By Bryan Bloodworth
BLOOMINGTON – Illinois Wesleyan’s football team is looking to add to its winning tradition this year and has the firepower to get the job done.
The Titans return 37 lettermen from last year’s 7-3 team, including 19 players who have started at various times in their careers the last two years. IWU will be shooting for their eighth College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin title during his 30th season.
PODCAST: Listen to Coach Norm Eash talk about the offense here.
Wesleyan returns nine starters on offense, including all-CCIW running back senior Maurice Shoemaker-Gilmore. He’ll be joined in the backfield by two-year starter junior Jack Warner at quarterback and senior co-captain Austin Harrell at running back.
PODCAST: Listen to Coach Norm Eash talk about the defense here.
The receiving corps will be led by senior returning starter Dom Comfort and part-time starters Adam Muellers and Austin Wagner at wide receivers with returning seniors Quincy Butler and Tom Zale at tight end.
Four starters return on the offensive line and they are all juniors. Two-year starter Connor Melvin anchors the line and be joined by Nick Monferdini, Mike Mulcrone and Chris Collins. Vying for the other starting tackle spot are junior James Burnell along with sophomores Carsten Anderson, Jack Moroni and Kyle Cook.
Defensively, the Titans will be led by all-conference performers in linebacker Sean Garvey and lineman Kyle VenHuizen. Garvey, a senior co-captain, is a two-time all-league player, while VenHuizen returns after sitting out last season with an injury.
Garvey, the team’s most valuable player last year, will be joined at linebacker by senior co-captain Luke Roth and senior Tyler Fahey and junior Josh Akin. The defensive line will be deep in experience and talent as VenHuizen will be in the company of seniors Jamal Jackson, John Shipman and Donny Nordstrom and junior Justin Kreczkowski.
The secondary was hit hardest by graduation with junior Briton Wilkey, a starter since his freshman season, as the lone returning starter. He will be accompanied in the backfield by junior part-time starters Eric Liester and Matt Campbell.
Senior Reese Sobol, who switched from running back to defensive back, will likely be at a cornerback along with junior Kieran Swain and sophomore Trevor Staley.
The Titans must replace both their place-kicker and punter. Potential kickers are junior Anthony Sciarini and freshman Patrick Tata. The candidates at punter are senior Andrew Iwaszkiewicz and freshman Noah Baird.
IWU opens the season Saturday at 1 p.m. with a home game against Monterrey Tech of Mexico, the third ranked team in its country.
Bryan Bloodworth can be reached at [email protected]
