Coming off back-to-back six-win campaigns and equipped with a veteran squad, the Case Western Reserve University football team will be looking to take another step forward and make a run at the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship and the NCAA postseason bid associated with it.
The 6-4 record in 2022 gave the Spartans their seventh-consecutive winning season and their 14th in the last 15 years. CWRU also placed fourth in the PAC with a 5-3 conference record, dropping their three conference games by a combined 15 points. Two of the team's four losses were by just one point, including a 14-13 loss to Westminster in the penultimate game of the year that eliminated the Spartans from contention for the PAC Championship.
"I was proud of how we bounced back from a rough start to put ourselves in the conversation for a conference championship in the ninth game of the season," said Head Coach Greg Debeljak. "However, the way we reacted after we lost to Westminster was a disappointment. We need to do a better job of bouncing back when things don't go our way."
Debeljak, who will be entering his 20th season at the Spartans' helm in 2023 and holds a 131-55 career record, is optimistic that another year of experience for his team will allow it to overcome some of the near misses from a season ago.
"I think the losses hurt at the time, but if you look at the overall big picture, it was helpful for the growth of this group and it puts them in a good position for this year," said Debeljak.
The Spartans will enter preseason camp with a roster of 112 players, including 79 returners, 18 of which were starters last year. Among the returners are 27 graduate students and seniors, 20 juniors, and 32 sophom*ores. In addition, the roster will feature 33 new players, with 30 first-year students, two sophom*ores, and one graduate student.
"This is the first time since the pandemic that we will have a senior-dominant lineup," said Debeljak. "We have played a lot of younger players the last two years, and we're hopeful that will pay dividends this year now that they have had the experience and have played in big games. Usually, the quality of your senior class is a predictor of how your season will go. We are in a good position, and it is a position we haven't been in a while."
OFFENSE
CWRU's offense ranked in the top half of the PAC in both total offense (388.0 yards per game) and scoring offense (28.4 points per game) in 2022, and posted five efforts of 30 or more points, including four games of over 40 points. The Spartans were buoyed once again by a strong passing game, averaging 242.4 passing yards per contest, the second-most among league teams during the year. However, for the first time in five years, a quarterback other than four-time All-PAC First Team honoree Drew Saxton will be taking most of the snaps for the team following his graduation last year.
Despite the loss of Saxton, the Spartans are still slated to return eight starters from last year's team, including three members of the offensive line (led by senior All-PAC Second Team selection Jace Merritt), and four receivers (including All-PAC Honorable Mention Ethan Dahlem).
"We certainly tweak the offense every year," said Debeljak. "Drew was a great throwing quarterback, and the other options were dual threats, which created a challenge to incorporate both styles. Now that our quarterbacks all have similar skill sets, it will be a little easier to put the offense together."
Quarterbacks
The three leading options to fill the gap left by Saxton would provide a different look to the offense with each possessing the ability to run with the ball in addition to throwing it. Junior Ian Kipp played in nine games for the Spartans last year throwing for 430 yards and three touchdowns with just one interception and was second among returning players with 170 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Senior Alex Fromberg threw for 44 yards, ran for 43, and caught nine passes for 104 yards last year, and will be another athletic option at the quarterback position this coming year. Sophom*ore Aaron Filips threw for 134 yards and ran for 102 with one touchdown, seeing most of his time under center in the final game of the season against Carnegie Mellon.
"Kipp was our backup last year, and he played in many games and had a lot of success. He was put into positions in big games and it was helpful to give him those experiences," said Debeljak. "Coming back with a year of experience, he is in a good position to have a better year and be our leader. And Fromberg is another experienced option who has the ability to step in and provide a boost with his ability to pass and run with the ball."
Other options at quarterback include senior Albert Wilhelmy and first-years Tyler Fikis, Nate Grossman, Sam DeTillio, AJ Rivera, and Andrew Lowe.
Running Backs
The Spartans' top returning rusher is junior Gage Duesler, who carried the ball 57 times for 240 yards with six touchdowns. After gaining significant experience as an alternative ball carrier to starter Antonio Orsini last year, Duesler will have a chance to step into a starting role in 2023. Senior Sean-Michael James will also return after appearing in all 10 games and making five starts at fullback last season and catching eight passes for 80 yards.
"Gage had a great deal of success, and he is a really good football player who does a lot of things well," said Debeljak. "And Sean-Michael is now in his third year as our starting fullback and his experience at the position should serve him well."
