Despite losing some star players this year to graduation, the Dartmouth football team has little reason to be concerned. With a strong core of freshmen and sophomores and another great recruiting class, hopes are high that the team will bring the Ivy League Championship back to Hanover next fall.
Several players will be severely missed, but fortunately the holes that will be created are evenly spreadacross positions. On the defensive side, the team is losing both its captains, inside linebacker Josh Bloom '95 and outside linebacker Hunter Buckner '95. Other defensive holes will be created with the graduation of linebacker Ben Murphy '95, strong safety Chris Boran '95 and defensive back Brian White '95, who will be trying his hand next year in the NFL with the New England Patriots.
Offensively, the areas hit hardest by graduation will be the line and the wide receiver position. Specifically, the team loses offensive linemen Ben Barber '95 and Gerry Murphy '95. At the wide receiver position, it will miss Andre Grant '95 and David Shearer '95.
"The losses are not concentrated in any one position so we hope to fill open spots quite easily," said co-Captain Taran Lent '96.
Several injuries last year allowed many younger players to see varsity action, and this experience means these players will now be competing for starting positions. Players and Head Coach John Lyons are looking to the '98 class specifically to step up and fill the holes. Lent considers them to be "the hardest working and most athletic class I've seen since my time at Dartmouth."
As co-Captain Pete Oberle '96 put it, "Although we are losing some great players, there are a number of younger players who have a little experience, plenty of energy and a lot of talent."
Early indication is that the Class of 1999 will be as strong as the '98s. Much of the recruiting has focused on linemen, especially defensive.
One of the top recruits is Preston Love from Oklahoma City, Okla. A 6'3", 255 pound lineman, Lyons describes him as a "very good player" and hopes that Love will help fill a hole on the defensive line.
Another talented linebacker expected to fill a hole is Jon Gibbs from Agoura Hills, Cal. At 6'2", 230 pounds, Lyons said he is "an outstanding linebacker."
On the offensive side, the team will look to 6'6", 265 pound John Fowler from Silver Spring, Md., an offensive tackle.
Although recruiting focused on linemen, many talented athletes will be competing at all positions. One of the top recruits is Adam Young from Concord, N.H., whose brother Oglesby Young '96 currently plays for the team. A 6'5", 220-pound tight end, Lyons describes him as "a very good athlete" that has excelled in both football and basketball.
Dylan Karczewski, a 6'0", 180-pound running back from East Grand Rapids, Mich., is described by Lyons as "a heavily recruited athlete who has lots of talent."
Brad Verber from Arlington Heights, Ill., at 6'1", 175, will be competing at the cornerback positions.
Finally, the team looks to gain depth in the quarterback position with the addition of Matt Margulies, 6'3", 220 pounds, from Hewlett, NY.
The quarterback situation looks better for the team this spring, as the three returners are almost fully recovered from a slew of injuries last season.
Ren Riley '96, who had broken his arm in the middle of last season, has healed enough to be playing in spring practices, although he has seen limited contact.
Jerry Singleton '96, who also missed part of the fall with a broken wrist, has fully recovered. The third-string quarterback, Jon Aljancic '97, has also fully recovered from an ankle injury.
As no one player has secured the starting position, all three will compete for that opportunity. Each will see equal action in spring practice, and Lyons will see how they compare. In any case, things can only improve, as injuries in the quarterback position plagued the team last year.
With the proven talent of the younger players as well a good recruiting class, the team expects to be very competitive this year.
Oberle pointed out that although some people may consider Dartmouth an underdog going into next season, the players themselves are confident that they can win the title back.
"With some teams not expecting much from us we hope to take them by surprise, but we won't hesitate to prove we don't deserve to be considered an underdog either."
If spring practice is any indication, Dartmouth will not be considered an underdog for long.
"If the opening of spring practice is any indication, we will be an extremely physical team," Lend said. "The last two days of practice have been as intense as any I have seen here at Dartmouth ... Look to see good things from us."
