Youth will reign supreme this season for the Buff and Blue. With the graduation of 19 players from last year's squad the 112th edition of Hamilton College football will feature plenty of new faces in the lineup in 2002. "We have some talented but young players on this year's team," said second-year head coach Peter Alvanos. "As they gain more experience throughout the season and learn how to play collegiate football the better off our program will be down the road."
Quarterbacks
The starting quarterback job will be a good battle to watch this pre-season. The Continentals have four quarterbacks in camp this year, led by sophomore Greg LiVigne (Ithaca, NY.) Last season LiVigne played in five games for the Buff and Blue. At 6-3, LiVigne has the height to see over the defense. Last year he completed 32 of 77 passes for 290 yards and a touchdown. "Greg has a strong arm and good field vision," said offensive coordinator Chad Martinovich. "He came in last year and showed that he can be a leader on and off the field." Freshmen, Brandon Holtslag, the 2001 Mohawk Valley Player of the Year at Whitesboro High School, All-League performer Kyle Graham (Camden, NY) and senior John Garrett should make it a good competition for the starting quarterback spot this pre-season.
Running Backs
Another good competition to watch this pre-season is the duel for the starting tailback position. For the past two seasons that spot was taken by All-NESCAC performer Chris Weeden who graduated last spring. The front-runner for the starting tailback position is junior Elijah Huling (Baldwinsville, NY.) Last year he carried the ball 24 times, gaining 58 yards. In his first year he rushed for 258 yards on 84 carries and a touchdown. Look for newcomers James Trummer (Saranac Lake, NY), Dale Ledbetter, Max Berube, Jonathan Swift (Millwood, NY) and sophomore Robert Kuchar (Princeton,NJ) to battle for playing time this season. The starting fullback position will feature senior co-captain Logan Pascarella (Salamanca, NY). Last year Pascarella moved from linebacker to fullback and learned the position quickly. He rushed for 116 yards on 37 carries last year and made three catches for 31 yards. Look for him to anchor the running backs in 2002.
Receivers
The two starting wide receiver positions will be hotly contested this year. Among the returning players are juniors Ragnar Gearhart, Craig Cammarata, Tom Bradley and sophomore Sean Thorsen. Cammarata, a former quarterback, caught five balls last year for 60 yards, while Gearhart grabbed two passes for 27 yards. Both are among the team's best blocking receivers. Sophomore Sean Thorsen caught three passes for 19 yards in his rookie season. In his first season playing the position, tight end Kevin Conole (Syracuse, NY) was second on the team with 15 catches for 198 yards. Look for him to have an even better season in 2002. Dan Worth and Charles Gorra will battle with Conole for playing time at tight end this pre-season.
Offensive Line
Another hotly contested battle to watch out for this pre-season is on the offensive line. The Buff and Blue lost four of the five starting offensive linemen from last year to graduation. Junior Michael Duchesneau (Northborough, MA) is the lone remaining starter from last year's squad. Junior, Carlos Mercedes, who saw significant time his freshman year, returns after an injury cut his season short last year. Freshmen Josh Burbank, John Knauss, Chris Sessa, Alex Richman will compete for playing time in 2002. "We've got some question marks at offensive line," says Alvanos. "There is some talent there; with a little experience I see big things for this unit in the future.
Special Teams
The Continentals have the services of their punter and place kicker again this season. Last year Jason Kurtzman stepped in and performed admirably. He finished the season ranked fifth in the NESCAC among punters, averaging 34.2 yards per punt. Handling the place kicking duties for the Buff and Blue this year will be sophomore Peter Simon. Last year Simon made two out of three field goal attempts and made six of eight point-after-touchdown attempts. Sophomore Corbin Butcher will also get a good this pre-season. "These two stepped in and had outstanding seasons last year," said Alvanos. "We place a great deal of emphasis on special teams and it's nice to have two quality kickers to rely on."
Defensive Line
The defensive line returns two of the four starters from a year ago in juniors Sam Bowlby and Chris Smith. Last year Smith led the team with 4 quarterback sacks. The junior end made 32 tackles, including 22 solo tackles and 11 for a loss. Sam Bowlby made 31 tackles last season, including 16 solo stops and seven for a loss. Look for good things from junior Mike Antonacci and sophomores Matt Baldwin and Josh Bruff. Mike DePetrillo, Steven Butterfhoff and newcomers John Reiguluth, Nick Marro, Andrew Kurz will fight it out for playing time this season.
Linebackers
The linebacking corps will be all new in 2002 with the graduation of all three starters from last year's squad. Sophomore Michael Murphy (Baldwinsville, NY represents the most experience as he saw action in eight games last year. He made 13 tackles last year and should see much more time in 2002. Sophomore Chris Slama made five tackles in four games last year and will compete with freshmen Jeremy Kozak, Jay Rishel, David Cavaliero, Sean McDonough and Brook Wolcott for playing time this year.
Defensive Backs
Three of the four defensive backfield starters from last year return for the 2002 season. Free Safety Peter Simon, last year's NESCAC Defensive Rookie of the Year, returns for his sophomore season poised to lead the Continentals. Simon finished tied for seventh on the team in tackles with 27, while leading the team with four interceptions. Senior cornerback Chandler Long was fifth on the team in tackles last year with 51, including 34 solo stops and three for a loss. He also had two interceptions. Marcus Juba will man the other cornerback position. Last year he saw action in four games due to an injury. Look for him to have an outstanding senior campaign.
Posted August 21, 2002
