Alfred (4-5 in 2001)
The 2001 season was one of growing pains for Alfred, which suffered huge losses on both sides of the ball from the previous year. As a result, a largely young and inexperienced squad struggled to a 4-5 record.

But the 2002 campaign brings with it renewed optimism. Sixteen of 22 starters return, including 10 of 11 on defense. Many of those players saw their first significant game action last year and began the season slow. But they steadily gained experience, which head coach Dave Murray expects will carry over into this season.

"We're looking for improvement, especially on defense," Murray said. "We played a lot of young kids, particularly in the secondary, last season. We'll have a lot more experience this fall."

Indeed, the Saxons began last season with eight new starters on defense. The entire linebacking corps and secondary was made up of first-year starters and the inexperience showed as opposing offenses put up big passing numbers. By the end of the year, however, the defense had settled in and was holding its own. While the Saxons did lose star nose guard Todd Strong to graduation, several solid veterans and a host of promising newcomers return.

"We feel our secondary is much improved this year," Murray said. "We had two freshmen starting at safety, and one of our cornerbacks (converted wideout Vinnie Adamo) was playing his first season on defense. Our linebackers were young and inexperienced last year, but now we feel that group is very solid. Our line is the strength of our defense. We lost (Strong), but have some talented guys returning."

The offense was hit harder by graduation: five first-stringers, including four-year starting quarterback Todd Zandrowicz, will be replaced this year. The good news is record-breaking senior tailback Jesse Raynor, along with four of five starting linemen, return. Murray said his squad will rely heavily on a running game that produced more than 200 yards on the ground last year.

"The most important unit on the field is the offensive line, because they have the ability to control the football game," Murray said. "The offensive line we have this season is the best I've had in my five years here."

The running game will be expected to carry the team until the passing game is established. Alfred will have first-year starters at quarterback, tight end, fullback and one of the receiving positions.

"Ideally, we'd like to run the ball 60% of the time," Murray said. "We want to control the flow of the game. We're a strong, physical team and we need to control the ball and wear teams down."

The Saxons must get out of the blocks fast, Murray said, and avoid the slow start of a year ago, when the team dropped four of its first five games and was out of contention for the postseason play by midyear. The Saxons again face a challenging slate of games, including dates against perennial Division III powers Ithaca and Union and with longtime rivals Hobart and Hartwick.

"We want to get off to a great start. The first game (home against St. John Fisher) is crucial," he said. "Our goal, as always, is to make the postseason. We feel like we've been close, now we just need to get over the hump. We've been competitive, but this is the year we can take the next step, get to 7-3 or 8-2 and get into the playoffs."

"We have experience and leadership all around. That's going to be a big help."

Murray said the team's primary offensive strength, the running attack, will be emphasized, particularly early in the season, as the coaching staff works to get the passing game on track. Fortunately, the Saxons have a wealth of experience and talent in the offensive backfield, led by Raynor, one of three team captains this year.

Raynor enters his senior campaign needing 1,151 yards to break former Saxon Ray Rogers' career rushing mark of 3,506 yards. Raynor has been a workhorse in the backfield the last two years, leading the team in rushing, carries and receptions. Last year he also held placekicking duties and finished the year having scored 102 points, the second-highest single-season total in school history.

"Jesse is bigger and stronger this year than at any point in his career," Murray said. "He's a tremendous leader, and one of the best tailbacks this school has ever had."

Raynor will have company, as two talented tailbacks return. Sophomore Anthony Pollizi had a solid freshman year as Raynor's backup, and coaches expect big things out of freshman Brenton Brady, who missed all of last year with a knee injury suffered in training camp. Murray said he expects all three will see significant playing time this fall. Luke Whitteker, a freshman, will also compete for time at the tailback position

Junior Chris Gutmann, classmate Ryan Sutphen, a converted safety, and junior Mike Chambers, a transfer from St. Lawrence, will compete for the starting fullback position.

