FB: Empire 8

[Shoreman]

From the SC athletics website
2006 SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE
FOOTBALL PREVIEW

     Springfield College football is great entertainment, and it has been so for quite some time now. Head Coach Mike DeLong's trademarks always include a team-oriented ball-control offense and an active bone-crushing defense.
     In that regard, expect very little to change in the 2006 season, DeLong's 23rd at Springfield and 25th as a head coach overall.
     There is that anomaly of a season (4-6 last year) to improve upon. But the surprise would come if SC did not improve. The Pride was certainly moving in the right direction by gathering momentum with four wins in its last six games a year ago.

    Winning has come naturally to Springfield College football in recent years. In the last 11 years alone, SC's overall record is 76-37, good for a sparkling .673 winning percentage. And in the past four years alone, SC has manufactured a 30-11 mark, good for an even better .732 winning percentage.
     Here is more to chew on since that '95 season – five national rushing titles, seven post-season appearances, four NCAA Division III Tournament berths ('98, '00, '02, '03), five conference titles, fourteen All-Americans, and one unbeaten 10-0 regular season in 2003.

     DeLong will enter the 2006 campaign as the winningest active Division III coach in New England with his 136 victories (124 at Springfield). Seven of the last 11 seasons at SC have been winning ones, last season notwithstanding. It won't be easy in the 7-team Empire Eight conference and with its challenging schedule overall, but Springfield does expect to rebound this fall.

     Will the Pride contend for an Empire Eight title and the automatic NCAA Tournament berth that goes along with it? Here are some clues.

OFFENSE

     Only four starters return from an offensive unit that averaged 31.2 points and 339.6 rushing yards per game last fall, so at first glance one might deduce it would be difficult to match or better that excellent production.
      True, four offensive linemen, the split end, the tight end, and the top fullback have all graduated. But there is much hope here, especially if you consider that the quarterback and a bevy of experienced backs all return for Offensive Coordinator Mike Cerasuolo.
      Exciting junior QB Chris Sharpe, who did not start until Game #5 last season, a 50-49 overtime victory over Western Connecticut State, wound up leading the Pride in rushing last year with 741 yards and a 6.2 yards per carry average. His 13 rushing TD's also led the squad.
      "Sharpe was 4-2 as a starter last year," said DeLong of his QB and one of four captains this season. "The team developed a great deal of confidence in him very quickly. He is a strong runner, a good passer, and a great team leader. Chris only played QB for six games, so he should develop by leaps and bounds as he gains even more experience."
      Sharpe last season earned the Empire Eight Sportsman of the Year Award for Springfield. He also impressively was named Springfield's Top Male Sophomore Team Award winner at the school's year-end Awards Recognition Night.
      Sophomore Justin Fernandez, considered an excellent athlete with great running ability, will serve as the back-up.
      Graduated fullback Andre Clayton and his 663 rushing yards and 7 rushing TD's will be missed, but SC may have just the one to replace him in Andrew Jackson, a rugged 5-11, 235-pound sophomore, who ran for 518 yards (5.9 avg.) and 10 TD's a year ago. "Jackson had a great off-season," noted DeLong. "He's a tough, physical runner, and I expect big things from him this fall."
      Junior Dante Calabrese is considered a speedy back-up who also had a good spring.
      The halfback position will be in outstanding shape, considering all those who return. Senior Tim Brouillard has shown power and consistency. He gained 272 yards last year. Junior Derron Walker did even better with 341 yards and 2 TD's rushing. Senior Aland Joseph, and his team-leading 11.0 yards per carry average, rushed for 253 yards and 2 more TD's. Junior Joe Czarnecki added 120 yards and 1 TD. "All of the halfbacks just listed are considered strong runners, tough blockers, and all possess good hands," said DeLong. "In addition, we might want to watch for a couple of younger players in (sophomores) Nick Tymosko and Greg Carrasquillo."
      At wide receiver, Mike Grendal and Damian Gunningsmith, last season's DeOrmond "Tuss" McLaughry (Western Mass. Top Scholar) Award winner, have graduated. Grendal caught 9 passes for 212 yards, 3 TD's, and a gaudy 23.6 yards per catch average. "We'll look for help from (senior) Matt Norris and (sophomore) Ben Deptula, both recovering from injuries," said DeLong. "And we hope (senior) Erich Timmerman can stay healthy."
      Others who may help at wide receiver include hard workers Brian Woodford and Brian Rose, both seniors, and the very athletic Kyle Anderson, a junior who is a converted quarterback.
      The tight end could very well be Mark Foster, a sophomore, who has shown strength, speed, and toughness. Other contenders include senior Tim Fledderjohn, sophomore JP Gagnon, and sophomore Mark Boardman. 
      The offensive line will be the most inexperienced unit on that side of the ball. Among those missing will be graduated center Dan Tanguay, a Strength & Conditioning All-American, and left tackle Jason Benguche, whose honors included First Team All-Empire Eight, First Team All-New England, and winner of a prestigious NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship. Also gone are the right-side graduated tandem of guard Marcello Mancini (All-Empire Eight honorable mention) and tackle Justin Hayward.
      The top returnee is senior guard Adam Feit, another of the four captains, and an Empire Eight honorable mention selection. "Adam is a tough one," said DeLong. "As for the rest, I'm expecting a battle at center between (senior) Mike Mestieri and (sophomore) Steve Zuraw. At the other guard, we could see (senior) Dan Conners, (junior) Chris Fee, or (junior) Chris Simister. At left tackle, we hope to have senior Nate Germain return from injury. He should be pushed by (junior) Conor Hughes and (senior) Adam Sherman. The right tackle could be (junior) Sean Kemp being pushed by (sophomore) Thomas Whitcomb.
      "The O-line will have to come together as a unit very quickly," emphasized DeLong. "And overall, it will be interesting to see how soon the offense will jell as a whole."

