Aug. 23, 2007
Under similar circumstances, most coaches would be apprehensive at best. Not Johns Hopkins head coach Jim Margraff, who enters his 18th season at Homewood as excited as he has ever been for a season. Sure, the Blue Jays lost 10 All-Centennial Conference selections, the second-leading receiver in school history, the entire starting defensive line, one of the most prolific place-kickers in NCAA Division III history and several other key contributors to the Blue Jays' 32-11 record over the last four years.
Look closer and you'll see why Margraff is so optimistic. The top two rushers, three starters on the offensive line, a linebacking core that could be among the most athletic in the Centennial Conference and a pair of quarterbacks who have proven they can win games provide the nucleus of a team that may just have what it takes to sneak up on people.
The Blue Jays have been among the favorites for the Centennial Conference Championship every year since 2001 and losses that might cripple another program shouldn't be cause for concern to the Hopkins faithful. Margraff hasn't won a school-record 107 games and four Centennial titles by viewing the glass half-empty and neither should anyone else.
Quarterback
A year ago the Blue Jays entered the season without a player on the roster that had ever started a game at quarterback for the first time since 1996. A year later and Margraff can look to junior Adam Waddell and sophomore Michael Murray, who both started three games last season and provide Hopkins with a talented one-two punch.
Waddell missed several games with injuries last season, but flashed the athleticism in his five games and three starts that has the coaching staff excited. He has rushed for nearly 200 yards in limited playing time in his first two years and threw for a career-high 132 yards and one touchdown in a win at Franklin & Marshall last season. A healthy Waddell will diversify what the Blue Jays can do on offense.
Murray sparked the Blue Jays to a pair of wins in his three starts last season and etched his name in the Hopkins record book along the way. His two 200-yard passing games rank second in school history for a freshman (Margraff had four in 1978) and his 713 yards passing are the most by a Blue Jay freshman since 1990. He completed a team-high 57.3 percent of his attempts and also demonstrated an ability to escape pressure in the pocket.
In addition to Waddell and Murray, Margraff can also turn to sophomore Eric Callocchia, who saw limited action last season before excelling in spring practice.
Running Back
On a team where over 50 players are likely to see regular playing time, it's hard to point to one or two who need to perform at a certain level, but that's what the Blue Jays need from running backs Phil Roberts and Andrew Kase. The pair combined for nearly 900 yards (4.9/carry) and five touchdowns last season and their efforts, especially early in the season, will be crucial to the team's success.
Roberts rushed for a team-high 561 yards and five touchdowns last season, when he averaged 5.5 yards per carry. He twice rushed for more than 150 yards in a game (157 vs. Rochester and 162 vs. St. Lawrence) and has the size (6-1 • 220) and ability to run through a defense. With a solid young offensive line in front of him and a young receiving corps that may need time to develop, Roberts will have every opportunity to assert himself early in the year.
Kase enjoyed a productive freshman campaign a year ago as he finished second on the team in rushing (310 yards) and added 10 receptions out of the backfield. He flashed his ability to be the Blue Jays' every down back when he rushed 25 times for 113 yards against Gettysburg and 21 times for 101 yards against Muhlenberg. He became the first freshman in school history to rush for more than 100 yards in back-to-back games and teams with Roberts to give the Blue Jays one of the top running back tandems in the Centennial Conference.
Junior Greg Chimera should hold down the crucial fullback spot as he played in all 10 games with four starts last season. He carried the ball just twice, but demonstrated a nose for the end zone in the passing game as two of his seven receptions went for touchdowns.
Wide Receiver
The ability to run the ball effectively early in the season is always a priority, but maybe more so this season as the top two receivers from last season have graduated. Gone are Anthony Triplin and Evan Earnest, who combined for 95 receptions for 1,027 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Triplin was a First Team All-Centennial selection, while Earnest garnered First Team Academic All-America honors. No matter how you look at it, these will be difficult players to replace.
Senior co-captain Corey Sattler returns for his final campaign as the team's only experienced wide receiver. He averaged a team-high 16.7 yards on 16 receptions last season despite a preseason injury that cost him two games and limited his effectiveness. He had four receptions for 101 yards against Gettysburg last season and the coaches are hopeful he can return to his form of two years ago, when he had 34 receptions for 455 yards.
A trio of sophomores - Sean Hennessey, David Rokeach and Grant Parker - will battle for playing time opposite Sattler and this is an area where several freshmen could emerge as well.
Tight End
Junior Bryan Power returns after playing in all 10 games with one start last season. He had three receptions for 47 yards on the year and could figure more into the team's passing offense this season with the inexperience outside. Power may also find himself playing wide receiver in certain formations this season as well.
Offensive Line
Sixty percent of the starting offensive line appears to be set with the return of a trio of talented sophomores in Aaron Chance, Tim Miller and Mike Stoffel. Chance (tackle) and Miller (guard) should hold down the two starting spots on the right side of the line, while Stoffel will get the nod at left guard or left tackle.
Chance started all 10 games at right tackle last season, while Miller moved into the starting lineup at Franklin & Marshall and got the nod in the final six games of the season. Stoffel joined his classmates in the starting lineup against Muhlenberg and earned four starts to close the season.
