Delaware Valley College has been selected as the favorite to capture the 2009 Middle Atlantic Conference title in a poll conducted of the conference head coaches.
Delaware Valley College has received a lot of attention in the preseason and has been ranked as high as fourth in national publications. The Aggies are coming off a season that saw them go 8-3 overall, earn a share of the MAC title (their third in the last five years) and capture the ECAC South Atlantic Bowl Championship. Two of last year's wins were over the No. 3 and No. 6 teams in the country and head coach Jim Clements has 13 starters back from that unit.
Heading the cast of returnees is 2008 MAC Offensive Player of the Year Mike Isgro. The senior quarterback and four-year starter is coming off a season that saw him complete 144 of 265 passes for 1,787 yards, 21 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Isgro is also a threat to run and racked up 366 yards and two trips to the end zone on the ground.
Junior tailback and 2008 first-team all-conference selection Matt Cook is back after leading the MAC in rushing a season ago. He lugged the ball 276 times for 1,323 yards and 13 touchdowns. A balanced receiving corps features senior Chad Peterman, who paced the Aggies with 32 catches for 377 yards and five touchdowns last year. Two starters are back on the offensive line in junior tackle Mike Lewis (6-3, 270) and junior guard Mike Long (6-3, 270).
On the defensive side of the ball, junior linebacker Kyle Gesswein has been named a preseason All-American by both the The Sporting News and Lindy's. Gesswein tied a school record and led the MAC with 11.5 sacks last year while also leading the conference in tackles for loss with 22. The '08 first-team all-conference pick was also tops on the team and third in the MAC in tackles with 105.
Seniors Charles Squitiere and Derek Porter are also back on the defense after earning all-conference honors last year. Squitiere, a cornerback and first-team honoree, led the MAC in interceptions with six (118 yards) and also added 41 tackles and five pass breakups. Porter was named to the second team as the end racked up 32 tackles, two fumble recoveries and one sack in 2008.
Lycoming (8-3, 5-2 ) is predicted to finish second.
After winning the conference co-championship in 2008, second year head coach Mike Clark will look to defend his title in 2009. With 81 new student-athletes coming to Lycoming, and only losing 13 seniors to graduation, the Warriors will be a force to contend with in the MAC.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Warriors return senior defensive tackle Ted Geurds, who was selected as a d3football.com preseason All-American. Last season Geurds led Lycoming’s defensive line with 40.5 tackles, and was third in the conference with seven sacks. He also anchored a line that held its opponents to a MAC second-best 117.4 rushing yards.
Offensively, Lycoming returns junior running back Josh Kleinfelter, who was selected as the offensive player of the week on three occasions. Kleinfelter was also named to the second-team All-Conference team after becoming the first Warrior since 2002 to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. In 2008, he averaged 4.9 yards per carry and 107.4 yards a game.
The four captains for Lycoming this season will be Geurds and senior defensive end Kyle Murren on defense, while Kleinfelter and senior quarterback Colin Dwyer will lead the offense.
Albright (7-4, 5-2) is projected to finish third in the preseason poll.
The 2009 season looks to begin a new era of Albright Football. After a very successful 2008 campaign, the Lions will look to take their game to the next level this fall. Guided by third year head coach John Marzka the red and white are once again ready to make a run at the NCAA tournament and a national title.
On the offensive side of the ball, senior quarterback Tanner Kelly will once again be the driving force behind a very versatile Lions offense. Last season, Kelly proved yet again that he his one of the most capable quarterbacks in the Middle Atlantic Conference. Ranked third all-time in passing yards at Albright, Kelly compiled 1,795 passing yards, and had 123.56 passing efficiency in 2008.
At the wide receiver position, no other player will prove more important than Nate Romig. A constant threat on the outside, Romig has stepped as one of the team’s all-time top scorers. With a combined 674 receiving yards to his name last season, Romig was responsible for 68 points last season.
