Looking to Bull Ahead in ‘09

Some starters lost, some return, some potential, some development needed

Delhi enters the 2009 season coming off a great run that got interrupted by a strong Groton team. Delhi enjoyed a 4 game winning streak that saw the Bulldogs outscore the opposition 162-36, but then was defeated in a tough Section IV Class D Semifinal game, falling to Groton 33-14.

Delhi returns leading rusher and tackler Jack Fletcher, who last year tallied 1001 yards and 14 TD’s as a sophomore. Rich Ennist provides the Bulldogs with a great 2^nd choice at fullback. Also in the backfield is JJ Darling, who got considerable playing time last season as the 2^nd tailback after Davionne Price. Anthony Salerno, who began last year as the starting QB, but then moved to WR, takes over for the graduated Luke Burns. Tyler McAteer takes over the WR spot with Salerno’s move to QB.

Delhi’s offensive line did lose 3 inside starters to graduation (Chris Skovira, Shawn Dacey, and Jacob Mason), but does return several players with at least some starting experience. Seniors Nick Shaw and Kurt Beall both spent some time as starting guards last season. 295 lb. senior Marty Cole, a sectional wrestling and shotput champion, returns for his 4^th season as a starting tackle. Cole has the distinction of having competed at the state level in all 3 or his sports (he was the starting left tackle in 2006 when Delhi won the Section IV Class D title). At the other tackle will be junior Mike Thomas, and the center position will be manned by 270 lb. junior Will Effner, who was a part time defensive line starter as a freshman before missing most of his sophomore campaign with an injury. Delhi has mostly worked out of 2 TE sets the past couple years, and both of last year’s starters return, with junior Jacob Haynes and senior Zach Newkerk lining up. Both have very nice size and athletic ability, and are very capable blockers and receivers.

Much like the offense, the defense suffered the loss of several quality players while at the same time there is also significant quality that returns. With Fletcher at inside LB, Cole at NT, and Ennist at DE, the inside of Delhi’s defense looks very solid. Skovira will be missed at the other DE, which is being taken over by junior Jacob Sackett. Seniors Shawn Neumann and Newkerk return to the OLB positions, providing solid toughness and tackling ability. Thomas takes over for Ian Walker-Sperber at the other inside LB spot. The defensive backfield suffered significant losses with Price’s excellent coverage on the corner and Burns’s abilities at safety. Seniors Chris Payne and Garrett Ellis, who both spent some time playing the CB spot last year, will be the 2 guys on the outside, while junior Kevin O’Connell takes over the safety spot. JJ Darling returns to the other safety position.

As usual, Delhi will look to take control of the line of scrimmage, and with the 2 fullbacks and a fairly well experienced tailback, Delhi will be trying to pound away on offense. As the schedule moves on and gets tougher, Delhi will need to have a developed passing game to support any kind of run in the playoffs.

The defensive side of the ball will look similarly, as the 3 D-linemen and the 2 inside LB’s are of significant size and physicality, meaning Delhi has a great shot at controlling this most fundamental part of the game. The new members of the secondary will be challenged by some teams, and again, development of this aspect of the game will be one key to how far Delhi’s run is able to last.

Delhi competes in Division VII of Section IV, with Seton, Harpursville, Hancock, Deposit, Oxford, and Bainbridge-Guilford. The top 2 finishers of this division will make the Section IV Class D playoffs.