University Athletic Association

[ADL70]

Keeping grounded by Tartan Player's admonition that the most heralded newcomers aren't always the most successful players, fully one-third of the incoming class of Spartans were either All-State (6) or All-District (5) selections.

All-State

Vinny Hokavar--3 time All-Ohio  2006 D-IV 2nd team DB   2007 D-IV 2nd team team QB  2008 D-IV SM QB

Adam Watson  All-Ohio D-I 2nd team OL

Phillip Grizer All-Ohio D-IV 2nd team DL

Dan Calabrese All-Ohio D-III SM DB

Ryan Ferguson  Class 5A Illinois HSFCA  LB/TE

Lucas Johnson   All Wisconsin HM  OL


All-District

Mike Harris  NE Ohio D-II 2nd team  OL

Tripper Duchscherer NE Ohio D-V 2nd team  OL

Kyle Snyder NE Ohio D-II HM   2007 D-III 2nd team  QB

Steven Roby Central Ohio D-II SM  DB

Collin Desens  Section I NY  OL

[ADL70]

I've filled in most of the blanks

2009 Case Western Reserve Spartan Freshmen
Kevin Brayer LB 6-1 186 North Canton (Hoover)
Andrew Berkebile OL 6-1 260 Cranberry Twp PA (Seneca Valley)
Dan Calabrese DB 5-8 170 Mentor (NDCL)
Mike Calabrese OL 5-11 260 Eden MD (Parkside)
Collin Desens DL 6-1 230 Hopewell Junction NY (Arlington)
Cary Dieter DB 5-11 185 McKees Rock, PA (Montour)
Cullen Dolan TE 6-3 205 Chicago IL (Brother Rice)
Tripper Duchscherer DL 6-1 268 Middlefield (Cardinal)
Ryan Ferguson LB 6-1 185 Wheaton IL (St Francis)
Michael Fioramonti LB 5-11 190 Loxahatchee FL (Seminole Ridge)
Brandon Flick DB 6-0 185 Butler PA (Knoch)
Garrett Foreijt DB  6-1 180 Ruff's Dale, PA (Greensburg CC)
Phillip Grizer DL 6-1 235 Pataskala (Licking Heights)
Michael Harris DL 6-2 260 Shaker Heights
Vinny Hokavar QB 6-3 195 Perry
Tyler Hugus OL 6-2 230 Scottsdale AZ (Notre Dame)
Lucas Johnson DL 5-11 215 River Falls WI (River Falls)
Philip Kalal DL 5-9 230 North Olmsted
Michael Koopman OL 6-1 255 Brunswick (Parma Padua)
Will Lang LB 6-0 185 Winchester MA
Brandon Leedy DL 6-0 240 Durham NC (Jordan)
Kevin Nossem LB 6-2 210 Munster IN
David Phillips QB 6-2 185 McDonald PA (Fort Cherry)
Robert Ruffner DB 5-9 165 Allison Park PA (Shady Side Academy))
Steven Roby DB 6-0 142 Gahanna (St. Charles Prep)
Zachary Scott WR 6-3 180 West Allegheny PA
Wade Self LB 6-0 215 Hawthorn Woods IL (Lake Zurich)
Michael Sirosky DL 6-1 205 Rochester Hills MI (Adams)
Kyle Snyder DB 6-1 180 Stow (Walsh Jesuit)
Lucas Voigt DL 5-11 225 North Royalton (Parma Padua)
Adam Watson DE 6-2 230 Mentor
Chris Yanosko OL 6-2 230 Parma (St Ignatius)

[ADL70]

Pat Coleman has the Spartans ranked #18 in his USA Today preview.

Add Kevin Nossem (LB) to the the list as a District All-Star in Indiana

[blue4now]

ADL70   I see the ratings from last year but nothing for this year.  Do you have a link??

[ADL70]

Just hard copy.

Pat has CWRU one of 4 ranked North region teams:

1  Mount Union
5  North Central
8  Wheaton
18 CWRU

USA Today Top 25
http://www.suseagulls.com/sports/fball/2009-10/news/usatodaypoll0629

[ExTartanPlayer]

Seems reasonable.  CWRU has been building a lot of depth the past few years, and with Whalen back I think they'll stay up there.

