Bethany Bison (6-3 Overall, 2-2 PAC in 2001)
The 2002 football season will also be the beginning of a new era in Bethany College football, as Chris Snyder becomes the 33rd Head Football Coach in the program’s 105-year history. And as he prepares Bethany for its Sept. 7 opener at Carnegie Mellon University, he does so with 30 letterwinners and 14 starters returning.

Leading the way on offense is senior quarterback Jeremy Lacaria, who passed for 904 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for another 306 yards and four scores. He will be joined in the backfield by senior fullback and First Team All-PAC performer Will Anderson (pictured) (734 yards, six TDs) and junior halfback J.K. Murphy (273 yards).

At receiver, the top three pass catchers from a year ago are gone. Anderson (10 catches, 66 yards) and sophomore wideout Zack Merz (eight catches, 100 yards) are the top receivers back, along with senior tight end Pat Crossey (seven catches, 95 yards, one TD).

Another area that will see new faces is the offensive line, where the Bison lost three starters from last year’s unit. Returning to anchor the line is senior left tackle Justin Crothers (Second Team All-PAC) and senior right guard Andrew Rossi.

The strength of the Bethany defense will be the linebackers, where three starters return. The group will be led by junior First Team All-PAC inside linebacker Steve Ochap (53 tackles, one INT). Also returning are outside ‘backers Allan Brown (54 tackles, one INT) and Larry Wingfield (47 tackles, two sacks).

Along the defensive line, the Green and White will have to plug both defensive tackles positions, but have both ends back, including senior John Hostetler (43 tackles, nine for loss) and junior Mike Mills (34 tackles, 4.5 sacks).

In the secondary, two starters return, led by junior First Team All-PAC cornerback Ryan Nohe. He led the team in tackles with 65 and interceptions with five, while returning three of the picks for scores. Junior free safety Nick Lion (49 tackles) is also back.

On special teams, senior punter Seth Brody (37.8 avg.) enters this year after a Second Team All-Conference performance in 2001. The kicker spot is open, while the return teams are led by Nohe (27.7 kickoff return average, 9.2 punt return average).
 

Grove City Wolverines (2-8 Overall, 1-3 PAC in 2001)
Experience in all three facets is the backbone of the Grove City Wolverines' run towards a third conference championship since 1997.

The dean of PAC coaches, 19th-year head coach Chris Smith welcomes back eight offensive starters. Four of those starters can be found on the offensive line, including three-year starter Derek Bostick. A first team all-conference pick, Bostick returns at left tackle. Also returning are guard Mike Pelloni, center BJ Arnold and right tackle Tony Masterofrancesco.

Senior tight end Mark Byrer hauled in 13 passes in 2001 and is back for his third year as a starter.

In the backfield, junior halfback Steve Roberts (pictured) led the Wolverines with 701 rushing yards and 1,394 all-purpose yards in 2001. He is back, as are seniors Jason Walent and Nick Schneider, a converted linebacker. Senior Todd Smargiasso, who played some halfback last year, is the veteran among a relatively inexperienced group of quarterbacks that is trying to fill the vacancy under center.

Defensively, starting junior cornerbacks Greg Grupp and Dan Roseum will anchor the Wolverine secondary. Grupp led Grove City with four interceptions and eight pass deflections last season. Both are two-year lettermen.

Inside linebackers Mark Graziano and Mike Choby combined for 92 tackles while sharing a starting position. On the defensive line, junior nose tackle Monte Bell is back for his third season as the starter while senior ends Kyle Vuchak and Kevin Wolf also return.

Mike Titzel, the PAC's leading punter in 2001, returns to handle both the punting and place-kicking duties. Last season, Titzel finished in the top 20 nationally in punting.
 

Thiel Tomcats (2-8 Overall, 1-3 PAC in 2001)
The Thiel College football team is hoping that experience may be a driving force to a successful 2002 season.  A year ago, under first-year head coach Jack Leipheimer, the Tomcats finished 2-8 and tied for fourth in the PAC with a 1-3 mark, their highest conference finish since 1993.

