Geno DeMarco laughed when he said he couldn't have players walking around the Geneva College campus in Beaver Falls with a soft cast on their leg or their shoulder in a sling.

"If we have them looking like their coach, we'll be in trouble," he said.

When the Golden Tornadoes opened training camp this season, DeMarco was coming off shoulder surgery and then ended up with a walking boot on his right ankle, thanks to an injury. He was supposed to use crutches during practice, but quickly discarded that idea.

"If the coach is the only one who ends up like this, we'll be in good shape," he said.

Geneva should be in good shape this season, even if its coach isn't.

The Golden Tornadoes are coming off an 8-3 overall record and impressive 7-1 mark against Presidents' Athletic Conference competition. Geneva is making the transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division III and is just a provisional member of the PAC.

The only downer came at the end of the 2007 season when Geneva was trounced by Malone, 45-17, in the National Christian College Athletic Association Victory Bowl.

The other losses were to Salisbury, 20-7, and powerful Washington & Jefferson, 28-20.

"Last year, we had a lot of question marks," said DeMarco, who has a 103-55 record in 15 years at Geneva. "We ended up playing only about four or five bad quarters of football. I was disappointed in the Malone game, where we just melted down.

"One thing our guys learned last year is that in this conference you have to bring it every week. I was impressed by the talent in the conference."

Repeating a 7-1 record in the PAC won't be easy for Geneva, but DeMarco does have a talented team returning, especially on offense.

Running backs Matt Dean, a Neshannock High School product, and Gerald Muschette return. A junior, Dean led the team in rushing last year with 586 yards on 126 carries (53.3 yards per game), while Muschette gained 334 yards on 72 attempts. They scored four touchdowns apiece.

There is also Matt Barge, another Neshannock grad and a transfer from Mount Union, and fullback Corey Hicks from Blackhawk. Both are juniors

The quarterback will be David Girardi, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound sophomore from St. Petersburg, Fla. He backed up Bobby Bondi last season, but saw some playing time, passing for 153 yards and running for another 45 in 10 games, so he isn't a rookie.

"We were fortunate to get David and to have him ... he was highly recruited," DeMarco said. "But I'm a little concerned about the backup spot. We lost some kids who would have been good backups."

Dom Henderson, who played quarterback at Beaver Falls, has transferred to Geneva from Thiel, but he has to wait a year before he can play. Chance Kelosky played quarterback at Riverside, but has settled into a linebacker spot and is too valuable to be moved.

The only other quarterback listed on the roster besides Girardi is freshman Garrett Sekanick from Valley High School.

"We have a couple other guys who have played quarterback who we have at other positions, but they're also freshmen," DeMarco.

Girardi has a talented group of receivers headed by seniors Brian Dvorsak from Blackhawk and Luke Duriancik from Kiski Area. They were the team's leading receivers last year with 33 and 36 receptions, respectively. Freshmen A.J. Delmonico, another Blackhawk graduate, and Tyler Jodon from Laurel Highlands also figure in the mix.

The offensive line is an area of concern, but DeMarco believes the unit will be solid if the younger players come around as expected.

"For us, it's a matter of how fast we can get better on the offensive line," he said. "I'm very encouraged with the young guys we have."

Some of the youngsters who could see time are freshmen Oliver Onufer from Serra Catholic, Ryan Oldham from Greensburg Central Catholic and Ryan Beatrice from Rochester. Devon Turner, a sophomore, is a transfer from Florida A&M.

"Those four young guys have great potential," DeMarco said. "As the offensive line gets better, so will the team."

Defensively, Geneva has its first, fourth, fifth and sixth leading tacklers returning from last year in linebacker Zach Feltrop (105 total tackles), linebacker Aaron Tommelleo (64 tackles), linebacker Dan Terracciano (58 tackles) and defensive end Brian Wilson (54 tackles, 13 sacks).

Geneva's defense allowed an average of 294.4 yards a game and just 195 points.

"Defensively, we have a chance to be pretty good again, especially if the younger guys come through," DeMarco said.

What has DeMarco holding his breath is a lack of experienced depth.

"We're young, for us," he said. "That's why we need to stay healthy."

The Golden Tornadoes open the season at 7 p.m. Sept. 6 against Seton Hill. That game will allow school officials to show off refurbished Reeves Field.

New bleacher seats have been installed on the home side, along with new rest rooms and a new press box. The improvements go along with the artificial surface that was installed before last season.

"Everything is to be ready for the first one," DeMarco said. "Hopefully, we'll build on what we did last year."