The biggest unknown on offense will be at quarterback. Murray said sophomore Ron Duliba, who took only five snaps last year, and freshman Joe Guiliano, will compete for the starting nod.

Speedy junior Nick Coleman, who started much of last season, and sophomore Jake Sprague are the only receivers with any experience. Also competing for time at receiver will be sophomores Carlos Guzman and Antonio Williams and freshman Shay Nelson.

The Saxons will also have a new starting tight end, with junior Pat Bell and sophomores Kalen Fitch, Jeff Dillon and Bill Battaglia competing for the job.

The offensive line is big, strong and experienced. While the squad did lose all-star tackle Dan Herrling, it does return four starters: sophomore left tackle Josh Skinner, senior left guard Steve Price, senior center Larry Rossi and junior right guard Sean Gollnitz.

Senior Russ Myers, a starter his freshman and sophomore years, is set to take over at right tackle. The team has a group of solid backup linemen.

The defensive line has a lot to make up for with the loss of Strong, the team leader in tackles last year, but several solid players return, including senior tackle Pete Gaydon, a three-year starter, and senior end Nick Luther, a two-year starter. Senior ends Dave Murello and Dan Raynor have both seen significant playing time over the last two seasons and will be expected to contribute heavily this year.

Junior tackle Doug Mueller, sophomore nose guard Louie Pereira, sophomore tackle Nate Reid, and freshmen Chris Dennison and Chris Mayotte will also compete for playing time on the defensive line.

Three starting linebackers return. Senior tri-captains Will Till and Colin Murphy (56 tackles, two interceptions in 2001), and junior Erich Ely each ranked in the top 10 in tackles last season. Ely is the Saxons' top returning tackler: he had 61 stops last year, including eight for losses and three sacks. Sophomores Justin Krasa and Steve Hawryschuk are solid backups who should see significant playing time.

Junior Vinnie Adamo and senior Gabe Bouthillier return as the starting cornerbacks. Both showed marked improvement over the course of last year, their first season as starters, with Bouthillier showing a knack for making big plays. He had a team-high three interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Sophomore free safety Mike Wright picked off two passes, while sophomore strong safety Joe Pereira had 28 tackles, including nine for losses and three sacks.

The secondary receives a big boost with the return of sophomore free safety Mark Smith, a starter four years ago as a freshman. Sophomore cornerback Dan Occena and sophomore safety Kiel Liddell will compete for playing time as well.

Murray hopes a solid placekicker will emerge to take over for Jesse Raynor, who booted four field goals and 10 extra points last year while also handing kickoff duties. Freshmen Pat Breuer, Steve Whitmore and James Horan will all compete for the kicking job.

Duliba comes into camp as the likely starting punter, replacing Zandrowicz.
Candidates for kick return duty will come mostly from the Saxons' deep group of tailbacks. Raynor has returned kicks each of his three seasons with the team, and Pollizi showed his talent last year, returning one kick for a touchdown. Brady and Bouthillier will also drop back to return kicks. Coleman is a leading candidate to return punts.

Ithaca (11-2 in 2001)
The Bombers extended their streak to 31 consecutive winning seasons and made their first appearance in the NCAA playoffs since 1994. Ithaca upset Montclair State on the road and knocked off previously unbeaten RPI before losing to Rowan in the national quarterfinals. Three players earned D3football.com All-America honors. The Bombers bring back 27
letterwinners, including nine starters.

Three starters and five other players who saw starting duty in 2001 return from an offense that recorded seven 30-point performances.

With six veteran receivers (including five who have started at least one career game), this is the offense's most experienced area.

Heading the list are senior Mike Marks and junior Pete McCaffrey, who combined to make 15 starts last fall. Marks averaged a team-best 22.2 yards per catch last year and his 21 receptions and five touchdowns lead all returning Bombers. McCaffrey started the last six games and caught 11 passes for 195 yards.

Seniors Aaron Fiorini, Irik Johnson and Luke McCann have combined for 23 receptions over the past two seasons. Sophomore Jeff Welch caught eight passes a year ago.

