There are many important ingredients needed in the development of a winning football team. The presence of talent, depth, experience, solid coaching, avoiding injury and a little bit of luck go a long way toward a successful season. The absence of one or more of these items can influence the outcome of the season.
The 2004 Hofstra Football Team was a classical example of this. The Pride entered last year's preseason training camp with 40 lettermen including 17 returning starters. Almost immediately the Pride got hit with the injury bug, lost some key talent and never got that bit of luck. Nonetheless, the Pride finished at 5-6 and dropped four of its six decisions after leading in the fourth quarter-something so out of character for a Hofstra team. ?œI think we were very close to turning our season around last year,?ť Hofstra Head Football Coach Joe Gardi commented. ?œIt seemed every time we were headed in the right direction, we ran into some bad luck.?ť
Through it all, the Pride battled adversity, injuries and sometimes just plain bad luck and saw the team develop, behind some pleasant personnel surprises, to the point that Gardi believes that Hofstra will challenge for the Atlantic 10 Football Conference crown in the league that sent a record four teams to the I-AA Championships and claimed a second consecutive national title.
?œI believe we have the talent to make a run at the A-10 title,?ť Gardi says. ?œWe have an experienced and talented team, we had an outstanding spring, and I think this team is confident in their abilities. As usual, we will need to be a little lucky, avoid injuries and have some newcomers step up and identify themselves as players. If we get that, this season will be very exciting.?ť
Hofstra returns 67 players including 52 lettermen and 19 starters from last year's team that was about to turn the corner. In a conference that includes the last two I-AA national champions, the Pride, with 10 starters returning on offense, eight on defense and one punter, is a sleeper candidate for the Atlantic 10 title in 2005.
OFFENSE
Before the 2004 season began, the Pride offense was hit by adversity. The departure of a starting lineman, a starting receiver - Marques Colston - forced to red-shirt with an injury, the temporary loss of starting center Patrick O'Brien, and the question on the health of starting quarterback Bobby Seck clouded the early season. O'Brien returned, playing with some nagging injuries, and anchored a line that improved every game. Colston's injury opened the door for receiver Devale Ellis to emerge as one of the top receivers in I-AA, and Charles Sullivan to have one of the greatest freshman seasons in school history. Seck displayed his outstanding talent, passing for almost 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns in three games, including a 560-yard, and a record eight-touchdown performance against Rhode Island. But the snake-bit junior signal-caller called it a career at midseason after two more injuries. That opened the door for sophomore Anton Clarkson to gain the experience and confidence that will be served well in 2005. Hofstra led the conference in passing and scoring and ranked in the I-AA Top 20 in four offensive categories. With Colston and nine other starters on offense returning, the Pride may have its most formidable attack since the 2001 season, when it captured the A-10 title.
QUARTERBACK
There is no quarterback controversy in the 2005 Hofstra camp. If last season didn't prove it, junior Anton Clarkson's performance and the confidence that his teammates and coaching staff displayed in him during the spring certainly did. After playing in six games as a freshman and nine last season, Clarkson, who passed for 19 touchdowns while completing almost 60 percent of his passes in 2004, returns to lead a potent attack. He passed for 300 yards or more three times including a career-best 408 yards at Maine. Clarkson also tossed five scoring passes against Richmond and completed 20 of 22 passes for a record 90.9 completion percentage in a little more than a half at Stony Brook. The 6-foot, 225-pound strong-armed quarterback also has the size and speed to tuck and run which gives the Pride another weapon.
Sophomore Dennis Davis, red-shirt freshman Jay Graber and newcomer Cory Yates will battle to be Clarkson's back-up. Davis saw limited action last season, playing most of the second half against Stony Brook. Graber had a solid spring game, completing 11 of 16 passes. Yates is an all-conference and all-county selection and was an honorable mention All-Maryland selection at Maurice J. McDonough High School.
WIDE RECEIVERS
The Pride had three players record 60 receptions or more last year and they could be even deeper this season. Hofstra did lose its No. 2 career receptions leader in Isaac Irby to graduation. Irby posted 64 catches for 827 yards and eight touchdowns in 2004. But Clarkson will have plenty of receiving targets in 2005, led by senior Devale Ellis. The Brooklyn, New York, native stepped up and posted a phenomenal second half of the season on the way to All-Atlantic 10 second team honors. Ellis tallied 48 of his team-high 74 receptions (1,067 yards) in the last five games of the season, including a school-record 16 catches for 225 yards at Massachusetts in the season finale. He posted four 100-yard receiving games and became just the fifth players to record 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Ellis, an outstanding return man as well, led the Atlantic 10 in all-purpose yards while ranking 11th in I-AA receptions and 14th in receiving yards.
