Season Outlook/Biggest Questions for Each Team

Every team has high hopes heading into this season. Whether they’re trying to capture a title or just grow their young talent each team is entering this season with a goal in mind. For each team to have the success they’re striving for they must deal with these questions.

Army 2018 record 7-1

• Army, who was the runner up last year is returning a strong cohesive roster that will still be one of the most dangerous in the league. However, the departure of all time great QB Keegan West (4627 yards 55tds) is something that cannot be ignored. Replacing the MVP quarterback is no easy task. Right now, its looking like Sr QB Ryan Sullivan will be taking over. Sullivan doesn’t have much playing experience; he only has 27 career pass attempts and 1 td and that was all the way back in 2017.  Sullivan does have help that could take some of the pressure off him. Army boasts one of the better offensive lines in the league, they have the best WR duo in the league in Jr Nitai Chun #34 and Sr Tom Williamson #80, and they possess a great defense. Sullivan has the tools around him to succeed but his individual talent is a big question. Asking him to be as good as West is putting a lot of pressure on the first-time starter but if he can play even half as good then Army will be right back to competing for titles.

Alderson Broaddus 2018 record N/A

• Alderson Broaddus is the new team on the block this season. AB will be composed of a nucleus of young hungry talent looking to make their mark on the league. I had a great conversation with AB Defensive Coordinator Matt Perotti. We talked a little bit about recruiting and how the whole process has been.

“Honestly we went everywhere. We went to Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland obviously. I came home and did some recruiting in Connecticut then New York and Pennsylvania. Around Christmas time I did some recruiting in the Chicago Illinois area, we also had a coach go to Georgia. We’ve gone any and everywhere.” -Alderson Broaddus DC Matt Perotti

             AB is also in the unique position of having a traditional D-II team at their school. Me and coach Perotti talked about the benefits and challenges that will present.

             “Honestly I don’t know what that’s going to be like in the future having two teams at the school. But I think we do have about 5 definite who didn’t really get playing time on the other squad who are going to come play with us. I think it’ll be good for us since we’ll have a roster full of young guys, but you always want some leadership on the team so some of those kids that have played will definitely help us out in the leadership department.” -Alderson Broaddus DC Matt Perotti

                AB’s team will be very interesting this season. A wide recruiting range with a few D-II players will make for one of the most unique inaugural season rosters in league history. Their success will be dependent on how their young talent develops throughout the season. There will be some ups and downs but that is true for every young program. But nevertheless, Alderson Broaddus will be looking to make some noise in their first season.

Caldwell 2018 record 0-7

• Caldwell is coming off a disappointing season. The young team is full of talent, but it didn’t translate into wins. The biggest question for CU is can they finally put it all together. They have the individual pieces to compete including top 5 players at their position in Jr DE Colin Williams, Soph QB Tajae’ Irby, WR/RB Carl Watson, Jr LB Royce Francisco and Soph SS Haleem Woods. They also have a guy on the cusp of stardom in Jr DB Diego Hernandez. This will be the 2^nd year under head coach Jim Kelly. With no coaching change to worry about the players should be very comfortable heading into this 2019 season. But that won’t be enough. For CU to compete they need to cut back on the mental mistakes that hurt them some much last year. If they can cut back on those and have their star players take it to another level, then CU could be one of the most dangerous teams in the league.

Chestnut Hill College 2018 record 4-3

• CHC has been a top 4 team for the last few years. Ever since their inaugural season in 2015 they’ve fought and clawed their way to being one of the top tier teams in the league. But this upcoming season will surely be a challenge. There will be a big changing of the guard as program staples NG Brian Layden ( 200 tackles 49tfl 15.5sacks 4x all league), MLB Jonathan Baldwin( 169tackles 22tfl 3.5sacks 2int 4x all league), LB/DE Kyle Johnson-Hackett( 130 tackles 33tfl 19sacks 2xall league), WR Reggie Robinson ( 684passing yards 173 rushing yards 1095 receiving yards 2000 all-purpose yards 23total tds 2x all league), and OL Kevin Meredith ( 2x all league) are all gone due to graduation. This is a lot of production that must be replaced at the same time. This is the biggest question mark for CHC coming into this season.  They do still have a lot of talent on the roster however. LB’s Sr Tyler Smith and Sr Mike McIlhenny  lead a backer group with experience, Soph DE Louis Capace looks to build on a solid freshmen season, and Soph Akeem Browne will impact both sides of the ball as a pass catcher and pass rusher. Sr RB Sef Penson and Sr DB RahSaan Hayes will now have to become leaders on their sides of the ball. CHC has quite a challenge on their hands but if the new/full time starters step up then they should continue to be a top 4 team in the league.

Cornell 2018 Record 4-2

• Cornell is coming off a great season finishing 4-2. The combined efforts Sr RB Will Griffen and recently graduated QB Connor Ostrander were a lot for teams to handle. But now Griffen’s backfield partner is gone and who will replace him may still be a question mark. Just like Army they have a QB who has virtually no playing experience in Jr QB Aneesh Agrawal. In two years, Agrawal only has 144yards with 1td. He may not have made a big enough impression on the coaching staff to stop them from seriously considering any incoming freshmen or transfers. Their success will be directly tied to the decision made at QB. Sr Will Griffen will be a force for Cornell regardless of who his backfield partner is but nailing this choice can alleviate some of the pressure placed Griffen.

