The Wittenberg University football program, with more wins than any other NCAA Division III program, is seeking a return to glory. For a program with the highest of high standards, a two-year record of 15-5 and back-to-back runner-up finishes in the North Coast Athletic Conference is good but nothing approaching the gold standard.
Hope springs eternal, however, especially when a program with five national titles and seven NCAC titles since 1992 returns 51 letterwinners, including 18 starters. Among that number are a two-year starter at quarterback, the conference's top punter, all of the team's top rushers, its top three receivers and the majority of difference-makers on a veteran defensive unit.
An offense that averaged more than 40 points and 450 yards per game again in 2004 is a good place to start. Senior quarterback Ryan Holmes (Oxford, Ohio/Talawanda) is back thanks to a red-shirt year after leading the NCAC and ranking among the best in the nation in passing efficiency in each of his first two years as a starter under center. He will be joined in the backfield by senior tailbackTristan Murray (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh), who ranked third in the conference in rushing with 1,320 yards and second in touchdowns with 21 (19 rushing and two receiving).
At receiver, the discussion begins with one of the finest athletes in Wittenberg football history, senior Jered Glover (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown), but it doesn't end there. Glover, a three-year starter and two-year first-team All-NCAC selection, already ranks in the top five in school history in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. He has led the Tigers in receptions all three seasons in the Red & White.
When healthy, the other starter during the 2004 season was senior Braden Freeman (Prospect, Ohio/Marion Pleasant), who accounted for 25 catches and 443 yards a year ago. Murray was the team's third-leading receiver, and the offense was extremely versatile with the addition of senior tight end Nate Cherry (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit), who added 15 receptions for 199 yards in his first season as a starter.
Rounding things out, three offensive linemen are back in the starting lineup in 2005, including senior Billy Evans (Ft. Thomas, Ky./Highlands), junior Ted Londot (Utica, Ohio/Utica) and senior Jake Kallgren (Cincinnati, Ohio/Madeira), who missed all of 2004 due to illness after starting all 10 games in 2003.
Will Block took this return all the way for a touchdown against Wooster. Block ranked among the national leaders in kickoff return yardage.
Defensively, the Tigers were just a few big stops away from a 9-1 record in 2004, a season that included a 28-24 loss at Ohio Wesleyan in which the Battling Bishops converted three fourth-downs on its final drive and a 64-58 overtime defeat at fifth-ranked Wooster in which the Tigers staged an historic rally from a 48-17 second-half deficit.
Three starters are back on the line, all seniors, in ends Chris Vennefron (Somerville, Ohio/Edgewood) and Dave Fleck (Enon, Ohio/Greenon) and tackle Clinton Tiggs (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne). Vennefron and Fleck have both battled through a range of injuries, and their health in 2005 is a key for this unit. Tiggs is penciled in as a starter for the fourth straight year. Four starters are also back in the secondary as junior Lavon Wilborn (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) and senior Brandon Slade (Louisville, Colo./Monarch) are slated to man the cornerback slots after sharing one position in 2004, and the safety positions are occupied for a second straight year by junior Mitch Fonseca (Miami, Fla./Christopher Columbus), the team leader in tackles in 2003 and 2004.
At linebacker, there are questions, with the answers hopefully to be found amongst several talented athletes bidding for increased playing time. Senior Anthoni Fazio (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) started the majority of the season at one outside spot in the Tigers' 4-3 defensive alignment. Four other letterwinners and junior Tyler Harmon (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian), a two-year starter and All-NCAC honoree at fullback, will contend for the other two spots, likely harkening a tremendous battle for playing time when summer camp opens in August.
Rounding things out, senior punter Jacob Thomas (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany) is back after leading the NCAC and ranking second in the nation with a school-record average of 42.3 yards per punt. Sophomore kicker Mark Porter (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) made great strides throughout the 2004 season, finishing 10-of-13 on field goals and 49-of-56 on extra point attempts. He made his last nine field goals and missed just one extra point in his last five games.
2004 Record 7-3
NCAC Record 5-2 (t-2nd)
Letterwinners Returning (47) Offensive: 25, Defensive: 20, Specialist: 2
Letterwinners Lost (19) Offensive: 8, Defensive: 11, Specialist: 0
Starters Lost (8) Offensive: 3, Defensive 5, Specialist: 0
Starters Returning (18) Offensive: 9, Defensive: 8, Specialist: 2
Offense: Multiple I
Defense: Multiple 4-3
Letterwinners Returning (47):
Offense (25) - Billy Evans, Jered Glover, Ryan Holmes, Jake Kallgren, George Andress, Trevor Armstrong, Nate Cherry, Brian Connell, Braden Freeman, Tim Funke, Tyler Harmon, Jon Kirkwood, Ted Londot, Dymond McDonald, Ryan McCoart, Dymond McDonald, Will Block, Andy Vanover, B.J. Coad, Mark Mandich, Kris Boppel, Mark Harriman, Brandon Murray, Jason Hartzler, Ross Ballinger
Defense (20) - Joe Brumfield, David Bazzel, Clinton Tiggs, Anthoni Fazio, Mitch Fonseca, Mike Freeman, Tyler Jenkins, Willie Jordan, Brandon Slade, Matt Stechshulte, Chris Vennefron, Lavon Wilborn, Tim Flammer, Matt Ruggles, Scott Williams, Joe Swanson, Dan Smith, Dave Fleck, Sean Fields, Matt Saurer
Specialists (2) - Jacob Thomas, Mark Porter
Letterwinners Lost (19):
Offense (8) - Brad Kassner, Corey Chatman, Jeff Moler, Jason Alonso, Joe Rumschlag, Eric Kubilus, Ryan Barksdale, Trey Tudor
Defense (11) - Jarrett Brown, Alan Tracewell, Devon Combs, Wade Laughrey, Jamie Hoover, Andrew Nichols, Kyle Keriazes, Adam Hewitt, Jordan Brock, Kyle Krumlauf, Joe Torrens
Specialists (0)
Starters Returning (18):
Offense (9) - FB Tyler Harmon, QB Ryan Holmes, T Jake Kallgren (2003), WR Jered Glover, TB Tristan Murray, TE Nate Cherry, WR Braden Freeman, T Ted Londot, G Billy Evans
Defense (7) - DT Clinton Tiggs, DE Dave Fleck, DE Chris Vennefron, LB Anthoni Fazio, CB Lavon Wilborn, CB Brandon Slade, S Mitch Fonseca
Specialists (2) - P Jacob Thomas, K Mark Porter
Starters Lost (8):
Offense (3) - T Brad Kassner, C Corey Chatman, G Jeff Moler
Defense (5) - LB Devon Combs, LB Wade Laughrey, DT Jarrett Brown, S Adam Hewitt, CB Alan Tracewell
Specialists (0)