The biggest surprise of the year may have been Charles Sullivan, who raised eyebrows with his 68 catches for 938 yards and seven touchdowns as a red-shirt freshman. He was as hot in the first six games of the season as Ellis was in the final six, posting 44 receptions. Sullivan ranked 17th in the country in receptions and was, by far, the top freshman receiver in the A-10. He tallied two 200-yard receiving games, making 12 catches for 213 yards against Rhode Island and eight for 204 yards at Maine.
Senior Brian Wolman also returns to a starting role in 2005, after a career-best 36 catches for 482 yards and three touchdowns last season. The speedy and deceptive receiver tallied his first 100-yard receiving game with 117 yards (five catches) against Rhode Island. Senior Marques Colston, who had the pro scouts buzzing in 2003, returns to a starting role after missing last season with an injury and looks like he wants to prove the scouts right. The 6'4'', 230-pound receiver posted 51 catches for 910 yards in 2003 including breaking Wayne Chrebet's Hofstra record for most receiving yards in a game with a 267-yard, three-touchdown performance at Liberty University.
A slew of youngsters will be trying to crack the line-up behind the starting receiver corps that The Sports Network tabs as "the best in I-AA". Sophomore Sam Cherilus and red-shirt freshmen Ottis Lewis, Bryan Smith and Charles Brooks will be anxious to show their skills.
TIGHT END
The Pride will throw another wrinkle into the offense with the return of a tight end in 2005. Senior Brandon Sebald, a 6'5'' transfer from the University of Miami and the older brother of linebacker Chris Sebald, will give Clarkson another big target while opening some holes for Pride running backs. Freshman Phil Riley, a 6'3" two-sport athlete at Huntingtown High School in Maryland, is expected to back up Sebald.
RUNNING BACKS
With a lethal passing attack, the Pride running game seemed to be an afterthought at times. But a rejuvenated and deeper running game will greet Hofstra opponents in 2004. Junior Terry Crenshaw, who rushed for 834 yards and seven touchdowns last year, returns to the starting role after posting three 100-yard games. Sophomore Kareem Huggins will challenge Crenshaw and is a triple-threat. Huggins tallied 793 all-purpose yards as a freshman, mostly on the punt and kick return teams. But he also average almost five yards per carry and almost 13 yards per catch. Senior Onyi Momah, who sat out last season after transferring from the University of Maine, gives the Pride a big, punishing back.
OFFENSIVE LINE
The Pride lost just one starter to graduation in All-A-10 second team selection and Iron Mike Award winner as the team Most Valuable Player, center Pat O'Brien. The Pride has a big and strong group of returnees led by senior tackle Willie Colon, senior guard Tom McHugh and junior tackles Jed Prisby and Chris Durkin.
Colon, who is a 2005 Preseason All-American second team selection by The Sports Network, was an all-conference second team pick last year. The New York City native, who is drawing pro interest with his size and strength, is a preseason all-conference selection as well. Junior Jed Prisby, who returns to the other starting tackle spot for the third year, continued his immense development last year and could be a post-season honors candidate. Sophomore Phil Hall, who saw limited action last season, red-shirt freshman Joe Asermelly and freshman Mike Trice, an all-league selection at Holy Trinity High School, will back up Colon and Prisby.
At the guard spots, Tom McHugh rolled into Hofstra last year, after transferring from Penn State, and fell into a starting job. The intense senior arrived just in time, following the departure of the previous starter just before training camp. Junior Chris Durkin returns to the other guard spot after starting the last nine games last year. Senior Todd Rodgers, junior Frank Coccaro, and red-shirt freshman Mike Juliana will be looking for playing time in a reserve role.
There will be a good battle for the starting center job, to replace O'Brien, between sophomores Jason Goodman and Shawn McMackin. Goodman is tough and mean and started for O'Brien in last year's opener. McMackin has good size and, like Goodman, saw limited action last year. Both will be challenged by senior Jeremy Hazen and newcomers Vincent Bazzone, a two-time all-conference pick out of McKeesport Area (PA) High School, and Jimmy Mangiero, a four-sport athlete out of Bloomington (IN) South High School.
DEFENSE
The Pride defense held its opponents to under 300 yards four times last year. But the team's quick-striking offense may have been their biggest enemy, keeping them on the field an average of seven more minutes per game. The defense returns 27 lettermen including nine starters and nine of their top 10 defensive players.
