Football Notebook: Rich Granata's tenure ends at one year

The junior running back says the only definite thing is that he won't be at Penn next season. Hello Michigan, goodbye Pennsylvania. Those happen to be the sentiments of junior running back Rich Granata, who, as of two weeks ago, appeared would be the top candidate to replace the graduating Jasen Scott as the Quakers' feature back next season. But yesterday, Penn coach Al Bagnoli commented that the chances of Granata, who carried the ball 47 times for 265 yards, returning are slim at best. "Right now, it doesn't look like Rick will be back next season," Bagnoli said. "Most of his friends and family are back in Michigan, where he is from, and there is a good chance he will go back home." While Bagnoli seemed at a loss for why Granata is leaving, the junior transfer from Eastern Michigan put it bluntly. "The way this year went for me on the football field, I just lost my love for the game," Granata said. "I do not want to leave on a bad note. This team is a great bunch of guys, and I wish them all the best of luck." As for next year, Granata only knows one thing. "I am not sure what my future holds right now," he said. "I just know that there is no chance I will be back here next season." That leaves Jason McGee, who Bagnoli described as "very talented," waiting in the wings. However, in his two years playing varsity football, McGee has had little chance to prove himself, carrying just nine times for 78 yards. With Granata gone, the rest of the backfield is a mystery. Sophomores James Finn and Bruce Rossignol, who were converted to defensive backs last summer, might return to their natural position at tailback, according to Bagnoli. Freshman Melvin Alexander will also fight for carries as a sophomore. · Aside from Penn's backfield, it looks as though Bagnoli will again find himself administering another spring ball competition to determine the Quakers' starting quarterback. "I don't think anyone is a clear-cut favorite," Bagnoli said. "We are going to look at all four, and it really is up for grabs right now." What that means is that neither junior Tom MacLeod nor freshman Brian Russell, who both saw starting time this past fall, have convinced Bagnoli that they deserve to be Penn's No. 1 signal caller next season. Fighting it out with MacLeod and Russell for snaps will be sophomore Damian Swank and freshman Brandon Carson. Bagnoli added that he would really like to see MacLeod, Russell and Swank hit the weights this off-season to improve their arm strength and overall conditioning. No matter which Quaker is selected as the opening day starter, he will have a solid corps of returning receivers to throw to. Juniors John James and Alec Dafferner will return, and Brian Bonanno plans to come back for a fifth season. · Bagnoli has spent much of his spare time congratulating several of his players on their post-season awards. One week ago, the all-Ivy teams were announced. Making the first team from Penn were Scott on offense and guard Mitch Marrow on defense. Scott was one of two running backs on the first team, joining Bushnell Cup winner Chad Levitt of Cornell. Scott amassed 1,262 yards, second only to Levitt. His 290 carries broke Terrance Stokes's Penn single-season record. Marrow, with his 16.5 sacks and 60 tackles, was a shoo-in at the defensive lineman position. "I am still waiting for the results of the All-American awards, which come out in a month, but I was thrilled to be unanimously named to the all-Ivy first team," Marrow said. Toward the end of this season Marrow had been pondering the thought of not returning for next season. But this past week, the fourth-year junior from Harrison, N.Y., decided to come back for his final year of eligibility. "My family had talked to a lot of scouts for different NFL teams in recent weeks, and we decided that it was in my best interest to stay on for a fifth season," Marrow said. "I want to put myself in the best possible position to play in the NFL." · On the flip side of the ball, offensive lineman Mark Fleischhauer received an award from Burger King for his athletic and academic performances. The award is only given out to 100 players across the U.S., and it was a surprise to Fleischauer. "I remembered [Penn Director of Athletic Communications] Shaun May asking me earlier in the year about my grades," Fleischhauer said. "But I didn't think anything of it, so I was pretty shocked when I found out that I won." The senior from Clemmons, N.C., went from being a walk-on as sophomore to "being a part of our successful running game this past season," according to Bagnoli. Fleischhauer played his last game two weeks ago and is set to move to New York next year for a job working on Wall Street. "The thing I will probably miss the most was the camaraderie," Fleischhauer said. "It was great to be with 100 guys working to achieve the same goal." · Penn offensive lineman Matt Julien, safety John Bishop and linebacker Darren MacDonald were named second-team all-Ivy. Wide receiver Mark Fabish, offensive tackle Sears Wright, nose guard Chris Osentowski and defensive guard Tom Foley all received honorable-mention all-Ivy recognition. · On Monday, Penn elected Bishop the team captain for next season. Marrow, who has played with the fourth-year junior from Barryville, Ark., for the past two seasons applauded the new captain. "Bishop was definitely a good choice," Marrow said. "He is a real hard worker, and he has good leadership skills."