Mansfield 2018 Record 4-3

• Mansfield is looking to put together their first back to back winning seasons since their introduction into the league in 2008.  For Mansfield to continue being successful their biggest concern needs to be developing their young talent. Soph QB Gary Raupers II showed some flashes but he needs to be more consistent. RB Soph Jayden Walker started strong but fell off as the season went on. Soph WR Quinn Henery was easily the best freshmen on offense last season for MU quickly becoming one of the better slot receivers in the league. Their wealth of talent on the defensive side of the ball is another reason for MU to be optimistic. Soph DL Chase Moser, Soph DB Brandon Allen, Soph LB Bryton Barna, and Soph DB Dajuan Buie all had fantastic freshmen seasons.  If all of MU young talent continues to get better and doesn’t plateau, then Mansfield will continue to be one of the better teams in the league.

Navy 2018 record 7-1 Champions

• Navy is coming off a fantastic season that ended with them claiming another league title. They lost stud DL Gavin O’Donnell and DB Miles Whitlow to graduation, but they still have the core of their defense. The biggest question for them will be their offense. Not because they’re losing anyone, they still have the best QB and RB in Jr Braydan Chmiel and Sr Caleb Champion and they boast one of the best offensive lines. Their offense is the question because it’s a matter of if they can do it again. The run game will be there, but the passing game is the issue. Navy’s receiving core is one of the weakest in the league. What plays are made either Chmiel making something happen or the scheme getting someone open. Navy’s receivers aren’t the best “let me make a play” type guys. Obviously, they made it work Navy finished the season as league champions but can that formula be successful again. Navy will be ultra-competitive as they fight off all the other teams trying to take their crown.

UPenn 2018 record 4-3

• Penn had a good season but part of it got derailed because of an injury to star Sr QB Eddie Jenkins. The question for Penn isn’t Jenkins, I expect him to bounce back and dominate in his senior season. Even with the graduation of all-time great WR Aiden Kelly and RB Jake Klaus, Jenkins still has Soph WR Brendan Mccaffrey who will have a much bigger role this season and TE Ben Klaus who could blossom into a great TE. The biggest question for Penn, much like Chestnut Hill, is finding the replacements for guys who have been stars on defense.  2x all league DB Tom Console ( 139 tackles 1tfl 8int 15pbu 2ff) , LB James Juliano (45 tackles 9tfl 3sacks 2pbu), 1x all league LB Sam Smallzman ( 136 tackles 23.5tfl 9.5 sacks), and DE Angelo Matos (22 tackles 6.5tfl 4sacks) have all graduated. Players will have to step up if Penn hopes to have a dominant defense again this season. That side off the ball is now lead by talented LB Aaron Johnson. If the rest of the D can follow Johnon’s lead, then Penn will be right back to causing havoc for opposing offenses.

Post 2018 record 1-6

•       Post finished last season optimistic. They finally ended their losing streak with a 28-14 victory over Caldwell. But heading into this season there are a few things they must address. Firstly, Post must find the replacement for QB Buddy Enriquez. Post currently has 4 QB’s on the roster all of whom have received very little or no playing time at all in their careers. This should be a major focus for Post once camp gets started. I talked to head coach Joseph Newman about the situation.           

         “Quarterback is an open competition right now. We actually moved AK(Akairyn Dumas). He’s going to be playing slot receiver for us this year. But we’ve got Swormstedt and Kenney coming back and we’ve got a kid transferring in from Springfield College. Its going to be a damn good quarterback battle. We’ve got a new OC so everyone’s learning a new system all together. I’m excited to see what they can do it’s going to be a good competition.” – Post Head Coach Joseph Newman

Now on defense Post looks much more promising. Even with one of their best players in school history graduating, LB Mathew Terlizzi, there are still guys on the defense ready to make an impact. Soph DB Jaylen Rivera showed promise in the secondary and Jr LB Cameron Francette has the tools to be a great backer, but he must put it all together and stay healthy. Me and Coach Newman talked about what he expects out of his stars this season.

               “This will be Ace (Cameron Francette) 2^nd year as a captain. He probably would have been second team last year if he didn’t get injured towards the end of the year. He got caught in the bottom of the pile against Mansfield, someone landed on his elbow which tore some ligaments that kind of cost him, but he’s a stud. Jaylen, I also just named him a captain as well. He’s going to be a stud for us he’s actually put on weight, good weight and he’s gotten a little faster. He’s definitely taken advantage of what were doing in the weight room.” – Post Head Coach Joseph Newman

Lastly, I asked coach Newman what his goal for the team is heading into the 2019 season.

       “Just improve overall. Last year was our first win in three years. We feel as a coaching staff were right there to have a breakthrough season. We thought last year maybe if we beat Mansfield maybe we would have gone on a roll. I feel like were in that same situation again this year were literally right there. If we can come out in that first game and steal a win down there in Philadelphia, then I think we can start rolling then I think the sky’s the limit for this team.”- Post Head Coach Joseph Newman  

If Post can figure out their QB situation and their play-makers on defense really pop, then Post could greatly improve their record from last season.

St.Thomas Aquinas 2018 Record 2-4

• Last season was Saint Thomas Aquinas first year in the league, but they didn’t let that stop them from putting the league on notice.  The young team proved that they belonged and will look to make even more noise this season. For that to happen there are some things that they need to address. The first is getting new starter Soph QB Kiel McKenzie acclimated as quickly as possible. The young QB showed flashes last season proving that he could be a difference maker in the league. An improved McKenzie paired with Soph running backs Ricky James and Carlos Fernandez could be an impressive backfield. On the defensive side of the ball much like the other young teams they need growth out of their defensive talent. Soph LB Kyle Teneyck and Soph DE Salah Odeh impress me the most out of all their young guys on defense. As a group for Stac the next step is to improve. Last season was good, but this season will present a whole new set of challenges. If the young talent continues to improve then Stac could be a serious problem for the foreseeable future.