Saturday's Game Preview

The following preview comes from the Gettysburg College Website:

Lebanon Valley at Gettysburg – Saturday, Sept. 3, 2005 – 1 p.m.

THIS WEEK’S GAME: Today’s 2005 season opener marks the 33rd meeting between Gettysburg and Lebanon Valley in a series that dates back to 1898. The Bullets hold a 28-3-1 advantage in the all-time series, but the Flying Dutchmen snapped a 10-game losing streak to Gettysburg with a 7-3 win in last year’s contest. Dan Kelly’s six-yard touchdown pass to Luke Rendine with 1:15 remaining in the first half was all the points that LVC would need, overshadowing a 43-carry, 186-yard effort by Bullet tailback Dusty Green (Idaville, PA/Bermudian Springs). The two teams are meeting on opening day for the fifth straight season. Gettysburg won the last meeting at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium by a 52-7 margin in 2003.

CALLING THE SHOTS: The Bullets’ coaching staff will have a new look in 2005 with the return of head coach Barry Streeter from a one-year leave of absence. In addition, Gettysburg brought Tyson Silveus aboard as the program’s new defensive coordinator and retained offensive coordinator Kevin Burke, who had joined the Bullets on an interim basis for the 2004 campaign.

OPENING STATEMENTS: Gettysburg kicks off its 113th season of varsity football with an all-time record of 52-56-4 in season-opening games. The Bullets are 5-1 when facing LVC in the first game of the year, including victories to start the 1983, 1984, 2001, 2002 and 2003 campaigns.

LAST TIME OUT: Franklin & Marshall’s Jeff Harner threw for two touchdown passes and ran for a third to lead the Diplomats past Gettysburg 38-20 on Nov. 13, 2004 in the Bullets’ season finale. Joe Fricchione (Branchville, NJ/High Point Reg.) and Joe Gossweiler contributed rushing touchdowns in the loss. Gossweiler also threw for 161 yards, finishing fifth on the program’s all-time career list for passing yards (2,523). In Annville, Dan Kelly threw for 353 yards and Adam Brossman caught a pair of touchdown passes, but Lebanon Valley fell to Albright, 37-13. Luke Rendine also helped the aerial effort with 10 receptions for a team-high 127 yards.

BY THE NUMBERS: Gettysburg returns 45 letterwinners and 13 starters from last year’s squad, including five on the offensive unit and eight on the defensive side of the ball.

LEADING THE WAY: Senior OL Enoch Boateng (Vienna, VA/W.T. Woodson), senior DB Jay Cage (N. Charleston, SC/Sterling [NJ]), senior TB Joe Fricchione and senior DB Nathan Smith (Hanover, PA/Cooperstown Central [NY]) will serve as Gettysburg’s team captains in 2005.

WITH HONORS: Gettysburg returns a pair of All-Centennial Conference (CC) selections from 2004 in Enoch Boateng, a two-time first-team choice on the offensive line, and senior P Tom Pettit (Blue Bell, PA/Wissahickon), who finished second in the conference with an average of 37.5 yards per punt.

UNDER CENTER: Junior QB Mark Campo (Arendtsville, PA/Biglerville) and sophomore QB Hunter McMillan (Middletown, DE/Wilmington Friends) are the team’s top two candidates to replace three-year starter Joe Gossweiler, and both could see action in Saturday’s opener. Campo made six appearances and threw for 272 yards in 2004. McMillan is awaiting his first varsity action, but completed 7 of 9 passes for 76 yards and one touchdown in last Saturday’s scrimmage with Shenandoah.

OFF AND RUNNING: Sophomore TB Tom Sturges (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) returns after leading Gettysburg with 116 carries for 416 yards and one touchdown while starting the final six games of 2004. Sturges also ranked fourth in the CC with 69.3 yards per game and tied for sixth on the team with nine receptions for 68 yards.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT: Junior WR Spencer Davidson (Dumont, NJ/Dumont) is the squad’s top returning pass-catcher. Davidson set single-season career highs with 22 receptions for 217 yards last season, ranking second on the team in both categories. He also caught his first collegiate touchdown pass in the Bullets’ meeting with Denison.

