2011 Football Preview

Head Coach Rich Hulkow and the Olivet College football team is ready for the 2011 season to get started. In fact, he quickly turned his focus on 2011 on the day after the 2010 season ended. Hulkow had 30 letterwinners, including seven starters on each side of the ball, report to camp on Aug. 15. He is confident these starters can help inject some enthusiasm into the team this season.

OFFENSE

Juniors Jake Messner (Niles) and Tony Phillips (Lansing/Waverly) return to the quarterback position. Each saw playing time last year before suffering season-ending injuries. They combined to complete 42 passes for 561 yards and five touchdowns. Freshmen Daniel Bolster (Dundee) and Travis Sykes (Sterling Heights) add depth at quarterback.

Three of the top four running backs are back in 2011. Junior Edric Miller (Battle Creek/Central) topped the team in 2010 with 318 yards on 85 carries. Senior Mike Martin (Caledonia/Wayland Union) battled through an injury last year to rush for 245 yards. He needs only 97 yards to top 1,000 for his career at Olivet. Junior Jon Martin (Detroit/Mt. Clemens) had 109 rushing yards. Junior Jack Griggs (Brighton) has joined the team at the fullback position.

Senior James Williams (Battle Creek/Central) returns for his final season in a Comet uniform. A year ago, he led the receiving corps with 18 catches and 320 yards. Martin is also a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield. Other returning receivers are juniors Joe Camble (Lansing/Waverly) and Keegan Clark (Battle Creek/Pennfield), and sophomore Javier Smith (Niles). Freshman Jon Beach (Edmore/Central Montcalm) may also get an opportunity to play.

Senior Austin Khoshnegah (Pinckney) is expected to start at tight end. Junior Thomas Tobolic (Wayland/Wayland Union) is another tight end on the roster.

Olivet returns five offensive linemen who have seen playing time during their careers and are going to be asked to play there this year. They are seniors Casey Keyosky (Roseville) and Derek Svoboda (Brighton), and juniors Paul Goodwin (Wayland/Wayland Union), Joe Newhof (Caledonia/South Christian) and Justin Schafer (Portland).

DEFENSIVE

Senior Travis Farris (Hastings/Thornapple Kellogg) returns with the most experience on the defensive line. He started all 10 games last year and recorded 28 tackles and enters his senior season with 59. Seniors Ron Cadez (Allen Park/Melvindale) and Justin Wilcox (Harietta/Cadillac) are also going to play on the line.

Sophomores Cody Boughton (Marshall) and De'Marko Reed (Battle Creek/Central), senior Ryan Reurink (Wayland/Wayland Union) and junior Glenn VanNortwick (Wayland/Wayland Union) are returning linebackers. VanNortwick was fourth on the defense last year with 62 total tackles, including 13 for loss yardage. Reed had 35 total stops, which Boughton and Reurink each had 24. Also look for junior Dominic Harder (Columbia, S.C./Irmo) and senior Ross Sanders (Eastpointe/Parkway Christian) to get playing time.

Seniors Aaron Breneman (Pinckney) and Robby Jensen (Boyne City) are back to lead the secondary. Jensen finished the 2010 season with 71 tackles, which was second on the team. Breneman totaled 38 tackles. Senior Nick McCleary (Battle Creek/Harper Creek) started the 2010 season at quarterback but was then converted to a defensive back midway through the season. He intercepted one pass and recorded nine tackles.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Junior Blake Iobe (Marshall), who handled all of the kicking duties last year, is back. He averaged 47.1 yards per kickoff and 34.7 yards per punt, and made two field goals and 11-of-13 PAT kicks. Junior Daniel Bohannon (Grosse Pointe/Grosse Pointe North) also kicked off last year, and is going to get a chance this year.

SCHEDULE

Olivet will open the 2011 season Sept. 3 when it hosts Cornell College of Iowa. Game time at the Cutler Athletic Complex is 1 p.m. The Comets will travel to Chicago on three consecutive Saturdays. Olivet will play a night game (6 p.m. CT) at Elmhurst Sept. 10, followed by a mid-afternoon game (3 p.m. CT) Sept. 17 against North Central and then wrap-up the trip Sept. 24 with an early afternoon game (1 p.m. CT) against Wheaton. North Central and Wheaton are both ranked in the top 10 of the preseason D3football.com Top 25 poll.

The Comets then have a bye week before opening MIAA play Oct. 8 with a 6 p.m. game at Adrian. Olivet's next home game is not until Oct. 15 when it celebrates Homecoming and plays Kalamazoo at 2 p.m.