Additional returning experienced players in the Spartans' offensive backfield include sophom*ores Christopher Lim (12 carries, 75 yards, one touchdown), Caden Parlett (13 carries, 47 yards, one touchdown), and Jack Bryer (one catch, 23 yards), and junior Tanner Stoops (seven carries, 18 yards). First-year players Mitchell Waite, Rickie Allen, Owen Bisker, Nico Lancashire, and Harrison Steeves-Little, and sophom*ore Stefan Lopez will all be aiming to make an impact at running back in 2023.
"The player who really stood out among the younger options is Lim," said Debeljak. "Physically, he is as good as anyone we have ever had and after a good spring, he is ready to step up and be a force in the PAC at the position."
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
The Spartans' receiving corps will remain mostly intact from last year, giving the team's new starting quarterback a variety of options in the passing game. Dahlem, who missed the final game of the 2022 season due to injury, earned his All-PAC honor after securing 37 passes for 551 yards and four touchdowns. Senior Riley Knurek paced the squad with 41 catches and tallied 461 yards with one touchdown, while junior Noah Coyne added 40 catches and notched team highs with six touchdowns and 576 yards. Fifth-year senior Michael Wojkowski added 20 catches for 250 yards despite missing time during the year due to injury.
"We are deep at the position and have a number of people who have played, along with some younger players who have continued to develop," said Debeljak of his receivers. "It is a solid group with the potential of having some of them challenge to be among the best in the PAC. Coyne certainly fits that description, Knurek is an excellent player, and Dahlem is as good as anyone in the league."
Additional returning options at receiver for the Spartans include juniors Jake Grondz, and sophom*ores Bryce Hodge, Alex Angello, Matthew Bittel, Dylan Cave, and TJ Yoder, while the group will be strengthened with the additions of first-year players Garrett Pavlick, Beau Wolf, Jake Otto, and Liam O'Brien.
At tight end, the Spartans will once again look to take advantage of senior Dominic Wade's blocking ability after he appeared in nine games and made five starts in 2022. Junior Andrew Smith will shift from wide receiver to add depth at tight end for the upcoming year and will be joined by first-year Noah Archbold.
"Wade has developed into a reliable tight end who can do a lot of things," said Debeljak. "He is athletic, catches the ball well, and can play attached to the tackle and be a physical force. Smith is a little smaller but can have success in the role as well. Tight ends will be involved in what we do, more so this year than over the last decade."
Offensive Line
The Spartans' offensive line was remarkably consistent last season with the same five players starting all 10 games during the year. While the team graduated both tackles, including All-PAC First Team honoree Joshua Blamer, the middle three men in the line will all be back. Merritt has now started 20-straight games at center, while senior Peter Kelly has made 18-straight starts at left guard. Junior Tony Thivener held the fort at right guard last year as a first-year starter.
Among the options to step into the vacated roles on the offensive line include junior Evan Knipp and sophom*ores Garrett Moorhead and James Kline, each of which served as a backup on last year's depth chart. Moorhead appeared in five games for the Spartans, while Knipp played in four contests, and Kline made three appearances. Senior Caden Kacmarynski, juniors Cole Mullenix, Michael Stanczyk, and Jared Kinsherf, and sophom*ores Zachary Dalton, David Freedman, Keith Hendershott, and Owen Myer will also each have a chance to make an impact on the line this year.
Newcomers to the offensive line for the Spartans in 2023 include first-years Michael Paterra, Gabe Primrose, and Nick Petrucci.
"We are going to be a bit smaller and more mobile at the tackle position this year, but we know how to play with those kinds of tackles," said Debeljak. "They will have the advantage of an experienced core at center and guard. I really liked what I saw in the spring, but it will be a bit of a trial by fire for those tackles and a competition in camp to see who those guys will be. The overall theme will be that we will have some smaller guys, but mobility-wise and athleticism-wise, they will be impressive."
DEFENSE
While the Spartans' offense will need to find replacements for several graduated players, the picture is much clearer for the defense which is slated to return 10 starters from last year's team. Not only will the team be deep with returners, but the group emerged as one of the most talented in the PAC last season after ranking fourth in the conference in yards allowed per game (287.4) and fifth in points allowed per game (18.5).
Among the returners are four players who earned All-PAC honors during the 2022 campaign, including junior defensive back Nate Cikalo, senior defensive lineman Kaden Tong, and senior linebacker Marco Toth, who each claimed a spot on the second team, and graduate student defensive back D.J. Wolf, who was named an all-conference honorable mention.
