Bulldogs Ready to Open Season at AIC

September 2, 2004

After weeks of preseason preparation and double sessions, the Bryant football team is ready to finally hit the field for the first time this fall as the Bulldogs travel to A.I.C. on Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff. The game will be broadcast live on the internet. Click Here

Named head coach on December 17, 2003, Marty Fine takes over a program looking for its first winning season since its inception in 1999. Fine brings more than twenty years of coaching experience to Bryant, including stints at all three NCAA levels of play. Already, Fine has created an exciting atmosphere in and around the campus for Bulldog football, and the season has yet to begin.

Thirty-five letterwinners, including 14 starters, are back from last year’s team that posted a 3-7 overall record and 3-6 mark in Northeast-10 Conference play. Since taking the position last winter, Fine has rounded out his coaching staff with a wealth of playing and coaching experience to the program. He’s also been able to evaluate and begin instilling his new system with the returning players through winter conditioning and spring practice in April.

Turning around a program won’t happen overnight, but the foundation and building blocks for the future are in place and Fine is ready make Bryant a serious contender in the Northeast-10 Conference.

“We had a very productive spring and the players have done exceptionally well in learning, not just the new system, but what we expect as students and as athletes at Bryant,” said the first year coach. “It’s a learning process, but these guys already have the program pointed in the right direction and are just excited as we are to get this season off and running.”

Primarily a running team during the past four years, the Bulldogs will look to pass considerably more this season. With excellent depth at the quarterback and wide receiver positions, a strong passing game is just one of several new looks from the Bulldogs this year.

Here’s a look at how the 2004 Bulldogs shape up.

OFFENSE

Quarterback

As the Bulldogs look to go to the air more with a new passing game, two quarterback candidates will be battling for the top spot this fall. The Bulldogs will look to Irvin Williams (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) and John DeMarco (Billerica, Mass.) as the primary signal caller. Both are certainly capable of carrying the team this season and had excellent spring workouts. Williams might be the most versatile quarterback on the team, while DeMarco both has excellent arm strength in the pocket.

Newcomers Charlie Granatell (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) and James Hickey (West Haverstraw, N.Y.), and will also battle for playing time this season at quarterback.

“We have two guys who have the ability to step up and I expect a tremendous battle during camp for the starting spot,” said Fine.

Wide Receiver

The Bulldogs averaged just 71 yards passing per game last season and scored only eight touchdowns all season through the air. In fact, Bryant quarterbacks attempted just 155 passes all season, but look for things to change with six players back ready to contribute immediately.

Sophomore Justin Kix (Shoreham, Mass.), Nick Nappi (Portland, Maine), and Vincent Norris (Washington, D.C.) all return after seeing time last season with Kix making seven catches for 66 yards. Norris and Nappi each had a pair of receptions as freshmen in 2003 and looked strong during the spring workouts.

Add to that the deep threat options of Justin Williams (Randallstown, Md.), and Shane Cheltenham (Lynn, Mass.), the Bulldogs should have plenty of weapons to go to this year.

“Right now, it’s a tangled web as we have a bunch of guys who will be looking to battle for a regular position at the receiver spot,” added Fine. “They all have the ability to leave fall camp at the top of the depth chart for us.”

Wide Receivers

With the graduation of last year’s leading receiver in Adam Ewing, watch for Andrew Gollenberg (Middlebury, Conn.) and Alex Chaparro (North Bergen, N.J.) to pick up where Ewing left off last season and become key fixtures in the offense. Both have good size that should help in pass protection and another option in the passing game.

Newcomers Justin Benevides (Portsmouth, R.I.) and Dan Philcox (Portsmouth, R.I.) have good size and will look to compete in their first season with the Bulldogs. Benevides (6-3, 240) is a transfer from Gardner Webb and Philcox (6-3, 215) comes to Bryant from Northeastern where he was a tightend with the Huskies in 2003.

“The tight ends are another position with good experience,” said Fine. “Look for it to be a bright spot on offense for us, especially in the areas of blocking.”

Offensive Line

The offensive line, which did help pave the way for a solid 184 yards rushing per game last season, will welcome back four starters from a year ago. Veteran guards Mike Thompson (Oxford, Conn.) and David Soranno (Oradell, N.J.) join tackle Saddi Williams (Washington, D.C.) and center Wesley Nottingham (Hackensack, N.J.) this fall as potential starters up front. The skill and leadership these players add will be critical to the team’s overall success. With the return of Casey Factor (West Warwick, R.I.) and Ty Perini (Framingham, Mass.), plus veterans Junior Jabbie (Silver spring, Md.) the offensive line looks to be in good shape heading into the year.