When talking offense, no other player made more of a contribution in 2008 then MAC Rookie of the Year Josan Holmes. Holmes, who went unnoticed in the first three contests, exploded in the final eight games to become the first 1,000 yard rusher in over 15 years.
Making the switch to the defensive side of the field, the Lions are very excited to welcome back a group of key veteran players this season. In 2008, the red and white led the MAC in points allowed per game with a mere 16.9, interceptions with 20, and defensive passing efficiency with 98.7.
Playing a major part in those conference leading numbers were a variety of players. In 2009 the back field will look to senior free safety Joe Baciotti to fill in for All-American Matt Christ. Baciotti, who worked closely with Christ, led the team in interceptions with five last season. He also managed to break up a total of two passes, and recorded 23 tackles, one which was for a loss. Also in the back field for the red and white will be junior co-captain Brett Gaul. Last season, Gaul proved that he is more than capable of being a leader on and off the field.
No other player has proven to be more crucial to the success of the Lions defense than senior co-captain Andrew Kibler. The second team all-conference linebacker will once again be the tip of the defensive spear for Albright. Last season, Kibler posted 53.5 tackles, and finished third on the team with 6.5 tackles for a loss.
The special teams side of the Lions will be run by three key players. Tanner Kelly, who was named second team all-conference last season, will be the team’s go-to punter. He will be joined by Brooks Mitzkewich as well. Mitzkewich, did not get to many opportunities last season, but look for him to make an immediate impact in ’09. Junior John Whelan will be responsible for the kick-offs and field goals once again.
Lebanon Valley (6-4, 4-3) is predicted to finish fourth in the coaches preseason poll.
With 17 starters returning on both sides of the ball, including 10 starters on offense, Lebanon Valley is poised to compete for its first MAC championship in 40 years in 2009.
The Flying Dutchmen (6-4, 4-3 MAC in 2008) return every major component of the MAC's top-ranked offense last year, including five all-MAC performers: three 2008 first-team all-MAC picks in record-setting tailback Charlie Parker, fullback Bryan Lynch, and left tackle Sean Tetreault, as well as two second-team all-MAC picks with wide receiver Joe Brennan and right tackle Jason Sneeringer.
On defense, LVC brings back a pair of 2008 all-MAC second-teamers in defensive end Zach Bleiler and free safety Dane Eichelberger, as well as five other starters from the MAC's top-rated defense last year.
The offense will again be run by junior quarterback Caleb Fick, a two-year starter who put up greatly improved numbers last year with 1,782 yards, 15 TDs, and just nine interceptions. He'll have a very deep pool of receiving threats at his disposal, with Brennan, the MAC's leader in receiving yardage last year at 813 yards and nine TDs, Matt Donley (573 yards, 4 TDs), and Sean Donovan, who missed all of 2008 due to injury but had 427 yards and four touchdowns as a starter in 2007.
Meanwhile, LVC's run game returns every component of a unit that put up a MAC-best 191.8 yards per game on the ground in 2008. Senior Charlie Parker, who will be chasing LVC's career rushing yards and touchdown marks, will bounce back from an injury-shortened 2008 in which he ran for 936 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games, including a record-breaking 267 yards at Wilkes.
The offfensive line brings back four starters with all-MAC tackles Tetreault and Sneeringer anchoring the line along with center Clint Surgeoner and right guard Andrew Scott.
The defense will have to absorb the loss of 2008 MAC Defensive Player of the Year Brian Cottone at linebacker, but brings back five starters overall in the front seven. After allowing just 111.9 yards per game rushing last year, Bleiler (57 tackles, 12.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks) and starting nose tackles Mark Bowne (10 tackles) return on the line, while six linebackers with at least one career start under their belt are also back. The experienced unit includes outside backers Alex Gilchrist, Jeff Ochoa and Chadd Comp and inside backers Bruno Iozzo and Will Keylor.
