Bellwood-Antis senior Dan Graham has signed his Letter of Intent to attend Saint Francis University beginning in the fall of 2003. Graham will play football for the Red Flash.
At Bellwood-Antis, Dan was a member of three Blue Devil football teams that won 26 of 27 regular season games, compiled back-to-back undefeated seasons in 2000 and 2001 and played in the District VI-A championship game in both those years.
Graham played wingback and defensive back at B-A and was a record-setting place kicker whose booming kickoffs kept opponents deep in their own territory to began the majority of offensive series. During Graham’s senior season, a knee injury that occurred during a soccer game late in the summer and required surgery after the football season, limited Dan to solely being a kicker. Graham also played baseball for the Blue Devils, who captured a Blair County League title during his sophomore year, under coach Dave Brisbin.
“This is a great opportunity for Dan,” said Bellwood-Antis football coach John Hayes. “He has been an outstanding performer for us especially the last two years. We feel bad that his senior year was hampered by the injury. His place-kicking skills weren’t hampered a bit and he’s healthy now. So, I am looking forward to seeing him having an outstanding career at the collegiate level. He really has a talent and he’s been a late bloomer, getting better every year, as far as consistency and strength. I thing his best years are ahead of him. I’m sure that he will be able to make a real viable contribution up there (at St. Francis). Their program seems to on the rise and the timing looks good to be apart of it. It’s also a very good school academically, so that’s a good choice for him there. My only reservation is that Dan was not being able to a full-time player during his senior year. That is something that is past and he’s healthy now. He is going to enjoy his participation up there immensely.”
Graham holds Bellwood-Antis records for the most points by a kicker (64 in 2001 and a career total of 106, both records), most PATs by kicking (52 in 2001) longest field goal (39 yards against West Branch in 2003), most field goals in one season (4) and most field goals in his career (7). Graham is also second in total PATs with 85 to Chris Miller’s total of 88.
“We need kickers who are accurate and capable of booming the ball on kickoffs,” stated St. Francis head football coach Dave Opfar, who is beginning his second year as coach of the Red Flash. St. Francis lost their first seven games in 2002, to add to a steak that reached 25 straight losses, then began to turn around the program in the final four games of the season. St. Francis stopped the down streak and went 2-2 over the second half of the season, including two wins and a 7-0 loss.
“We really struggled with our kicking game last year,” acknowledged Opfar. “Our kicker was a senior who has graduated. We had no consistency in our kicking really, resulting in the average start for our opponents being out near the 45-yard line every time they got the football. Dan has a good reputation from high school and he chose to stay close to home, which was good for us. We want to get the best we can in our recruits. Our goal is to get and keep the local talent here. This is far enough away from home to have our kids get the college experience and still close enough not to have to worry about losing them because they get homesick.
“We have just Dan and one other kicker from Belle Vernon in this recruiting class. It will be competitive on kickoffs and place-kicking. We will go with the best players on the field at all the positions. We have a young team and we turned the corner at the end of the season last year. People are excited again about Saint Francis football. This is not a losing program. We are upbeat about the coming season. These kids are using to winning in high school. We want to teach the kids to win on the college level.”