HIT PARADE: The Bullet defense returns four of its top five tacklers from last season. Senior DL Dan Hogdahl (Riverdale, NJ/Pompton Lakes) finished second to All-CC linebacker Grant Acker with 77 tackles in 2004, followed by senior linebackers Michael Schmidt (Huntington Station, NY/Walt Whitman) (57), Ryan McGarry (Cliffside Park, NJ/Cliffside Park) (49) and Jon Weller (Berwyn, PA/Conestoga) (42).

SHARP CORNERS: Gettysburg returns a pair of experienced starting cornerbacks in senior Jay Cage and sophomore Adam Fulmer (Halifax, PA/Halifax). Cage paced the CC with 1.62 passes defended per game and led the Bullets with three interceptions in 2004. Fulmer made four starts among his eight appearances last season, recording 19 tackles and his first collegiate interception.

GIVING IT THE BOOT: Tom Pettit returns as the squad’s top punter after enjoying a breakout season in 2004. Pettit increased his average by nearly four yards per kick from the previous season (33.9 to 37.5), dropped 16 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line and sailed six boots more than 50 yards.

LOCAL ANGLE: Gettysburg’s roster includes four players from Adams County. Senior K John Edgar (Gettysburg, PA/Gettysburg) attended Gettysburg High School while Dusty Green went to Bermudian Springs High School. Mark Campo and freshman DL Curtis Lafferty (Arendtsville, PA/Biglerville) are graduates of Biglerville High School.

BULLET POINTS: The Bullets are facing the same opening day opponent for the fifth straight year for the first time since Hofstra ended a five-year run against Gettysburg from 1964-68... The Bullets defeated Shenandoah 25-7 in their annual preseason scrimmage last Saturday at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium.

THE WORD ON LEBANON VALLEY: The Flying Dutchmen enter Saturday’s season opener looking to improve on a 4-6 campaign in 2004. LVC, which returns 34 letterwinners and 17 starters from last year’s team, also posted a 3-6 mark in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC). The Lebanon Valley offense will benefit from the return of nine starters, including junior QB Dan Kelly, who threw for 1,900 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2004. In his first year as the squad’s starting signal-caller, Kelly completed 147 of 283 passes and came within two TD tosses of the program’s single-season record. Both of Kelly’s favorite targets return in 2005. Senior WR Luke Rendine caught a team-best 52 passes for 569 yards and five touchdowns a year ago. Sophomore WR Adam Brossman announced his collegiate arrival with 43 catches for a team-leading 724 yards and seven touchdowns. The Flying Dutchmen return 4 of 5 starting offensive linemen from last season, including juniors Dave Zimmerman, Brian Kleckner Jr. and Grant Martzall, and sophomore Tony Setley. The veteran quartet is joined on this year’s line by 6-5 sophomore tackle Brandon Wagner. Senior DB Jimmy Holzman is among eight returning starters on the LVC defense. Holzman led the team with 86 tackles a year ago while also recording three interceptions and breaking up five passes from his strong safety position. Senior LB Chris Weaver and junior DL Matt Murphy finished second and third, respectively, behind Holzman on Lebanon Valley’s tackles list in 2004. Weaver made 74 stops, including 30 solo tackles. Murphy recorded 54 tackles and recovered two fumbles.

COACH’S CORNER: Barry Streeter is in his 27th season as the head coach at Gettysburg, the longest coaching tenure in program history. He has posted a 132-126-5 record while guiding the Bullets to three CC championships and a pair of NCAA playoff victories. He ranks first among active CC coaches in both conference victories (70) and overall wins (132). Jim Monos enters his 13th overall season as the head coach at Lebanon Valley and second since returning to the program in 2004. Monos previously coached the Flying Dutchmen from 1986-96, earning MAC Co-Coach of the Year honors in 1989 and leading the team to back-to-back winning seasons in 1991 and 1992.

STREETER ON HIS RETURN TO COACHING: “It’s been good to get back into this routine. The preseason has gone fast, which they all do. It’s like getting back on the horse – it didn’t take long to figure out what I was doing. So it’s been good.”

STREETER ON THE PRESEASON: “We were trying to establish our mental and physical toughness, and I believe we’ve come a long way with that. We got through preseason without any major injuries, so we were able to get good repetitions with our guys who were becoming the starters. We’ve been pleased with the work ethic of the kids and we’ve been pleased with the progress. I think we’re on schedule.”