DEFENSE

     We would be remiss if we did not begin a discourse of the Pride defense by mentioning that it was our very own Defensive Coordinator Jack Holik who was named last year's Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Assistant Coach of the Year, a prestigious regional honor bestowed upon an assistant football coach from New England. Holik completed his 25th year at SC in the fall of 2005. 
       "The award was richly deserved," said DeLong. "Jack has a knack for getting the most out of his players, he is always thoroughly prepared, and we're very fortunate to have him as a part of our staff. He is an outstanding coach and a true asset to the college."
       Holik will have more returning starters – 8 – on his side of the ball than will the offense. There will be, however, some holes to fill.

       One area that should be very solid is the inside linebacker position. Both starting ILB's return, led by "all-everything" candidate and captain Andrew Madigan. Now a senior, Madigan was the league's second-leading (and the team's leading) tackler last season with 105, including 53 solos. He also had 6 tackles-for-loss, 1 interception, 4 pass break-ups, and 1 blocked kick. Madigan was a First Team All-Empire Eight selectee.
        His runningmate, senior Ian Johnson, was last season's 6th-team-leading tackler with 43 stops, including 23 solos. Johnson also added 2 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles. 
        "These two are fine athletes and are able to roam from sideline to sideline pretty well," said DeLong. "They worked especially hard on pass coverage this past spring, and should be very much improved in that area."
        Sophomores Mike Adams and Tom Caporale have proven to be very instinctive players and will push to play. And senior Joe Arcieri will provide further depth.
        It will be at outside linebacker where holes will need to be plugged. Starters R.J. Perkins (4th-leading tackler with 48 and an All-Empire Eight honorable mention selectee) and Tom Shruhan (26 tackles) have graduated. Expected to fill the void will be junior Jason Bakoulis ("tough, disciplined") or perhaps junior Andrew Farinick ("good size and strength") on one side. Then there is the combination of sophomores Brian Hess and Sean Richey on the other.
        There is some experience at defensive end where senior Ed Yakubian (23 tackles) is a returning starter, and senior Mike Nicol has played quite a bit. Juniors Steve Brutus and Roody Joseph are continuing to develop.
        The defensive tackle slot should be manned by returning starter Pat Shortell, a 6-4, 300-pound junior. His back-up, senior Kris Noivadhana, also returns following a good spring. Meanwhile, track weight man Dominic Uguccioni, a junior, could find a spot somewhere.
        Finally, for the best news regarding the SC defense, the whole secondary returns. The four starters include seniors Kevin Fessette at strong safety, junior Paul Zalenski and senior Joe Harasymiak at the cornerbacks, and junior Lucas Maciarello at free safety.
       Fessette, the fourth captain for this fall, was the team's second-leading tackler last season with 63. He also posted 3 interceptions and a team-high 5 pass break-ups for an overall solid junior season.
       Maciarello was the squad's 3rd-leading tackler last year with 52. He also had a team-high 5 interceptions, including a school-record-tying 3 in the 59-35 victory at Hartwick.
       Sophomores Greg Webster at strong safety and Jason Antonucci at free safety both had very decent spring seasons.
       Harasmyiak recorded 18 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 3 pass break-ups at one corner. Zalenski, the team's 7th-leading tackler last year with 40, also had 3 more pass break-ups and 1 forced fumble. There are four others who may come into the picture at cornerback as well. They include sophomore Kyle Gunningsmith, senior Dwight Hazelwood, junior Brian Pinto and junior Brian Bert.

       "There are a good number of experienced veterans in this unit," aid DeLong. "I'm anxious to see what kind of improvement we have made in the past year."

SPECIAL TEAMS

     Special teams were up and down in 2005.

       The return games, both in kickoffs and punts, will be up for grabs this season. But there is no dearth of qualified candidates for those important jobs.
       The punter could turn out to be senior Mike Nicol, who served as a back-up a year ago. Sophomore Jason Hurlock is also in the picture.
       Last season, placekicking proved to be somewhat less than a strength. Two one-point losses, one in overtime, stung when there were problems with extra points. There should be a wide-open battle for the job this season among any of the following four candidates – sophomore Dan Falvey, sophomore David Rich, senior Brian Rose, and junior Joe Czarnecki.


