When Shane McKenna packs up and heads to Staten Island next month, it will be a homecoming, of sorts.

The freshman-to-be at Wagner College is anxious to launch his college football career after putting together a stellar high school stint at Notre Dame High School, and chose the Staten Island, N.Y., school over a host of other programs for all the right reasons.

"First of all, it's Staten Island, where I pretty much grew up," McKenna, whose family now resides in Millstone, said. "I've still got a lot of family up there, so I was excited to be able to play in front of them.

"And I really like the business program [McKenna will major in business, hoping to intern with one of New York City's major financial players], the campus, the coaches - it seemed like everything just kind of meshed up there," he added. "It seemed like the best choice for me."

McKenna, who was a co-captain on a 7- 3 Notre Dame team that lost in the first round of the NJSIAA playoffs to Paul VI this past fall, will be joining a Wagner program that is coming off a 7-4 season and has put together a heralded recruiting class that also includes former Brick Memorial standout Prince Young, who played for Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia last season, and New Egypt's Steve Panusak, a sophomore quarterback who gained valuable experience starting six games while seeing action in eight games as a true freshman in 2007 at La Salle. Panusak enrolled at Wagner after the Explorers dropped their football program.

The Seahawks, who open the season on Sept. 5 at Stonehill College in Massachusetts, are expected to be one of the better teams in the Northeast Conference once again.

Offensively, Wagner returns several statistical leaders from last year's team, including senior quarterback Matt Abbey (114-236-1,592 yards, 9 TDs), junior WR Lon Woods (24 receptions, 449 yards, 4 TDs) and senior WR Kyle Trueblood (20 receptions, 232 yards). Junior RB Rodney Davis (66 carries, 350 yards, 2 TDS) is Wagner's leading returning rusher but will be limited this spring due to a knee injury suffered late last season that required surgery.

McKenna hopes to be part of a Seahawk defense that returns senior DE Robert Brown, a third-team AP All-American who finished fourth in the nation in sacks with 10, earning First Team All- NEC honors in the process. The Seahawks also welcome back a pair of starting linebackers in senior Jeremy Spinks and junior Jason Haskins, who were tied for second on the team in tackles with 72. Senior DT Adrian Adderly (60 tackles), junior DTs Joseph Harkins (30 tackles) and Joe Johnson (26 tackles) are a trio of stout run-stoppers up front. Returning in the Seahawk secondary are hard-hitting senior safety Tavares Lee (62 tackles), senior CB Dario Charlton (54 tackles) and junior CB Jorel Joseph (30 tackles).

While McKenna knows he will need to work extremely hard to earn some playing time at Wagner, the 5-11, 220-pound linebacker said he was assured by head coach Walt Hameline and linebackers coach Del Smith

who also takes over the special teams coaching duties this season) that he would be given every opportunity to earn his spot on the field.

"They told me that I would definitely get a shot at playing right away, but that I would have to earn it," McKenna said. "I would be happy just to be part of a [defensive] rotation, but my goal is to start. I think that is something I can achieve."

McKenna, whose strengths at the linebacker position include his side-to-side speed and a real "nose for the ball," points to his experiences at Notre Dame as his reasons for believing in his ability to adapt to the college game.

"Our strength training at Notre Dame made a huge difference," he said. "I think we had one of the best strength coaches in the nation, and he had everything at a collegiate level for us. He was always pushing us to do more to improve our strength; it was always stressed."

Whether or not McKenna is ready to play at the next level right away remains to be seen; however, he will certainly have all the support he needs from what is a true football family.

"Since he started playing Pop Warner football when he was 4 1/2, 5 years old, this was always his dream," said Shane's proud mother, Diane.

"And the fact that he's able to play at a Division IAA school is such a thrill for all of us."

The recruiting process was a stressful one (as they usually are), since Shane had to choose between several suitors.

"It was very confusing, very draining," said Diane McKenna. "When they're recruiting you, they're all calling you, and then all of a sudden they stop and you don't hear from them for a while. Then, all of a sudden you start getting more calls from other schools, so it really can be exhausting."

In the end, however, the decision to attend Wagner was applauded by Shane's family, since it will allow Mom, his father Drew (who has coached within the Allentown Redbirds Pop Warner program for a number of years), and his two younger brothers, Ryan (a senior at Notre Dame) and Devin (a sophomore at Notre Dame), to keep close tabs on him throughout his college career.

"The fact that we can all be there, including his grandmother, who means a lot to him, makes this a perfect scenario for him," Diane McKenna said.