Football | 8/30/2018 11:30:00 AM

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The wait is over.  The St. John Fisher College football team, which is receiving votes in the latest D3football.com national poll, is set to begin the 2018 season at 1 p.m. on Saturday as the Cardinals host No. 15 Washington & Jefferson in a non-conference bout at Growney Stadium.

Fisher, which will begin its 48th season, returns nearly 80 student-athletes from last season including several starters and a majority of its defense.
 
Sound like an expert and learn more about Saturday's matchup by checking out the first edition of the 2018 Football Game Notes by clicking here.

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SERIES HISTORY: Saturday will mark just the fourth time these two programs have clashed on the gridiron.  Last season, in a battle of two top-25 teams, the Presidents came out on top after outscoring the Cardinals 14-0 in the fourth quarter to earn a 37-27 win.  Prior to that, Fisher had won both meetings having toppled Washington and Jefferson in 2012 and 2013.
 
AGE IS JUST A NUMBER: The 2018 season marks the 48th year in Fisher football's illustrious history.  The team, which began as a club team in 1971 under Frank Petrus, has come a long way over the last five decades as the Cardinals are routinely in the national spotlight.  With five NCAA appearances under its belt, Fisher football has amassed 271 wins in its history and has reached the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division III Football Championship four times including an appearance in the Final Four in 2006.   
 
NATIONAL RECOGNITION: Despite missing the postseason in 2017 for the first time in 16 years, the Cardinals were among those receiving votes in the initial D3football.com national poll.  Mount Union, which claimed its 13th national championship in 2017, stands atop the national poll while Mary-Hardin Baylor, St. Thomas, UW-Oshkosh and Linfield round out the top five.
 
BRING EM BACK: Often times experience can be the difference maker.  With nearly 80 returners set to wear the Cardinal and White again this season, Fisher will boast one of the more experienced rosters in the Empire 8.  Take it a step further and the Cardinals will bring back nearly all of last year's defense including All-Conference defensive back Demarre Nelson who led the conference with 13 passes defended (five interceptions, eight deflections).  William Riechert, a Second-Team All-Empire 8 linebacker last year, is also back for another year after forcing two fumbles and compiling 37 total tackles with 2.5 going for a loss.  Brennan Thompson, Christopher Biryla, who missed all of last season with an injury, Michael Chase, Evan Majewski who led the team with 95 tackles, and Tony Silvanic are each expected to see significant time.  Defensive Coordinator Chris Keyes '10 will run a talented defensive line led by LeMar Peters, Leyton Miner and Terry White - all of whom are capable of getting into the backfield.

NUMBER 3 IS NUMBER 1: Fisher football fans will see a new face at the quarterback position as Jake Thompson is set to take the snaps on Saturday.  Thompson has looked sharp in the preseason and has the ability to stretch the field with a strong and accurate arm.  The Johnson City native, who stands at 6'4, transfered to Fisher from Division I Albany after a standout high school career.  
 
LET'S AIR IT OUT: So we know Fisher will be able to throw the ball, but who is on the other end of the throw is equally important and head coach Paul Vosburgh will once again have a talented group of receivers to call on.  Junior Dylan Harrington, who led the team with 40 receptions and 498 yards will provide speed on the outside as evidenced by a 67-yard touchdown reception against Cortland last year.  Joining Harrington is Will Blake who provided 251 yards and two touchdowns on 17 catches.  Wyatt Stehle (15 receptions/135 yards/1 TD) is back at tight end as is Reide Metzger who missed the 2017 season.  Fisher will also feature Pat Galer and Cam Cleveland, both of whom are quick and can create mismatches.
 
YOU'RE GROUNDED: A staple of any Vosburgh team and Kramer offense over the years has been a strong, power-based running game.  Some of the most talented backs to play not only in the Region, but in Division III have worn Fisher's colors.  Last season, Fisher relied heavily on First-Team All-Conference selection James Chambers, but he's not walking through the door in 2018, nor are his nearly 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns.  Despite that, Fisher will still be formidable at running back with Ryan Ingerson, Johnathan Letta and Malachi Duvall set to carry the load.  Letta, who played quarterback in 2017, produced over 200 yards on the ground in 73 attempts while Ingerson carried the ball 48 times and had 176 yards on the ground.
 
SCOUTING WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON: The Presidents are coming off of their third NCAA appearance in the last five years, however, head coach Mike Sirianni's squad had some turnover with much of its production on both sides of the ball graduating.  The team had a prodigious offense in 2017 that produced over 460 yards per game on average, however, heading into 2018, Washington and Jefferson will have to replace a majority of the weapons that made that possible including its quarterback, All-American wide receiver and a pair of experienced linemen.  The team still boasts a lot of talent though, highlighted by its running game with Jordan West and EJ Thompson back for another season.  West led the team with 715 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns while Thompson contributed 551 yards and four TDs out of the backfield.  At the quarterback position, Jacob Adams will make the calls as the junior split time last year where he threw for 1,081 yards, seven touchdowns and one pick over eight games.  Adams will have several options to throw to with Jake Cullen (27 receptions/226 yards), Brandon Barnes (50 receptions/497 yards) and Braydon Toy (20 receptions/259 yards) lining up at receiver.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, W&J graduated eight of its top 10 tacklers from a season ago after the Presidents held their opposition to under 19 points per game on average in 2017.  Gone are All-American defensive back O'Shea Anderson and top pass rusher Tom Marra.  Nick Murgo, who accounted for 92 tackles and three forced fumbles has graduated.  Set to return are Zach Royba (56 tackles), Zac Quattrone (46 tackles) and Zack Queen (32 tackles), however, a majority of the team's defense has not seen significant time on the field.  
 
HALL OF FAME NEWS: St. John Fisher College is set to induct seven new members into its Athletics Hall of Fame later this fall including Brennan Fortune '08 who played a significant role in helping to build the team in to what it is today.  Fortune could be considered not only one of the greatest offensive lineman to have played at Fisher, but one of the best in Division III history.  A three-time All-American (one preseason), Fortune was named to the All-Decade Team by D3football.com.  During his four seasons, Fisher amassed 41 wins including three berths in the NCAA Division III Championship.  In 2006, the Cardinals vied for a national championship and reached the semifinals for the first time in team history.  With Fortune on the line, the running game exploded for the Cardinals' offense as he helped block for Mark Robinson who is currently in our hall of fame.  He is a three-time All-Conference honoree.  Joining Fortune in this year's class are Jenna Waldron '10 (women's volleyball), Dave Wood '09 (men's lacrosse), Dan Jurik '10 (baseball), Rev. Albert Gallmon '74 (men's basketball), Nicole Lanieu '02 (softball) and Patrick Tobin '62 (Honorary).

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