Sept. 2, 2011
Four years ago, Johns Hopkins head coach Jim Margraff brought in a class that on paper appeared capable of making a significant impact on the Blue Jay football program. However, games and championships aren't won on paper and Margraff's turnaround of the Hopkins football program didn't involve any short-cuts. This group, like the many that came before them since Margraff took over in 1990, would have to earn its way and prove their advance billing was accurate.
That first win in a torrential downpour against St. Lawrence, the magical ride to the 2009 NCAA Quarterfinals, a share of a second straight Centennial title and a blowout of Lebanon Valley in the 2010 ECAC South Atlantic Bowl - it seems hard to believe that one of the great classes in JHU football history has but one season remaining. Many of them played significant roles early in their careers and it's safe to say they caught more than one team by surprise.
Yet despite their accomplishments, this is an unsatisfied group. There's more to accomplish and many have taken note. From preseason All-America selections, to the top spot in the Centennial Conference Coaches Poll and recognition in several preseason polls, Johns Hopkins is on the map and there will be no sneaking up on anyone in 2011.
Below is a position-by-position breakdown of the 2011 Blue Jays.
Quarterback
The Blue Jays have the luxury of returning the all-time winningest quarterback in school history in senior Hewitt Tomlin, who has won 25 games as JHU's starter since arriving in 2008. His 25 victories are but one of the more than 30 school records Tomlin already counts to his credit.
A year ago, playing without all-time leading rusher Andrew Kase for the first time in his career, Tomlin rewrote the Hopkins record book as he set school records for passing yards (3,309), touchdown passes (24), total offense (3,377) and 300-yard passing games (7). His seven 300-yard passing games last season alone were just four fewer than had been accumulated by every other quarterback in school history combined.
Tomlin enters his final season as the second-leading active passer in the nation with 7,798 career passing yards to his credit. More importantly, he has a firm grasp on offensive coordinator Dan Swanstrom's system and the weapons necessary to make the Blue Jays a legitimate threat to win their third straight Centennial Conference title.
Sophomore Robbie Matey and seniors Michael Giampapa and Tyler Porco figure to share any snaps under center that Tomlin doesn't take. Matey didn't attempt a pass last season, but is likely the heir apparent when Tomlin moves on after this season. He moves well in the pocket and continues to demonstrate a solid knowledge of the offense.
Giampapa saw action in six games a year ago and was an efficient 8-of-12 for 73 yards in his limited time.
Porco, the only player other than Tomlin to start a game at quarterback for JHU since the start of the 2008 season, is a dual threat as a runner and passer. He rushed for 180 yards and three scores a year ago while also completing 3-of-4 pass attempts. He figures to continue seeing time as a receiving threat as well.
Running Back
While the overall numbers for the Blue Jay running game - 133.8 yards per game and 25 touchdowns - appear to have been the perfect complement to JHU's passing attack last season, bolstering this unit was a primary in the offseason. When push comes to shove, Margraff and Swanstrom know they'll need to be able to run the ball more effectively than they did last season to take some of the burden off Tomlin and his receivers.
The Blue Jays possess a home run threat in junior Jonathan Rigaud, who led the team in rushing with 442 yards and three touchdowns despite missing two games last season. Rigaud, who also averaged more than 16 yards on eight receptions a year ago, figures to be the featured back again this season.
When Kase and his school-record 44 career rushing touchdowns were lost after the 2009 season, one of the questions asked was who would score touchdowns for the Blue Jays last season? On the ground, that player proved to be Nick Fazio, whose nine rushing touchdowns led the team. Including a touchdown reception, Fazio put the ball in the end zone on one of every 10 touches in 2010, a figure that ranks among the best in school history by a running back.
Sophomores JD Abbott and Gary Sharp, who saw limited time as freshmen a year ago, bring a thunder and lightning one-two punch to the backfield with Abbott big and strong enough to pick up the tough yards, while Sharp is a threat to go every time he touches the ball. Only game experience is missing from their resumes as the point. Junior Scott Barletta figures to hold down the fullback spot again this season. He developed into a solid running option for the Blue Jays last season as he rushed for 155 yards and five scores on the year. A majority of his carries came late in the season, when he proved to be the hard-nosed threat JHU had been missing early in the year.
