Aug. 28, 2006

The most successful era in the history of the Johns Hopkins football program continued last season as the Blue Jays grabbed a fourth straight Centennial Conference Championship and made the program's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Playoffs. The current run includes the four straight Centennial titles, three ECAC Championships, one NCAA Playoff berth and a 36-8 record since the start of the 2002 season.

While the outright conference title and trip to the NCAAs last season further legitimized a program that head coach Jim Margraff has been crafting into a national power for years, the Blue Jays enter the 2006 season looking to build on the recent accomplishments rather than rest on their laurels. Indeed, a spirited spring practice has been followed by healthy competition in preseason camp. Hopkins, a consensus favorite to win its fifth straight Centennial Championship this season, finds motivation in trying to take the next step at the national level.

For Margraff and the Blue Jays to reach the lofty goals they have set for themselves they'll need to replace several key members of last year's team. Gone are five starters on offense and defense, including Adam Luke (LB), T.J. Lyons (RB), Marc DeGennaro (C) and Adam Colicchio (CB), who all earned First Team All-Centennial honors a year ago. Add in the departures of Zach DiIonno (QB), Jim Sanders (S) and Max Whitacre (LB), all Second Team All-Centennial performers last season, and clearly there is work to be done. Still, the nucleus of a nationally-ranked defense is in place, there is big-place potential on offense and one of the top returning place-kickers in the nation plays at Homewood.

Below is a closer look at the 2006 Blue Jays with key personnel included.

Defense
Any discussion about the success of the Johns Hopkins football team in recent years has to include a close look at a defense that has ranked among the national leaders year-in and year-out. In fact, since the start of the 2002 season Johns Hopkins ranks third in the nation among all Division III schools in scoring defense (12.89 points allowed per game) and the Blue Jays have allowed more than 21 points just five times in that span (44 games) while holding the opposition to 10 points or less 21 times.

The Blue Jays return six starters from last season, when defensive coordinator Frank Colaprete guided a unit that finished among the national leaders in scoring defense (11th ? 13.4), rushing defense (19th ? 95.3) and total defense (26th ? 269.4). Headlining this year's group will be a defensive line that returns intact and should create problems for the opposition at every turn.

Senior defensive end Brian Cook and senior defensive tackle Anthony Woodard anchor the unit after both garnered First Team All-Centennial honors a year ago (just the fourth time in school history that two defensive linemen made the first team in the same year).

Cook enters his final season as a leading candidate for Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors as he punched up 53 tackles, 11 tackles for losses and eight sacks a year ago and needs just one sack to become the Johns Hopkins career leader. He currently counts 20.5 career sacks to his credit and has been one of the most disruptive players in the the Centennial throughout his career.

Woodard emerged as a force last season and led all Blue Jay defensive linemen with 56 tackles and added 11.0 tackles for losses and 5.5 sacks.

Returning to the defensive end spot opposite Cook (the Rover in JHU's 4-4-3 alignment) is senior Brian Nickel, a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District pick. Nickel has quietly amassed 85 tackles and 8.5 sacks over the last two seasons, including a career-high 52 tackles and four sacks last season. A very intelligent player, Nickel will likely see plenty of action come his way as teams are certain to avoid Cook's side of the field when possible.

An already solid returning unit got stronger with the return of Alan Cody, who sat out last season after earning Second Team All-Centennial honors in 2004. Cody takes over at nose guard - a move that should make Woodard even more effective as he can slide to the defensive tackle spot - and will look to return quickly to his form of two years ago, when he led all JHU defensive linemen with 69 tackles and added 9.5 sacks.

Junior Chris DiForte and senior Ian Anderson are the top reserves on the defensive line and are likely to see plenty of playing time, while senior Mike Kasper also figures into the plans on the interior of the line. DiForte, a starter last season, registered 23 tackles and three sacks a year ago and teams with Cook and Nickel to give the Blue Jays a talented trio of ends.

Anderson had his season cut short by an injury last year and is making the move to the interior of the defensive line, while Kasper saw action in five games last season and could emerge as a key reserve.

The performance of the defensive line will be crucial early in the season as the linebacking core and secondary both suffered significant losses. Both starting inside linebackers and one starter at outside linebacker must be replaced, while Colicchio and Sanders comprised two-thirds of the starting secondary.

Senior strong safety (OLB) Matt Hagel is the lone returning starter from the second line of defense, but he's a great one to have back in the fold. A two-time Second Team All-Centennial selection, Hagel finished second on the team in tackles (81), led the squad in tackles for losses (11.5) and added 4.5 sacks, two interceptions and one return of a blocked punt for a touchdown. His 106 tackles as a sophomore are the most by a Johns Hopkins player since 1993 and he will lead what will be an inexperienced linebacking unit.

