FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW: Baldwin-Wallace Looks to Compete for OAC Title in 2010

Saturday, July 31st 2010 @ 9:06 PM    post viewed 526 times

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BEREA, OHIO -- The 2010 Baldwin-Wallace College football team returns 29 lettermen, including a number of key starters on offense, defense and special teams as it hopes to compete for both an Ohio Athletic Conference title and a berth into the NCAA Division III Playoffs. Head Coach John Snell enters his ninth season at the helm of the Yellow Jacket program with a career record of 49-33 (.598).

"Our goals never change at B-W," said Snell. "Each year we set out to win championships. "We're definitely not satisfied with where we have finished the last few years but that in no way changes our expectations for the upcoming year. We are motivated and feel like we have the right team and staff in place to return B-W football to where it belongs."

Offensively, the Yellow Jackets will be led by the running back trio of fifth-year senior Kyrell Crook (Columbus/ St. Francis DeSales), senior John McGraw (North Ridgeville) and junior Tim Miker (Parma/Senior).

Crook was the leading rusher in 2009 with 559 yards on 134 carries. He added six touchdowns on the ground and also caught 14 passes out of the backfield. Miker rushed for 543 yards and four touchdowns, despite missing four games due to injury. McGraw led the team with nine rushing touchdowns and accumulated 486 yards on the ground. Miker also returned nine kickoffs for an average of 22.9 yards.

"Our trio of running backs should be one of the most productive in the conference," said Snell. "Each guy is experienced in carrying the load and brings a different skillset to our offensive attack."

The receiving corps will be led by junior Devon Jennings - pictured above (Euclid), who was the team's leading receiver in 2009, despite playing in only five games due to injury. Jennings caught 43 passes (8.6 receptions per game) for 419 yards and three touchdowns.

In addition to Jennings, B-W has a host of other weapons back in the passing game, including senior WR John Myers (Macedonia/Nordonia), junior WRs Anthony Fairhurst (Ashland/Senior) and Dan Turner (Youngstown/Ursuline) and junior WR/TE Aaron Hurd (Tiffin/Columbian). Hurd tied for third on the team with 17 catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Myers caught 10 passes for 152 yards and two scores. Fairhurst caught seven passes (two for touchdowns) and Turner added nine receptions. Fullback/tight end Danny Reineck (Woodstock, Ga./Etowah) also lettered last year.

"Our receiving corps is deep and talented," noted Snell. "We have a good mix of size and speed at the position.

With the graduation of All-OAC signal caller Anthony Gardner, the quarterback position is open for competition. B-W welcomes transfer sophomore Ryan O'Rourke (Avon) from Slippery Rock (Pa.) University to the mix of returning quarterbacks that will compete for the job. O'Rourke appears to be the front-runner but also look for sophomores Josh Masters (Akron/Archbishop Hoban) and Andrew Dziak (Maple Heights/Parma Padua Franciscan) to push for the starting role.

The offensive line returns three players with veteran experience. Senior Dan Paterline (Reynoldsburg) and junior Travis Barnhill (Findlay/Senior) were both starters last year at multiple positions along the line and junior Jimmy Basar (Parma/Senior) returns after starting six games at center. All three helped open holes for the B-W rushing attack, which ranked third in the OAC last year at 200.5 yards per game.

"Any success our offense has this season will have to start up front," said Snell. "We have a solid group of veterans that we need to stay healthy and help work our younger guys into the mix. Any successful offense needs to have stability on the O-Line."

Defensively, B-W will once again have a sound linebacking corps, paced by All-OAC senior Ryan Kish (Amherst/Marion Steele). Kish led the team in tackles with 90, including a team-high of 21 in the season finale at Capital, and had four tackles for loss. He enters his senior year with 190 career stops. Joining Kish are juniors J.J. Laseak (Mentor) and Brett Thompson (Shelby). Thompson was third on the team with 66 tackles and tied for the team lead with 10.0 tackles for loss. Laseak added 26 tackles. In addition, B-W returns lettermen in senior Ben Pahl (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) and junior Brian Ellis (Fort Mitchell, Ky./Dayton) at linebacker.

"Our linebackers are our most experienced unit and we're expecting them to set the tone for the defense," noted Snell. "We have sound tacklers at the position but we also have guys who have a knack for forcing turnovers and getting pressure on the quarterback."

The defensive line also returns three starters including senior defensive tackle Kevin Phipps (Pataskala/Watkins Memorial), junior DT Max Wagner (Mentor) and senior DE Keith Darbut - pictured above (Miami, Fla./Palmetto Senior). Darbut had a team-high five sacks with 25 tackles and seven QB hurries. Phipps recorded 26 tackles and Wagner added 19.

In addition, junior DT Rudy Ackerman (Sheffield Village/Brookside) drew two starts and seniors Dan Brown (Kirtland) and Mitch Tulk (Elyria/Senior) also return for the Jacket "Swarm D".

The secondary will be led by two-year starter and senior All-OAC safety Ryan Dugan - pictured above (Mentor). Dugan led the OAC with six interceptions last year, made 49 stops and had six pass break-ups after switching from the cornerback position. Junior Corey Hildreth (Massillon/Washington) returns at safety, where he made 31 tackles and had an interception in 2009. Junior Matt Bowen (Tiffin/Columbian) and senior Ryan Wallace (Uniontown/Lake) also return after seeing playing time in the secondary last year. Also expect senior Nick Clemons (Oak Harbor) and sophomore Brandon Russo (Olmsted Falls) to make an impact in 2010.

