MC Football: 2005 Preview

July 18, 2005
MARIETTA, Ohio - Marietta College Head Coach Todd Glaser is anxiously awaiting his third season as the leader of the Pioneers’ football team. Marietta made huge strides over his first two years—finishing 6-4 in 2004, its first winning season since 1998—and shows no signs of slowing down this season.

With 28 returning letterwinners, including 13 seniors, the 2005 squad has the leadership necessary to challenge each week in the OAC. Marietta returns four of its seven All-Conference players this fall: senior running back Steven Wagner, senior center Joe Brennan, junior right guard Lance Parrish and sophomore defensive tackle Clay Ream.

Wagner compiled 1,091 yards on the ground with seven TDs a year ago and became the 17th Pioneer to finish with over 1,000 yards in a season. He had six 100-yard games, including a career-high 258 yards against Heidelberg in week two. Brennan and Parrish will be asked to anchor the offensive line as it continues to develop young talent. Ream, who was a huge addition to the defensive line last fall, will only get better with experience. Defensive back Anthony Banks will help Ream lead the defense in 2005.

Here is a closer look at each position:

Quarterback: The Pioneers return both varsity signal callers in junior Jason Vrable and sophomore Jeremy Thornton, as well as junior-varsity quarterback sophomore Aaron Spahlinger. Vrable, a lefty, saw the most time under center, completing 0.589 (109-of-185) percent of his passes for 1,190 yards, including six touchdowns and seven interceptions. Thornton also saw action in all 10 games and finished 12-of-32 with an interception. Look for all three to battle for playing time throughout the season.

Offensive line: Senior captains Joe Brennan (All-OAC in 2004) and Jason Price, junior All-Conference honoree Lance Parish and junior Mitchell Koch provide skill and experience in the trenches. In addition, senior Eric Johnson will fight for a spot along with sophomores Tom Daniel, Matt Englert, Steven Kwolek, Jason MacKay, D.J. Martin, Joel McKinney, Brad Roberts and Greg Rose.

Tight end: Juniors Bryan Adams and John Bokat are now veterans at tight end. Adams pulled in eight catches for 57 yards and a score, while Bokat showed vast improvement at the JV level a year ago. Senior Erik Valiante has also moved to tight end for his final season with the Pioneers.

Wide receiver: Marietta must replace its top two wide receivers—Mike Valiante and Chris Sidick—from 2004. Junior Jason Curry and sophomore Chad McDaniel return with the most experience. Curry, who had 17 receptions, led the squad with 280 receiving yards and two touchdowns. McDaniel made an impact during his freshman campaign by pulling in 13 balls for 172 yards. Senior Darkeevin Peoples (four receptions for 54 yards), junior Nic North (10 receptions for 114 yards) and sophomores Paul Cirino and Dale Woolf will also battle for time at the position.

Running back: Senior All-OAC honoree Steven Wagner returns at tailback for his final season with the Pioneers. Wagner, who had six 100-yard games in 2004, enters the season with an opportunity to crack the school’s all-time top-five rushing list. He has rushed for 2,335 yards in his career. Sophomore Joe Webb, who showed a lot of potential during his injury-filled freshman year, will give MC a nice one-two punch in the backfield. Junior Arden Renze has also moved to tailback after playing in the defensive backfield for two years. Junior Corey Jacobs returns for his second year at fullback and will be pushed for playing time by sophomore Adam Smith.

Defensive line: The coaching staff expects the line to anchor the defense this fall. Juniors Jeff Mast and Pete Hashman, as well as sophomores Clay Ream and Dan DeZordo saw significant playing time a year ago. Ream, an All-OAC honoree, is the top-returning tackler with 61 stops in 2004. Mast added 38 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, while Hashman collected 32 tackles and 3.5 sacks last fall. Senior Justin Pauley will also give MC another quality lineman, while sophomores Mac Bishop, Tim Budney, Steve Moore and Chris Rietschlin will compete for playing time.  

Inside linebacker: The Pioneers return one inside linebacker—sophomore Brian Hahn— from last season. Hahn earned a starting spot as a freshman and finished with 57 tackles. Senior Darren Marks has moved back to linebacker to compete for playing time with sophomores Lou Bitsko, Brian Myers, Rob Phillips, Ivan Stein and Derek Thomas.

Outside linebacker: Seniors Matt Fuller, Scott Nelson, James Taylor and Eric Workman make weak-side linebacker Marietta’s deepest position. Workman had 28 stops, including 2.5 sacks in an injury-shortened season. Fuller, Taylor and Nelson will be asked to make larger contributions in 2005. Sophomore Mike Ramthun should also be in the mix at weak-side. Marietta does not return anyone to strong-side linebacker. Senior Chris McMahon has moved off the line and junior Sean Callahan, a converted tight end, will compete with sophomore Jonathan Sidle for the starting spot.

Defensive backfield: Juniors Anthony Banks and Lonnie Meyers return to the backfield at safety. Banks tied the school record with 108 interception yards, broke up eight passes and had 56 tackles, while Meyers, a two-year starter, had 20 stops in 2004. Both are poised for a breakout year. Sophomores Brian Ashton, Gary Osmond and Carter Shaver will also see playing time. Junior J.J. Wheeler is the lone returning corner. Wheeler had 49 tackles and broke up nine passes a year ago. Sophomores Ryan Beatty, Dave Oriani and Cody Venderlic have worked hard and should step up to fill the available time on the field. The coaches are also hoping senior Jeff Sherman can contribute at corner after moving from wide receiver.

Special teams: For the first time in four seasons, Marietta is without NCAA Division III all-time kick returns and kick return yards leader Chris Sidick, who proved to be a threat every time he got his hands on the ball. Junior Anthony Banks has the ability to assume Sidick’s role as the Pioneers try to control field position through their special team’s play.

Schedule: The Ohio Athletic Conference will once again be one of the top leagues in the nation. The Pioneers will welcome non-conference foe Emory & Henry (VA) to Don Drumm Stadium for its season opener on September 3. It will be their first meeting since 1968. For the second year in a row, the first home game will be Football Community Day. A full evening of fun is being planned for fans as they get their first chance to see the 2005 Pioneers. Following a September 10 bye week, Marietta will dive into the OAC schedule with a game on the road against Heidelberg on September 17. Home contests with John Carroll (September 24) and Otterbein (October 1) are followed by a trip to Capital on October 8. The Pioneers then play host to Mount Union (October 15) and Muskingum (October 22). Visits to Wilmington (October 29) and Baldwin-Wallace (November 5) precede the regular season finale at home against Ohio Northern on November 12.