‘ONLY CHAMPIONS WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS’
RPI Football comes into the 2019 season looking to defend their Liberty League crown with a target on its back
TROY, NY − Another year, another Liberty League Championship to defend.
“The expectations we had last season are the expectations we have coming into this season,” said Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Football Coach Ralph Isernia. “Wewant to play the best way we can play every single play, every single game, and if we do that, we’ve got a good chance to win.”
Defending back to back champions of the conference, the RPI Engineers are back at it for the 2019 season with the same quarterback, same coach, and same attitude: next man up.
“We want to play a lot of guys. Over the course of a ten game season, there are going to be some bumps and bruises, and in order to keep guys fresh and healthy over the season, you want to make sure you distribute the carries in the running game,” said Isernia. “We did graduate a number of talented receivers, running backs, and offensive lineman on the offensive side. We also graduated Jack Hoggard, who had over 100 tackles, the most tackles out of anyone for RPI since 1986.”
The Engineers welcome 50 new players. They return 11 starters and 33 letter winners, while losing 23 former letter winners. RPI brings back a total of 65 veterans.
“We’ve got a lot of new guys, we have a lot of freshman coming in this year,” said Isernia. “The leadership and direction that has been provided by the upperclassmen, and how they are bringing the new guys in and getting them into the fold and doing the right things, has been crucial.”
Last season for the RPI Football team can go down as a success. The Engineers finished 10-2, 4-1 in Liberty League competition, and claimed the Liberty league title for the second season in a row.
The title was shared with Ithaca again, the same as the 2017 season.
The 2018 season ended with RPI losing to Johns Hopkins 37-14 after upsetting the third ranked Brockport 21-13, in Brockport, in the NCAA tournament.
RPI made it to the ‘Elite 8’ of last season’s Division 3 College Football Playoff.
“The 2018 season is in the past. The teamthat played on the 2018 team, that was that team, we never talk in terms of what we did,” said Isernia. “This dynamicwe are in right nowis the 2019 team. There is a different dynamic, there is a different starting lineup. It’s a different chemistry about this group.”
This season, RPI is considered favorite to win the Liberty League championship. Isernia takes pride in the preseason ranks, but takes them with a grain of salt.
“Where were we ranked in 2013, my first year, 2013? We were last.There were some people who said, ‘Coach, you went 5-5 and we were surprised you won that many games.’” said Isernia. “It’s a sign of respect, it’s a sign of where we are with the program. I think it is more of the way our guys play. How hard they play, each and every snap — Thepolls are what they are, other people vote on the polls and a lot of that is based on last season.”
Offensively, George Marinopoulos returns for his junior season. The three year starter threw for over 2500 yards last season, for 17 touchdowns andnine interceptions. Marinopoulos had a 54 percent completion percentage over last season.
Marinopoulos is 15-3 in a season and a half of work as an Engineer.
“Coming out everyday and having fun and playing football everyday,” said Marinopoulos on the start of his junior season. “One of the big things we talk about is making yourself better everyday so we are just trying to take that next step.”
On the defensive side of the ball, John Sadek is now a captain, a cornerstone, and one of the best linebackers in the Liberty League.
Sadek finished with 92 tackles last season, seven tackles for a loss for a total of 25 yards, and five interceptions. All with a broken hand.
“John would tell you that we have 18-24 guys on defense that can make plays for us right now. He’s a big vocal component of that, helping us get the right checks,” said Isernia. “Talk about adversity, last year he breaks his hand very early on. He had more interceptions with one hand than he did with two last year.”
The weapons don’t stop just there for the Engineers either. Offensively, the wide out Nick Smith his poised for a break out year, RPI returns Rick Denboske and Thomas Olausen on the offensive line, and expect Joe Scaglione to take a ton of reps at running back this fall.
Defensively, Joey Gutkowski, Amaechi Konkwo, and Antonio Rogliano will all be weapons to help Sadek return to the Liberty League’s most dominant defense.
RPI is proving to be ready to battle and keep their crown, maybeget a fancy pair of shoes that eluded themlast season as well. Until them, Isernia reminds his guys of one fact:
“Only champions win championships.”