ALFRED GAME NOTES

ITHACA, N.Y. – Things will look a little different for the Ithaca College football team this coming fall as a new coach has taken over the helm of the program and the Bombers will compete in a new conference. Ithaca opens up its highly anticipated season at Butterfield Stadium on September 2 at 1 p.m. against No. 21 Alfred University.

For the past 23 seasons, Ithaca was under the guidance of hall of fame head coach Mike Welch and the Bombers played in the Empire 8 Conference for 17 years. But in 2017, IC will now be under the watch of Dan Swanstrom and has joined the Liberty League.

Swanstrom was named the 10th head coach in the program's illustrious 85-year history last December after successful stints at the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Redlands. Once officially on South Hill, Swanstrom worked vigorously over the offseason to identify his coaching staff and brought in eight new coaches – Michael Toerper, Reece Petty, Sean Reeder, Brody Trahan, Gary Bucci '76, Tyler Johnson, Chase Venuto and Warren Trahan.

This staff has had the privilege to mentor a great mix of experience and youth on the roster of 20 seniors, 28 juniors, 30 sophomores and 44 freshmen in preparation for a grueling 10-game slate. Four of those seniors were tabbed captains for the campaign last spring – Kenny Bradley, Tristan Brown, Dan Loizos and Jordan Schemm. The quad-captains have combined to start all but one game over the past two seasons.

Bradley, a two-time all-conference honoree, has racked up 241 tackles over his three seasons as a middle linebacker. Brown is the Bombers' three-year starter at running back and has amassed 1,862 yards and 14 touchdowns since 2014. Loizos was a D3football.com All-Region selection last fall and has led the Bomber defense in tackles each of the past two seasons, while Schemm, a preseason All-American, is one of the nation's top returners as well as an exceptional cornerback on the defensive side of the ball.

Now let's take a position-by-position look at the 2017 football squad.

Quarterback

The Bombers will have a new signal caller this fall, as senior Adam Fron has taken over the reins. In limited action in 2016, Fron threw for 84 yards on 11-of-25 passing with a touchdown in six games. Newcomer Wahid Nabi has solidified his spot as the backup after a solid preseason.

"Both Adam and Wahid have put together greats camps and have shown to be talented players," stated Swanstrom. "They have picked up our new offense quickly and we hope that transfers over to game days."

Running Backs

After Brown, Ithaca boasts a plethora of talent at the position. Sophomore Isaiah D'Haiti will serve as the primary second option, while freshmen Zach Raymond, Kendall Anderson and Nick Cervone could all see time in the back field.

"Our running backs all possess unique traits that are different from each other. We are fortunate to be so deep and athletic at this position and it should be a strength of our offense," express Swanstrom.

Tight Ends

Seniors Jack Yule and Ryan Rossi each appeared in all 10 games last season and will look to do the same in 2017. Yule recorded 20 catches for 231 yards and was a security blanket in Ithaca's aerial attack in 2016. Rossi, primarily used as a blocking tight end, made one grab for eight yards last season.

"Jack and Ryan are one of our most talented and veteran groups returning this season," said Swanstrom. "They are both unique in the sense that they good receivers as well as in-line blockers for our running game."

Wide Receivers

A boat-load of talent is back for IC on the outside as 1,178 of the team's 1,917 receiving yards, as well as 15 of 18 touchdowns, returns. Senior JR Zazzara registered 477 yards on 23 grabs and eight touchdowns, while sophomore Will Gladney led the core with 33 receptions for 513 yards and six scores. Fellow senior Jared Bauer snagged 16 catches for 143 yards and a touchdown, while junior Anthony Capozzi contributed four catches for 39 yards. Senior Frank Martino will also factor into the passing game for Ithaca.

"The mixture of size and speed and of our receivers brings a special skill set to the offense. There is a lot of experience in this group and we're excited to see what they will do on Saturdays," Swanstrom said.

Offensive Line

In the trenches, Ithaca boasts a fair amount of starts from a strong, veteran group on the offensive line that will look to create running lanes and give the Bombers' quarterbacks plenty of time to find open receivers. Seniors Geoff Bell and Ben Kumph, along with juniors Jake Bernstein, Jae Choi and Nick Poggi all saw significant playing time last season. Junior Bobby Puckey and sophomore Jimmy Puckey should see the field most of the season as well.

Defensive Line

A majority of the defensive line departed South Hill after 2016, but the talent is still there for this season. Junior Gaetano Repicky is the lone down linemen that saw significant action with 10 starts and 19 tackles (3.5 for loss), but seven others have been battling all preseason for playing time. Senior Brad Helmkamp will be transitioning from fullback to defensive tackle, and has flawlessly made that switch. Junior Matt Riccitelli and sophomore Noah Hill will also see time at tackle and nose.

At the end positions, senior Ryan Moody, juniors Brian Gill and Brien Pacholec and sophomore John Hadac will all be key contributors on the line.

Linebackers

Arguably the most talented group on the team, Ithaca's linebacking core will be the anchor of the defensive unit.

Bradley and Loizos will serve as the run-stoppers in the middle, while senior Taylor Catz and junior Pat Minogue are set on the outside. Junior Ryan Bronson and sophomore Nick Garone are expected to see significant time as middle linebackers as well.

Minogue led the Bombers last season with 18 tackles for loss (57 yards) and five sacks (29 yards), while Garone made 17 stops and Bronson added eight. 

"This is no doubt the strength of our program. Our linebackers are a star-studded group that will keep us in each game this season," explained Swanstrom.

Secondary

Another group loaded with talent is Ithaca's defensive backfield. Led by Schemm at corner, juniors Aaron Francis and Jovonte Long also appeared in all 10 games a year ago. Long notched 31 tackles with an interception, while Francis tallied 17 tackles and a pick. Junior RJ D'Amico will also factor into defensive packages.

At safety, senior Mike Miller returns after ranking fourth on the team with 56 tackles with a pair of interceptions last fall. Junior Jimmy Sullivan made the most of his six games played in 2016, as he recorded 32 tackles with an interception. Junior Tyler Kishbaugh and sophomore Rob Daly will also compete for action.

Special Teams

Schemm has been a difference maker for Ithaca each of the past two seasons as a kick and punt returner. He led all of Division III in kick return average in 2015 and was second in punt returns last season. Over the past two years, the Coral Springs, Fla. Native, has brought back seven kicks or punts more than 40 yards and has scored twice.

Minogue will once again serve as the primary punter for the Bombers after he averaged 33.9 yards per punt on 42 attempts with 10 landing inside the 20-yard line. Junior Maxx Marshall can also step in as a punter, as he booted a long of 43 yards last season.

Junior David Prudhomme earned the starting nod as Ithaca's place kicker. Prudhomme went 1-for-1 in field goal tries last season, as he made a 23-yard attempt.

The Schedule

After this Saturday's season opener, the Bombers travel to Brockport for a 2 p.m. kick-off on September 9. The Bombers will remain on the road for their Liberty League opener at St. Lawrence on the 16th at 1 p.m. before heading into a bye week. On September 30, No. 14 Hobart travels to South Hill for a 1 p.m. start and then IC is back on the road for league games at Rochester on October 7 at 12 p.m. (the first-ever meeting) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on the 14th at 1 p.m. IC then welcomes No. 23 St. John Fisher College for a 1 p.m. bout on the 21st and will head back on the road for a 1 p.m. tussle with Utica on the 28th. Ithaca is home for both contests in November, as Union steps onto Butterfield on the 4^th at 1 p.m., and the 59th Cortaca Jug Game will begin at 12 p.m. on November 11.