Mount Union is not likely to stumble once again
The small-college version of a solar eclipse occurred last season when Mount Union did not win at least a share of the Ohio Athletic Conference football championship for the first time since 1991.
The Raiders also failed to get to the Division III national championship game.
“Last year was something different, not getting to the Stagg Bowl,” senior receiver Braeden Friss said. “Everyone knows what the goal is and their purpose on this team. We’re excited to get going.”
None of the teams in the conference is expecting a repeat of John Carroll or anyone else supplanting the Raiders a second straight season with the team returning 52 lettermen and 14 starters.
John Carroll won the OAC title and advanced to the national semifinals, but coach Tom Arth left to become coach at TennesseeChattanooga. The new man is Rick Finotti, a Michigan assistant the previous two seasons. He led Lakewood St. Edward to high school state titles in 2010 and ’14.
“He’s a great guy,” running back Ro Golphin said if Finotti. “I know our coaching staff (last season) preached about being a man of character, and he’s a man of character.”
The Blue Streaks return sophomore quarterback Anthony Moeglin and AllAmericans in linebacker Mason McKenrick and defensive lineman Ray Brown.
Ohio Northern was picked to finish third. Coach Dean Paul thought the Polar Bears could have been in the conversation last season.
“It was one of those seasons of near misses that we hoped we learned from,” he said. “We lost three games when we had the lead in the fourth quarter, and two leads were by double digits. That kept us from being an 8-2 team.”
In the North Coast Athletic Conference, Wittenberg is the favorite to win a second straight championship and 15th in all. Quarterback Jake Kennedy (2,388 yards, 19 touchdowns), running back DeShawn Sarley and defensive lineman Chandler Ferko of Jonathan Alder return.
Wabash was chosen to finish second and up-and-coming Denison third. The Big Red returns quarterback Canaan Gebele to a team that finished 8-2 for its best season since 1986.