To me the real test of how far the CWRU program has come will be when Whalen graduates.  With no disrespect intended to the rest of the team, as I am well aware of how much better the overall talent level has improved, I think he's the difference between these CWRU teams going unbeaten vs. winning 7 or 8 games a year.

[ADL70]

No doubt Whalen is key and, not getting too far ahead of ourselves, 2010 will be a big test with the addition of John Carroll to the schedule too.  But don't forget the strength of the defense.  I feel that Joey Baum would have been able to lead the Spartans to 10-0 last year.  The situation that concerns me most for 2010 is third and short situations with the departure of Corey Checkan.  Then there is the question of offers for Coach Debeljak.

We would relish being a "perennial play-off team" as one Western PA paper described CWRU.

[Black n Gold]

A Wooster Fighting Scot fan here....

How does this years Case squad match up with last years? I know Whalen is back, but what about everyone else? (I could look at your website, but its a lot easier on here) I've always enjoyed traveling up North for some entertaining football games with you guys and taking in the awesome atmosphere you guys provide, not just with the stadium but with the fans as well. I'm looking forward to the matchup this year as Wooster will host their first ever night game against the Spartans on the new field turf for "Alumni Night" (Should be a very large crowd on both ends). Good luck on your upcoming season and we will see you soon.  8)

[blue4now]

welcome black and gold

basically 19 starters return including all the skill players (2 qb, 5 rb, 6 wr, 3 te).  the OL needs a tweak or two but plenty of backups saw considerable time.  The D lost a couple key performers as well but return a strong nucleus.

this is now a sr dominated team with 3 strong classes behind them.

[ADL70]

Statistically speaking, 100% of the offense returns along with the top seven and eleven of the top fifteen tacklers.

The Heritage Day jerseys have been revealed.  The brown with red trim doesn't look bad in the picture.  It comes off kind of orangish, ala the Browns.  The numerals are very distinctive too.

http://www.case.edu/athletics/varsity/news/2008-09/heritageday.html

[frank uible]

The CWRU SID office should get, in its release, the spelling of Warren Lahr's last name right.

[ADL70]

The CWRU SID office should get, in its release, the spelling of Warren Lahr's last name right.

They seem perennially to be challenged in the copy editing department. 
I'm not positive about in 1953, but in 1966 Clarke Field was the home field for both Case and Reserve, but the press box only bore the name of Western Reserve.  At some time Case had its own Van Horn Field.  And the name Clarke is associated with Reserve more than with Case.

Also, the 1941 Sun Bowl that Reserve played in was on January 1, 1941, so it was before, not after the 1941 Thanksgiving Day Case-Reserve game.  The release could have also mentioned that Reserve was then coached by future College Football Hall of Fame Coach Bill Edwards (Detroit Lions, Vanderbilt, and Wittenberg) and the team featured Steve Belichick, father of Bill (reportedly named for Coach Edwards).  Steve also played for Edwards with the Lions and coached with him at Vanderbilt, before becoming a long-time assistant at Navy.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8d0KAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_E8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6141,24903

[frank uible]

Saw the 1953 game. It is my recollection and impression that the game day field for that day was right next to the old Adelbert gym and belonged to Reserve. In the 40s Reserve played some of its games at Shaw Field. Were any Case-Reserve games played there? I don't recall that any of them were. In years that I saw Reserve play at Shaw Field I believe the Case-Reserve games were played certainly some or all at League Park and maybe some at Municipal Stadium.

[ADL70]

The 1967 game was played at Shaw.  I was there.  It was Case's home field that year, because Clarke Field had been torn down and Finnigan hadn't been erected.  Reserve played its home games at Cuyahoga Hts High School.  As a result two away games, Case and John Carroll, were actually closer to campus than the home games.

My guess is that the 1953 game was a home game for Case, but both teams played their home games there.  Do you recall that Case was the home team?

I believe it was you who enlighted me that the grandstands at Clarke Field had come from the Cleveland Air Show.

[DagarmanSpartan]

This Heritage Day is the best promotion CWRU has EVER come up with.

Are the helmets going to have a "Red Cat" on one side, and a "Rough Rider" on the other, or something?