The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
JCU D-line buoyed by area grads
Mentor, NDCL products performing well up front for the Blue Streaks
When John Carroll’s 2019 football season ended, it meant the Blue Streaks needed to reload on the defensive line.
The position group has long been a staple for the Blue Streaks. It’s where their defense’s strength usually lies.
So when the likes of two-time All-America selection Conner Bogard of Benedictine, Tyler Frederick and Cal Reynolds used up their eligibility after JCU’s 9-1 season two years ago, the search began for their replacements.
Leaving especially big holes along the front were Bogard and Frederick, who were big, talented and mobile interior linemen who created havoc on the opposition.
“Not only where those guys so talented, they were so popular in the locker room,” said JCU coach Rick Finotti.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Long said he and Dline coach Trent Voss knew molding a new unit for the spring was a tall order, not because of the new players coming, but for what Bogard, Frederick and Reynolds meant to the program. “They were experienced and battle-tested,” said Long. “The three of them had played in every JCU football game since 2017. But the guys who were knocking on the door behind them the last few years have really come into their own.” The carryover player from 2019 was NDCL grad Harrison Richardson, who looks anything like a prototypical defense end at 5-foot-9, 220 pounds. Upon arriving at JCU, he was a running back but volunteered a position switch to get on the field sooner. He’s loved defense every since. “Being in there every play, doing the nitty gritty work, is awesome,” said Richardson. Ross Valenti is a 6-foot-3, 230-pound sophomore from Chicago who’s taken over for Reynolds, who had 10 sacks in 2019. On the inside is an interesting combo of Mentor graduates in Dan Garcar and Kyle Ulshafer. Together, they have filled in nicely for Bogard and Frederick. Garcar was in the D-line rotation in 2019, so his ascension as a spring starter was likely. Ulshafer’s back story played out a different way. Following graduation from Mentor after a senior season in which he made 62 tackles and six sacks, he was intent on attending and playing at Division II Ashland. A few weeks into summer workouts revealed to Ulshafer Ashland wasn’t the place for him, so he enrolled at Lakeland Community College. His football career, Ulshafer thought, might have been over. “After playing football for so long, it was kind of nice to take that year to relax and concentrate on academics,” he said. The time off came with a catch. His weight climbed to about 330 pounds. Meanwhile, his former teammates at Mentor — behind quarterback Tadas Tatarunas, now the backup to JCU starter Jake Floriea (also of Mentor) — were making a run to the 2017 Division I state championship game. “That’s when it hit me, watching that team,” said Ulshafer. “You realize the game’s bigger than you. I missed the camaraderie. I needed to get back.” Ulshafer had a connection at JCU with former assistant Joe Kasper, now on the staff with the Eagles. His transfer to the University Heights campus was set, but there was plenty of work ahead to become an effective football player. “I needed to drop about 40 pounds,” said Ulshafer. “It was tough because Finotti runs a tough camp. It reminded me of Mentor. It was hard, but it was awesome. By the end of our first practice, I was smiling.” Eventually, he dropped those 40 pounds, but his playing time was limited — until this spring. Ulshafer and the group have been impressive up front for the Blue Streaks in three March games. The breakdown after a 2-1 record: • Garcar (6-2, 260) has 15 tackles, 3.5 for loss, two QB hurries and a sack. “Carved his role early in his career and now is stepping up as one of the main guys in the rotation. His quickness and savvy hand usage are huge in his skill set,” said Long. • Richardson — an honorable mention All-Ohio Athletic Conference pick in 2019 — has made 12 stops with two tackles for loss. “He’s our blue-collar vet,” said Long. “Thrives on his effort and physicality. A selfless, throwback player who is the silent leader of the defense.” • Valenti has been in on 12 tackles, four for loss, with a fumble recovery. “A young man who took this quarantine and physically changed his body,” said Long. “Was always physical but now has the mass and explosion behind it.” • Ulshafer (6-2, 285) has eight tackles, two for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. “The potential has been through the roof since he stepped on campus,” said Long. “He’s now beginning to put it all together.” The early returns on the mostly new D-line were impactful in the spring opener. March 12 against crosstown rival Baldwin Wallace, Ulshafer (sack and forced fumble) and Valenti (fumble recovery) teamed up to make the defensiveclinching play on Yellow Jackets QB Keagan Armitage late in the fourth quarter with their team holding a 21-17 lead. The big turnover allowed the offense to score a TD late and sealed a 28-17 victory. “Our former defensive coordinator Coach (Joe) Schaefer used to say, ‘Don’t just be a guy, be a dude,’ “said Ulshafer. “I want to show I can be a dude. That play was culmination of our mentality on defense.” It should also leave no doubt the D-line tradition at JCU appears to be in good hands with Garcar and Co. with a crossover OAC game scheduled April 16 and into the fall season of 2021. “Maybe I do have a little chip, but in my heart I know we’re a really good group,” said Garcar. “The doubters just motivated me. This spring, the way Kyle and I and rest of D-line are playing, we’re showing people there’s not a dropoff on the defensive line.”