Football begins quest to repeat

Penn hosts Lafayette in opener On a wintry afternoon in late November, the goal post fell. It was a frenzied scene, with fans jumping onto a slick crossbar trying desperately, and eventually successfully, to bring it down. The procession of fans, security guards and well-wishers sauntered onto 33rd Street and came upon the Schuylkill River, thus heaving the white posts into its murky waters. And as the shining posts began to slowly sink, one could sense the season, a memorable year of records and individual achievement, would become etched into Penn football history. That was the final image from Penn football '93. Now, as a new season dawns in 1994, the past year provides little consolation. Gone is quarterback Jim McGeehan, who threw himself into the record books as the top passer in Penn history last season. Gone are defensive stars Andy Berlin, Dave Betten and Jim Magallanes. But returning to uphold the undefeated season and defend the Ivy title are junior receiver Miles Macik, senior running back Terrance Stokes, as well as senior linebacker Pat Goodwillie. Tomorrow, when Penn hosts Lafayette for its season opener at Franklin Field (1 p.m., WXPN-FM 88.5), these players and more will be called upon to defend the Ivy championship, preserve the undefeated season and try to spell doom for another set of Franklin Field goal posts. "It's nice to have an opener at home," Macik said. "There is nothing quite like running onto Franklin Field, I'll tell you that. It's quite a feeling." The last time Penn faced Lafayette (0-1) was back in 1991 during the Gary Steele era, and the 2-8 Quakers lost to the Leopards at Franklin Field, 20-12. Some two years later, much has changed in the Penn football program. Penn head coach Al Bagnoli and his staff have reversed the direction of the program. After an inaugural 7-3 campaign, Bagnoli won Division I-AA Coach of the Year last season after an unblemished season. This year, the team is playing with confidence, knowing it fields a stifling defense and prolific offense. "We want our players to be confident, but not complacent," Bagnoli said. "You need to have that fine balancing act where they are confident, but not so good that they do not have to show up." Offensively, the Quakers will start sophomore Mark DeRosa at quarterback, with an experienced Stokes and Macik as the other major offensive threats. But for DeRosa, taking his first snap shortly after one o'clock Saturday may be a nerve-wracking situation. "It seems as if every night the school books go away faster and the playbook comes out," DeRosa said. "The nerves are flying and I don't think I'm going to sleep well this week, but I guess that's expected." Despite youth at quarterback, don't look for Penn to change much offensively. The coaches have confidence in DeRosa's abilities, but look for the play calling to take some pressure off of the inexperienced DeRosa. "Initially, we'll take the pressure off the quarterback position and maybe put it on the receivers, running backs and line, but that does not mean that we'll get conservative," offensive coordinator Chuck Priore said. "You may see some situational differences, but you want to do things to win the game." The Quakers this week are facing a Lafayette team that lost its opener to East Stroudsburg, 31-14. However, the Leopards remain the preseason favorites to win the Patriot League title, a title they last won in 1992. Last season, Lafayette finished 5-4-2 and second in the league. One reason Lafayette is so highly touted is because it fields Erik Marsh, who ran for more than 1,400 yards last season. Marsh was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year for two consecutive years, and holds nearly every rushing record at the school. "We're holding our breath that this kid does not singlehandedly do us in," Bagnoli said. "I think he is every bit as talented as Elias, and he has good size and excellent speed." The last time Marsh faced the Quakers, he was a sophomore. He rushed for only 36 yards on 14 carries. Last season, Marsh seemed to have problems against Ivy defenses, running for a season-low 43 yards against Princeton and 79 yards against Harvard. The Leopards also have players at other skill positions, particularly in the defensive secondary. "It will be a good challenge for us to open up with," Macik said. "They have some good talent in the secondary, and they might have the best skill positions of any team we'll see all year." The Quakers try to extend an 11-game winning streak with youth at quarterback, and inexperience at wide receiver. "I think we'll have an exciting season, particularly with being thrown into the fire real early and young," DeRosa said. "The team is back and ready to go." And so are the goal posts.