DEFENSIVE LINE
The Pride defensive line is talented and experienced with the return of three of the four starters in 2005. Heading the list is end Dan Garay, an All-Atlantic 10 third team selection last year and a preseason all-conference pick this season. Garay, who is pursuing an M.B.A. degree after graduating last spring, posted 72 tackles and 7 1/2 sacks in 2004. Senior Stephen Bowen, who tallied 68 tackles and three sacks, also returns to a starting end spot. The 6'5'' Bowen has the size and speed to be an attractive pro prospect. They will be challenged by senior Adam Dubiel and junior Justyn Davis. Both saw extensive action in 2004 and give the Pride experience and depth. Red-shirt junior John Petrizzo and newcomers Al Carmody, an all-conference selection out of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Joe Akabalu, an All-Long Island pick from Brentwood High School, will also battle for playing time.
At the tackles, the Pride lost one starting senior, Mickey Keene, to graduation, but its multiple defenses gave extensive experience to two returnees. Senior Ed Greene played in all 11 games last year and started the last four games. He recorded 50 tackles and two sacks and is penciled in at one tackle position. Sophomore Shemiah LeGrande, who played in every game last season, gets the nod at the other tackle spot. LeGrande posted 23 tackles and three sacks as a freshman and has post-season honors potential. Senior Randy Stephens and red-shirt sophomore Ken Sussman, who transferred to Hofstra from Buffalo last fall, will back up Greene and LeGrande.
LINEBACKERS
Just before the start of training camp I-AA first team All-American linebacker Gian Villante, who recorded 129 tackles and five sacks in 2004, was lost for the season with a knee injury. But even despite Villante's loss, the Pride linebacker corps is one of the strengths of the team. Two starters return, and a third player made several starts. Leading this segment is senior Cole Haley, an All-Atlantic 10 third team selection last year. A poised and cerebral player, Haley, who has posted almost 300 tackles in his Hofstra career, including 112 tackles and 4 1/2 sacks last year. Junior Chris Sebald, who started the last seven games in 2004, also returns to a starting role after posting 55 tackles and two interceptions last year. Junior D.J. Talvacchio, who posted 21 tackles and made several starts in the Pride's multiple defenses, and sophomores Tom Daddino, who tallied 23 tackles and also made a couple of starts, Ryan (R.C.) Scarpa, Stanley Gutierrez and Clarence Clanton, and freshman Scott Szelong, a Pennsylvania Big 33 selection, give the Pride a deep and talented linebacker corps.
SECONDARY
Late in the season, the secondary showed signs of jelling, and with three starters returning in 2005, that is a good sign. The segment accounted for nine of the Pride's 13 interceptions last season and now has experience as well as speed. Safeties Sherief Little and David Darby return to starting roles in 2005. Little, the Pride's Most Improved Player award winner, posted 64 tackles and four pass deflections while starting 11 games as a junior in 2004. Darby, who played in all 11 games as a sophomore last year, notched 43 tackles and shared the team lead with three interceptions. He is also an All-Atlantic 10 Academic Team member. Two sophomores, Stephen Tate, who played in nine games, and Greg Vineyard, who moved over from running back last spring, will back them up, along with juniors Ithalmar DeSedas and Justin Kull and several newcomers.
Senior Prentice James, who tallied 47 tackles, three interceptions and a team-high seven pass deflections last year, returns to a starting role at cornerback in 2005. James, who has good speed and sees the field well, is a two-year starter who gets better every time out. Sophomore DeWayne Whitaker, who played in nine games in 2003, is the front-runner for the other starting cornerback spot. After making great progress as a freshman, he missed the entire 2004 season with an injury. His speed will greatly improve the Pride secondary. Sophomores Emanuel Anderson, who posted 22 tackles last year, and Kyle Arrington, who saw extensive action as a freshman, will challenge for the starting role. Several newcomers, including All-Virginia selection Nick Altomare, All-Long Island pick Alton Lucas, and Syracuse University transfer and former All-Pennsylvania high school selection Lenny Carter, could also be factors in the secondary.
SPECIAL TEAMS
With the graduation of record-setting kicker Chris Onorato and punter Joe Nolan, the Pride auditioned new kickers during spring drills. Hofstra received good news in June when the NCAA granted Nolan a hardship season for an injury that caused him to miss the 2003 season. He averaged 37.9 yards per punt in 2004 and placed 16 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Nolan was also a CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection last year. Freshman Shane Casciano, a two-time all-state honorable mention from Allentown (PA) Central Catholic, will challenge Nolan.
Replacing Onorato, who broke the Atlantic 10 career record for field goals and ranks second at Hofstra in career scoring, is not an easy chore. Red-shirt freshman Shaun McQueary kicked well in the spring and appears to be the front-runner for the job. McQueary will face a stern test in preseason camp from sophomores Rob Zarrilli, a transfer from the University of Louisville, and Chris Hanly, a transfer from Fordham University.
Updated 8/18/05