With 16 starters and 28 letter winners returning from a year ago, many key pieces are in place to give the Tomcats a shot to what hasn’t been done since the 1991 season - finish with a winning mark.

Offensively the Tomcats return eight starters, led by senior wide receiver Donte Harris (#8 pictured).  Harris, a 2001 All-PAC First Team selection, finished third among conference counterparts in receiving yards (823) and fourth in receptions (42) in 2001.

The offensive line returns three starters from 2001.  Sophomore Dave Hendricks, an All-PAC Second Team selection last season, will be re-joined by fellow classmates Robert Munch, an All-PAC Honorable Mention selection in 2001, and John Antanitis, shoring up what many believe is one of the strongest groups in the conference.

The team’s biggest question mark comes at the quarterback position, where the Tomcats are without last season’s signal-caller, T.J. Wiley, a 2002 graduate. The leading candidate to fill the vacancy is sophomore Daryl Moore, a two-sport athlete who saw action in eight games last year, completing 34-of-79 passes for 516 yards and three touchdowns.

Headlining the Tomcat defense in 2002 is sophomore free safety Kennard Davis, an explosive defender who earned national attention last season.  Davis was named to the All-PAC First Team, the Don Hansen Football Gazette All-South Region First Team and Division III All-America First Team, and the Hewlett-Packard Division III All-America Second Team. Already this preseason, Davis has earned preseason All-America awards from Street & Smith’s and Lindy’s Football Preview, the Division III football website D3Football.com, as well as Don Hansen’s Football Gazette.

One area that the Tomcats must fill some holes in is the defensive line. Sophomore defensive end George Kum-Nji is the only starter remaining from that defensive line after leading the team in tackles for loss (10) and sacks (7) last year, earning him All-PAC team Honorable Mention accolades.
 

Washington & Jefferson Presidents (11-1 Overall, 4-0 PAC in 2001)
Washington & Jefferson returns 43 letterwinners and 15 starters in hopes of improving on an 11-1 season in 2001 in which the Presidents advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.  W&J also became only the sixth team in school history to finish a regular season undefeated.

Leading the charge for a fourth-straight PAC title is arguably the best offensive trio in Division III.  Two-time PAC Player of the Year senior quarterback Brian Dawson and preseason All-Americans seniors wideout Todd Fry and running back Joey Nichols (pictured) have combined to set numerous school records and have been the foundation for Washington & Jefferson’s 29-6 record over the past three years.

Dawson already holds 18 school passing and total offense records and became W&J’s all-time leading passer last season with 8,700 career yards.

Fry earned three All-America selections following a 94-catch, 1,631-yard season last year in which he set single-season records in both categories.  He finished second in the nation in receiving yards per game (136.2) and tied for 10th in Division III with 7.7 receptions per contest.

Nichols, a Second Team Football Gazette All-South Region honoree, rushed for 1,577 yards and 19 touchdowns and scored 16 touchdowns in the last seven weeks of the season.

Last season, the W&J defense stole the headlines from the offense by finishing the season ranked sixth in Division III in scoring defense, allowing just 10.6 points per game.

First Team All-PAC senior linebacker B.J. Swartzlander headlines the returnees after amassing a conference-best 115 tackles (64 solo).  He also recorded 12 tackles for a loss and five pass breakups.

The special teams units will be led by seniors punter Jordan Genis and placekicker Luke Ravenstahl.  Genis averaged 35.9 yards per punt and pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 18 times.  Ravenstahl nailed 9-of-13 field goal attempts and set a school record with 45 consecutive extra-points made.
 