Senior Ryan Erbe and juniors Pat Graham, Chris Hageman and Lou Magrone
also return. Erbe and Hageman played in four games each last fall; Graham and Magrone appeared in three games. Sophomore Garrett Borden, a junior varsity player in 2001, and freshmen Pete Canestrari and Justin Esposito are other candidates.

Junior Bill Parker is the most experienced tight end candidate. Also looking for playing time will be juniors Josh Corson and Brett Gliosca, sophomore Vinnie Dargush and freshman Brian Kropa.

For just the second time in 22 years the Bombers must replace a pair of 1,000-yard rushers — Tommy Giorgio and Dave Maddi combined for 3,532 career yards and rank fourth and 19th, respectively, on the program's all-time list.

Junior Caleb Greer-Carney is the team's leading returning rusher. He gained 299 yards last fall and caught a pair of passes. Classmate Pete Celebre ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns in his first season with the varsity.

Sophomores Joey Alger, Ryan Dona, Frank Lecesse and Fred Soliman are also in the mix. Alger and Soliman spent the season with the junior varsity program, Dona missed the year with an injury and Lecesse saw limited action with the varsity.

Senior Todd Santabarbara and sophomore Jamie Free are the most experienced fullbacks on the roster. Santabarbara scored his first career touchdown last fall. Free is the only returning member of the offensive backfield with starting experience, making his first career start against Utica. Sophomore Harry Moy and freshman Brian Neale are also candidates at fullback.

Four starters who made 97 career starts among them have graduated from the offensive line, including all-American left guard Drew Davidson, leaving junior Tariq Ahmad as the only returning starter. Ahmad, one of Ithaca's captains, is being moved from right tackle to left tackle this season.

Two experienced seniors are also among the offensive tackle candidates. Eric Fedrizzi made three starts at left tackle a year ago and Sean Fitzmaurice appeared in four games. Junior Matt Torres and sophomore Chris Swiss are both returning varsity players. Sophomore Peter LoFaso (who missed 2001 with an injury) and freshman Jason Morgan are also in the mix.

Junior Matt McMahon is the most experienced center on the roster. Sophomore Mike D'Amico also spent last season with the varsity team. Classmate Matt Wright played on the junior varsity team a year ago. Senior guard Joe Corley, a top candidate for a starting spot, is in his third year with the varsity. Juniors Alex Hill and Mike McGuire were reserve offensive linemen with last year's team, appearing in three and six games, respectively. Junior Josh Sydney and sophomores Jeff Green and Mark Hedglin are up from the junior varsity team. Freshman Danny Hill has also been invited to preseason camp.

With the graduation of Brian Young, a three-year starter, and Greg Sheeler, the backup who starred after stepping into the starting role following Young's injury in the opening round of the NCAA playoffs, the quarterbacks on Ithaca's roster have just two games of varsity experience. For the first time since before Jim Butterfield began his head coaching career 35 years ago, Ithaca does not return a quarterback with more than two pass completions.

Three sophomores are among the candidates for a starting spot. Pete Ambrose, John Mershon and Ryan Steenberg each held down the third-string spot at some point during last season. Ambrose played in two games including the St. Lawrence win (he threw for 23 yards). Mershon spent the regular season with the junior varsity program and was called up to the varsity for the NCAA playoffs. Steenberg missed the last five games with an illness. Freshmen Josh Felicetti and Jeff O'Hara have been invited to preseason camp.

Four starters are among the 13 returning letter winners on defense. The Bombers held eight regular-season opponents to 17 points or fewer a year ago.

With three returning starters, the defensive backfield is Ithaca's most experienced spot. Tommy Kenney has started at strong safety for the past two years, recording 90 tackles and 10 pass breakups in that span. He's joined at that spot by three varsity veterans, senior Tim Healy (eight tackles last year) and juniors Paul Colistra (eight tackles) and Justin Williams (two tackles). Sophomore Lito Gonzalez is up from the junior varsity team.

