2008 Stonehill College Skyhawks
Season Outlook

Information Provided By Stonehill Sports Information

If year two of the Robert Talley era is anything like year one, then the fans who pack W.B. Mason Stadium from September to November will have a whole lot to cheer for.

After going nearly a decade without a winning record, Talley guided the upstart Skyhawks to 5-5 overall record - garnering as many wins as the previous two seasons combined.

Now, with a wealth of returning letterwinners and an influx of major talent, Stonehill looks poised to continue their climb towards the top of the Northeast-10.

QUARTERBACKS

Fully recovered from a season-ending injury in game one of his sophomore campaign, senior Cruz Parsons (Signal Hill, Calif.) returned to the Stonehill offense and provided an instant impact. More of the same will be expected in 2008 now that he is the lone returner with significant time under center.

Parsons bounce back campaign saw him throw for 1,198 yards and 11 touchdowns in what amounted to eight and a half games. That yardage total was the 10th best single season performance in school history and his career totals of 2,072 yards and 24 touchdowns are ranked fifth and fourth, respectively in the Stonehill record books.

Equally elusive on the run, Parsons finished third on the team in rushing and had the team’s longest run (46 yards) in the win over Assumption.

The arrival of three newcomers at the position bodes well for the future, as Timmy Morrison (Billerica, Mass.), Danny Sagan (Blairstown, N.J.) and Elliott Turek (Southington, Conn.) will all jockey for the backup position.

RUNNING BACKS

One area which truly excelled in 2007 was the ground game. Behind the thunder-and-lightning combination of Jeffery Payne (West Haven, Conn.) and Eddie Vachon (Newton, Mass.), the Skyhawks racked up nearly 1,400 yards on the ground with that duo providing much of the work.

Payne (672 yards, seven touchdowns) produces the power runs between the tackles and when given the opportunity displays his deceptive speed, while Vachon (563 yards, three touchdowns) is quick to the edge and has big play capability. When either of them get into a rhythm they can become explosive, evidenced by Payne’s two 150-plus yard performances and Vachon’s 140-yard display against St. Anselm.

Both backs are excellent receivers out of the backfield, as Payne finished third on the team in receptions (19) a season ago and Vachon caught 12 passes, including a 28-yard score in a win over St. Anselm. Payne’s additional exploits come in the return game, where he averaged 27 yards per kickoff return, an average buoyed by a game-clinching 74-yard touchdown return in the win at Merrimack.

Senior Bob Holland (North Andover, Mass.) returns to the fullback role, leading the way for Payne and Vachon. Holland, who didn’t carry the ball at all a season ago, was a valuable safety valve for either quarterback, hauling in 16 passes, which ranked fourth on the team.

RECEIVERS

An area that suffered a key loss was the receiving corps, which now must make its way without J.J. Niamkey and his seven receiving touchdowns from a season ago. The most experienced member of the group is junior David Pringle (West Haven, Conn.), who opened his Stonehill career scoring on a 44-yard play the first time he touched the ball in the 2007 season opener. He went on to finish first on the team in receptions (22), receiving yards (427) and second in touchdown grabs (4). He topped the 100-yard mark in a win over C.W. Post and recorded all of his touchdowns in the first five contests. With such an inexperienced receiving group returning, much more will be expected of him in 2008.

Senior Torrey Price (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.), saw action in all 10 contests at receiver and made three catches for 30 yards. However, his true impact is felt mostly in the return game, as he served as the primary punt returner, averaging 7.4 yards a return, good for sixth in the Conference.

Returning to the group after a season on defense is senior Chris Palmer (Santa Barbara, Calif.). As a sophomore, Palmer caught 20 passes and had a team-leading five scoring grabs, and will look to provide the group with experience and another deep threat to compliment Pringle.

Returning letterwinners Keith Shaffer (Dover, Mass.), Michael Pecca (Cohassett, Mass.) and Cory Wright (Hooksett, N.H.), as well as newcomers Patrick Dempsey (Peabody, Mass.), Justin Cerra (Wilmington, Mass.), Paul Ostrander (Hopkinton, Mass.) and Kyle Sheridan (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) will vie for the opportunity to play alongside Pringle and Price.

Tight ends Jeremy Roberts (Topsfield, Mass.) and Vinny Giambrocco (Leominster, Mass.) both appeared in eight games a season ago and combined for seven catches for 74 yards. Former signal caller Jon Kaloyanides (Cranston, R.I.) made the switch to the position over the summer and with his combination of size (6-2, 225) and offensive knowledge, could be a target for Parsons. Freshman Michael Vercollone (Duxbury, Mass.) and Chris Fragomeni (West Kingston, R.I.) along with junior Brendan Law (Hamden, Conn.) hope to impress enough to throw their names in the mix for playing time at the position as well.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Although the offensive line lost two senior starters in center Alex Thompson and left guard Andrew Warmington, the group returns four letterwinners who started at least five games a season ago and helped pave the way for the breakthrough seasons from its two featured running backs.

Junior Thomas Pfeifer (West Babylon, N.Y.), who started nine games at left tackle and senior Mike Tatten (Savoy, Mass.), who made eight starts at right guard and one at right tackle, are the most experienced. Meanwhile, senior Tom Bethoney (Hanover, Mass.) at some point last season made starts at left tackle, left guard and right tackle. Sophomore Branden Naraine (Windsor, Conn.) made seven starts at right tackle as a freshman and gained valuable game experience. Also seeing extended time in the trenches were juniors Brandon Joseph (Mattapan, Mass.) and Jay Norton (Beverly, Mass.).

Fresh faces JonLars Carlson (Andover, Mass.), Sam Gerwick (Longmeadow, Mass.), Chris Brown (Attleboro, Mass.), Michael Ridge (Scituate, Mass.), Kevin Broderick (Plymouth, Mass.) and the return of Matt Tarulli (Saddle Brook, N.J.) and Tom Carey (Weymouth, Mass.) all provide depth to the position.

While Talley’s arrival definitely provided a boost on the offensive side of the ball, it was clear that his impact on the defense was responsible for the program’s turnaround.

DEFENSIVE LINE

The defensive line is another area that returns numerous key contributors from a season ago. Senior Kevin Bonnett (Manchester, N.H.) and junior Andrew Lesko (Florence, Mass.) return to the fold after starting nine and eight games respectively. Bonnett had 17 tackles including two sacks and two fumble recoveries.

Lesko, meanwhile, had 34 stops and 2.5 quarterback takedowns, as both provide excellent upfield rushing capabilities on passing downs.

Junior Jonathan Penning (Leominster, Mass.) recorded 20 tackles and a forced fumble, while starting all 10 games as a sophomore. Teaming with senior Bryan Bigica (Hawthorne, N.J.), who made nine starts in 2007, the Skyhawks have over 600 pounds of run-stuffing girth up the middle.

In addition to the starters on the defensive line, two key letterwinners who had significant impact return. Senior George Whetstone (Westwood, Mass.), the team’s leading tackler in 2006 and sophomore Brenden Taylor (Stoughton, Mass.) provide starter-quality depth. Whetstone, who missed the first three games of the season, got stronger as the season went along and finished with 24 tackles, a forced fumble and a blocked kick. Taylor, equally efficicent at rushing the passer and stopping the run, turned in 20 tackles, including four for loss, also had an interception in his inaugural season.

LINEBACKERS

The linebacking corps features three players who started games in 2007, but only junior Clark Leger (Waltham, Mass.) started more than five. He wrapped up his sophomore campaign with 51 tackles, including five for loss, good for fourth on the squad.

Seniors Greg Sanzari (Centerport, N.Y.) and Michael Greene (Plainview, N.Y.) each made starts a season ago and each made an immediate impact. Sanzari averaged 12 tackles a game in his two starts, one of which was a 14-stop performance at Southern Conn. Greene started four games and finished fifth on the team in tackles (47). His nose for the ball is evident, having collected an interception versus Bentley, a forced fumble and fumble recovery against Southern Conn.

Junior James Moniz (Groton, Mass.) and sophomore Nick Vardaro (Woburn, Mass.) as well as incoming student-athletes Joshua Lesse (Portland, Conn.), Jordan Smith (Northfield, N.H.), Allen Hodgdon (Medway, Mass.) Cameron Marston (Gloucester, Mass.) and Jacob Boganski (Meriden, Conn.) will all look to fill in when needed.

SECONDARY

Without question, the strength of the defense and quite possibly the entire team is the secondary. Three starters return, as well as their 10 interceptions.

Senior Jared Zanello (Walpole, Mass.) returns to quarterback the group from his cornerback spot. As a junior he was named a Northeast-10 All-Star after finishing second in the Conference in pass breakups and interceptions. The team’s leading returning tackler for 2008, Zanello has appeared in all 30 games of his collegiate career.

Jeff Cuqua (Walpole, Mass.) provides unquestioned leadership in the back four, having started nine games a season ago. From his safety spot, he finished with 53 tackles and an interception and even performed admirably well handling the kickoffs when needed.

Former wideout turned defensive back, Jon Kilborn (Dartmouth, Mass.), made the switch from offense to defense and excelled in his first season on the other side of the ball. The former wideout stuffed the stat sheet, notching 40 tackles, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Palmer, who will still see action on defense, had 37 tackles and an interception in nine games last year. He also provides excellent special teams play, having blocked two kicks a season ago.

Along with the returning starters, the Skyhawks have depth at all secondary positions with the return of sophomores Steven Good (Marshfield, Mass.), Anthony Tomasz (Hopkinton, Mass.), juniors Kyle Griffin (Walpole, Mass.), Dennis Cassidy (Methuen, Mass.), senior Ryan Murphy (Mattapoisett, Mass.) and several incoming freshmen including Dorian Johnson (Sharpsburg, Ga.), Devin Johnson (Sharpsburg, Ga.), Michael Bennett (Brookline, Mass.) and Matthew Ianucci (Oakland, N.J.).

KICKING SPECIALISTS

Junior Brendan Gorey (Southington, Conn.) is the only kicker listed on the roster but has very little game experience. In his limited action, however, Gorey did kick an extra point in the win over St. Anselm a season ago. Freshman Chris Rooney (Quincy, Mass.) has seen action handling the punting duties in the preseason camp and could emerge as the team’s punter.