Junior Matt Hintz played in four of the first six games with two starts last season before being limited by injuries and is the front-runner to join Stoffel on the left side of the line.
Junior Ed Wisneski played in five games last season and will also look to expand his role this season.
Defensive Line
There's really no way to mask the losses on the defensive line. Quite simply, the Blue Jays need to rebuild a unit that lost all four starters. That quartet takes nearly 200 tackles from last season and more than 50 career sacks with them.
Senior Chris DiForte is the most experienced returning player on the line as he has played in all 21 games at defensive end in the last two years. He counted 37 tackles and 4.5 sacks to his credit during that time and his ability to play in all situations will be crucial to the success of an inexperienced unit.
Slotted to hold down the end spot opposite DiForte is junior Tom O'Neill, who started the first eight games of the 2006 season at inside linebacker before an injury ended his season. O'Neill posted 22 tackles, two tackles for losses and one sack last season and his speed and athleticism should be an asset to the team's attacking style up front.
The interior of the line counts seniors Scott Meyers and Patrick Kay as the leaders in the fight for starting spots. Meyers is also making the move from linebacker and totaled 26 tackles a year ago, while Kay moves back to defense after starting three of the first four games of the 2006 season at center before missing the final six games with an injury.
Inside Linebacker
First-year defensive coordinator Bob Chesney's eyes light up when he talks about his core of inside linebackers, a group that should be the heart of the Blue Jay defense. Since switching to a 4-4-3 alignment in 2001 the Blue Jays have always fashioned some of the Centennial Conference's top linebackers and this season should prove no different.
Senior Adam Winter made the seamless transition from defensive back to linebacker during the middle of the 2006 season and should anchor the defense this season. One of the fastest players on the team, Winter finished sixth on the team in tackles (47) last season and added 5.5 tackles for losses, 3.0 sacks, three pass breakups and two blocked punts. Quite simply, Winter has the ability to make plays from sideline to sideline.
Joining Winter inside will be sophomore Colin Wixted, the team's top freshman on the defensive side of the ball last season. Wixted emerged as one of the top young defensive players in the Centennial Conference last season, when he posted 40 tackles, 5.5 tackles for losses and three sacks. He also returned a fumble for a touchdown against McDaniel and teams with Winter to give Johns Hopkins one of the top inside tandems in the Centennial.
Senior Ryan Johnstin has played in all 21 games in the last two years and will see extensive playing time with Winter and Wixted. He counts 37 tackles to his credit in the last two years as a reserve linebacker and special teams standout.
Strong Safeties
In JHU's 4-4-3 alignment the outside linebackers are pegged as strong safeties and Hopkins counts one of the two as a returning starter in senior co-captain Zach Rosswog. Rosswog started nine games last season and tied for second on the team in tackles (54). His 14-tackle effort against Franklin & Marshall was a career high and he is JHU's top returning tackler.
Junior Austin Ehrhart and sophomore Peter Giordano are the leading candidates to start at the other strong safety spot and both should see extensive playing time. Giordano played in nine games as a freshman and totaled 13 tackles, while Ehrhart played in seven games and had four stops to his credit.
Defensive Backs
If it's an odd numbered year then chances are good that the Blue Jays will be strong against the pass. Johns Hopkins led the nation in pass efficiency defense in 2001 and 2003 and has combined for 55 interceptions while allowing just 15 touchdown passes in the last three odd numbered seasons (2001, 2003 and 2005).
Senior co-captain Dan Requena is the only returning All-Centennial performer for the Blue Jays this season as he grabbed honorable mention honors at cornerback after returning from an early-season injury a year ago. Despite missing the first three games of the year, Requena totaled 22 tackles, two interceptions and one forced fumble and tied for the team-lead with six pass breakups.
Senior Rich Hill returns to man the cornerback spot opposite Requena and is coming off the best season of his career. Hill posted a career-high 25 tackles last season and has played in all 21 games in the last two years.
Sophomore Devin Hewlett enjoyed a solid rookie campaign last season with 10 tackles and one interception to his credit. He is the top young player in the battle for playing time at the corner.
In a 4-4-3 alignment the key figure may be the safety as there is only one instead of two. Junior Chris Baldwin returns to this spot after emerging in the second half of the 2006 season. A starter in the final six games, Baldwin quietly finished eighth on the team in tackles (39) despite not playing in the first three games of the season and his 25-yard interception return against Hampden-Sydney was the longest by a Hopkins player in 2006. His speed and continued development should fortify this position as a team strength.
Sophomore Kevin Reing saw action in six games a year ago and posted two tackles and one pass breakup. He enjoyed an exceptional spring and the coaching staff is excited about his potential.
Special Teams
Like the discussion about the defensive line, there's no way to sugar-coat the loss of Ben Scott, who earned All-America honors as a punter and place-kicker last season and was the only player in the nation (at any level) who ranked among the top five in the nation in punting average and field goals per game. Quite simply, he may be the most difficult player the Blue Jays have to replace.
Kase has experience in the kicking game and this is certainly an area where a freshman could make an impact.
