Ithaca Chosen to Repeat as Empire 8 Football Champion
August 6, 2009
ROCHESTER, NY – Ithaca College, which won its first conference title since 2005 last season, is the choice to share to capture the title again according to the 2009 Empire 8 Football Preseason Coaches Poll. The conference champion earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Championship.
Ithaca, which received three first-place votes in the Empire 8 preseason selections, is ranked 10th in the recently released D3football.com preseason poll. The Bombers are led by graduate student Matt Scalice, who was named Empire 8 and East Region Defensive Player of the Year last season. The linebacker is a preseason All-American selection by d3football.com and paced the Bombers with 89 tackles (39 solo and 12 tackles for loss) and ranked second on the team with eight pass break-ups in 2008.
The Bombers return three other first-team all-conference selections, all of whom are seniors this season. Defensive lineman Joe Goetz, offensive lineman Jake Queener, and running back Thomas Bergerstock each garnered first-team recognition for the first time last season. Bergerstock averaged 124 yards per game and scored 20 touchdowns. Senior defensive lineman Adam Drescher was named to the all-conference second team last season.
St. John Fisher College, the 2008 ECAC Northeast Championship Bowl winners in their sixth consecutive postseason appearance, received two first-place votes and is the coaches’ choice to place second this year. The Cardinals will play a difficult schedule (with more than half of their opponents coming off postseason berths), including hosting defending NCAA Division III champion Mount Union, the fourth meeting between the teams in a 26-game span, but the first played at Fisher.
Senior running back Brad Carlton of the Cardinals averaged 75 yards per game last season and was joined on the second-team all-conference squad by offensive linemen Ben Musall and Pete Soehner. Senior linebacker Andy Episcopo, another second-team selection, led the team with 72 tackles, including 9.5 for loss.
Either Ithaca or St. John Fisher has won or at least shared each of the eight football titles in Empire 8 history, including when the two teams shared the 2004 title. The Bombers lead all teams with five conference titles, but three of their five conference losses in the past three years have been to the Cardinals by a combined score of 108-32.
Alfred University, seeking its first Empire 8 football title, received one first-place vote and was picked by the coaches to finish third this season. In the past four seasons, the Saxons have finished no worse than 4-2 in conference play, including a 5-1 mark in 2005. Alfred returns most of its offense, which averaged 380 yards and nearly 30 points per game in 2008.
Empire 8 Rookie of the Year Tom Secky returns at quarterback after setting Alfred freshman records with 2,869 yards passing and 27 touchdown passes. Senior wideout Jared Manzer set Saxons’ single-season records for catches (69) and receiving yards (1,058) while tying his own mark with 10 scoring receptions. Senior tailback Vinson Hendrix set a school single-season rushing mark with 1,406 yards in 2007 before being hampered by injuries last season.
On defense, the Saxons return junior linebacker Chad Pieri, who missed all of 2008 with an injury after recording 163 tackles (19 for loss and 11 sacks) in his first two years. Sophomore Nick Clark paced the defense in 2008 with 88 tackles and led the team and conference with 22 tackles for loss and eight sacks.
Springfield College, the 2006 co-champions, is the choice of the coaches to place fourth this season. Senior defensive end Cody Flanigan and senior punt returner/kick returner Jarred Burrell each received honorable mention all-conference recognition last season. Flanigan totaled 63 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and three sacks a year ago. Burrell averaged 26.5 yards per kick return and scored a touchdown.
Hartwick, which shared the 2007 conference championship with St. John Fisher and has edged the Cardinals by an identical 31-28 score each of the past two seasons, is picked to finish fifth this year. The Hawks must replace two-time Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Year Jason Boltus, who led NCAA Division III in total offense and passing yards per game a year ago.
Senior defensive lineman Ben Tomaino, who received second-team honors last year, and senior Tosh DeMulder, an honorable mention choice as an all-purpose player, return this season for the Hawks. Tomaino totaled 65 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and four sacks in 2008. DeMulder led the team in rushing (84.1 yards per game) and kick returns (19.5 yards per return).
Utica College, a program continuing to make strides, is the coaches’ pick to finish sixth this season. Senior linebacker Eric Kahl and senior defensive back Pete Vano each earned second-team honors last season. Kahl led the conference in tackles with 61 solo hits and 55 assisted tackles in 2008, while Vano finished second on the team with 89 tackles.
In seven seasons, the Empire 8 has recorded 18 postseason victories with five of the six current teams playing in at least one postseason game during that time. The current Empire 8 teams have posted a 30-17 record against non-conference Division III opponents over the past two years for a .638 winning percentage.
2009 Empire 8 Football Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Ithaca College (3 first-place votes) 23 points
2. St. John Fisher College (2) 21
3. Alfred University (1) 19
4. Springfield College 13
5. Hartwick College 8
6. Utica College 6