked really hard this offseason, training on his own with his quarterback coach. He’s also put in a lot of hard work in 7-on-7s and he’s improving.

“We’re really excited to see what he can do with a full season of offseason training at the position.”

Snyder had been utilized as a fullback and tight end for the early part of the 2024 season, finishing with 207 yards and three TDs on 63 carries. He said the transition from being “a guy that primarily blocked to being the leader of the offense” was a tough one but said his offseason work and studying the playbook has helped.

Snyder is a starting forward on the Pine Grove basketball team and a pitcher on the baseball team, with his talents on the diamond helping him in football as well.

“I think it helps a lot getting to throw all year round and not only having to worry about throwing in the fall,” Snyder said. “Throwing baseball my whole life helped my arm slot right away and helped me be able to throw the ball.”

Pine Grove at a Glance

Head Coach: Dave Shiffer (4th season, 6-25)

2024 Record: 1-9

Conference: Schuylkill-Colonial Blue Division

3 Key Players to Watch

Wyatt Snyder, senior QB/LB

Logan Troup, junior RB/LB

Teagan Schneck-Haines, junior, WR/CB

3 Key Newcomers to Watch

Peyton Renninger, senior WR/P/DB

Zach Kurtz, junior FB/LB

Cody Schneck, sophomore OL

3 Key Graduation Losses

Brayden Lyons, LB

Brody Ibarra, WR/DB

Robbie Schaeffer, TE/DB

Key Position Battles in Camp

Defensive Line, Safety, Fullback

Reliable Runner

Another “silver lining” in Pine Grove’s 2024 campaign was the breakout season from running back Logan Troup.

As a sophomore, Troup became the Cardinals’ No. 1 rusher, running for 650 yards and five TDs on 173 carries. The 5-7, 171-pounder provides a reliable weapon for Shiffer to use in his offense as Snyder develops as a quarterback.

“We’re expecting big things from Logan this year,” Shiffer said. “He had a solid sophomore season, came on as a newcomer and had a solid year.

“He put a lot of time in the weight room this year, got bigger, worked on his speed. He’s a year older, a year smarter and a year under his belt. We’re expecting big things from him.”

Getting gritty

Shiffer said his team’s focus during the offseason was improving their toughness and being a gritty, disciplined football team.

The Cardinals were outscored 397-110 in their 10 games last year, with a 28-21 Homecoming victory over Shenandoah Valley being their only win.

Getting tougher and eliminating the little mistakes that can stall offensive drives or yield big plays on defense is the first step to improving last year’s results.

“Obviously, we want to improve on last year’s record,” Shiffer said. “One of the goals this offseason we talked about our approach being a tough, gritty and disciplined football team.

“Some of the things we have to improve … our defense is going to be more aggressive this year, focusing on that toughness and gritty aspect and being disciplined. … We want to improve our pass game. We want to become a more balanced offense and put more points on the board.”

Pine Grove’s Schedule

Friday, Aug. 22 — Northern Lebanon

Friday, Aug. 29 — Nativity

Friday, Sept. 5 — at Tri-Valley

Saturday, Sept. 13 — Panther Valley

Friday, Sept. 19 — at Shenandoah Valley

Friday, Sept. 26 — Mahanoy Area

Friday, Oct. 3 — at Minersville

Friday, Oct. 10 — at Schuylkill Haven

Friday, Oct. 17 — Marian

Friday, Oct. 24 — at Williams Valley

Pine Grove Roster