“The competition has been stiff in the spring with the offensive line working hard to learn the new blocking schemes,” said Fine. The transition from a run-oriented team the veterans were used to has gone very well and we are looking for good things from the guys up front.”

Fullback/Running Back

The one thing a passing game brings is the ability to develop a consistent running attack. By spreading out the defense, the Bulldogs should be able to find success on the ground with running backs Chris Peaks (Silver Springs, Md.) and J.P. Scott (North Branford, Conn.) leading the way. Peaks played in all ten games last season, finishing second on the squad with 299 yards rushing, while Scott had 23 carries for 60 yards including one touchdown.

Newcomers Kevin Anderson (Plainville, Conn.) and Adam LaValley (Sparta, N.J.) add good speed in the open and give the team excellent depth in the backfield.

Converted linebacker Drew Shaw (Gladwyne, Pa.) and Mike Vicci (Clark, N.J.) will look to fill the fullback spot this season along with six-foot, 225-pound Adam Brown (Oaklyn, N.J.). At 215 pounds, Shaw is a good blocking back while Vicci has the speed and quickness to not only pick up a few key third down yards, and has the potential to break away for a big gain.

DEFENSE

With eight starters returning, including one at each position, it is easy to say the Bryant defense this year will be the most experienced, and might just be the most talented area of this year’s football team. First-year defensive coordinator Marc Klaiman will have plenty of talent and experience to work with this fall.

The Bryant defense allowed just under 300 yards of total offense per game last season, but did register 25 sacks. With a majority of the defense back, Fine knows his defense has plenty of potential this season.

Secondary

One of the most experienced areas this season will be in the Bulldog secondary. Cornerbacks Jesse Lewis (Elizabeth, N.J.) and Ché Perez (Bridgeport, Conn.) saw action in all ten games last season combined for ten interceptions.

Lewis was named second team all-conference last season with 42 tackles (30 solo) and six sacks to go with four interceptions. Perez was fourth on the team with 47 tackles and had six interceptions in 2003 from the cornerback position, and will make the switch to safety this season, joining seniors Ian Johnson (Salem, N.J.) and Pat Murphy (East Greenwich, R.I.).

“The corners have adjusted well with the new things we have given them,” said Fine. “Lewis is an all-conference performer and he’s back again this year, while Dashon Lloyd (Willingboro, N.J.) has progressed very well in the spring.”

Linebackers

The linebackers are also deep with the return of Andrew McClarty (College Park, Md.), Greg Daniel (Providence, R.I.) and middle linebacker David Boak (Bergenfield, N.J.). Daniel led the Bulldogs with 51 tackles including five for a loss while Boak tallied 48 stops of his own. All three were starters in each game last season.

They’ll join Andre Howlett (Windsor, Conn.), Joe Kugler (Katonah, N.J.), Ryan Joyce, and Daniel Gonsalves (Bronx, N.Y.) in shoring up the depth chart at the linebacker position.

“We have a good, young group of linebackers who have adjusted very well to our system,” commented Fine.

Defensive Line

On the defensive line, Bryant will return a few key fixtures from last season and look to take advantage of the speed and quickness of those returners with the hope of adding even more pressure on the opposing offense.

Delano Dryden (Riverdale, Md.) returns after playing all ten games last season and finishing with 47 total tackles including ten tackles for a loss and six sacks. The 6-2, 230-pound defensive end has good quickness off the ball that should make him one of the top defensive linemen in the conference this season. Joining Dryden will be veterans Joe Knight (Billerica, Mass.) and Matthew Ramos (Milford, Conn.).

“We should be in good shape and there might be some surprises at the start of the season based on the play of Dan Bonnetti (Garwood, N.J.), Damion Kindle (Warwick, R.I.), Alessio Trabelsi (Clark, N.J.), and Chris Reels (West Warwick, R.I.) from the spring.”

Special Teams

Special teams will have new looks in the areas of kick and punt returners, but sophomore punter/kicker Mike Lajterman (Ramsey, N.J.) is back after a sensation freshman season in 2003. Lajterman earned second-team all-conference honors after averaging 38.4 yards per punt including a school record 66-yarder punt against Southern Connecticut. Lajterman made five of eight field goal attempts with a long of 34.