STREETER ON THE SCRIMMAGE WITH SHENANDOAH: “The goals were similar to what they were for preseason – to see how mentally and physically tough we would be. And by mentally tough, I mean being able to perform our assignments, go to the whistle, those kind of things. And we saw some good things.”

STREETER ON LEBANON VALLEY QUARTERBACK DAN KELLY: “They sprint out a lot and he does an excellent job of making good decisions. If he doesn’t have what he wants, he’ll run the ball. So he’s a threat and you have to keep him bottled up as best you can.”

Lebanon Valley Game Preview

The LVC Website contains the following well outlined preview of this Saturday's game:

THE GAME: Lebanon Valley and Gettysburg will each be playing their season opener on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Gettysburg’s Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium. The game will mark the only non-conference contest of the season for the Flying Dutchmen. Lebanon Valley is looking to snap a five-game losing streak at Gettysburg and pick up its first win on the Bullets’ turf since 1979.

THE SERIES: The Dutchmen and Bullets have met 32 times, the first coming in 1898, with Gettysburg holding a 28-3-1 advantage in the all-time series. This year will mark the fifth straight season the two teams will play their season opener against each other.

THE COACHES: Lebanon Valley is coached by Jim Monos, who is entering the second year of his second stint as the Dutchmen’s head coach. Monos also coached LVC from 1986-96. Gettysburg is coached by Barry Streeter, who is starting his 27th year as the Bullets’ head coach. Streeter, who is coming off a year of absence to attend a family health situation, is a 1971 graduate of Lebanon Valley and was inducted into the LVC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003.

LAST SEASON: Lebanon Valley defeated Gettysburg 7-3 at Lebanon Valley. Cornerback Dan Stauffer intercepted a pass at the LVC 30-yard line with just under a minute remaining to allow the Dutchmen to snap a 10-game losing streak against the Bullets and pick up their first win over Gettysburg since 1979. The game also marked the beginning of Jim Monos’ second stint as LVC’s head coach. In addition, the victory gave Lebanon Valley its first season-opening win since its 10-0 victory over Johns Hopkins in 1994. Dan Kelly threw for 134 yards and one touchdown on 10-of-19 passing to lead the LVC offense. His 6-yard scoring toss to Luke Rendine with 1:15 left in the opening half gave the Valley all the offense it would need. Dusty Green paced Gettysburg with 186 yards rushing on 43 carries.

THE LEBANON VALLEY OFFENSE: Lebanon Valley returns eight offensive starters. Junior quarterback Dan Kelly returns after throwing for 1,900 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2004 in his first season as the Dutchmen’s starting signal caller. His primary receivers were sophomore Adam Brossman and junior Luke Rendine, and they both return this season. Brossman caught 43 passes for 724 yards and seven touchdowns while Rendine flagged in 52 catches for 569 yards and five TDs. Sophomore Ryan Brennan will get the start at tailback after rushing for 300 yards on 88 attempts last year. Four of the team’s five starters on the offensive line will also return from last season.

THE LEBANON VALLEY DEFENSE: The Dutchmen bring back eight defensive starters. One of the team’s biggest strengths may be its defensive secondary, which returns all four starters after leading the MAC in pass defense (146.4 ypd) last year. Senior safety James Holzman returns after leading the team in tackles (86) and intercepting three passes last year. Junior cornerback Dan Stauffer is back after intercepting five passes while senior cornerback Joey Venezia led the team in pass breakups (12) in 2004. Lebanon Valley also returns two starting linebackers and a two starting defensive linemen. Both of the team’s starting defensive ends will be freshmen.

THE LEBANON VALLEY SPECIAL TEAMS: Lebanon Valley returns plenty of familiar faces on its special teams units as well. Brossman will get the call at punter after sharing the job last season, when he averaged 33.8 yards per punt. Sophomore Eldin Brodlic comes back at kicker after converting 12 of 16 extra points and 2 of 5 field goals last year. In addition, sophomore Clint Vinju returns as the Dutchmen’s primary return specialist. Vinju returned 21 punts for 141 yards and 28 kickoffs for 571 yards last season.

