Preseason football camp opens at Marietta College

July. 29, 2004
MARIETTA, Ohio - After a season-ending 19-16 victory over rival Muskingum in 2003, the Pioneers are anxious to pick up where they left off - and they will do so on a new artificial surface at Don Drumm Field. The addition of FieldTurf highlights phase one of the Fields Project, which also includes renovations to the track, as well as a second phase consisting of a new softball and soccer field across the street from the football complex.

Senior co-captain Mike Valiante needs 31 catches to become the Pioneers' career reception leader

With 30 returning letterwinners, including 13 seniors, the 2004 squad is very experienced and has shown great improvement in strength and speed in the offseason. The coaches are eager to see the team?s hard work payoff this fall.

Steven Wagner and Anthony Banks, who combined to rush for 1,022 yards in 2003, will be returning to the backfield this season. Senior co-captain and four-year letterwinner Mike Valiante will once again be a threat for the Pioneers at wide receiver. The Pioneers will be without senior quarterback Justin Papania, who was forced to have surgery this offseason.

?I believe we will have an excellent and very competitive team this coming fall,? Valiante said. ?There is a renewed enthusiasm within the squad.?

Leading the Pioneer defensive secondary is senior All-OAC honoree Brett Munn. Munn was the top Pioneer defender last season (88 tackles) and will serve alongside Valiante as a co-captain in 2004. 

After making the transition from defensive back to linebacker last year, senior All-OAC selection Chris Sidick will also be a key defensive player for the Pioneers, along with senior safety Thadd Sharrett and sophomore outside linebacker Tony Huffman.

Here is a breakdown of the Pioneers by position:

QUARTERBACK: The loss of Papania opens the door for sophomore Jason Vrable to be the preseason favorite at QB this season. The sophomore saw action in six games in 2003 and finished 20-for-44 for 184 yards and three touchdowns. He is expected to be challenged by junior Brandon Pierce.

RUNNING BACK: Junior Steven Wagner and sophomore Anthony Banks will look to continue their success at tailback in 2004. Wagner, a two-year starter, led the ground attack with 167 carries for 683 yards and two touchdowns, while Banks gained 339 yards on 76 attempts as a freshman in 2003. Billy Tuttle is also expected to see time at running back this fall. Junior Darren Marks and sophomore Corey Jacobs will compete for time at fullback.

TIGHT END: Senior Adam Tate, as well as sophomores Bryan Adams, Sean Callahan-Dinish and John Bokat will all be competing for time at tight end. Each player gained valuable experience a year ago. Adams pulled in four catches for 28 yards and one score, while Callahan-Dinish and Bokat each had one reception in 2003.

WIDE RECEIVER: Senior co-captain Mike Valiante will lead a strong core of experienced receivers this fall. Valiante broke the Pioneers? single season reception record last year with 54 receptions for 420 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomores Jason Curry and Nic North will look to further develop as receivers after seeing extended playing time as freshmen. Curry made 22 catches for 288 yards and a team-high three scores. North caught seven passes for 101 yards and a touchdown last season.

OFFENSIVE LINE: The Pioneers return six linemen who showed constant improvement throughout last season. Junior Joe Brennan and sophomore Lance Parrish will battle for the starting spot at center. Junior Eric Johnson and sophomore Gary Snyder return at guards, while junior Dennis Paul and sophomore Mitchell Koch will look to anchor the line at tackles.

DEFENSIVE LINE: Look for an athletic bunch to patrol the defensive side of the trenches in 2004. Senior Darren Lott makes a transition from tight end and is expected to use his speed and leadership to anchor the line this fall. A host of underclassmen will join Lott, as four juniors and three sophomores will look to play a larger roll up front this season. Juniors Jason Price, Chris McMahon, Justin Pauley and Eric Finn will each be asked to make large contributions, while sophomores Pete Hashman, Jeff Mast and Pete Giliberti continue to develop as both run stoppers and pass rushers.

LINEBACKER: Linebacker may be the deepest position for the Pioneers this season as they return both outside starters and experienced men up the middle. Sophomore Tony Huffman made an immediate impact in 2003, collecting 58 tackles, including 11 for a loss and seven sacks, while Junior Eric Workman added 47 tackles as a starter a year ago. Look for senior Nick Roberts and juniors Matt Fuller and Tim Reilly to compete for playing time at outside linebacker. Four seniors will supply speed and depth up the middle for MC in 2004. Honorable Mention all-conference honoree Chris Sidick (80 tackles) has a year of experience at linebacker after moving from defensive back early last season. Fellow seniors Nate Brownrigg (23 tackles), Lowell Warden (five tackles) and Seth Noland (three tackles) are all expected to compete for playing time, while juniors Jessie Ansell and James Taylor will provide depth.

DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD: Brett Munn will lead an experienced secondary. Munn led the squad with 88 tackles last season, while fellow senior Thadd Sharrett was close behind with 75 stops. Seniors Dan Galati (seven tackles) and Brett Schmidt (one tackle) both know the system and will be looked upon to step up this season. Sophomores Lonnie Meyers (26 tackles) and J.J. Wheeler (23 tackles) will look to have huge impacts after gaining valuable experience as freshmen in 2003, Junior Erik Valiante (nine tackles) and sophomores Arden Renze and Scottie Nelson will also provide depth as they compete for time in the secondary.

Chris Sidick hopes to lead the Pioneers to a successful season

SPECIAL TEAMS: Marietta?s dynamic duo of Chris Sidick and Anthony Banks will once again look to play an integral role in the Pioneer?s starting field position as they return kicks in 2004. Sidick holds he single season (34) and career (82) record for kickoff returns, as well as the single season (684) and career (1,701) record for kickoff return yards at Marietta College. Jason Curry returns to punt and placekicker Bobby Lemasters rejoins the squad after a one-year hiatus.

SCHEDULE: Playing in the Ohio Athletic Conference is always a challenge for Pioneer football. Marietta will enjoy five home games during the 2004 season. ?The OAC is the toughest conference in the nation for Division III football,? Coach Todd Glaser said. ?We look forward to competing in it.? The Pioneers kick off the season at the newly renovated Don Drumm Field against Dubuque (Iowa) on Sept. 4. Marietta defeated the Spartans 40-7 in Iowa last season. This game will be Community Day, with the first 1,000 fans through the gate receiving a free T-shirt, commemorating the first game at the new field. ?We look forward to hosting Dubuque on the new field,? said Glaser. ?It should be a good tune-up for our OAC competition.? After a second week bye, Heidelberg (Sept. 18) will travel to Marietta for Alumni Weekend. On Sept. 18, Marietta will conduct the formal dedication of the new Don Drumm Field. The Pioneers will then take to the road for two weeks to battle John Carroll (Sept. 25) and Otterbein (Oct. 2). The Pioneers return home for Homecoming against Capital (Oct. 9), before two more road games against Mount Union (Oct. 16) and Muskingum (Oct. 23). MC will host Wilmington (Oct. 30) and Baldwin-Wallace (Nov. 6) before closing out the regular season on the road against Ohio Northern (Nov. 13).