Aug. 17, 2001
BALTIMORE, Md. -- Armed with 15 returning starters, including several who earned All-Conference honors last season, the Johns Hopkins football team has been picked to finish third in the 2001 preseason Centennial Conference football poll. The Blue Jays did not receive any first-place votes, but garnered 48 points to trail just four-time defending conference champion Western Maryland (72 points/12 first-place votes) and Muhlenberg (62/2). All seven head coaches and sports information directors voted.
The Blue Jays return the nucleus of an offense which was on a record-setting pace before injuries took their toll late last season. Senior quarterback Rob Heleniak threw for 1.597 yards and 17 touchdowns against just five interceptions despite missing the last three games of the season. Heleniak's 17 TD passes were one shy of the JHU single-season record, while he set a school record for completion percentage in a game by completing 19-of-21 (.905) in a 42-6 win over Kings Point.
In addition to Heleniak, the Blue Jays return senior wide receiver Zach Baylin and senior running back Scott Martorana, who both earned First Team All-Centennial honors last season. Baylin led the team with 68 receptions for 683 yards and a school-record 12 touchdown receptions, while Martorana rushed for 678 yards and eight touchdowns despite missing the last three games. He averaged 113.0 yards rushing and 195.7 all-purpose yards per game.
Defensively, the Blue Jays return seniors Erich Hellmold (DL) and Craig Reinert (LB), who both earned Second Team All-Centennial honors, while senior Marc Della Pia (LB) is also back after leading the team in tackles for the second straight season. Hellmold posted a career-high 43 tackles, including a team-high six sacks and 12 tackles for losses, while Reinert added 34 tackles, five tackles for losses, and one sack. Della Pia paced the squad with 68 tackles from his middle linebacker spot.
Dickinson placed fourth in the poll with 42 points and was followed by Ursinus (35), Gettysburg (23), and Franklin & Marshall (12).
Johns Hopkins opens the 2001 season at home on September 8 when the Blue Jays host Washington & Lee at Homewood Field. The 2001 season could also be a historic one for head coach Jim Margraff as he enters the season needing just one victory to become the all-time winningest coach in school history. Through 11 seasons as the head coach at Hopkins, he currently boasts a 60-47-3 (.559) record.
2001 Centennial Conference Preseason Football Poll
Rk. School (1st-place votes) Points 1. Western Maryland (12)-72 2. Muhlenberg (2)-62 3. Johns Hopkins-48 4. Dickinson-42 5. Ursinus-35 6. Gettysburg-23 7. Franklin & Marshall-12
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