The secondary brings back Eichelberger at free safety (39 tackles, 4 INTs) and experienced backup Ju'rey Fowlkes at strong safety (15 tackles, 1 INT), while the cornerbacks will have starter Tim Ridewood (27 tackles, 4 PBU) joined by Bryan Phanthavong and Jerome Duncan.
Placekicking duties will again fall to reliable junior Brittany Ryan, who went 3-for-3 on field goals and 27-for-30 on PATs last season, and sophomore punter Colt Zarilla will be back after booting 12 punts inside the 20 for an average of 34 yards last year.
Widener (4-6, 2-5) is predicted to finish fifth.
The Pride this season return six of their nine players named all-conference last year.Senior nose guard James Woodley (Pittsgrove, NJ/Schalick), named first team All-MAC, took over the starting reins midway through his freshman year and has not looked back, making himself one of the league’s most feared defensive linemen. The tri-captain ended last year tied for 13th in the conference with four sacks, tied for 40th with 3.7 tackles per game (49 total) and tied for third on the team with seven tackles for a loss.
Junior inside linebacker Joe Favinger (Mohnton, PA/Governor Mifflin) had a tremendous year in being tabbed first team all-league, leading the squad and sitting fourth in the league with 7.2 tackles per game (92 total). He also was fourth in the conference with 1.35 tackles for a loss per game (13.5 total), tied for fourth with 6.5 sacks and tied for eighth with two interceptions.
Junior tight end Michael Penna (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic) rounds out the first-team honorees and made the most of his first year as a starter, closing tied for third on the team with 18 catches and fourth with 200 receiving yards.
Senior running back Ian Decker (Phillipsburg, NJ/Phillipsburg) again made his presence felt in being picked second team All-MAC. He closed sixth in the league with 45.5 yards per game and had his best outing of the year against Frostburg State, notching a career-best three rushing touchdowns. He played a big role in the offense ending fourth in the conference with 124.9 rushing yards per contest.
Senior right tackle Chris Waldron (Allentown, PA/Allentown Central Catholic) helped the offense score at least 27 points in four contests this season. Fellow second-team pick Nate Higgins (Newtown Square, PA/Cardinal O’Hara) at defensive end ended with 21 tackles and is one of nine starters on defense returning this year. season poll.
Wilkes (4-6, 4-3) was chosen sixth in the pre-season poll.
Wilkes University head football coach Frank Sheptock has seen his Colonels go 4-6 the past two seasons, but believes he may have the depth and experience to return to dominance in the MAC.
The Colonels have 34 returning players which include nine starters on offense and six on defense.
Back for the Colonels is quarterback Rob Johnson, who will be playing his final season at Wilkes. In his first year as a starter, Johnson completed 145-263 passes for 1,747 yards with 19 touchdowns. The Bridgewater, N.J. native ranked fourth in the league in passing yards per game and was second in touchdowns.
The Colonels also return of slew of running backs including sophomore Harry Reese, who led the team with 44.5 yards a game last year as well as Zachary Tivald, who led the team with 4.7 yards per carry.
The only holes Sheptock will have to fill are four-time all-MAC performer in Josh George, who anchored the offensive line and wide receiver Jason Prushinski, who was third in the league in receiving yards per game with 64.1 to go along with six touchdowns.
Not only will the offense be solid this year, but the Colonels will also be counting on the services of sophomore kicker Chris Horn, who was one of the best in the league last season. In his first collegiate season, Horn was a perfect 9-9 in field goals and 23-25 in extra points. He led the team with 50 points and three of his nine field goals were from 40 yards or further which included a career long of 47 yards.
While the offense looks to pick up where it left off last season, the defense will be without the services of linebacker Drew Letcavage, who led the team with 112 total tackles and 10 sacks. All is not lost for the Colonels defense as they are returning the majority of their secondary that picked up 12 passes last year. Returning at defensive back is Kevin Gerhart, who led the team with five interceptions and was second on the team in tackles with 62. The Defensive line will feature Chris Swinarski and Jimmy Moore, who combined for 14 sacks and 49 tackles last year. “We have a good nucleus on defense, we just need to find out depth,” Sheptock said.
