Ohio Wesleyan University | Battling Bishop Athletics

2009 Season Preview

The Battling Bishops return 7 starters on defense, and will look to a retooled offense to improve upon its 2008 performance.

“Our defensive unit will be a strength, based on experience and skill level,” Hollway said.

Ohio Wesleyan led the North Coast Athletic Conference in pass defense last season, and the Bishops return one of the league’s top backfields in senior free safety Rylan Mitter-Burke (Marlborough, Mass./Marlboro), senior strong safety Daniel DeLay (Pine, Colo./Conifer), and sophomore cornerback Eli Cowan (Galena/Columbus DeSales).

Mitter-Burke led the Bishops with 4 interceptions and 7 pass breakups and ranked second on the team with 70 tackles on the way to first-team all-conference laurels in 2008.

DeLay added 49 tackles and Cowan made 55 stops, picked off 3 passes, and broke up 6 more passes a year ago.

Also returning is sophomore safety Kyle Karczynski (Caledonia, Ontario/McKinnon Park).

[ Britan Tolliver ] Senior end Britan Tolliver (Croton/Johnstown Northridge) and junior nose guard Taylor Smith (Marengo/Highland) will anchor the Bishop line.

Tolliver, an honorable mention All-NCAC pick last year, led the conference with 7 solo sacks and added a team-high 11 tackles for loss in 2008.

Smith, back for his third year as a starter, ranked third among Bishop linemen with 43 tackles last season, and further disrupted opposing offenses with an interception and 2 pass breakups.

Senior end Mike Browning (East Islip, N.Y.) is a 2-year starter, and sophomore John Warrell (Lakewood) saw significant playing time in 2008. Junior tackle Charlie Young (Concord/Gilmour Academy) also returns.

Junior Pete Merkle (Loveland) returns for his second season as a starter at one outside linebacker spot. Merkle ranked fifth on the team with 53 stops, including 3½ for loss, last year.

Senior Sam Bixler (Denver, Colo./South) moves to middle linebacker, and junior Chad Murawski (Chesterland/West Geauga) looks to take the other outside position.

Hollway and the Bishops will look to that defense to build a foundation for the team in 2009. “We will rely heavily on them to keep us in the game while we discover who our go-to players on offense are and the best way to utilize their potential. Field position will be absolutely crucial, and while we have good front-line players, there is a lack of depth on both offensive and defensive lines.”

[ Steve Brown ] Offensively, the Bishops look to shift gears — both figuratively and literally — this season. With the loss of a pair of physical running backs to graduation, Hollway and the Bishops will seek to emphasize speed in 2009.

“The emergence of more speed at the running back positions dictates a change in our offensive approach,” Hollway said. “We hope to improve our big-play potential.”

Senior Steve Brown (Redford Township, Mich./Redford) and sophomore Raymon Beach (Landover, MD/Crossland) return in the backfield.

Brown ranked third on the team in rushing and was the Bishops’ leading receiver last year. A qualifier for the NCAA Division III track & field championships in 2009, he adds a dimension of speed to the halfback spot.

Beach, a halfback who showed flashes of brilliance last season, ranked fourth on the team in rushing. Senior fullback Erik Maul (Darien, Conn./Trinity Catholic), junior fullback Mickey Gies (West Palm Beach, Fla./Seminole Ridge), and sophomore fullback Chris Marshall (Georgetown/Mason County (Ky.)) also return.

Senior tackles David Ward (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Kiski School) and Matt Staveskie (Vermilion/Firelands) will serve as bookends of an experienced and talented line.

“They have been in the program for 3 years and have a clear understanding of our expectations,” Hollway said.

Junior Jimmy Willison (Reynoldsburg) returns for his third season as a starter at center. Sophomore Frank Vitale (Chagrin Falls/Cleveland St. Ignatius) is back at the left guard spot, and sophomores Chad Williams (Sunbury/Big Walnut) and Dave Stewart (Zanesville) will be at right guard. Sophomore tackles Alex Bailey (Sterling, Va./Heritage) and Kollin Tossey (Marion/Pleasant) also return.

[ Danny Flanegan ] The tight end spot again will be a threat, with junior Danny Flanegan (Mansfield/Ontario) and sophomore Pat Embleton (Chesterland/Gilmour Academy) returning.

Flanegan led the Bishops in touchdown receptions last season. Both members of Ohio Wesleyan’s tight end tandem can get downfield as well — the team’s 2 longest passing plays in 2008 featured Flanegan on the receiving end of one and Embleton on the other.

“Tight end will be a strength,” Hollway said. “Both players have exceptional hands.”

Sophomore Keegan Varner (Westerville/Central), who started a handful of games last season, returns at quarterback. Varner completed over 50 percent of his passes and led the Bishops in touchdown strikes in 2008.

Junior Kent Crozier (Curtice/Cardinal Stritch) will line up at split end. “He had a great spring, and with a good fall camp will make an impact on game day,” Hollway said.

Also back at split end are junior Zack Kaminski (Pittsburgh, Pa./Sacred Heart) and sophomore Nick McVay (Lewis Center/Olentangy).

Sophomores Trey Stalnaker (Lithia Springs, Ga./Landmark Christian) and Nick Chilkov (Venice, Calif./New Roads) will vie for the placekicking spot. Senior John Romano (Hightstown, N.J./Peddie School), the holder the last 2 seasons, will take over the punting duties as well, and senior Adam Koorn (Columbus, Ind./East) takes over as the long snapper.

The Bishop schedule opens with non-conference opponent Carnegie Mellon. Ohio Wesleyan opens its NCAC schedule against 2008 runner-up Wooster before visiting 2007 runner-up Wittenberg. A home game against Oberlin follows before the Bishops travel to Kenyon. Ohio Wesleyan takes a midseason break from NCAC action by visiting 2008 NCAA playoff team Case Reserve, then hosting Washington (Mo.), before finishing league action with a visit to Hiram and home games against Earlham and Allegheny.