Waynesburg Yellow Jackets (3-7 Overall, 2-2 PAC in 2001)
Many seeds were sown during Jeff Hand's first off-season as head coach of the Waynesburg College football team. Now the Yellow Jackets are out to harvest the wins that come along with it. With a new offense and new training regimen intact, the Yellow Jackets now have new expectations for the 2002 season. Waynesburg returns 14 starters from a 3-7 season in 2001. The campaign included consecutive wins in the Presidents' Athletic Conference over Thiel and Grove City to finish in second place tie with Bethany at 2-2.

With former two-time All-America quarterback Terry Peebles joining the coaching staff as offensive coordinator, the 2001 Yellow Jackets will have a distinct offensive look. Peebles looks to improve Waynesburg’s offense, which ranked third in the PAC last season with 323 total yards per game, and a 20.6 scoring average. Six starters return, including three on the line and three at skill positions.

A first-year starting quarterback will learn Peebles’ new playbook. Sophomore Jeff Dumm is the top candidate. Dumm relieved last year’s senior starter Tom Naughton in key situations, passing for 284 yards, while completing 27-of-47 passes and one touchdown. Senior Jeramy Chronopoulos will also compete after starting one game last year, despite seeing limited action.

The deepest position for Waynesburg is its stable of running backs. Nine running backs, seven of which carried the ball in 2001, return this season. Junior Rocky Doman (pictured) led the Jackets with 596 rushing yards in seven games before a season-ending head injury last season. Joining Doman will be classmate Jared Plisko, who started at fullback last season. The key transition for the team will be Nick Breault. After leading last year’s team in all receiving categories, Breault will make the switch to running back. Senior veterans Monta Sifford and Bobby Hogue will also see significant action.

With Breault moving to running back, senior Ken Shaver will look to fill the shoes as the Jackets’ favorite target. Shaver caught 17 passes for 218 yards last season, nearly half of Breault’s void (32 passes for 435 yards).

Offensive tackle Jim Hyland is the only returning First Team All-PAC representative for Waynesburg, but with two other seasoned veterans and players with game experience, the Jackets’ offensive line will be strong. Joining him will be senior and three-year starter Steve Myers. Andy Palko started at guard as a freshman in 2001, while classmate Matt Biddle started three games for injured senior center Jerry McCombs.

With six returning starters – two linebackers, two in the secondary and two on the line – the Jackets’ 3-4 defensive set is balanced with experience. The seasoned veterans will look to improve the unit, which ranked last in the PAC in 2001 by surrendering 4,317 total yards, including 2,402 passing yards.

Tommy O’Connor and Jeff Johnson lead the returnees in the defensive backfield as experienced seniors. As a Second Team All-PAC cornerback last year, O’Connor was fifth on the team in tackles with 57. Johnson is the team’s top returning tackler with 64 as the starting safety in 2001.

Brandon Doppelheuer and Steve Ward return up front. Doppelheuer started his first two years on the defensive line, as he returns as a junior with Second Team All-PAC credentials. He led the team last year with six sacks, ten tackles for loss and three fumble recoveries. Ward started games at linebacker last season, but will move to the line this season as a junior.

Senior Clark Rolli and junior Sean Ross make up the linebacking corps as returning starters. The two recorded 54 and 56 tackles, respectively in 2001. Rolli started at outside linebacker, while Ross shared starts with senior David Moncrieffe, who, along with last season’s leading tackler Rob Connolly, graduated.

Waynesburg led the PAC in kickoff returns last season. While playmaker Orlando Magruder graduated, Doman is back to maintain the standard. Doman amassed 316 kickoff return yards last season, averaging 24.3 per return, while Magruder’s 28-yard return average led the PAC, and was ranked as high as eighth in the nation. Breault and O’Connor will handle the punt returns, as O’Connor held a 7.2 yard average in 2001.

The Jackets’ kicker and punter – Scott Gusic and Chris Tedeschi – are back. Gusic hit 43 percent of his field goals and 85 percent of his PATs. Tedeschi averaged 32.7 yard per punt, including his long of 53 yards. Sophomore Mark Harnish returns after blocking two key punts last season and being voted as the team’s most valuable special teams player.
 

