POUGHKEPSIE, NY - The Marist football team begins its 51st season on Saturday, when the Red Foxes travel to Bucknell. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
Geoff Brault (play-by-play) and Ed Weir (color) will have the call on Rock 93.3 FM beginning at 5:45. Free audio will also be available through the Red Fox Network and iHeartRadio.
Here is a closer look at the Red Foxes heading into this season:
SEASON PREVIEW
After a tough beginning to the 2014 season, the Marist football team ended on a high note, with wins in four of its last six games. The Red Foxes finished tied for fourth in the Pioneer Football League at 4-4, and won their last three home games of the season.
This year, Marist returns six starters offensively, and five defensively. The Red Foxes bring back a total of 43 letterwinners from last season.
Marist will once again face a challenging schedule. The Red Foxes will face traditional non-conference foes Bucknell (road, Sept. 5), Georgetown (road, Sept. 12) and Sacred Heart (home, Sept. 19) before opening PFL play against Jacksonville on Sept. 26 on Alumni Weekend.
Marist will then play three consecutive road games against San Diego (Oct. 3), Campbell (Oct. 10) and Davidson (Oct. 24). The Red Foxes will finish the regular season with three out of four games at home. Marist will host Butler on Oct. 31, host Stetson on Nov. 7, travel to Dayton on Nov. 14, and close out the season with Senior Day against Morehead State on Nov. 21.
The Red Foxes will have four captains this season: fifth-year senior free safety Zach Adler, senior defensive end John Brennan, fifth-year senior center Mike Mangino and senior cornerback Zachary Quarles.
Here is a closer look at the 2015 Red Foxes, by position.
OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK
Position Coach – Jim Parady
Senior Ed Achziger and junior Anthony Francis split time in 2014. Achziger started the first four games before Francis took over for the next six. The Red Foxes were 3-3 in these games before Achziger earned his first career win as a starter in the season finale against Davidson. Achziger will enter 2015 as the starter. Sophomores Brad Westmark and Michael White did not see any playing time last season, but both have strong potential. White enters this season second on the depth chart.
RUNNING BACK
Position Coach – Nate Fields
Following the graduation of Atiq Lucas, three returning backs are in line for increased roles. Garrett Clay, who saw considerable action as a third-down back last season, is coming off a strong spring. Marcellus Calhoun was one of the Red Foxes' top backs last season, and Leon Cummings has showed great playmaking potential on special teams. Freshman Dymond Wright will also compete for snaps.
WIDE RECEIVER
Position Coach – Marc Bourque
Marist lost two starters from last year in Armani Martin (the program's all-time leader in touchdown receptions) and Joe Tralli, but returns a blend of experience and youth. Fifth-year senior Matt Tralli enters this season 27 receptions shy of the program's all-time record. Junior Joe Jordan and sophomore Lawrence Dickens may be in line for increased roles. Several returners will be in the mix for playing time, including fifth-year senior Josh Royce, fifth-year senior Conor Zoch, senior Dylan Clay, sophomore Daniel Bruns, sophomore Christian Keenan and sophomore Malik Simmons. Marist welcomes seven freshmen this season – Juston Christian, Lorenzo Cotrone, Jon Kanda, Matt Millea, Anthony Olivencia, Jordan Saunders and Isaiah Watson.
TIGHT END
Position Coach – David Diomede
Senior Derek Gardner moved into a starting position last season, which he will look to re-claim this year. Jonathan Boozer, who enters his junior year, has also seen game action. Junior Nick Wynne, sophomore Bryan Bradshaw, freshman Melvin Forkpa, freshman Kyle Hamrick and freshman Louis Iovine will compete for snaps.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Position Coach – Jake Dembow
Fifth-year senior Mike Mangino, the Red Foxes' lone captain on the offensive side of the ball, figures to anchor the offensive line from the center position. Mangino has started every game for Marist over the past three seasons. The Red Foxes also return starters Seamus Ryan (left tackle) and Sean Foley (right guard) from last season. Marist will also welcome back a pair of seniors who are working their way back from injury in tackle Dan Rice and guard Ryan Schneider. Sophomore Joe Fraccaroli made the travel squad last season, and will be in the mix for a starting job. Senior James Murphy, junior Rich Duncan-Murphy, sophomore Hunter Keith and sophomore Ryan Walsh will also compete for playing time. Marist welcomes seven freshmen this season: Donte Botts, Marcos Hilera, Aaron Jackson, Brandon Rawlins, Andrew Sutton and Henry Yoboue.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Position Coach – Bemi Otulaja
This figures to be one of the strongest areas on the team. Marist returns all three starters in ends Demetrius Williams and John Brennan, along with tackle Nicholas Foster. Williams emerged last season and was a First Team All-PFL selection, while Foster was named Second Team All-PFL. Brennan is a captain, and fellow senior Landon Moore has made big plays off the bench the last two seasons. Senior Rich Van Cleft, junior Dan Njoku and sophomore Quinn McGinley all saw game action last year. Sophomores Enmanuel Soriano and Eric Taylor, along with freshmen Patrick Crowe, Peter Delatour and Eddie Zinn, will compete for playing time.
LINEBACKER
Position Coach – Scott Rumsey
Assistant – Kevin Stark
Marist has lost all three starters from a year ago in four-year starter Paul Sakowski, two-year starter Mike Kagafas and two-year starter Hugh Kirwan. Fifth-year senior Miguel Sandoval has seen plenty of action in a reserve role. Senior Jesse Mainiero joins the group after converting from safety. Senior Joe Nilan, junior Ruben Avalos, junior Jimmy Braun and sophomore Willie Barrett all have game experience. Sophomore Connor Kamczyc looks to rebound after missing his freshman season due to injury. The Red Foxes have four freshmen at the position: Eli Guzman, Antonio Hroncich, Mike Sanchez and Blaise Spinelli.
CORNERBACK
Position Coach – Larry Riley
Senior Zachary Quarles is a captain who has been named Honorable Mention All-PFL each of the last two seasons. Junior Cameron Gibson has seen significant playing time the last two seasons. Senior Spencer Jackson and sophomore Brandon Miller will compete for playing time. Two freshmen join the Red Foxes at this position: Drew Daniel and Josh Taylor.
SAFETY
Position Coach – Clarence Johnson
Fifth-year free safety Zach Adler, a captain, led the FCS in interceptions per game last season. An FCS All-American, Adler enters this season three interceptions away from tying the school record and six away from tying the PFL record. The Red Foxes lost a pair of starters in Connor Mathias and Matthew Semelsberger, but return plenty of players with game experience, including red-shirt senior Alex Spiess, red-shirt senior Terahn Watson, senior Michael Marston and junior Kwame Darko. Junior Carter Odenweller joins the group after seeing action at cornerback the last two seasons. Senior Andre Nettles, junior Michael Corcione, sophomore Wesley Beans and sophomore Jordyn Jean-Felix will battle for playing time, with Jean-Felix earning a spot on the opening week two-deep. Marist welcomes freshmen Devin Cividni, Andrew McElroy, Jake Taparausky and Troy Thompson.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Coordinator – Marc Bourque
Kickers Coach – Tom Kelly
Mike Maccarone handled all of Marist's place-kicking, punting and kickoff duties in 2014. Junior Brett Blank, sophomore Joseph Giglio and sophomore Ryan Spaulding will compete for playing time. Sophomore long snappers Christopher Apicella and Nicholas Mecca each saw action as freshmen last season, and will vie for time this season.