Wide Receiver / Tight End
Senior Sam Wernick returns after enjoying the greatest season in school history by a wide receiver. The 2010 Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Year, Wernick totaled 69 receptions for 1,265 yards and 17 touchdowns last season with the latter two totals shattering JHU records. Wernick's big-play ability - eight career receptions of 60 yards or longer and 18.3 yards per reception last season - make him the primary focus of defensive coordinators throughout the Centennial Conference. Locking down Wernick, which is easier said than done, doesn't ensure success against the Blue Jay passing game as sophomore Dan Wodicka and junior Scott Cremens return after enjoying breakout seasons a year ago.
Wodicka totaled 35 receptions for 530 yards and one touchdown last season and had one of JHU's two 80-yard touchdown receptions on the year, while Cremens added 34 receptions for 394 yards and two scores. They are both capable of taking the burden off of Wernick and figure to increase their production as teams are forced to double team him early in the season.
While having Wernick, Wodicka and Cremens back in the fold is a luxury, the Blue Jays do need to replace Tucker Michels and Dan Crowley, who combined for 71 receptions for nearly 900 yards a year ago. A stable of players, which includes seniors James Peters and A.J. Safi and sophomore Bob D'Orazio, will be given every opportunity to step in and contribute.
In addition to losing Michels and Crowley, the Blue Jays must replace Brian Hopkins, a work-horse at tight end over the last four years. Porco saw time here last season and figures to remain a part of the passing game, while Brendan Hartman is also a candidate for playing time here.
Offensive Line
Four starters and several talented reserves return to the offensive line from a year ago, when the group helped the Blue Jays set school records for total offense (442.5) and points scored (394). In a league that counts as many as half of its teams as legitimate title contenders, it could be the Blue Jays' experience on the offensive line that proves decisive.
There is exactly one center in the entire nation returning who earned All-America honors last season and he'll line up for the Blue Jays. In a program that has produced some of the Centennial Conference's best centers over the last 15 years, senior Ed Rodger is almost certainly the best. Rodger was a unanimous First Team All-Centennial selection last season and also grabbed Honorable Mention All-America honors from d3football.com. He possesses both the physical ability and knowledge to run the show up front for the Blue Jays.
Classmate Doug Drummond quietly enjoyed a banner season at guard a year ago as he earned Second Team All-Centennial and Second Team CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. On a line of standouts, Drummond may be the steadiest player in the group. Sophomore Armand Jenifer is poised to become the next great Johns Hopkins offensive lineman. With great size (6-3/290) and strength and tremendous feet for a player his size, he is looking to build off a freshman campaign that saw him start the final seven games of the season. Johns Hopkins went 6-1 in the seven games he started in 2010 and he figures to be the cornerstone of the line from his right tackle spot for the next three years.
Senior Roland Massimino stepped in as a starter last season at left tackle and did a solid job protecting Tomlin's blind side (JHU allowed just 11 sacks on more than 400 pass attempts) while also proving to be a dependable run-blocker. His ability to handle that spot with little to no help in passing situations proved to be a key part of the Blue Jay attack a year ago.
The lone offensive lineman lost to graduation was left guard Ryan Lino. A pair of sophomores - Kevin Quinn and transfer Ben Cranston - are the leading candidates to take over for Lino, while juniors Sean Reeder, Keith Graeff and Patrick Kiernan figure into the depth chart on the offensive line entering the season and should all see time.
Defensive Line
The Blue Jays totaled 27 sacks in 11 games last season, but only 4.5 of those were accumulated by defensive linemen. Generating a more consistent pass rush was an emphasis for defensive coordinator Frank Colaprete, who juggled his lineup in the spring and summer and may have turned up just the answer. Making the move from linebacker to the defensive end spots in JHU's 4-4-3 scheme are seniors Kale Sweeney and Tyler Brown, who have excelled throughout their career and possess big-play ability.
Brown is a two-time All-Centennial selection and counted 4.0 sacks and 6.0 tackles for losses among his 58 stops a year ago. His has the power and speed to handle the end spot and could drift back to the second level in certain situations. Sweeney has developed into an imposing physical specimen during his time at JHU and now packs 235 pounds on his 6-1 frame. He is very strong and ranks as one of the fastest players on the team. His combination of speed and power figures to give the opposition trouble on the edge.