Junior Zach Rooswog and sophomore Austin Ehrhart have emerged in the battle for the outside spot opposite Hagel and both are likely to be key figures this season, Rosswog has significantly more experience than Ehrahart as he has played in all 22 games in his career. In a reserve defensive role and special teams ace last season he posted 17 tackles, including 1.5 for losses and one sack. He also came up with a key interception inside the Blue Jay 10-yard line to kill a Carnegie Mellon scoring drive in what would become a 9-6 Hopkins victory. Ehrhart saw time in three games a year ago and had one fumble recovery to his credit. He had a strong spring and has deomonstrated a solid understanding of the team's defensive scheme.

Luke, Mike Barrasso and Mike Aynardi were fixtures at inside linebacker over the last three years and will not easily be replaced. As many as four returning players are locked in a battle for the two starting spots, while this is also an area where a newcomer could emerge.

Juniors Ryan Johnstin and Scott Meyers and sophomores Tom O'Neill and David Fraser have provided the competition Margraff needs to push the group through their inexperience and provide options.

Johnstin has seen the most playing time among the four as he played in all 11 games last season and had 14 tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery to his credit. Meyers also played in all 11 games last season, primarily as the team's long-snapper. He counted four tackles to his credit.

Without much fanfare, O'Neill actually led all freshmen with 15 tackles last season and has made a seamless transition from defensive line to linebacker. Fraser did not record any statistics last season, but worked hard during the off-season to put himself in position for playing time.

Junior Dan Requena, the only sophomore to earn a starting spot on defense last season, returns to his cornerback spot and will headline a secondary that counts just one senior among the top six players. Requena posted 30 tackles, three interceptions, five pass breakups and one fumble recovery in his first season as a starter. His ability to hold down his side of the field will be crucial this season and he is likely to be matched up with some of the premier receivers Hopkins faces this season.

Senior Chris Chauvin, junior Richard Hill and sophomore Paul Fields will likely take their battle for the other cornerback spot right down to the first game, although all three are likely to see significant playing time. Chauvin earned a starting spot as a sophomore, but injuries hampered him last season. He played in all 11 games two years ago and registered 28 tackles, three pass breakups and one interception. A healthy and productive season from Chauvin would provide an answer to the question mark at this position.

Hill played in all 11 games with a majority of his playing time coming on special teams. He posted five tackles and had one pass breakup, while Fields played in four games with three tackles to his credit.

Junior Adam Winter has emerged at safety to take over for Sanders and will be supported by sophomore Ryan Farrell. Winter played in all 11 games last season and posted 20 tackles and three pass breakups, while Farrell worked his way into a pair of games as a freshman.

Offense
Like the Blue Jay defense, the Hopkins offense returns six starters from last season, including the 2005 Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Year, three starters along the offensive line, a pair of talented, but inexperienced, quarterbacks and a running back tandem that possesses a solid combination of power and shiftiness.

Amazingly, for the first time since 1996 the Blue Jays do not return a quarterback who has started a game at the college level. A remarkable run of 10 seasons went by where at least one quarterback returned with at least one career start to his credit. Of course, Margraff knows a thing or two about the quarterback position as he still ranks as Hopkins' career leader in every major statistical category and he has a pair of talented players to work with in senior Shane Kibbe and sophomore Adam Waddell. Both are likely to see time early in the season.

Waddell's athleticism was evident from the first day of practice last season and only an experienced senior like DiIonno kept him from earning more playing time as a freshman. He showed steady progress throughout the season in his grasp of the offense and saw action in five games. Despite limited playing time he finished third on the team in rushing (103 yards) as he flashed the ability to make something out of nothing. He attempted just seven passes on the year, but enjoyed a solid spring and provides the Blue Jays with the dual threat they enjoyed during George Merrell's two years as the starting quarterback (2002-03).

Kibbe, who Margraff quips "knows the offense as well as the coaches," played in three games last season in a reserve role and threw just eight passes with one touchdown. His knowledge of the offensive system is exemplary and he teams with Waddell to give the Blue Jays a dependable one-two punch.

Senior Mark Nesbitt and junior Phil Roberts may strikes up thoughts of thunder and lightening in the backfield as Nesbitt's explosiveness and shiftiness and Roberts' power are being counted on to make up for the loss of Lyons, who took his 950 rushing yards and nine touchdowns with him. Both have battled back from serious injuries and appear poised for breakout campaigns.

Nesbitt is hoping to return to the form of his freshman year, when he averged nearly seven yards per carry. He did a little bit of everyting last season in rolling up nearly 550 all purpose yards and has demonstrated the ability to make the big play.