At cornerback the most experienced Bombers are senior Justin Daly and junior Seth Molisani. Daly, an Ithaca captain, started every game last year and has 57 tackles and 16 pass breakups in his career. Molisani started the last six games of the year, recording 24 tackles. Sophomore Matt Tosh played in every regular-season game last year and started against Rowan in the NCAA playoffs. He collected 13 tackles. Senior Jason Mead and junior Charlie Badurski saw limited action with the varsity last year. The rest of the field includes senior Jeff Newton (who is being moved from wide receiver), junior Jon Edgcomb and sophomore Bobby Williams.

At free safety, the most experienced candidate is junior Peter Mayer, who made 12 tackles in his first varsity season. Senior Ryan Winslow is in his third year with the varsity program. Sophomore Mark Young played with the junior varsity team a year ago. Freshman Carl Adkins is another candidate.

Junior Robert Truman started every game at middle linebacker last year. His totals of 62 tackles and four sacks both ranked second on the team. Junior Kevin Pilipczak and sophomore Jose Colon recorded two and 11 tackles, respectively, a year ago. Freshman Michael Remonda has been invited to preseason camp as well. The most experienced candidate to replace Mark McDonough at weak-side linebacker is junior Gavin Stackhouse. He recorded 24 tackles a year ago. Classmate Lloyd Decker played in three games last season. Freshman Dustin Ross is another candidate.

At the strong-side spot, three veterans are looking for playing time. Senior Jim Condon played in four games, collecting three tackles. Junior Kyle Tessiero has been moved to that spot; he recorded 30 tackles as a reserve middle linebacker his first two seasons. Classmate Brett Campbell appeared in a pair of varsity games last year. Sophomores Andy Ackerman, Tor Ingstad, Zach Perkins, Nick Thayer and Cory Walts are also linebacker candidates. Ackerman, Perkins, Thayer and Walts were junior varsity players in 2001. Ingstad is a transfer from Trinity (Texas).

The Bombers will feature four new starters on the line following the graduation of four players who started 98 career games. The most experienced linemen are a pair of ends, senior Dan Puckhaber and junior Cory Coady. Puckhaber has made 30 tackles in 20 games over the past three years. Coady totaled 12 tackles as a first-year varsity player. Junior Kyle McMann and sophomore Bryan Steele saw limited game action last year. McMann is being moved to end after playing defensive tackle in 2001. Steele was an NCAA qualifier wrestling at heavyweight for the Bombers last winter.

Sophomores Erik Daly (who is being moved from tight end), Matt Princiotto and Sean Skinner spent last year with the junior varsity program.

Three seniors lead the defensive tackle candidates. Chris Cherchio collected four tackles in six games and Joe Levine appeared in three games last year. Larry Jones returns from an injury that sidelined him all of last season. He recorded seven tackles in seven games in 2000. The rest of the field includes juniors Jon Ames, Lenny DeStefano and Jesse Latino, sophomores Jeff Kasarjian and Alex Shafiro and freshmen Josh Hite and Joe Scalice. Latino saw limited playing time last fall, Ames and DeStefano were injured and Kasarjian and Shafiro were on last year's junior varsity team (Kasarjian won the program's Marty Higgins Award as the top junior varsity player).

Heading the list of returning players is senior Brian Bicher, who became the second Bomber punter to earn all-America honors. He and Tosh both ranked among the NCAA statistical leaders last year; Bicher ranked 26th in punting average and Tosh stood sixth in punt returns. He took over as Ithaca's regular punt returner in the St. Lawrence game and averaged 17.3 yards per return over the rest of the season. Tosh also returned a team-leading 10 kickoffs, averaging 19.7 yards per return.

Junior Chris Pride enjoyed a spectacular first season as Ithaca's placekicker, converting all 43 of his extra-point attempts (and eight more in the playoffs). He also kicked seven regular-season field goals.

Among the other key players returning are Mayer (who held for field-goal and extra-point attempts) and Welch (who averaged 11.0 yards per punt return). Ithaca needs to replace Davidson, who held the long-snapping role (the Bombers never had a punt or kick blocked during his two years).