THE SCHEDULE

      The Empire Eight continues to be a daunting conference.  Defending champion Ithaca, Alfred, St. John Fisher, and Utica, which all proved difficult for the Pride last season, are forces within the league, not to mention Hartwick and Norwich. In addition, SC must face perennially-strong Union, Montclair State, and Brockport State this season. And the fourth non-conference opponent in the 10-game schedule is Husson, a relatively young, but upcoming, program. That game will be played on the road.
      Springfield will play six home games this season. That includes the first four against Union, Montclair, Alfred, and Utica. SC must make hay then if it can, as four of the last six will be played away from the friendly confines of Benedum Field.     


     

[Shoreman]

Meant to post SC Football preview to this thread , see in topics

Sorry

[frank uible]

In the double wing-bone it's all about first the QB and second the FB.

[ptomback]

It's almost that time for the boys to get back to work!  I can't wait!  I think they report on the 11th or 15th?  Did IC get any freshman that can come in and make a difference?  Who replaced Angelico?  Has anyone heard the status of that freshman LB IC had last year?  I think he was number 51, he played like 2 games and was then out for the year.  Go Bombers!!!!   

[tecmobowler]

Word continues to pile in that the Freshman QB from Nisky is really really really legit.  Could be a three man race for QB... cant wait for training camp.  Reports will be on the way!

[Reno Hightower]

actually saw the kid working out recently. i dont believe in freshmen, esp at QB but boy he looked good. Ithaca went into Union and RPIs backyard and took a good one!

[tecmobowler]

Oooh do tell more!

[Reno Hightower]

Not much tecmo, just went for a run at Nisky high and he was there running also. He is in great shape. He has great fundamentals. He runs pretty well, hes not an option QB but you can certainly sprinkle some option stuff in to keep defenses honest with him. He knows how to move in the pocket and yes h can throw the rock a lil bit!

[lumpy]

It's almost that time for the boys to get back to work!  I can't wait!  I think they report on the 11th or 15th?  Did IC get any freshman that can come in and make a difference?  Who replaced Angelico?  Has anyone heard the status of that freshman LB IC had last year?  I think he was number 51, he played like 2 games and was then out for the year.  Go Bombers!!!!   

IC's linebacker #51 Matt Scalice will be back, he is in excellent physical shape, bigger & stronger, he will definately make an impact this year ( Bam Bam hangs out with him over the summer) is how i know this, and IC has hired an offensive coordinator, forgot his name, i wanna say his last name is SHURE not positive though, cant wait to see the boys play this year, Kelly Gordon WILL have a big year, cant wait to see his wheels start moving and the defensive backs watching him  from behind crossing the goal line!!!

LETS GO BOMBERS !!!!!!

[PBR...]

>>I bet you'd like to eat a nice garbage plate at Tahou's, too. <<   when in rochester i am a nick's garbage plate man myself...

[maninorangehat]

It's almost that time for the boys to get back to work!  I can't wait!  I think they report on the 11th or 15th?  Did IC get any freshman that can come in and make a difference?  Who replaced Angelico?  Has anyone heard the status of that freshman LB IC had last year?  I think he was number 51, he played like 2 games and was then out for the year.  Go Bombers!!!!   

IC's linebacker #51 Matt Scalice will be back, he is in excellent physical shape, bigger & stronger, he will definately make an impact this year ( Bam Bam hangs out with him over the summer) is how i know this, and IC has hired an offensive coordinator, forgot his name, i wanna say his last name is SHURE not positive though, cant wait to see the boys play this year, Kelly Gordon WILL have a big year, cant wait to see his wheels start moving and the defensive backs watching him  from behind crossing the goal line!!!

LETS GO BOMBERS !!!!!!

Welcome back lumpy!  I hope Bam Bam has recovered from last season as well.  Do you know where this new OC is coming from?

[stealthbomber]

The new OC at Ithaca was the O-Line coach at Amherst

[TecmoYellowHat]

MIOH,

Will you be around Ithaca this coming year or are you moving?

[AUPepBand]

The new OC at Ithaca was the O-Line coach at Amherst

Are you Schur this is the guy? ....from Amherst football website:

Amherst graduate Rob Schur '98 returns for his eighth year as an assistant coach, tutoring a strong offensive line. As an undergrad, Schur started at right tackle for two seasons (1996-97) and helped lead the Jeffs to consecutive 7-1 records. He also captained the Amherst indoor and outdoor track teams and served as an assistant coach for both programs from 1998 through the spring of 2002. Under his tutelage, the offensive line has paved the way for more than 9,230 rushing yards over the last six seasons, highlighted by a 241.2-yard per game output in 2004. Schur also serves as Amherst's director of football operations and strength and conditioning coach.

Of course, this was posted prior to the Jeffs' 2005 season.

[miracleworker]

I too have heard great things about the new QB for our Bombers.  Seems to be the storys the same on him as it was on Mr. Juvon. D1 prospects, yada yada, then chose IC.  I have also heard rumors in the mill about IC highering a former Cornell coach.  anyone know if this is true or just hogwash?  only 5 weeks and 6 days away!  gotta love it boys! 

MW