THE GETTYSBURG OFFENSE: Gettysburg returns six starters on offense, but must replace three-year starting quarterback Joe Gossweiler. As many as four players will contend for the Bullets’ starting QB job this season, although sophomore Hunter McMillan or junior Mark Campo will most likely start on Saturday. Sophomore tailback Tom Sturges is the team’s top returning rusher after gaining 416 yards in six games a year ago. Junior halfback Dusty Green also returns after picking up 296 yards over six games in Gettysburg’s Wing-T offense last season. Junior Spencer Davidson is the team’s top returning receiver. Davidson caught 22 passes for 217 yards in 2004.

THE GETTYSBURG DEFENSE: Most of Gettysburg’s defense remains intact, as the Bullets bring back eight starters from last season. Senior defensive tackle Dan Hogdahl was Gettysburg’s second-leading tackler after posting 77 tackles a year ago. Also returning are senior linebacker Michael Schmidt, who had 57 tackles in 2004, and senior cornerback Jay Cage, who recorded three interceptions and 10 pass breakups last season.

THE GETTYSBURG SPECIAL TEAMS: The Bullets bring back an all-conference punter in senior Tom Pettit, who averaged 37.5 yards per punt last season. Gettysburg also returns senior placekicker John Edgar, the team’s leading scorer in 2003 who was limited to kickoffs last season due to injuries. Senior Nathan Smith is back at return specialist after returning 14 kickoffs for 367 yards and six punts for 35 yards last year.

CLOSING IN ON SORRENTINO: With his next victory, Monos will tie Lou Sorrentino’s school record for career coaching wins. Monos, who coached Lebanon Valley from 1986-96 and in 2004, currently holds a career record of 46-65-2. Sorrentino was 47-87-4 from 1971-85.

ON THE RADIO: WMSS 91.1, a 1350-watt FM station located in Middletown, will broadcast all of the Dutchmen’s games this season, via the radio or the Internet. Nine games will broadcast on WMSS, while all 10 games will be webcast at http://www.pennlive.com/wmss/. John Wilsbach will handle the majority of the play-by-play duties while Steve Leedy will provide back-up play-by-play. Brian Keyser will handle color commentary duties.

Lebanon Valley Week!

It's Lebanon Valley Week! With that in mind, following is preview information supplied by the D3Football.com Kickoff Edition:

Lebanon Valley Flying Dutchmen

Last playoff appearance: None

Last conference title: None

Head coach: Jim Monos, 13th year, 102-94-2

Starters returning: 19 (nine offense, eight defense, two specialists)

Position battle to watch: Running back and defensive end are both up for grabs entering camp. The later is critical since the Dutch got drilled for 223.6 yards per game rushing in 2004.

Pressure is on: Junior quarterback Dan Kelly. Monos believes this is the position where stellar play can take them to the next level. Kelly is athletic but needs to improve his touchdown-to-interception ratio (18 to 15).

Their season will be defined by: Oct. 22 vs. Lycoming. The Dutch didn’t play the Warriors last season so this is a game they need to win to stay in the MAC race.

Predicted record: 5-5, 4-5

Capsule: When asked how he felt about Leb Val’s status as a dark horse, Monos said the next step is to get over .500. He stresses that the program is beyond accepting tough loses as progress. On offense Kelly will have his two favorite receivers back, sophomore Adam Brossman (43 receptions, seven TDs) and senior Luke Rendine (52 receptions, five TD). The line returns right guard Tony Setley (5-10, 348-pounds) a workhorse for the Dutch in 2004. Leb Val’s passing defense, led by Dan Stauffer (five interceptions) and Jimmy Holzman (86 tackles), will be very tough again. But the Dutch must play better up front. Along with the running woes, they finished last in the MAC with 12 sacks.

Season Previews (Continued)

While promise abounds on the campus of Gettysburg College, the folks at D3Football.com have a different opinion of the 2005 Bullets squad.

