Pioneers travel to Emory, Va., for 2006 opener against Emory & Henry
Marietta (0-0, 0-0 OAC) at Emory & Henry (0-0, 0-0 ODAC)
1 p.m. • Saturday, Sept. 2 • Fullerton Field

Aug. 29, 2006
MARIETTA, Ohio - The 2006 Marietta College football season kicks off this week when the Pioneers travel to Emory, Va., to take on the Emory & Henry Wasps Saturday (Sept. 2). Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. at Fullerton Field.

Here is a look at both teams:

Emory & Henry College: The Wasps will host the Pioneers in week one of the 2006 season, after Marietta served as the host in 2005. Emory & Henry, who finished 1-9 overall and 1-5 in the ODAC, enters the year with high expectations following a successful spring nontraditional season.

The Wasps will be looking for more offense in 2006 after averaging just 10.4 points last season. In addition, Emory & Henry’s ranked seventh in total offense (237.6 yards per game)—188.6 yards passing and 49.0 yards rushing. The Wasps were the least penalized team in the ODAC, giving up 33.5 penalty yards per game. Emory & Henry converted 9-of-15 red-zone chances and 22-of-140 third down opportunities.

Juniors LeAndrew Lloyd and Matt Gillespie are expected to provide leadership for the Wasps ground attack. Senior quarterback Todd Woods will run the offense again in 2006. Woods, who earned first team All-ODAC honors in 2004, has completed 528-of-961 (54.9%) attempts for 6,607 yards and 49 touchdowns in his career. Seniors Brennan Stewart and Jerad Jackson will lead the receiving corps this season. Stewart posts career numbers that include 114 receptions for 1,959 yards and 23 touchdowns, while Jackson has pulled in 129 grabs for 1,883 yards and 16 scores in his career with the Wasps.

The Wasps defense allowed an average of 36.9 points last season, which ranked seventh in the league. The Wasps surrendered 182.2 yards on the ground and 256.7 yards through the air per game. Emory & Henry had a +-7 turnover margin.

Marietta College: It looks like another promising season for Marietta football, as the Pioneers enter their fourth season of a revitalization program. There will be one major difference, however, as Curt Wiese, the offensive coordinator since 2003, has taken the reigns from Todd Glaser, who resigned to lead Wisconsin-Eau Claire, his alma mater.

Wiese expects to return 34 players who earned a varsity letter from last year’s team that went 5-5 and finished sixth in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Of those returnees, nine started on defense, seven started on offense and five played skill positions on special teams.

Senior quarterback Jason Vrable will lead the offense for his third and final year. Vrable rewrote the Pioneers’ passing records in 2005, completing a school-best 164 passes and throwing for a record 1,883 yards.

All-OAC performers returning include senior Jason Curry (wide receiver, return specialist and punter), junior Lance Parrish (offensive lineman), junior Brian Hahn (linebacker) and junior Clay Ream (nose tackle).

In addition, junior Joe Webb gets a chance to lead the running attack, while senior Nic North and junior Chad McDaniel will join Curry at receiver. Defensively, look for seniors Jeff Mast and Bryan Adams to anchor the line, while seniors Anthony Banks, Lonnie Meyers and J.J. Wheeler provide experience in the secondary.

THE RECORDS: Saturday marks the first game of the 2006 season for both teams. Marietta went 5-5 overall and 4-5 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) in 2005. Emory & Henry was 1-9 overall and 1-5 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) in 2005.

GAME TIME: 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 2, Fullerton Field.

THE COACHES: Marietta’s Curt Wiese is in his first season as the leader of the Pioneers. Wiese, the offensive coordinator of the Pioneers for the last three years, earned his bachelor’s degree from Minnesota State-Mankato in 1999. Emory & Henry’s Don Montgomery is in his second year as the Wasps’ head football coach. Montgomery is a 1977 graduate of Mount Union and had been an assistant coach at his alma mater for 27 seasons.

ALL-TIME SERIES: The Wasps and the Pioneers close out their home and away series this season after the two teams met in Marietta in 2005. It is just their fourth ever meeting and E & H leads the all-time series 2-1. The Pioneers, however, won last year’s meeting 25-7. The Wasps were victorious 23-8 in 1967 and 32-13 in 1968.

OPENERS: The Pioneers have pulled out victories in 12 of the last 13 season openers, and are riding a six-game win streak on opening day. Their last loss came against Waynesburg, 28-23, in 1999.

GREAT COVERAGE: Saturday’s football game is being broadcast live by WMRT-FM 88.3, Marietta College’s campus radio station. Emory & Henry’s radio station, WOLD Radio (102.5 FM), will also be on the air broadcasting the contest.

LISTEN ONLINE: Marietta College is now proud to offer its fans on the world wide web the opportunity to listen to all ten Pioneer football games through a partnership with Stretch Internet. All you need is QuickTime.

NEXT GAME: Both teams are off next weekend. On Sept.16, Marietta host rival Baldwin-Wallace in both squad’s OAC opener at 6 p.m. It will be the second annual River City Bowl at Don Drumm Stadium and MC Football Alumni Day. Emory & Henry will host NC Wesleyan Sept. 16 at 1 p.m.

CLIMBING UP THE CAREER CHARTS: Pioneer quarterback Jason Vrable begins his senior season ranked among Marietta’s all-time passers. Vrable, who set the single-season record for completions (164) and yards (1,883), is ranked fourth in career attempts (527) and completions (293) and fifth in yards (3,257). He needs 93 completions, 249 attempts and 1,569 yards to top the career charts.

CLIMBING UP THE CAREER CHARTS PART II: Pioneer senior receiver Jason Curry is currently ranked third in career touchdown receptions with 11. He needs nine to break the record by Antonio Hutton ‘97. Curry is also ranked second all-time in punts (165) and punt yards (6,066).

CLIMBING UP THE CAREER CHARTS PART III: Pioneer senior defensive back Anthony Banks begins the year ranked third all-time in interception return yards (191). He is just 27 yards away from breaking the record.

GETTING OFF TO A QUICK START: Marietta will look to get off to a fast start out of the locker room this season after struggling in the first and third quarters in 2005. The Pioneers were outscored 60-37 in the first quarter and 69-14 in the third quarter last year.

RED-ZONE STAND: Marietta will look build upon its success in the red zone last year, when it converted 24-of-33 (72.7%) of its chances. 18 of its 24 scores were touchdowns. On the other hand, the Pioneers must improve on the defensive side of the ball, as they allowed scores in 36-of-43 chances, including 32 touchdowns.