Centennial Conference Release

Centennial Conference Preseason Guide

LANCASTER, Pa. – Less than three weeks shy of kicking off its 125^th season, the Ursinus College football team was picked seventh in the Centennial Conference preseason poll.

The Bears received 65 points in a sampling of the league's head coaches and sports information directors, landing in seventh place for the second consecutive season.

Eight-time defending CC champion Johns Hopkins unanimously topped the prognostication with 162 points, including 18 first-place votes; school personnel were not allowed to vote for their own teams. Muhlenberg received one first-place ballot and was second with 138 points, while Franklin & Marshall (122) was third. Susquehanna claimed the fourth spot with 117 points and the final first-place vote, and Moravian (104) rounded out the top half of the poll. Gettysburg (73) was sixth, followed by Ursinus (65), McDaniel (51), Juniata (44), and Dickinson (24).

Ursinus is coming off a disappointing campaign in which it finished 2-8 overall and 2-7 in CC competition, but optimism runs high as head coach Pete Gallagher enters his 17^th season at the helm. Much of those hopes center on an offense that brings back nine starters, including a promising sophomore backfield in quarterback Thomas Garlick and running back Stacey Gardner.

Garlick turned in a solid rookie season, throwing for 1522 yards and eight touchdowns in eight starts. The Quakertown High School product set a school record for passing yards by a freshman with a 348-yard performance at Juniata, and also threw for 302 yards and a pair of scores in the season opener at Bethany (W.V.). A threat with is legs, Garlick picked up 285 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Gardner, meanwhile, led Ursinus in rushing yards (459), rushing touchdowns (5), and yards per carry (4.7) in addition to two receiving scores.

The Bears also return their top three receivers from last season, a trio headlined by senior Carmen Fortino, who broke out into one of the conference's top outside threats a year ago. Fortino finished fifth in the CC with 71 receptions and 801 receiving yards; his catch total tied for second in program history, and Fortino is one of just 14 receivers in Ursinus history to eclipse 1,000 career yards. Fortino had three 100-yard games in 2016, including 143 yards and a school record-tying 12 catches against Moravian and 161 yards and a touchdown at Bethany.

Fellow seniors Shawn Hackett (34 catches, 390 yards, 1 TD) and Jonathan Gerhartz (20 catches, 266 yards, 1 TD) are back on the outside, and Gerhartz gives the Bears one of the region's most dangerous special teams weapons after leading the CC with 25.5 yards per kick return and bringing back two kickoffs for touchdowns. Senior Alex Drum (16 receptions, 117 yards) and junior Jacob Clifford (15-200) also return to the fold, with senior James Hickey (11 catches, 54 yards) and sophomore Jared Johns-Lupold ready to step in. 

Seniors Grant Nulty and Andrew Dalessandro and junior Gregory Olsson will anchor the offensive line; the trio has combined for 50 starts over the last three seasons. Nulty has started all but one game of the last two years at center and received second team All-CC recognition in 2016. Junior Brett Highland and sophomore James Marinelli are projected to join the offensive line ranks. 

Despite losing most of its starting defensive line and linebacking corps to graduation, Ursinus figures to be stout in the secondary, with its top two corners (senior Jamie Casseus and junior Shy'Quan Davis) and safeties (senior Heath Hidlay and sophomore Jack Spingler) returning to patrol the backfield.

Spingler burst onto the scene with an exceptional first season in which earned second team All-CC laurels after starting all ten games. Spingler led the Bears in total tackles (67), solo tackles (52), interceptions (3), and pass break-ups (6) while collecting six tackles for loss and tying for third in the league with two forced fumbles; he also returned an interception for a touchdown against Moravian. A two-year starter, Hidlay was a ball-hawk who consistently found his way into the backfield; he piled up 61 tackles (10 for loss), a team-best 6.5 sacks, a CC-leading four forced fumbles, an interception, and a fumble recovery from his strong-side spot.

Casseus (27 tackles) and Davis each started nine games at cornerback, while rising sophomore Mitchell Bradford tied for second on the team with two interceptions and added five pass break-ups (tied for third). Sophomore King Nworu and junior Tyler Gordon will figure prominently at cornerback and safety, respectively. 

Junior Charles Anderson started nine games at defensive tackle, tallying 42 tackles (3 for loss) to go with two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble, and senior James Gilette posted 14 tackles and a half-sack in eight appearances as a key reserve.

Senior Demarcus Henry is expected to take on larger roles along the defensive line, while sophomore Jacob McCain and senior Cody Richmond will be counted upon to anchor the linebacking corps. 

Freshman Alex DeSpirito will take on place-kicking duties, with sophomore Tom McCormack keying the process as long-snapper.

Additionally, a talented 36-man freshman crop is expected to help fill the squad's biggest holes and provide depth to the Bears' ranks.

The Bears are in the midst of their first week of camp; they host Delaware Valley in a scrimmage scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, August 23. The season opener pits Ursinus against Bethany (W.V.) at Patterson Field on Saturday, September 2.