First, their predictions for the Centennial Conference:

Predicted record:
1. Franklin & Marshall 10-0, 6-0
T2. Johns Hopkins 7-3, 4-2
T2. McDaniel 7-3, 4-2
T2. Muhlenberg 7-3, 4-2
5. Dickinson 4-6, 2-4
6. Ursinus 2-8, 1-5
7. Gettysburg 0-10, 0-6

Next, their capsule summary for the upcoming season:

"Barry Streeter is a lifer in Gettysburg, but the Bullets he coaches haven’t been competitive for years. With the quarterback loss and a general lack of interest, the Bullets are uninspiring once again. Last season, Streeter's leave of absence because of a family health issue led to the Bullets using a spread offense. Streeter is a Delaware Wing-T devotee. The two concepts are being merged into something called the Spread Wing — whether it takes flight is another story."

They go on to say that:

"Their season will be defined by: The Week 1 game against Lebanon Valley. This was a game Gettysburg should have won last season and if they lose again it will show how much the two programs are headed in opposite directions."

After attending Saturday's 25-7 scrimmage victory over Shenandoah (who D3Football.com predicts for an 8-2 season), I would have to question their "general lack of interest" comment!

USA South Athletic Conference Predicted record:
1. Christopher Newport 9-1, 7-0
2. Shenandoah 8-2, 6-1
3. Methodist 6-4, 5-2
4. Averett 5-5, 3-4
5. Maryville 5-5, 3-4
6. Ferrum 4-6, 2-5
7. North Carolina Wesleyan 5-5, 2-5
8. Greensboro 2-8, 0-7

2005 Season Previews

This is my maiden voyage into Gettysburg College Football. With my son joining the program this year as a Freshman Tailback, I am kind of green as far as the past and recent history of the program. All I know and all I will report is information concerning this years program. This post will focus on various previews that I have come across for the 2005 version on the Gettysburg Bullets Football Team.

Let's start first with the preview published directly on the Gettysburg College Website in which Coach Streeter is quoted as saying "We’ve made several significant changes in our staff as well as in our approach, and I felt that the spring went really well. I’m looking forward to the season.” the Bullets open the season on September 3rd at home against Lebanon Valley College.

The Bullets return 14 starters and 47 letterwinners from last year’s edition, with more than half of each group coming from the squad’s 24-member senior class. It’s a group that Streeter will lean on to set the tone for the year and one which he feels is up to the challenge.

“The best thing we have going for us right now is our senior class,” said the coach, who is 132-126-5 at Gettysburg. “We have 24 seniors, which is the most I’ve ever had. They’re a very good character group and there are some very good football players in there as well. Hopefully, it means something special’s coming in the fall.”

Kevin Burke, the team’s interim offensive coordinator in 2004, takes over those duties on a permanent basis this season. Burke, a proponent of the spread offense, and Streeter, longtime practitioner of the Delaware Wing-T, spent the offseason melding their ideas into the newly dubbed Spread Wing offense, which will make its debut this fall.

Tyson Silveus comes aboard as the program’s defensive coordinator in 2005. A former high school head coach and, most recently, the defensive backs coach at Division II Wingate, Silveus is expected to implement an aggressive 4-3 defensive system.

Offense

Quarterback
With the departure of three-year starter Joe Gossweiler, quarterback looms as the team’s biggest question mark in 2005. As many as four upperclassmen will contend for the starting job, including juniors Mark Campo (Arendtsville, PA/Biglerville) and Mike Szczesny (Carteret, NJ/Carteret), both of whom gained starting experience in 2004.

Campo started two of his six appearances a year ago, completing 29 of 62 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns. Szczesny also started twice while appearing in seven contests, throwing for 315 yards and one touchdown.

Also in the mix are junior Danny Tyrrell (White Hall, MD/North Harford) and sophomore Hunter McMillan (Middletown, DE/Wilmington Friends). Tyrrell, who came to Gettysburg as a quarterback before seeing major playing time as a defensive back last season, returns to his original position in 2005. McMillan has yet to take a varsity snap, but impressed the coaching staff with a strong effort in spring practice.

Tailback
The Bullets return a pair of experienced veterans at a position which will be a combination of the Wing-T’s fullback spot and the spread offense’s tailback.

Sophomore Tom Sturges (Ridgefield, CT/Ridgefield) should reprise his starting role after emerging as the squad’s leading rusher in 2005. Sturges carried 116 times for 416 yards and one touchdown in only six appearances, finishing fourth in the CC with 69.3 rushing yards per game. He also caught nine passes out of the backfield, a plus in the new system.