"We are bringing back 10 out of 11 starters from a defense that played as well as any in the conference from the second game of the season on," said Debeljak. "They will be physical, and this will be one of the more athletic defenses that we have ever had. And, we have some depth, so we can avoid being devastated by injuries. We also have some special players that can make things happen. It should be an exciting defense to watch."
Defensive Line
Tong emerged as a force at defensive end last season, finishing the year ranked sixth in the league with 7.5 sacks and fourth with 14.5 tackles for loss. He will enter this season ranked 10th among CWRU players all-time with 14.5 career sacks, despite playing just two full seasons. On the other side of the line, senior AJ Dudowski will be back after making eight starts last year and accumulating 31 tackles, including three for loss and two sacks. In between Dudowski and Tong, graduate student nose guard Michael Kelly will look to help once again slow the opponents' running game after notching 16 tackles through nine starts last year. Graduate students R.J. Ayers and Jacob Scheponik will add further experience and talent to the line, after Ayers totaled 3.5 sacks and 23 tackles last year, while Scheponik had a pair of tackles in five games.
"We have experienced players who have been through the battles," said Debeljak. "Tong is a special player and a freaky athlete who can cause problems for opposition offensive lines. Dudowski is a good football player that wins through technique and smarts. And Kelly is a force at nose guard as a big, strong player who moves well. Ayers has developed the most among the group last year and is coming off a great year. We have experienced options who can play on the line and a slew of others who are ready to assume a role."
Seniors Kyle Kasche and William Kerr (11 tackles in 2022), junior Joe Mele, and sophom*ores Sean Reilly, Elias Karanikos and Dylan Pinkins will all look to increase their roles on the defensive line this year, while graduate student J.T. Cooper, sophom*ore transfer Robert Verba, and first-years Dhruv Amin and Coby Goelz will all be added into the mix at the position.
Linebacker
The Spartans will also be returning all four of their starting linebackers from last season with Toth and senior Ryan Cabrera on the outside and seniors Gabe Troch and Sean Torres on the inside. After making the move from defensive back to linebacker last year, Toth emerged as one of the top all-around defenders in the PAC, finishing the year with 59 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, one interception, three quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, and two blocked kicks. After missing the first two games of the season, Cabrera finished the year with 37 tackles, including six for loss and 1.5 sacks, and added two pass breakups and two quarterback hurries. Troch and Torres each started all 10 games and tied for the team lead with 65 tackles apiece during the 2022 season.
"Our outside linebackers, specifically Toth and Cabrera, are as good as anyone out there," said Debeljak. "They are small, but they are extremely fast and very physical. Inside, we have experience with Torres and Troch, who are now in their third year playing significant time. And it is probably our deepest position on the team – we have experienced players starting, but the players behind them can all play at a very high level."
Among the other returners who saw time on the field at linebacker last season were graduate students Brandon Manning (five tackles) and Jake Sommers (six tackles, one fumble recovery), seniors Ryan Santoro (three tackles) and Andrew Saluan (three tackles), junior Brody Roth (nine tackles), and sophom*ores Daniel King (seven tackles) and Henry Busch (eight tackles). Junior Lucas Suri, sophom*ores Andrew Ali, Brady Bartusiak, Shane Schwartz, Brian Keys, Joseph Swarm, and first-years Michael Gevaudan, Zeke Wadlington, Nathan Wagner, Bidinga Kapapi, and Jack Rickert will look to make an impact in the upcoming season as well.
Defensive Backs
CWRU is slated to bring back three of its four starters in the defensive backfield with Colin Schuster, a four-year starter at cornerback, marking the lone departing starter on the defensive side of the ball. Despite the loss, the Spartans feature a plethora of experienced talent in the secondary with Cikalo and Wolf at safety, along with junior cornerback Dominic Sais. Cikalo made the move from linebacker to strong safety at the beginning of last season and saw immediate success, finishing his sophom*ore year with 42 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one interception, and one fumble recovery. Wolf has been a stalwart at free safety over his career, emerging as a starter by the end of his freshman campaign in 2019 and holding the position down over the last four seasons. Last year, he totaled 46 tackles, an interception, and a team-high seven pass breakups.
"Cikalo has the athletic ability to play all over the field. We can play him deep or play him at the linebacker level, and either way, he will be force," said Debeljak. "Wolf is that classic middle of the field free safety. He's smart and can help everyone else out with his intelligence, and having a guy in the secondary who has that experience and won't make mistakes is really comforting for a coach."
