SEASON OUTLOOK: Veteran Tigers Hope To Break Through In 2013

With three NCAC championships in the last four years and with more than 42 letterwinners slated to return in 2013, Head Coach Joe Fincham leads a Wittenberg football program with plenty of momentum. That doesn’t mean the task-master will be satisfied with much less than a return to the NCAA Division III glory that has eluded the Tigers for 38 years.

Forty years ago, Wittenberg won the first-ever NCAA Division III national championship, and two years later the Tigers repeated the feat. Since then, Wittenberg has won plenty of conference titles and maintained its position as one of the top small college programs in the nation, but the climb to very top of the mountain has proven elusive.

In 2013, Fincham welcomes one of his largest senior classes ever back to the sidelines as more than 30 student-athletes prepare for their final collegiate campaign. Many of the seniors will play key roles for the Tigers, starting with the man calling the signals on offense, quarterback Reed Florence (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern).

Florence has seen his workload increase in each of his first three collegiate seasons, culminating in one of the finest quarterback performances in program history in a 52-38 come-from-behind NCAA Division III Tournament victory at Heidelberg in 2012. He finished the year with 2,819 passing yards and 485 rushing yards in 2012 while accounting for 35 touchdowns (28 passing, 7 rushing) en route to second-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) honors.

The protection figures to be very good again for Florence, as four of the five starters are set to return on the offensive line. Leading the charge are All-NCAC tackles Matt Widemon (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) and Aaron Coeling (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville), a preseason All-America choice by at least one national publication. In addition to keeping Florence upright, the veteran line hopes to clear space for a host of playmakers out of the backfield, led by NCAC Newcomer of the Year Jimmy Dehnke (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson), who piled up 827 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns as a freshman. He will be backed by senior JaVanh Sanders (Las Vegas, Nev./Centennial), junior Will Stocker (Cincinnati, Ohio/Turpin) and sophomore Sean Gary (Indianapolis, Ind./Decatur Central), all of whom figure to get some touches on the ball in 2013.

A solid ground attack figures to complement the passing game well. Florence’s favorite target figures to once again be senior Brendon Cunningham (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont), who returns after catching 61 passes in 2012. Also returning are senior Desi Kirkman (Lima, Ohio/Central Catholic), a record-setting return man who also caught 46 passes a year ago, and another five players who caught at least seven passes in 2012, including All-NCAC senior tight end Stephen Zumdick (Erlanger, Ky./Dixie Heights).

On the other side of the ball, the strength of the defense is a veteran corps of linebackers, led by senior Spencer Leno (Massillon, Ohio/Massillon), who led the Tigers in tackles last year. He will be flanked by senior Evan Killilea (Columbus, Ohio/DeSales) and junior Nick Gibson (Marysville, Ohio/Marysville), who pulls double-duty as the Tigers’ punter. Senior Kyle Sanning (Fairborn, Ohio/Tecumseh) will move from his linebacker spot to defensive end in 2013, opposite another converted linebacker in junior Jake Kelly (Springfield, Ohio/Kenton Ridge).

Sanning and Kelly will join a pair of potentially dominating defensive tackles in sophomore Josh Bannick (Enon, Ohio/Greenon) and senior Josh Montgomery (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg) to form the starting defensive line. Fincham expects to be able to rotate no fewer than eight players on the line in 2013.

Rounding out the defense is a veteran backfield, highlighted by a pair of senior safeties in Heath Eby (Medina, Ohio/Cloverleaf) and all-conference honoree Mark Swope (Fairborn, Ohio/Fairborn). On the corners, the starting nods will go to senior Victor Banjo (Sugarland, Texas/Stephen F. Austin) and sophomore Ryan Myers (Palm Harbor, Fla./University).

2013 At A Glance

Letterwinners Returning: 42
22 offense – Jimmy Dehnke, Zac Wilson, JaVanh Sanders, Will Stocker, Reed Florence, Noah Johanson, Sean Gary, Pat Barton, Mike Waring, Tyler Compston, Aaron Coeling, Matt Widemon, Alec Nutting, Tyson Agler, Adam Klever, Brendon Cunningham, Jonathan Stoner, Desi Kirkman, Stephen Zumdick, Armon Murray, Jace Humphreys, Clay Mangen
19 defense – Victor Banjo, Dan Baker, Heath Eby, Gabe Cunningham, DeVonta Anderson, Ryan Myers, Jake Kelly, Mark Swope, Nick Gibson, Kyle Sanning, Spencer Leno, Evan Killilea, William Norelia, Wes Thompson, Caden Leichty, Erick Collins, Josh Bannick, Josh Montgomery, Max Dehnke
1 special teams – Evan Grissom 

Letterwinners Lost: 21
9 offense – Ian McNeill, Jeremy Althouse, Brian Ringholz, Ethan Sharpin, Brady Vaught, Onel LaBeach, Garth Gilbert, Andrew Stylski, AJ Owen
11 defense – Jamaal Everett, Shad Thebaud, Ryan Smith, Deyshon Hill, Karlos Marshall, Chris Stone, Raphael Allen, Jon Daniels, Ray Watters, Justin Bartlett, Dalen Wess
1 special teams – Sean Williams 

Starters Returning: 16
9 offense – TE Stephen Zumdick, OL Aaron Coeling, OL Adam Klever, OL Matt Widemon, RB Jimmy Dehnke, QB Reed Florence, WR Brendon Cunningham, WR Desi Kirkman, OL Tyler Compston
6 defense – DB Heath Eby, DB Mark Swope, LB Spencer Leno, LB Evan Killilea, LB Kyle Sanning, DL Josh Montgomery
1 special teams – P Nick Gibson

Starters Lost: 8
2 offense – OL AJ Owen, WR Garth Gilbert
5 defense – DB Jamaal Everett, DB Karlos Marshall, DL Cory Cosby, DL Jon Daniels, DL Justin Bartlett
1 special teams – K Sean Williams