Senior co-captain Joe Fricchione (Branchville, NJ/High Point Regional) will provide a change of pace from the shifty Sturges. Fricchione, a rugged fullback-type, has averaged nearly 10 yards per carry in limited action, including a 31-yard touchdown run against Franklin & Marshall last season.

Halfback
After a one-year hiatus due to a four-wideout offensive scheme in 2004, the halfback position returns this season, manned by juniors Dusty Green (Idaville, PA/Bermudian Springs) and Jerry Jones (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape).

Green, a local product who began 2004 as the starting tailback, ranked third on the squad with 296 rushing yards in six appearances. He flashed his big-game potential with a 186-yard rushing performance against Lebanon Valley, the highest single-game total by a Bullet in five years.
Jones saw limited action in seven appearances, but managed to score touchdowns on two of his six carries. With a full-time role awaiting him, his offensive contributions should increase greatly in 2005.

Sophomore Shawn Hollingsworth (Chester, PA/Wilmington Friends [DE]) shifts to halfback after appearing in five games as a slot wide receiver last year. Classmates Andrew McLean (Ambler, PA/St. George’s School) and Sean Incremona (Selden, NY/Centereach) could also battle for time at the halfback position.

Wide Receiver/Tight End
Senior Bryan Wheatly (Lancaster, PA/Manheim Twp.) and junior Spencer Davidson (Dumont, NJ/Dumont) return to lead the receiving corps after posting career-high numbers in 2004. Wheatly, a two-year starter, caught 19 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns. Davidson finished second to the departed Derek Landi with 22 receptions for 217 yards and one score in his first full-time varsity season.

Junior Brian McKeon (Belle Harbor, NY/Xavier) and sophomores Matthew Welsh (Lafayette Hill, PA/St. Joseph’s Prep) and Joe Churchman (Lenhartsville, PA/Kutztown) all made their first varsity receptions in 2004 and will contend for more playing time this season.

Senior Chris Halleman (Center Valley, PA/Southern Lehigh), a three-year letterwinner, is the squad’s most experienced tight end despite being limited to three catches and two games in 2004. Fellow senior Matt Miller (Virginia Beach, VA/Norfolk Acad.), a two-year letterwinner, will also compete for time along with sizeable sophomores Eric Schroeder (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) (6-5, 245) and Don Mitchell (Huntington Station, NY/Huntington) (6-3, 237).

Offensive Line
Easily the team’s deepest position, Gettysburg’s offensive line returns no fewer than seven players with starting experience, including five seniors.

Anchoring the group is senior co-captain Enoch Boateng (Vienna, VA/W.T. Woodson), a two-year letterwinner and two-time All-CC first-team selection at tackle. Senior tackle John Burger (Egg Harbor Twp., NJ/Egg Harbor Twp.) reclaims a starting role after missing all but one game in 2004 due to injury. Senior Keith Phillips (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa) is a two-year starter at center.

Senior Brandon Smith (Lititz, PA/Manheim Twp.) and junior Dain Alaia (Lake Ronkonkoma, NY/Sachem) are back following their first seasons as the squad’s starting guards.

Senior Kevan Will (Deptford, NJ/Deptford) and junior Rick Finnegan (Springfield, PA/Cardinal O’Hara) also have starting experience at tackle and center, respectively.

Defense
The Bullets’ defensive front is an experienced group that could feature as many as four seniors from end to end.

Senior Dan Hogdahl (Riverdale, NJ/Pompton Lakes) returns at defensive tackle after enjoying a breakout 2004. Hogdahl ranked second on the squad with 77 tackles, including 48 solo stops and 5.5 tackles for loss, while starting all 10 games.

Junior Glenn Cain (Ewing, NJ/Ewing), a conference silver medalist in both the shot put and discus, recorded eight tackles in nine games last season and could see an expanded role this year. Sophomores David Baker (Ocean City, MD/Stephen Decatur) and Eric Ondik (Conshohocken, PA/Kennedy-Kenrick) will also battle for time inside.

