Untried but true; 2001 football reports

During the 2000 spring practice, coming off the Bulldogs' first Ivy league title in a decade, the big question facing Head Coach Jack Siedlecki and the football squad was who could ever replace Joe? Over the summer, Peter Lee, TD '02, became the promising answer to the tougher question, as he secured the quarterback position with quiet confidence, skillful vision, and a tremendous arm. The Bulldogs did not repeat as league champs, but their 7-3 record, 4-3 Ivy put them in the top half of the league, an admirable showing considering they were without the talented class of 1999.

JULIA TIERNAN/YH

But what perhaps marked last year was that Walland's replacement was one of the only questions lingering over the squad as they prepared to defend their league title. As the Elis return to practice, gearing up for the 2001 season, they certainly have shoes to fill; gone will be team leaders Rashad Barthalomew, MC '01, Eric Johnson, JE '01, Than Merrill, JE '01, and Captain Peter Mazza, JE '01, to name a few.

"We are graduating our career rushing leader, receiving leader, and our scoring leader, so obviously we're losing great, great kids," Siedlecki said. But in addition to the same problem of filling voids present at the end of any season, the Bulldogs face a potentially more daunting hurdle; "[the 2001 squad] is full of strong players who have had some varsity experience," Siedlecki continued. "But they have not always been the starters." As a result, leaders have yet to emerge, a problem the Elis will confront when they elect their next captain in a team meeting on Fri., Apr. 20.

JULIA TIERNAN/YH

The 2000 team had the potential to dominate the Ivy League with a starting lineup that included many multiple-year starters who had been brought up in the current system Siedlecki created upon arrival in 1997. The Bulldogs had both impressive victories and surprising defeats in a season that witnessed multiple new school records by defensive and offensive players. Among the highlights were victories over the Ivy League Champion Quakers, Penn's only loss of the season, and arch-rival Harvard in Cambridge. The Bulldogs 42-6 victory over Dayton, on Sat., Sept. 16 marked Yale's 800th victory of all time. But amidst the positives were tough losses to Brown, Cornell, and Princeton.

Next fall Yale will return 10 starters but will suffer key losses on both sides of the ball, particularly in the secondary. But among the returning starters is Lee who did more than answer the big question of last year. Playing in the shadow of "Boomer" Joe Walland, TD '00, Lee totaled more than 2,000 yards and set school single-season records with 319 completions and a 61.9 completion percentage. But while Lee will return, he'll be without prime targets Eric Johnson, JE '01 and Tommy McNamara, PC '01, who combined for 71 percent of the Bulldogs total yards in 2000 in addition to catching 15 of 19 Lee touchdown passes. While tight end Jeff Ditman, TD '02, will return, Lee will have to gain confidence in Keith Reams, MC '02, and Billy Brown, CC '02, who will vie for the starting wide out spots. "We are going to have faster receivers next year," Siedlecki said. "Billy is probably the fastest receiver we've had, Ronnie and P.J. both have very good speed. And Keith is that possession guy, like many of the guys we had before." Freshmen Ronnie Benigno, SM '04, and P.J. Collins, BR '04, have also showed promise this spring, and with five potential targets, Lee hopes to throw defenses off balance. "You never know but most likely there will not be one guy who catches the majority of the balls in every game like EJ," Lee noted. "This will be an advantage for us next year, though, because it will be harder for defense to stop our offense if it is more unpredictable who I'm going to send the ball to."

The second big gap to fill on offense will be in the backfield, where fullback James Keppell, SY '02, will return, but the Bulldogs will have to do without Barthalomew, the school's all time leading rusher. This spring, Lee has been working this getting the ball to new running backs Pat Bydume, MC '04, Jay Schulze, SM '03, and Jonas Rodriguez, BK '04, who will be vying for the starting backfield spot. "For the past three years, we did not have much depth in that position, beyond the number one guy, Rashad. Now, with Pat, Jonas, and Jay combined, we are way better in terms of depth. We have talent and I think they all offer a little something different," Siedlecki said. "Pat is extremely quick, a big play potential guy. Jay has very good vision; he's a big back who can wear you down. Jonas can run with the ball, he can catch the ball, he can come out from formations and create things."