Westminster Titans (4-5 Overall, 3-2 vs. PAC teams in 2001)
To say that the 2002 football season has been eagerly anticipated at Westminster College would be a gross understatement.

After four years of football purgatory – two seasons playing in a lame duck situation in the NCAA Division II GLIAC Conference and two seasons of ineligibility for conference titles and national playoffs while being reclassified to NCAA Division III – the arrival of the 2002 campaign means the end of one difficult era and the beginning of a bright new future for Titan football.

Westminster expects to be officially accepted as a full member of NCAA Division III for the 2002-03 academic year. As a result all Titan sports teams, including the football program, will be eligible for Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) titles and national playoffs at the Division III level.

Third-year head coach Jerry Schmitt (12-7 in two seasons) will work with a group that includes 38 returning letterwinners and 12 returning starters, as he attempts to turn around last year’s 4-5 record.

On the offensive side of the ball, junior Matt Robison begins his second year as the starting quarterback for the Titans. Robison threw for 1,363 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore. Joining Robison for signalcaller duties will be junior Kevin Huber, who sees time in short-yardage situations while also working as a slot receiver.

Sophomore Scott Froelich returns at tailback after a breakout freshman season which saw him lead the team with 769 yards rushing, including a career-best 198-yard outing in the final game of the season against Waynesburg. The fullback position in front of Froelich is up for grabs, with senior Travis Lively, junior Ryan Mitchell and sophomore Lou Fani among the expected competitors.

The biggest loss on offense will be at wide receiver, where the Titans must replace graduated record-setting wideout Brian Lipiello. Lipiello caught 52 balls for a school-record 866 yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago. Junior Steve Scott and sophomore Matt Steve both saw time as starters opposite Lipiello in 2001 and will be expected to take more of the workload this fall. Other players competing for time include senior Pat Grandy, junior Brian Ekis and sophomore Ben Haug. The passing game also has a weapon at tight end in senior returning starter Nevin Baker, who earned PAC Coaches Honors a year ago.

Three full-time starters and a pair of part-time starters make up an experienced nucleus of returnees on the offensive line. Seniors Brandon Apple and Philip Neel and junior Glenn Silvidi are each multi-year starters, while senior Rick Roden and junior Aaron Detwiler have also seen time in the lineup. Sophomores Kris Reash, Phil Frye and Corey Devey will be among a group of young players battling for playing time.

Defensively, the strength will likely once again be the defensive line, which will be anchored by returning senior starters Erick Pabis and Charles Kiger (pictured) at the tackle positions. Juniors Jim Chaney and Jason Sanata will be among the competitors for the open defensive end jobs, while senior Barry Marks and sophomore Tony Ventresco are also experienced returnees.

The linebacking corps will be anchored by senior Joe Bianco, a multi-year starter at defensive end, who will switch positions to replace the departed Eric Witt at middle linebacker. Junior Nick Fritch returns as a starter at one outside backer position, while a replacement is needed for the graduated Cory Shaw at the other outside slot. Competitors for the job include junior Pat Vereb and sophomores Jerry Bonenberger, Ryan Aleski and Sam Meriwether.

The Titan secondary will have a new look in 2002 following the departure of three graduated starters. Junior Mike McKee returns as the starter at one cornerback position, with junior Mike Cubellis and sophomore Justin Martinchek among those battling for the opposite corner position. At safety, senior Joe Stern will likely see time after playing corner a year ago. He will compete with sophomores Clint DeLuca and Kevin Kresinski for the starting positions.

A replacement must be found for the graduated Jon McCartney, who handled punting and kicking duties the past three years. Sophomores Phil McCann and Josh Simpson both performed well in limited kicking duty a year ago, while McCann is the frontrunner for the punting position. Steve and Martinchek are both experienced kick returners, while the program will be auditioning for the open punt returner job.

2002 PAC COMPOSITE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE