By Tyler Fennell
Staff Writer
Football season is upon us. Fans are finishing up their fantasy drafts, getting their predictions in and planning watch parties.
With the NFL season on the horizon, so is the NCAA. Students of the College get to look forward to Saturday games at Lions Stadium to watch the College’s football team compete for the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) championship.
Last season, the College finished with a 6-4 overall record. The season started strong with a 6-1 record going into November. However, with a late season collapse, losing their last three games saw them finishing fifth in the NJAC with a 3-4 conference record.
The College’s biggest weakness last season was the passing game. While opponents averaged 176.1 passing yards per game, the College only averaged 74.1 passing yards per game. They made up for this lack of passing offense in the run game.
While opponents averaged 107.3 rushing yards per game, the College averaged 207.7 rushing yards per game. This forced opposing defenses to play a physical and exhausting style trying to stop the rush, worrying less about receiver coverage.
A major component of the Lion’s rush attack was junior Jordan Morrell. Morell tallied 520 yards on 108 carries, racking up a total of four touchdowns. Against Wilkes University last year, he burst onto the scene with 126 yards and a touchdown. With 15 players not returning, including the Lions leading rusher, Morrell is set to guide the team behind the ball.
Other notable Lions returners include All-NJAC selections senior Tyler Addonisio and junior Albert D’Alessandro III. The team had 10 selections last season, yet only these two will return.
With any new season, there is an opportunity to switch things up. The quarterback role is open for taking, with a seasoned veteran and freshman rookie battling out for the position. It appears as though the veteran is winning the race so far, with transfer senior Raymend Lao entering the college after leaving Wagner University. Unfortunately, Lao did not tally any snaps at Wagner.
The rookie is not giving up without a fight though. Freshman quarterback Cole Aquino in his final year at Washington Township High School posted 1,546 yards passing with 23 touchdowns, leading them to a 14-0 record. It will be interesting to see if the Lions hand him the reins to the team or give the transfer a shot in a young Lions offense.
The games are played for a reason. We can try to predict how a season will go as much as we want, but none of that matters. On Sept. 5, the College will prove to its students what kind of team this is when they open their season against Lycoming.