While question marks certainly linger over the offense, the Bulldog defense will have to replace nearly its entire 2000 secondary; Josh Phillips, MC '01, Merrill, and Todd Tomich, TC '01, the school record holder for interceptions, will all graduate in May. Ryan LoProto, SM '02, the one returning secondary starter, will have to bond with a whole new group. "I played with Josh, Than, and Todd for two years, and when you play that long together, you get to know those people," he said. "Next year's secondary has to learn how to play together and that goes straight up the line to the linebackers and the d-line." Fellow senior Ray Littleton, MC '02, will provide added game experience and versatility in the backfield. But Siedlecki is counting on Barton Simmons, 04, who showed remarkable talent as a freshman playing safety against Dartmouth, Holy Cross, and Fordham when Merill was injured. "I think this year we have the two best safeties in the league in Ryan and Barton," Siedlecki said. But with a number of young players, Siedlecki anticipates having some flexibility. "The question is at corner; two years ago we moved Ben Blake to corner, which was a great decision. And now the question is if we are possibly going to be better moving Ryan to corner," he said.

The defense will have two returning defensive ends, Mark Patterson, DC '03, and Stuart Satullo, ES '03 who fared well as sophomores in 2000. The defensive line will benefit from the added presence of Tim Penna, BK '02: "Mentally, Tim is as sound as you can be, and once you're mentally sound you don't have to worry about yourself, and whether you're going to be fine," LoProto said. And with a number of younger players vying for spots on the defensive line, Penna's mental soundness will allow him to serve as more of a mentor. "[Penna] can actually take the time to help the younger players, and there will be a lot of younger players on the d-line," LoProto added.

Jeff White, SY '02, and Billy Thompson, JE '02, a two-year starter, will vie for Mazza's linebacker position. While both have some game experience, a fair amount of playing time may fall to younger players Tate Rich, Kenny Estrera, SM '04, and Derek Goeriz, SY '03.

But while each team has to recover from the loss of departing seniors, this year's squad faces a perhaps more troubling problem. Last year there was no question about the senior squad, which became even more cohesive as the season progressed, and they stepped confidently into leadership positions. One player definitely was recognized early on as the leader both on and off the field. "It was obvious from the start of Spring Ball last year that among all the hard workers and talented players, that Pete [Mazza] was going to be captain," Lee noted. "It was just a matter of formality that everyone had to go through the voting process." Last spring Mazza became the captain in name of a team that was full of leaders and experience.

But the same does not hold true for the 2001 squad. There is no single, clear-cut candidate for the captaincy. Perhaps more critically, while the title of captain is a respected and important honor, it is essential that the team have more than one role model teammates can turn to on, and off the field. "The captain is definitely a leader," Reams said. "But the entire senior class is counted on to be leaders. It is more important for one person in each positional group to step up and be strong to make the whole team work better."

The rising seniors' athletic talent is unquestioned, but their leadership potential has not been tested. "I think where last year's class was very cohesive in that they all had similar attitudes, thoughts, my class is more divergent but I think that can be a strength in that every one of us brings something different to the table," LoProto explained. "That is the mark of a good team, not one dominant leader, but having a lot of leaders who all pull equal weight. If one guy needs support, there is a network of people who can all lead and bring the team in the direction it's supposed to go."

But without strong leadership, past strengths, particularly on defense, could be tested. The Bulldog defense has been at the top of the league for three years and an essential element of carrying on that powerful legacy will be communication and unity. "Cohesive units are so important, even more so on defense because we are reactionary," LoProto explained. "You have to know how the guy is going to handle this kind of block, where he is going to be on the sweep and that only comes from played with each other consistently."

But the class of 2002 isn't about to roll over and play dead. "There is a loss factor, but I'm not going to label my senior year as an adjustment year," LoProto explained. "It just means that these guys now have to act on the opportunity they've been given."

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