Another pair of seniors - Dan Keenan and Brian Peters - have the inside track on playing time on the interior of the line, although the Blue Jays always go deep in the rotation along the line to keep players fresh.
Keenan led all JHU defensive linemen in tackles last season with 38, including 4.5 for losses, while Peters added 5.0 tackles for losses among his 25 stops. Both have seen time at defensive end during their careers and team with Sweeney and Brown to give the Blue Jays an experienced and athletic top four.
A pair of sophomores - Joe DiTrolio and Mike Zikoski - will all take on significant roles this season behind the four seniors. Zikoski is the most experienced non-starter on the defensive line as he played in nine games last season and totaled nine tackles. This is also an area where several newcomers could make an impact this season.
Linebackers
With the shift of Sweeney and Brown to defensive end, Ryan Piatek will be the only senior among the four starters at linebacker for the Blue Jays this season. Of course, he's a good senior to have if you only have one as he earned First Team All-Centennial honors last season after leading the team in tackles (111), tackles for losses (14.0) and sacks (5.5) from his middle linebacker spot. He also totaled four interceptions and four pass breakups and is a leading candidate for Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors.
While Piatek is the only senior expected to start, the linebacking corps will not be inexperienced as three juniors figure to line up with Piatek on a regular basis. Taylor Maciow, who quietly finished fourth on the team in tackles a year ago (57), will start alongside Piatek in the middle. He also excels on special teams as he counted nine special teams tackles to his credit last season.
Fellow juniors Adam Schweyer and P.J. Caufield are the leading candidates to start at outside linebacker (called strong safeties in JHU's scheme). Schweyer finished second on the team in tackles (61) last season and led the team in special teams tackles (20) for the second straight season, while Caufield counted 20 tackles to his credit in seven games befor missing the final four games of the 2010 season.
A senior (Dylan Meola), two juniors (Joshua Heft and Kevin Rems) and a sophomore (John Arena) also figure into the plans at linebacker. The four combined to play in 43 games with 99 tackles to their credit and any of the four are more than capable of stepping into a starting role. The four also rank among JHU's top special teams players as they combined for 38 special teams tackles last season, including 12 by Heft and 11 by Meola.
Defensive Backs
Three seniors, including two who rank among the best in the Centennial Conference, return to anchor the Blue Jay secondary.
Michael Milano returns to lead the way from his safety spot after earning First Team All-Centennial honors in each of the last two years. Milano counted 51 tackles, a team-high five interceptions and five pass breakups to his credit last season and is one of the top returning safeties in the nation.
Sam Eagleson, who doubles as an ace pitcher for the Blue Jay baseball team, has twice earned Second Team All-Centennial honors at cornerback and finished with 34 tackles, four interceptions and a team-high seven pass breakups last season. His ability to lock down one half of the field is a crucial part of the Blue Jay defensive scheme. John Gardus, who spent his first two years as a wide receiver at JHU, made the move over to defense last season and saw action in all 11 games and posted 16 tackles. He is a solid open-field tackler and should be more comfortable on the corner opposite Eagleson with a year of experience.
Junior Alex Logue and sophomore Quinn Houser should also see extensive action at corner and in obvious passing situations, while several newcomers could also see time in the secondary this season.
Special Teams
If there is one area the Blue Jays took a big hit it was on special teams, where all-everything place-kicker Alex Lachman and four-year starting punter Max Islinger have graduated. Both will be difficult to replace as Lachman graduated with a school and Centennial Conference record 46 field goals to his credit, while Islinger developed into a steady punter who capped his career by averaging 36.2 yards per punt last season.
Sophomore Richie Carbone will likely handle both chores this season. Carbone has a strong leg, gets great hang time on his punts and is dependable from 40 and in on field goal attempts. His ability to manage both positions will be a key for the Blue Jays, who count just one other kicker, junior Nick Vranis, on the roster. Vranis is making the switch from soccer and could find a role as a kickoff specialist.
In the return game, the Blue Jays are likely to use several players on both kickoffs and punts. This is also an area where newcomers could see time early on for JHU.
Summary
Margraff has long preferred to downplay his hand than boast, but it seems unlikely that anyone will listen if he tries that this season. With a talented, experienced team, Johns Hopkins knows it will have its name circled on the schedule of every team it plays this season.
That's fine with the Blue Jays - they know games and championships aren't won on paper.