Senior Dan Petersen (Beachwood, NJ/Toms River South), a three-year letterwinner, is the squad’s top returning defensive end. In his first season as a starter in 2004, Petersen set single-season career highs for tackles (34), tackles for loss (8.5) and sacks (5).

Senior Chris Barber (Needham, MA/Needham) and junior Steve Foote (Huntingtown, MD/Calvert) will contend for the other outside role vacated by multi-year starter Craig Casagrande. Barber made 19 tackles while appearing in all 10 games last season. Foote recorded 11 stops in eight appearances.

Senior three-time letterwinner Rob Mehmet (Haddon Twp., NJ/Haddon Twp.) brings the experience of 21 career appearances to the defensive line. Senior Jon Isaacs (Ambler, PA/Upper Dublin), also a defenseman on the men’s lacrosse team, made six appearances to earn a letter in his first season with the football program.

Linebackers
Senior Ryan McGarry (Cliffside Park, NJ/Cliffside Park) is set to patrol the middle linebacker position after finishing fourth on the team with 49 tackles in 10 appearances last year. Senior Michael Schmidt (Huntington Station, NY/Walt Whitman) brings a team-leading 169 career tackles and three years of starting experience to the strong-side linebacker spot. Schmidt ranked third on the team with 57 tackles and also forced two fumbles in nine appearances last season.

Junior Harold Barton (Somerdale, NJ/Sterling) and sophomore Avian Loustau (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial) will compete for the starting weak-side linebacker position. Barton appeared in all 10 games as a freshman in 2003, but was limited to only one appearance last season. Loustau made 23 tackles while starting the final six games of his debut campaign.

Senior Jon Weller (Berwyn, PA/Conestoga) ranked fifth on the team with 42 tackles while making eight starts in 2004 and will contribute as either an outside linebacker or strong safety in this season’s defensive scheme.

Defensive Backs
Senior co-captains Jay Cage (Magnolia, NJ/Sterling) and Nathan Smith (Cooperstown, NY/Cooperstown Central) lead the Bullets’ defensive backfield.

Cage, a two-year starter at cornerback, made 28 tackles, broke up 10 passes and swiped three interceptions in 2004 while leading the CC with 1.62 passes defended per game. Smith, who shifts from outside linebacker to free safety, managed 29 tackles and three breakups despite missing half of the 2004 campaign.

Sophomore Adam Fulmer (Halifax, PA/Halifax) recorded 19 tackles and one interception last season, appearing in eight games and starting the final four contests. Classmate Jason Taylor (North East, MD/Rising Sun) will also battle for time at the corner spot after making five appearances in 2004.

With the possible move of Jon Weller, as many as four players with starting experience will contend for the first-team strong safety role.

Senior Daniel Silva (Lanham, MD/Eleanor Roosevelt) made 26 tackles and two interceptions while starting seven of his nine appearances in 2004, his first season at Gettysburg after two with CC rival McDaniel. Sophomore Kyle Luciano (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by-the-Sea) recorded 26 stops while appearing in all 10 games. Fellow sophomore David Gourley (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) will also battle for an expanded role after making his first start a year ago.

Senior three-year letterwinner Eby Kalantar (Germantown, MD/Northwest) could contribute at either safety or cornerback after seeing time as a defensive back and outside linebacker during his first three seasons.

Special Teams
Gettysburg returns a number of key special teams players, including all-conference punter Tom Pettit (Blue Bell, PA/Wissahickon) and return specialist Nathan Smith. Pettit, a senior, booted his way onto the All-CC second team after averaging a career-high 37.5 yards per punt and dropping 16 kicks inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. Smith, who averaged 26.2 yards per kickoff return in limited duty last year, has three returns for touchdowns on his resume.

Senior John Edgar (Gettysburg, PA/Gettysburg), the squad’s leading scorer in 2003, will get a chance to reprise his placekicking role this season. Injuries limited Edgar to kickoff duty in 2004.
Junior Ryan Dunn (Lawrenceville, NJ/Lawrence) is a former letterwinner as a kicker and back-up punter. Chris Barber returns as the long-snapper.

Welcome!

Welcome to my Gettysburg College Football Weblog. I will strive to update this blog regularly with stories about the 2005 Gettysburg College Bullets gathered from across the Web. Your comments and suggestions are welcomed.

Enjoy!