2007 Marietta College football preview
Pioneers ready for tough tests this fall

July 25, 2007
MARIETTA, Ohio — Three straight non-losing seasons and the expected return of 29 lettermen from a 6-4 season in 2006 have the revitalized Pioneers eager to continue their progress during the 2007 campaign.

Head Coach Curt Wiese admitted that the program has a challenging year ahead of it. On top of losing 13 seniors, Marietta may have the toughest schedule in the country lined up for the fall. In addition to their rugged OAC schedule, the Pioneers will open the year on the road in Collegeville, Minn., against national-power St. John's University on Sept. 1.

"Our schedule is going to have its challenges," said Wiese. "We knew going into the off-season our schedule would be tough. Our players' attitudes and work ethic have reflected a positive feeling around the program. We will take each game on an individual basis. Right now, our focus is St. John's."

Wiese and his staff are confident that they have the squad to handle the challenge. Leading the way will be a pair of 2006 Don Hansen's Football Gazette All-Americans in seniors Clay Ream and Brian Hahn. In addition, three more senior All-OAC performers—wide receiver Chad McDaniel, right tackle Jason MacKay and right guard Lance Parrish—will help anchor the offense.

Here is a look at the Pioneers by position:

Quarterback: Four players began battling for the vacant quarterback position during spring practice. While all are inexperienced, they have the talent to overcome the challenge. Senior Kirby Spahlinger, who has the most varsity experience, will return after being injured much of 2006. Sophomore Dexter Hughes took a few varsity snaps as a freshman. He and classmate Corey Lemke took care of the junior varsity duties a year ago. Ryan Merrill, who transferred from a Division II school last winter, has had the spring to get acquainted with the system and will be fighting for playing time this fall.

Running back: Three tailbacks—senior Joe Webb, junior Garrett Banks and sophomore George Davis—have all started during their careers and should see opportunities this season. Webb is back from an injury that sidelined him most of 2006. In 16 career games, he has rushed 122 times for 447 yards and six touchdowns. Banks, who took over for the injured Webb ran for 142 yards and three scores a year ago. Davis collected 96 yards on the ground as a freshman. Senior Adam Smith, the team's long-snapper and backup fullback over the past few seasons, will lead the battle for starting spot in 2007.

Wide Receivers: Senior All-OAC standout Chad McDaniel, the school's single-game record holder in receptions and receiving yards, is the lone starter back from 2006. McDaniel caught 49 passes for 741 yards and five touchdowns as a junior. Juniors Andrew Good and Mike Sowko will look to have breakout years in 2007. Good pulled in nine catches for 105 yards, while Sowko was the junior varsity team's main target a year ago. The sophomore class, featuring Anthony Mossburg, Marty Mueller and Sam Waltz, all played well last season on junior varsity and have the ability to step up to the next level and contribute.

Offensive line: Four out of the five starters, all seniors, will return to anchor the line this fall. All-OAC honoree Jason MacKay and two-year starter Brad Roberts will be at tackle. Two-time All-OAC guard Lance Parrish, who is back from injury, and Steve Kwolek will sandwich the only new member of the line, which will be at center. The empty spot will be a battle between seniors Joel McKinney, DJ Martin and Tom Daniel and junior Jesse Daubert. All have the in-game experience necessary to make the transition to an every-down player. Returnees also battling for playing time will be junior Will Ritter and sophomores George Frisch, Vlad Grecu and Matt Pelto.

Defensive line: Two players—All American nose tackle Clay Ream and three-year mainstay Pete Hashman—will help bring experience and continuity to the defensive line. Ream was tied for sixth in total tackles (46) while leading the squad in tackles for loss (11) last year. Hashman added 27 total tackles, including five for loss and a team-high four sacks. Junior David Loyer and sophomores Anthony Belin, Chris Carter, Andrew Doerr and Dan Moore should all battle for valuable playing time this fall.  

Linebackers: Both starting inside linebackers are back in 2007, including senior All-American Brian Hahn and junior Grant Cowell. Hahn paced the team with 83 hits, including 10.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, while Cowell was second with 71 stops, including eight for loss and one sack. The duo will be pushed in practice and spelled on game day by seniors Brian Meyers and Rob Phillips along with junior Joe Deppen. Senior Carter Shaver looks to hold down one of the outside spots for a second straight year, while part-time starter and sophomore Braden Schaad is looking to play a key role at the other spot. Shaver finished fifth in tackles (48), while Schaad had 15 hits in 2006. Also contending for time will be junior Jamie Schumacher and sophomore Jon D'Angelo. 

Defensive backfield: Returning only one starter in senior Cody Venderlic, the secondary will have a new look in 2007. Venderlic, a two-year starter at corner back, had 35 tackles and broke up six passes a year ago. Senior Dave Oriani will look to bring his maturity and leadership to one of the spots, while juniors Adam Sigman, Clinton Thompson and Alan Tracewell will all battle for time in the secondary. Sophomore Rich Castagna, who played some as a freshman, along with fellow sophomores JR Gibson and Gavan Renner will also be in the mix. 

Special teams: Junior Pat Lane, who held the kicking job last year, and senior Nick Manson, the primary kicker in 2005, will battle once again for place kicking duties. Sophomore Corey Lemke, who was the junior varsity kicker in 2006, will push them. Senior Jon Bensie, who gained valuable experience at the junior varsity level, will take over the punting duties. Senior Adam Smith will once again handle the long snapping for the Pioneers. Sophomore Rich Castagna will lead a host of speedsters back to receive punts and kickoffs in 2007.

Schedule: For the fifth time in the last seven years, the Ohio Athletic Conference, one of the top leagues in the nation, features the reigning National Champion in Mount Union, and competition will be as stiff as ever. The Pioneers will put their seven game win streak in season openers on the line Sept. 1 when they visit Collegeville, Minnesota, for a match-up with national power St. John's. After a bye in week two, Marietta will remain on the road and open OAC play at Baldwin-Wallace on Sept. 15, before hosting Otterbein Sept. 22 in it home opener—the third annual River City Bowl. Sept. 22 is also Alumni Day and the game will be broadcast live locally on WTAP. The Pioneers will remain at home for a week-five showdown with Capital (Sept. 29), before road games at Muskingum (Oct. 6) and John Carroll (Oct. 13). Ohio Northern will be Marietta's homecoming opponent on Oct. 20. A trip to Heidelberg (Oct. 27) is set for week nine, followed by the Pioneers' final home game against Wilmington (Nov. 3) and then their regular season finale at Mount Union (Nov. 10).