Penn is well-'positioned' for Ivy title

The strength of the 1998 edition of the Quakers is at the running back and linebacker positions. Penn Offense Quarterback If this year is better than last year for senior quarterback Matt Rader, then a lot of points could end up on the board. "He has a comfort level he didn't have last year," Penn football coach Al Bagnoli said. "He's worked very hard in the offseason, he's in better shape and I think he's a bit more agile." As a result, Rader has practiced running the ball quite a bit in addition to passing, according to Bagnoli. Quarterback draws and sneaks will not be a new part of the offense. Rader carried the ball 61 times last year, and scored three touchdowns. The potential on offense, however, is the passing game. Rader threw for 1,832 yards during the 1997 campaign, tying Mark DeRosa's 1994 season for the fifth best passing season in Penn history. The record is 2,197 yards set in 1993 by Jimmy McGeehan. The number two spot at quarterback is up for grabs among sophomores. Jason Battung came into the preseason as a leading candidate. Challenging him are North Carolina transfer Reed Werner and Miami transfer Edward Mebs. · Running Backs Starting tailback and senior co-captain Jim Finn averaged 5.2 yards per carry and and scored 11 touchdowns in 1997. With 10 games he could put up huge numbers. "For Jim Finn, I think we have all the confidence based on last year that he can continue to run well and balance out the defense," Bagnoli said. Finn senses that he will be a focus of many opposing coaches' game plans. "I'm planning to take a lot of hits, maybe 30 a game," Finn said. "Last season, sometimes I was kept in check. But as the game progressed I wore them down and they weren't coming in that aggressively on me and I was able to break more tackles." At blocking back, junior Brian Cosmello is expected to be a key contributor on offense. Backing up Finn at running back is senior Jason McGee, who wound up out of the lineup after getting hurt early last season. · Offensive Line Someone will have to make the holes for Finn and provide protection for Rader. These tasks belong to an offensive line corp that cannot afford injuries. Left tackle Jason Lebron risks missing action from a third-degree knee sprain acquired from a scrimmage against Millersville (Pa.) on Labor Day weekend. In addition, center Carmelo Rubano began practicing this month following back disc problems. Lebron and Rubano are the two most experienced linemen and are needed to guide the younger guards and tackles. "Our concern is inexperience, because you don't know what's going to happen in the first early games," Bagnoli said. "The whistle blows, and you don't know how they will react. But once they get comfortable, they'll be okay." · Tight Ends After seeing playing time as a rookie in 1997, sophomore tight end Ben Zagorski will be another option for Rader. In addition to game experience, Zagorski has made the big improvements sometimes seen in players heading into their sophomore year. Bagnoli expects improvement from Zagorski, as well as juniors Brandon Clay and Clint Burhorn. "I think we have to get some more touches out of that group," Bagnoli said. "I think that's part of the master plan." The key to the tight end game may be if Zagorski can stay healthy. He has been unable to practice the last couple weeks due to back problems. · Wide Receivers This year could be a gold mine for Penn's wideouts. Sophomore Doug O'Neill averaged 13.4 yards last season as a surprise mode of attack against unsuspecting defenses. This year he will be more closely marked, but better prepared to handle the role of starting wideout. Also in line for a possible breakout year are sophomore David Rogers and junior Brandon Carson. Rogers averaged about 12.5 yards and is one of the most athletic players on the team. Carson switched to wide receiver from quarterback and could be successful if he remains healthy. Penn Defense Linebackers The linebacking corps remain strong, led by First-Team All-Ivy linebacker Darren MacDonald. Junior linebacker Jim Hisgen will team up with MacDonald after seeing significant playing time last year. Joseph Yiu will back Hisgen up, and sophomore George Khouri is the fourth linebacker after handling special teams duties last season. · Defensive Line Pressure on the opposing quarterback and ground game from this unit could mean trouble for the rest of the league despite losing current NFLer and all-time Penn sack leader Mitch Marrow. Solid Ivy League experience exists with junior Adrian Puzio and seniors Jason Maehr, Larry Rascoe and Dave Townsend. Also in the mix for a starting spot is sophomore Mike Germino, who brings his 10 starts at the now defunct Boston University football team to the Quakers. · Defensive End Penn returns three players who saw much of the action last year. Senior Justin Gallagher returns after starting the first half of 1997 before getting hurt with a knee injury. Also back is junior Qurran Rogers and sophomore Brian Person. Sophomore Kevin Martin is "one of the youngsters moving up," according to Bagnoli. Junior Patrick Altman also will compete for playing time despite not playing last year. · Secondary The effect of inexperience as a group will be a determining variable in this last line of defense, where the margin of error is always slim. Strong leadership is expected out of Penn co-captain Joe Piela, who faces the tough task of filling the gap left by defensive back and All-Ivy first-teamer John Bishop. "Piela represents the one person that we see with 10 games starting at corner, making plays and standing the test of time," Bagnoli said. Junior defensive back Hasani White returns to compete for one of the two safety positions after getting hurt in the season opener last year. Returning to the defense and also vying for the job is senior Bruce Rossignol, who played running back last year and is two years removed from his last experience in the secondary. · Penn Special Teams The punting situation is definitely not set in stone. The possibility of using Rader as a punter on a more regular basis this season remains a somewhat fathomable possibility. "If we're not comfortable with the other two kids, he'd punt more or less," Bagnoli said. The kicker's job is also up for grabs between sophomore Jason Feinberg and senior Kendall Hochman. Kickoff and punt returners are more predictable. Safeties Rossignol and Piela ran back kickoffs last year and will assume that duty again this season. Wide receiver Brandon Carson and running back Jason McGee are two of the other players available for returning kicks.