Roberts made the move to running back last season and rushed for 77 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 23 carries. At 6-foot-1, 220-pounds he could become a dominating presence in the backfield and should see plenty of action inside the 10-yard line.

Freshman Chris Baldwin, junior Zach Rupert and sophomore Chris Martino also figure into the rotation at running back. Baldwin is making the move from defensive back and was the fastest player on the team during the spring. His sheer explosiveness could earn him some playing time. Rupert has seen spot duty in the backfield during his career and he and Martino are also likely to see time as return specialists.

Juniors Jake Wittenberg and Matt Beidler and sophomore Greg Chimera should battle for playing time at fullback, where Wittenberg got the call in all 11 games last season.

Whoever lines up under center will have the luxury of throwing to a deep and talented group of receivers that is led by senior Anthony Triplin, who earned Centennial Offensive Player of the Year honors last season. He is joined by junior Corey Sattler and seniors Evan Earnest and Jon Bisaillon, who is making the move from running back to wide receiver this season.

Triplin caught 77 passes for 809 yards and three touchdowns last season and already ranks fourth in school history in receptions (177) and sixth in receiving yards (1,997). The threat of Triplin getting deep is so strong that the opposition has generally choosen to give up the short pass to avoid the deep ball, but that didn't stop him from hauling in an 80-yard touchdown pass in a win over Gettysburg last season. His presence will mean mostly one-on-one coverage for JHU's other wide receivers and also prevents the opposition from loading up against the run.

It's hard to argue with a 2005 All-Centennial team that consisted of 14 Johns Hopkins players, but if there was one player who got snubbed it may have been Sattler, who grabbed 34 passes for 455 yards. He finished third in the league in receiving yards per game and his 34 catches ranked fourth in the league. He has picked up where he left off last season and teams with Triplin to give the Blue Jays the top returning receiver tandem in the league.

Earnest was poised for a special year last season before a freak injury late in the preseason kept him out of the first six games. He managed nine receptions after returning and provides the perfect complement to Triplin and Sattler as he can work the underneath routes and sidelines. He has tremendous hands and would likely be the number two receiver on any other team in the league.

Bisaillon is the only senior among a group of four or five players who will battle for the fouth and fifth wide receiver spots. The tight end has not been a featured part of the Blue Jay passing game since Jason Lehman finished his career in 2003. However, senior Kevin Smith and sophomore Bryan Power could emerge as legitimate threats as both have impressive size and could present matchup problems in the red zone. Smith had one reception last season, while Power has made a smooth transition from wide receiver.

Three starters return to an offensive line that struggled at times last season, but has the makings for a solid group this year. First Team All-Centennial guard Paul Markowski returns and will be joined at guard by fellow senior John Hunter, who took full advantage of the most extensive playing time of his carer last season and should only improve this year. Markowski made the improbable jump from non-starter to First Team All-Centennial.

Trivia question: Who is the most experienced offensive player returning (after Triplin) for Johns Hopkins this year? Few, if any, will respond senior tackle Phil Dixon. However, it's Dixon who has started 30 consecutive games since taking over early in his freshman year and provides an experienced bookend to the line. His counterpart on the other side will likely be sophomore Matt Hintz, who emerged as the 2005 season progressed and should be the cornerstone of the line for the next three years.

The Blue Jays have developed some of the top centers in the Centennial Conference over the last 10 years and junior Patrick Kay has been groomed to be the next in line. Kay played in nine games on the defensive line last season (12 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 0.5 sacks), but made the move in the spring and gains confidence and understanding every practice. His development at the position will be vital to any offensive success the Blue Jays may enjoy this season.

Senior Erik Napp saw the most extensive playing time of his career last season in support of First Team All-Centennial selection Marc DeGennaro and provides the Blue Jays with a talented and experienced backup.

Special Teams
Senior Ben Scott returns for his final year after garnering First Team All-Centennial honors as a punter and second team status as a place-kicker last season. He provides the Blue Jays with a clear advantage in a crucial area.

Scott averaged 37.5 yards per punt and dropped a school-record 21 punts inside the opposition's 20-yard line last season. He also drilled 13 field goals, including game-winners on the final play of the game against Rochester and Carnegie Mellon.

Scott enters his final season as JHU's career record-holder for field goals (30) and could move into the top 10 in Division III history with a duplication of last season's efforts. He needs just four field goals to become the Centennial Conference career leader.

The return game should be in good shape with Earnest and Rupert leading the way. Earnest was a Second Team All-Centennial pick two years ago as a return specialist, but was limited in this area a year ago with his injury. Rupert averaged just under eight yards per punt return and 23.1 yards per kick off return last season. Nesbitt has also seen time in the return game, but an increased role in the backfield will likely take him out of these plans.