"Both our D-Line and secondary return all-conference caliber players," said Snell. "Both units have the ability to make impact plays and we are expecting them to do more of that this season."

On special teams, B-W returns senior placekicker Brad Pollock (Broadview Heights/Brecksville-Broadview Heights) and junior kickoff specialist David Cantu (Lorain/Amherst Marion Steele). Pollock was five-of-six on field goals last year with a long of 28 yards and 25-of-30 on extra point attempts. Cantu averaged 57.0 yards per kickoff and had four touchbacks. Snell expects to resolve the battle for the open punter position during preseason camp. Reineck also is back as the long snapper.

The 2010 schedule features six home games, including the season opener on Thursday, September 2 when B-W hosts The College of Wooster on Tressel Field at The George Finnie Stadium in Berea at 7:00 p.m. It marks the beginning of a two-year home and home series between B-W and Wooster and the first meeting between the two schools since 1983.

B-W then begins play in the always tough OAC, which has three teams ranked in the top 25 nationally in all major Division III preseason polls.

Week Two marks the OAC opener on Community & Family Night against Capital University on September 11 at 6:30 p.m. After a bye week, B-W hosts Marietta College on October 2 and Otterbein University on October 9 for Homecoming.

Wilmington College comes to Berea on October 23, which is designated as Professor Appreciation Day. The home finale pits B-W against the University of Mount Union on Seniors' Day in Berea on November 6 at 1:30 p.m.

The regular season wraps up with the "Battle for the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl Trophy" as B-W plays at rival John Carroll University in University Heights on November 13 at 1:30 p.m.

"We prepare for a tough schedule year in and year out", said Snell. "As a team in the OAC, you know you had better bring your best every week if expect to have a chance to win. No different than any season, we also know we have to get off to a good start to set the tone for the remainder of the year."

News Release and Photos By:  Baldwin-Wallace Sports Information Department

 

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Baldwin-Wallace Announces Staff Changes

Wednesday, July 21st 2010 @ 4:40 PM    post viewed 394 times

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BEREA, OHIO - Baldwin-Wallace College Head Football Coach John Snell has completed his full-time offensive staff for the 2010 season by promoting Keith Grabowski to offensive coordinator and adding Mark Jochum as the Yellow Jackets' new offensive line coach.

Grabowski, 1992 graduate of the College, enters his second season on the Yellow Jacket coaching staff. He served as quarterbacks coach during his first season in 2009.

"Keith has done a great job in our program with recruiting and working with our quarterbacks and offense," said Snell. "He understands our offense and has experience calling plays. He has worked very hard over the past year to help improve our program and he certainly deserves the opportunity to be our offensive coordinator."

"We had a great offseason and we worked hard at putting together a system that fits our personnel," said Grabowski. "Personally, I am grateful and excited about the opportunity to lead the offense. With all of the work we did in the offseason, it feels like a natural progression to be able to step in and keep things moving forward."

In 2009, Grabowski guided then senior quarterback Anthony Gardner, who turned in an All-Ohio Athletic Conference season before signing to play professionally in France. The Yellow Jacket offense ranked fourth in the OAC at 378.4 yards per game and sixth in scoring at 24.6 points per game.

Prior to coming to B-W, Grabowski made head coaching stops at Brookside High School in Sheffield Village, Brush High School in Lyndhurst and Ashtabula Lakeside High School. He also was at the helm of the Amherst Steele football program from 2004-07 and was named the 2004 Southwestern Conference Coach of the Year and Lorain County Co-Coach of the Year. Grabowski led the 2004 Comets to the second-best record in school history and the program's second playoff victory all-time. Grabowski coached on the Amherst staff for three seasons before taking over in 2004 and ran the football program at Fairview High School from 2001-2003.

Jochum, a native of Euclid, graduated from John Carroll University in 2002 and received the team's "Unsung Hero Award" for his leadership and dependability as a senior offensive lineman. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education, Jochum spent two seasons as an intern at JCU and served as offensive line coach, recruiting coordinator and assistant strength and conditioning coach. In 2005, he accepted a similar position at Franklin (Ind.) College and coached there for three seasons.

"Mark is a Cleveland St. Ignatius guy and he is very well respected as an O-line coach," noted Snell. "I spoke to six different people and they all described him as a tireless worker and a great O-Line coach. I have known him for a long time and he has done a great job wherever he has been. We feel that Mark will be an excellent addition to our staff and football family."

"B-W is a great fit for me," said Jochum. "I wanted to get back to my roots in Cleveland and still be able to coach at a top program like B-W. I'm excited to compete against a lot of the guys that I am familiar with in the toughest Division III conference (OAC) in the nation."

The Yellow Jackets open the season on Thursday, September 2 versus the College of Wooster at 7:00 p.m. on Tressel Field at The George Finnie Stadium in Berea. The game will be televised by regional cable giant SportsTime Ohio.

News Release By:  Kevin Ruple, Baldwin-Wallace SID

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