July 30, 2007
LANCASTER, PA - The Johns Hopkins football team, which has grabbed at least a share of four Centennial Conference Championships in the last five years and sports a 41-13 overall record since the start of the 2002 season, was picked second in the 2007 Centennial Conference Preseason Poll, which was announced Monday afternoon at the league's media day. The Blue Jays picked up four first-place votes and totaled 105 points in the poll of league coaches and sports information directors. Ursinus compiled 112 points on the strength of seven first-place votes and grabbed the top spot in the poll for the first time since 1997.
Johns Hopkins posted a 5-5 record and tied for third-place in the league with a 3-3 mark. The Blue Jays won their last two games of the 2006 season (only team in the league that will carry a two-game winning streak into the 2006 season) by a combined score of 72-17 and allowed a total of just 41 points in their final four games combined.
Defending champion Dickinson placed third in the poll (74 points, 3 first-place votes) and was followed by Moravian (76 points, 2 first-place votes), Muhlenberg (74 points), Gettysburg (67 points/1 first-place vote), Franklin & Marshall (52 points/1 first-place vote), McDaniel (44 points) and Juniata (17 points). Moravian and Juniata join the Centennial Conference as associate football members this season after competing in the Middle Atlantic Conference.
Senior running back Phil Roberts headlines the returning offensive players as he rushed for a team-high 561 yards and five touchdowns last season. He is joined in the backfield by sophomore Andrew Kase, who rushed for 310 yards as a freshman last season. They will run behind an offensive line that returns three starters in sophomores Aaron Chance, Tim Miller and Mike Stoffel. Junior Adam Waddell and sophomore Michael Murray, six games between them last season, combined to throw for nearly 900 yards last season and should both see time at quarterback.
Senior co-captain Zach Rosswog, senior Adam Winter and sophomore Adam Wixted return at linebacker and provide the nucleus of a defense that finished among the top three in the league in total defense (255.7) and scoring defense (14.7) a year ago. Rosswog is the team's leading returning tackler (54) and will hold down one of the outside spots, while Winter (47 tackles) and Wixted (40) give the Blue Jays one of the most athletic pairs of inside linebackers in he league. Senior co-captain Dan Requena, an Honorable Mention All-Centennial performer at cornerback a year ago, returns to lead the secondary after posting 22 tackles and six pass breakups a year ago.
Jim Margraff is entering his 18th season as the head coach at Homewood and carries a 107-63-3 record into the 2007 season. He is the all-time winningest coach in school history and has guided the Blue Jays to four Centennial Conference Championships (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005), three ECAC Championships (2002, 2003, 2004) and one appearance in the NCAA Playoffs (2005).
Johns Hopkins will open the 2007 season at Hampden-Sydney on September 1. The Blue Jays' league opener comes two weeks later when Gettysburg comes to Homewood Field for a Friday night game (September 14 ? 7:00 pm).
2007 Centennial Conference Preseason Football Poll
Rank ? School (1st-place votes) ? Points
1. Ursinus (7) ? 112
2. Johns Hopkins (4) ? 105
3. Dickinson (3) ? 94
4. Moravian (2) ? 76
5. Muhlenberg ? 74
6. Gettysburg (1) ? 67
7. Franklin & Marshall (1) ? 52
8. McDaniel ? 44
9. Juniata ? 17
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