Posted: Aug 06, 2014
Complete OAC Coaches and Media Polls (.pdf)
CANTON, Ohio -- The Baldwin Wallace University football team was picked to finish fifth by both the Ohio Athletic Conference Coaches and the OAC Media at the Annual OAC Media Day Football Preview at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Museum. BW finished 6-4 in 2013.
"We appreciate the confidence in our football program and in our student-athletes by both the OAC Coaches and OAC Media," said 13th-year Yellow Jacket Head Coach John Snell, who enters the 2014 season with a career record of 77-45. "Ultimately, we will be judged by how our student-athletes conduct themselves both in the classroom and perform on the football field."
"Our goals at BW never change," said Snell. "Each year we set out to win championships. Our first goal is to win the prestigious Ohio Athletic Conference title. Our feeling is that if we can win the OAC title, we have what it takes to win the NCAA Division III national title."
Leading the way for the Yellow Jackets will be the return of 25 lettermen and 11 fulltime starters, including six on defense.
Offensively, five starters are back. Senior Academic All-OAC quarterbacks Michael Slack (Casselberry, Fla./ Pine Castle Christian) and Kyle Ohradzansky (Avon/Canton McKinley) are back along with junior Tyler Moeglin (Canton/St. Thomas Aquinas) to lead the offense. All three started at QB at one time or another last season and combined for 1,164 passing yards and nine touchdowns and ran for 674 more yards and eight TDs. Slack is expected to move to wide receiver this fall. In addition, senior running back Nolan Sordyl (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) and junior Issac Reed III (Lehigh Acres, Fla. Lehigh) are back after combining for 1,014 yards and nine TDs. On the line, junior tackle Sean Hemlick (Uniontown) is the lone returning starter, but three others also have started at times.
Defensively, BW returns six starters. On the line, senior All-OAC end Luke Riemenschneider (Rocky River) will be joined by starting Academic All-OAC tackles in senior Addison Carbone (Hudson) and junior Lawrence Wolfe (Creston/Norwayne). Riemenschneider led all linemen last year with 63 tackles, including 11.5 for loss and 5.5 QB sacks. He has a chance of joining his father, Dirk Riemenschneider ''88, and uncle, Chris Riemenschneider '86, as a Division III All-American. At linebacker, senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC outside backer Dan O'Brien (Warren/Howland) is joined by junior MLB Tyler Burdorff (Painesville/Riverside) to lead the linebacking core. O'Brien was second on the team with 68 tackles. Burdorff had 39 stops. In the secondary, senior cornerback Nelson Candelario (Cape Coral Fl./Island Coast) is the lone returning starter, but seniors Austin Cordova (Perry) and Kevin Krakora (Avon) also have experience as starters.
CANTON, Ohio -- The Baldwin Wallace University football team was picked to finish fifth by both the Ohio Athletic Conference Coaches and the OAC Media at the Annual OAC Media Day Football Preview at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Museum. BW finished 6-4 in 2013.
"We appreciate the confidence in our football program and in our student-athletes by both the OAC Coaches and OAC Media," said 13th-year Yellow Jacket Head Coach John Snell, who enters the 2014 season with a career record of 77-45. "Ultimately, we will be judged by how our student-athletes conduct themselves both in the classroom and perform on the football field."
"Our goals at BW never change," said Snell. "Each year we set out to win championships. Our first goal is to win the prestigious Ohio Athletic Conference title. Our feeling is that if we can win the OAC title, we have what it takes to win the NCAA Division III national title."
Leading the way for the Yellow Jackets will be the return of 25 lettermen and 11 fulltime starters, including six on defense.
Offensively, five starters are back. Senior Academic All-OAC quarterbacks Michael Slack (Casselberry, Fla./ Pine Castle Christian) and Kyle Ohradzansky (Avon/Canton McKinley) are back along with junior Tyler Moeglin (Canton/St. Thomas Aquinas) to lead the offense. All three started at QB at one time or another last season and combined for 1,164 passing yards and nine touchdowns and ran for 674 more yards and eight TDs. Slack is expected to move to wide receiver this fall. In addition, senior running back Nolan Sordyl (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) and junior Issac Reed III (Lehigh Acres, Fla. Lehigh) are back after combining for 1,014 yards and nine TDs. On the line, junior tackle Sean Hemlick (Uniontown) is the lone returning starter, but three others also have started at times.
Defensively, BW returns six starters. On the line, senior All-OAC end Luke Riemenschneider (Rocky River) will be joined by starting Academic All-OAC tackles in senior Addison Carbone (Hudson) and junior Lawrence Wolfe (Creston/Norwayne). Riemenschneider led all linemen last year with 63 tackles, including 11.5 for loss and 5.5 QB sacks. He has a chance of joining his father, Dirk Riemenschneider ''88, and uncle, Chris Riemenschneider '86, as a Division III All-American. At linebacker, senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC outside backer Dan O'Brien (Warren/Howland) is joined by junior MLB Tyler Burdorff (Painesville/Riverside) to lead the linebacking core. O'Brien was second on the team with 68 tackles. Burdorff had 39 stops. In the secondary, senior cornerback Nelson Candelario (Cape Coral Fl./Island Coast) is the lone returning starter, but seniors Austin Cordova (Perry) and Kevin Krakora (Avon) also have experience as starters.
The special teams are a concern as BW needs both a placekicker and punter and must replace two of the best kickoff return specialists in Division III.
BW opens its season on September 13 when it hosts Bluffton University on Family & Community Day at The George Finnie Stadium at 2 p.m.