Utica (0-8 in 2001)
With the historic inaugural season of varsity football now in the record books, head coach Mike Kemp and his young team have concentrated their efforts on improving fundamentally on both sides of the football. The 2001 season was the first step in Kemp's five-year plan for advancing the Pioneers to perennial postseason play. With a cast of sophomores and freshmen, the Pioneers displayed promise for the future, competing against more experienced opponents. But above all else, last season provided the Utica players with a year of experience as they adjusted to the level of competition in Division III.

The Pioneers return nine starters on offense and 10 on defense. In addition, several players who saw considerable playing time in 2001 are expected to assume expanded roles this season.

Sophomore tailback Joe Dattelas (369 yards on 95 carries) will carry the weight of the offense on his shoulders this season. While the inexperienced offense continues to learn and adjust to Kemp's passing attack, Dattelas will once again hear his number called often. A multi-dimensional threat out of the backfield, Dattelas remains the Pioneers most productive and dependable offensive player.

Utica's passing game should make strides this season behind the arm of junior quarterback Adam Luciano. As the former Division II transfer continues to grasp the offensive system and gain valuable time under center, his production is expected to increase significantly. Luciano's development as a quarterback was slowed by the lack of playing time he saw before arriving at Utica. With a year of starting experience and two years of studying the offense to his credit, Luciano hopes to improve mightily over last season's performance. Aaron Rogers, who saw action in eight games last season, and junior college transfer Justin Kastner will also compete for snaps at quarterback.

The return of four starters on the offensive line provides Dattelas and Luciano with solid protection. Sophomore center Charles Castle will anchor the unit, while sophomore Steve Waters and junior Rob Begley provide solid bookends at the tackle spots. Taylor Wrye, who saw his playing time increase considerably during the second half of last season, and promising transfer Barry Virkler will vie for playing time at the guard position opposite incumbent starter Dwayne Shaw, who was a pleasant surprise as a freshman.

Kemp will look for one or more primary receivers to emerge from a group that includes Stephen Conroy, David Muncy, and Randy Loomis. Muncy, an offensive team captain, brings tremendous leadership on and off the field in addition to his strength and speed at the receiver position.

An agile linebacker corps of returning starters Anthony Venturino, Mike Romandetti, and Jason Colunio will once again pave the way on defense. Romandetti, one of team's few seniors, and Venturino, a junior defensive captain, ranked among the Empire 8 conference leaders in tackles in 2001.

Up front, junior defensive tackle Tad Adams and sophomore defensive end Jon Griffith will be joined by transfer James Westerfeld on the defensive line.

In the secondary, junior cornerback Jon Klosner, who Kemp says was his most consistent player last year, and transfer James Griffith, who joins brother Jon on the Pioneers defense, will be handed the responsibilities of shutting down opposing receivers.

Without a natural placekicker or punter on the preseason roster, Kemp will be auditioning several players for kicking duties during training camp in hopes that someone will step forward and command the job.

St. John Fisher (3-7 in 2001)
The 2002 season is by far the most anticipated campaign in the history of Division III football at St. John Fisher.

Fisher, still one of the youngest Division III programs in the country, enjoyed one of its finest season in the last five years last fall. The Cardinals went 3-3 in their last six games, including 45-0 and 41-6 wins. In two of the three losses, Fisher let leads slip away in the closing moments against teams that were ranked No. 1 in the region at that time.

With more than 25 players with starting-experience returning, there are plenty of reasons to think the momentum Fisher gained in the second half of the 2001 season will carry over to 2002.

"I think everyone associated with our football program has been looking forward to 2002 even before the 2001 season ended," says Fisher head coach Paul Vosburgh, who enters his 12th season with the most returning letterwinners in the program's history. "When you look at how we finished last season and you look at all the players we have coming back, I don't know how you couldn't be looking forward to this year."

