By Ed Farrell

Herald Assistant Sports Editor

THIEL COLLEGE football once again will be broadcast on NewsTalk 790, WPIC AM.

Hugh Ringer returns to call the Tomcats’ play-by-play, and this year will be assisted by Rod Wilt’s color commentary. Thiel commences the campaign 1 p.m. Saturday, hosting Geneva College at Alumni Stadium, Greenville. The pre-game show will air 12:30 p.m., and the game also will be streamed on www.790PIC.com and www.MSN.com, according to Ringer.

The Tomcats of 7th-year taskmaster Jack Leipheimer ended 5-5 a year ago, including a 7-0 season-opening win over Geneva in Beaver Falls. The Golden Tornadoes of head coach Gene DeMarco were 4-5 last year. In a series that began in 1899, Geneva leads Thiel 20-9-3.

Geneva is in the process of transitioning from the NAIA to the NCAA Division III Presidents’ Athletic Conference, but is not yet eligible for postseason play.

ä Grove City College’s first foray into night football at refurbished Robert E. Thorn Field is set for Sept. 22 when the Wolverines welcome Waynesburg for a 7 p.m. PAC contest. A fireworks display by Zambelli Internationale of New Castle will precede at 6:30 p.m. (rain date, Oct. 5).

“We’re very excited about playing at night,” said veteran GCC head coach Chris Smith. “Everyone that I speak with asks about the night game. It’s generating a lot of excitement with our players, alumni and the college. It should be a great night.”

According to GCC sports information director Ryan Briggs, the school added lights to Thorn Field during the summer of ’06 as part of the facility’s renovation. The college’s campus community was afforded recreational evening use during the fall (except for 6 p.m. Thursday football practices during the ’06 season) and spring, and Grove City also played its intra-squad scrimmage under the lights last year. Also, Grove City High played a night game at Thorn Field after Forker Field flooded last October.

ä Dean Toth, a Kennedy Catholic High product, is preparing for his junior season for the California University (Pa.) soccer squad. Toth is listed as a 5-foot-10, 180-pound defender from Farrell. According to a university press release, he is referred to as “ ... among the returnees pushing for starting jobs on defense this season.”

Cal is coming off a 7-10-3 overall, 6-7-3 Pa. State Athletic Conference campaign, and the Vulcans of 22nd-year mentor Dennis Laskey (185-185-28) have won 4 of the past 7 conference regular-season crowns, including an ’05 NCAA tourney appearance.

ä Chad Fitzgerald, a Hickory High product (’03), has been added to the Heidelberg College baseball coaching staff of head coach Matt Palm. Heidelberg captured the ’07 Ohio Athletic Conference regular-season crown. Fitzgerald, Hermitage, is a Seton Hill University (’07) graduate with a degree in marketing and human resource management.