At corner, Sais had 48 tackles and matched Wolf for a team-high with seven pass breakups. Options to replace Schuster at the other cornerback spot include senior Sonny Oddo, who missed most of the 2022 season due to injury, and sophom*ore Osi Chukwuocha, who appeared at safety and on special teams last season and finished the year with 15 tackles
"We have not always had a great fit at the second corner position, but this year I think we have two great options in Oddo and Chukwuocha," said Debeljak. "Oddo played substantially as a sophom*ore and after missing last year, we are looking forward to having him back. We moved Chukwuocha from outside linebacker because he is fast, physical, and perfectly suited to play cornerback. Sais is coming off a great year last year and is ready to be an all-conference type player."
Other experienced options in the secondary include juniors Michael Stuewe, Braden Frank, and Evan Colburn, and sophom*ores Samuel Ward, Danny Chung (who moved from quarterback), Mason Mehl, Luca Maravola, and Cullen McDaniel. Sophom*ore Joshua Pail and first-years Charlie Morrison, Joey Bellinotti, and Max Wickland are all new additions to the Spartans' secondary entering the 2023 season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Junior Joseph Rhodes V proved to be a weapon for the Spartans in all aspects of the kicking game last season. Rhodes was five-of-eight on field goal attempts, including a perfect four-for-four in field goals under 30 yards, and made 25 of his 26 extra point tries for a total of 40 points. He earned an All-PAC honorable mention as a punter for the second-straight year, averaging 38.1 yards per punt, including five punts of 50 or more yards, and dropped nine punts inside the opponents 20-yard line. He also handled kickoff duties for the Spartans, averaging 53.1 yards per kickoff and totaling seven touchbacks.
Added to the roster for the upcoming season are first-year kickers Graham Sorg and Gabriel Petrozzi.
"Rhodes is so versatile and does such a great job," said Debeljak. "He is a punter first and foremost and has been our placekicker and kickoff specialist because we have needed him to. We have two players coming in who we think can be good kickers, and we are hoping that they can relieve Rhodes so he can focus on punting and maybe one other kicking duty to help save his leg."
Senior Kuper Imrem is also slated to return for the Spartans' special teams after handing the long snapping duties last season.
"Imrem is a very reliable long snapper and if you don't have one, it is an easy way to lose a game," said Debeljak. "He's been so solid."
CWRU is bringing back its top two kick returners from last year in Dahlem (18.3 yards per return) and Duesler (22.6 yards per return), along with its top punter returner in Yoder (6.0 yards per return). Grondz and Chukwuocha could also see time in the return game.
SEASON OUTLOOK
With the addition of Allegheny to the PAC last year increasing the conference's number of football schools to 11, for the first time since rejoining the conference as a football affiliate member in 2014, each of the Spartans' 10 games during the year will count toward the PAC standings.
"You get to play everyone so the conference champion will be determined by who you play on the field as opposed to a consequence of the scheduling," said Debeljak. "With all teams playing each other, you will have a fair representation of a champion."
CWRU will open its schedule at Thiel on Saturday, September 2 in the first matchup between the two teams since 2021, after the Tomcats did not appear on the Spartans' schedule last year. After an early bye week, CWRU will open at home against Grove City under the lights at DiSanto Field, as the Spartans will look to avenge a one-point loss to the Wolverines last year. CWRU will play its second and final home night game of the week the following Saturday, hosting Geneva on September 23.
The Spartans will be on the road for back-to-back games against Bethany (September 30) and Saint Vincent (October 10) before returning home to host Westminster for Homecoming on October 14 and Waynesburg on October 21.
CWRU will then travel to Washington & Jefferson for a key road game on October 28, followed by the team's final home game of the year against Allegheny on November 4.
CWRU will conclude its season with the 37th Annual Academic Bowl against Carnegie Mellon. In addition to being a long-time rivalry, one of the two Academic Bowl teams has gone on to represent the PAC in four of the last five NCAA Division III playoffs, further cementing the importance of the game.
The Spartans hope that with a few small improvements, the team will be primed to win its third-ever PAC Championship and reach the NCAA postseason for the first time since 2019.
"On offense, we have to find ways to create explosive plays," said Debeljak. "We did a nice job of not turning the ball over, but we didn't put enough points on the board, so we as a staff have to find a way to put the players in position to make those kinds of plays. Defensively, I have never seen a defense that can play at the level our team has but has not created turnovers. The biggest challenge as a staff is how we create big plays on offense and force turnovers on defense. If we can solve those two issues, we are looking at a strong team at the end of the year."
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