Fisher returns all 11 starters on the defensive side of the ball, led by seniors Gerald Dias and Rich Converse. Both Dias and Converse have been in the starting lineup over the last two years and have played vital roles in Fisher's success.

Dias, Fisher's starting free safety, has 191 tackles over the last two years, while leading Fisher in pass breakups last fall with 14. Dias also added a new element to his resume in 2001 as the team's featured kick returner. The 6-2, 180-pounder brought back a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown, marking the first time one player has done both in the same season.

Converse also emerged as a major force in 2001, tallying 106 tackles, including three sacks, while also intercepting three passes. The inside linebacker was named ECAC Northwest Defensive Player of the Week twice last fall and put up double-digit tackle totals in half of Fisher's games.

"Gerald and Rich are two very talented individuals with a great deal of experience," Vosburgh says. "They're going to have to be leaders on and off the field if we're going to be as successful as we think we can."

The linebacker trio of Mike Fox, Adam Cappotelli and Brad Ettinger figure to be a fine complement to Converse.

As freshmen last fall, Fox, Cappotelli and Ettinger each enjoyed tremendous first years. Fox led Fisher with five interceptions and ranked second on the team with 98 tackles. Cappotelli led the nation with five forced fumbles, while also corralling 53 ball carriers and intercepting two passes. Ettinger, who broke into the starting lineup in the second half of the season, finished with 22 tackles in the last five games of the year.

\"We have a pretty decent amount of depth and talent at linebacker," Vosburgh says. "The players we had last year did a good job and we even have a few more players that are going to help us out this year."

Cornerbacks Tim Beadnell and Teran Green have combined for 39 pass breakups and 12 interceptions, while starting in 36 of a possible 40 games over the last two seasons.

On the defensive line, juniors Brad Keem and Tom Fisher have each been starters for the last two seasons, while sophomores Dan Luce and Jon Laurin are also back.

Luce and Keem collected seven and six sacks, respectively, from their end positions, while Fisher and Laurin each played vital roles in plugging holes in the opponent's run game.

While the Fisher defense returns all of its starters, the offense could be the big story in 2002. In Fisher's first four games of 2001, the Cardinals combined to score 27 points. In the last six games, Fisher averaged over 27 points per game.

Junior running back Jason Meyers deserves much of the credit for Fisher's turnaround in the second half of the season. In the final six games of the year, Meyers rushed for 897 yards on just 117 carries (7.7 yard average) and scored an amazing 11 touchdowns. Meyers finished the season with a school-record 1,099 yards on just 161 carries (6.8 yard average) and a school-record 13 touchdowns. He also set Fisher records for touchdowns in a game (four) and longest play from scrimmage (92 yards).

"I don't think there were too many sophomores in the country that had the year Jason did," Vosburgh says. "Jason really emerged as our go-to player and is going to be a key player for us again this year."

Juniors Tim Vink, Nick Leone and Dave Uimonen, along with sophomore Dan Sepka, who each started at least five games last year and are back on the offensive line, should once again play a major role in creating holes for Meyers.

Junior running back Matt Davis, Fisher's leading rusher in 2000, returns after gaining over 500 yards last fall, while senior Jeff Harrison also returns.
While the ground attack may be Fisher's strongest area, the passing game, orchestrated by junior Greg Roland, figures to provide plenty of big plays throughout the year.

Roland has started in 18 games in his first two seasons in a Fisher uniform and has shown glimpses of greatness throughout his campaign. Three of Roland's favorite targets from last season are back. Senior Jack Capponi is one of the fastest players in Division III football and should provide a deep threat, while sophomore Dave Moyer and junior James Simboli are excellent possession receivers who have the speed and agility to turn a routine completion into a 50-yard touchdown reception.

Add Scott VanAlst, Sean Reardon and Will Bean, who figure to share kicking and punting duties again this fall, into the mix and there's even more optimism for this fall.

"This year's team has the potential to do a lot of special things," Vosburgh says. "It's not going to be easy, but St. John Fisher College is in the position to establish itself as one of the top football programs in the region."

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