King’s (3-7, 2-5) earned the seventh spot in the preseason poll.
The King’s College football team enters the 2009 season looking to ride the momentum gained from winning the final two games of the 2008 season, a year in which the Monarchs finished 3-7 overall and 2-5 in the MAC.
With a 24-7 win over MAC tri-champion and NCAA playoff qualifier Lycoming, combined with a 34-13 victory over Old Dominion Conference champion and fellow NCAA participant Randolph-Macon, the Monarchs showed they are capable of playing with the top teams in the conference. This season King’s hopes begin where the team left off and emerge as a MAC title contender.
King’s returns a number of players on offense and will count on an offensive line featuring three returning starters to pave the way. Senior Brandon Cogley (Bethlehem/Freedom) is a returning first-team All-MAC choice at guard and will be joined by fellow returning starters Zach Dunn (Blackwood, NJ/Washing- ton Twp.) and Mike Stampone (Bethlehem/Nazareth. The threesome will be counted on heavily with the return of junior Corey Lavin (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) at quarterback. Lavin missed the first eight games with an injury but led the Monarchs to impressive wins over Lycoming and FDU-Florham in the final two games.
A year ago as a junior, Claude O’Connor (Moscow/North Pocono) made a mid-season move from linebacker to tailback and performed well, rushing for 153 yards on 34 attempts, averaging 4.5 yards per-carry until suffering an injury in the second half against Lycoming that kept him out of the season-finale. At fullback, senior Doug Mucha (Swoyersville/Wyoming Valley West) enters his third year as a starter and averaged 5.1 yards per-carry while catching 10 passes out of the backfield.
The receiving corps stands as another experienced position for the Monarchs. Leading the group is fifth-year senior Mike Verbitski (Burlington, NJ/Burlington Twp.) who enjoyed a solid 2008 season by posting a team-high 35 catches for 539 yards and six touchdowns. Junior Bob Lane (Roebling, NJ/Holy Cross) also returns to starting lineup and was second on the team with 24 catches for 236 yards and one score. Returning at tight end is senior Justin Dalton (Mt. Olive, NJ/Mt. Olive) who snagged 10 passes for 95 yards.
Defensively, King’s returns a great deal of experience along the defensive line, but must fill holes at linebacker and in the secondary. The Monarchs return three defensive line starters in the junior trio of tackles Alex Watty (Bethlehem/Liberty) and Craig Geibert (Doylestown/Central Bucks East), along with defensive end Ryan Nelson (Nazareth/Nazareth). Nelson is the top returning tackler, finishing fourth on the team in 2008 with 53 stops. Watty was fifth with 51 tackles while Geibert was sixth with 31 tackles.
King’s did lose two of its three starting linebackers with sophomore P.J. Nivens (Bronx, NY/Mt. St, Michael’s) as the lone returnee. In the secondary, the Monarchs return senior safeties Brian Mitros (Glenside/Bishop McDevitt) and Justin Zlotek (Plymouth/Wyoming Valley West), while junior cornerback Edwyn Edwards (Copiague, NY/St. John the Baptist) also returns.
The special teams will be led by returning kicker/punter Andrew DeRito (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield). A year ago, DeRito started all 10 games at both positions, converting 12-of-16 extra points while going 4-of-8 in field goal attempts.
FDU-Florham (3-7, 1-6) rounds out the preseason poll in the eighth spot.
The FDU-Florham football team and coach Rich Mosca enter the 2009 season with 50 returning letterwinners, the third year in a row with 50 or more.
The Devils will look to ride their momentum gained from two big wins last year knocking off The College of New Jersey, winners of the NJAC and automatic qualifier for the NCAA in their first game of the season. FDU-Florham then went on to beat Delaware Valley later in the season.
Audio clip from media conference call