BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University football team under the direction of sixth-year head coach Jim Hilvert returns 12 starters and 55 returning letterwinners to continue its quest for an Ohio Athletic Conference title and NCAA Division III playoff appearance.
QUARTERBACKS
Senior Reese Wamer (Oregon/Clay) returns as the lone signal caller. Wamer had a breakout season in 2021 as he completed 11-of-21 passes for 69 yards and one touchdown. He also carried the ball for 309 yards on 46 carries with one touchdown. Junior transfer Joey Marousek (North Royalton), junior Ben Hughes (Ellwood, Pa./Riverside) and sophomore Niko Pappas (Avon) will push Wamer for the starting spot.
RUNNING BACKS
The rushing attack will serve as the focal point of the offense as senior All-OAC running back Jon Murray, Jr. (Cincinnati/Withrow) and senior DJ Griffus (Euclid/Lake Catholic) return as the feature backs. Murray, Jr., who is the school's all-time leading rusher with 2,715 yards, comes back for his final season after rushing for a career-high 1,111 yards on 214 carries with 17 touchdowns. Griffus in his first season in Berea rushed for 301 yards on 47 carries with four touchdowns. Senior Gino Fornaro (Chesterland/West Geauga) and juniors Jack Foley (Grove City/Columbus Bishop Hartley) and Rocco DelVerme (Uniontown, Pa./Central Catholic) will look to spell Murray, Jr. and Griffus.
TIGHT ENDS
The tight end position will feature a new look this season as senior Max Lambert (Chesterfield, Mich./Anchor Bay), juniors Nik Logel (Ellicottville, N.Y./Central) and Jonah Schrock (Howell, Mich.) and a host of newcomers will get their shot to take over the starting roll.
WIDE RECEIVERS
The receiving corps brings back a group of talented players that have seen action in various roles over the last seasons. Seniors Elijah Arnett (Akron/Woodridge) and Jake Novak (Oregon/Clay), juniors Vinny Lomeo (East Amherst, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) and Jake Nanosky (Medina) and sophomores Caden Bomback (Vermilion/Firelands) and Mikel Love (Fort Pierce, Fla./Westwood) all look to play a big part in the aerial assault.
OFFENSIVE LINE
The offensive line unit will have a new look in 2002 as senior Academic All-OAC tackle George Newcomb (West Seneca, N.Y.) returns as the lone starter. Seniors Billy Blanc (Lehigh Acres, Fla./Gateway Charter) and Jimmy Vargas (Palmetto Bay, Fla./Immaculata La Salle) and juniors Dante Castagna (Beaver, Pa./Beaver Area) and Academic All-OAC selection Nate Samblanet (Columbus/Dublin Scioto) all saw action a season ago and look to jump into the starting slots while a host of underclassmen will push for those openings as well.
DEFENSIVE LINE
The defensive line will have four new starters but five players that all saw considerable time in 2021. Anchoring the group will be seniors Frank Soukup (Painesville/Riverside) and Devon Slocum (Cincinnati/Elder), junior Jordan Smith (Painesville/Riverside) and sophomores RJ Pegues, Jr. (Youngstown/Ursuline), Bryce Sanders (North Ridgeville/Midview) and Kadyn Viancourt (Avon Lake)
LINEBACKERS
The linebacking unit returns two starters and two of the top tacklers from the last season sophomore in senior Mason Levasseur (Panama City, Fla./South Walton) and junior Dillon O'Donoghue (Canonsburg, Pa./Cannon-McMillian). Levasseur was second on the team with 64 tackles and O'Donoghue was third with 55 stops. Juniors Vontae Jackson (Cleveland/John Hay) and Tyler Tobin (London) and sophomores Jonathon Dixon (Riverview, Fla./Bloomingdale) and Zach Zoul (Strongsville) provide experience and depth in the middle.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
The secondary will once again be an exciting group to watch with a lot of speed and experience returning. Headlining the returners are the senior laden group of Jake Hill (Wesley Chapel, Fla./Wiregrass Ranch), All-OAC and Academic All-OAC corner Anthony Kendall (Port Richey, Fla./River Ridge) and All-OAC corner Robbie Williamson (Columbus/Beechcroft) and sophomores Brandon Searight (Cleveland Heights) and Alden Steele (Lorain/Amherst).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Senior All-OAC placekicker Dean Sarris (Canton/GlenOak) will handle the kicking duties for the fourth straight season. Sarris has converted 83-of-86 extra points and 15-of-24 field goals in his career. Lambert and Wamer return as the short snapper and holder. Junior Dylan Kooyman (Painesville/Chardon) returns to handle the punting duties.
RETURN GAME
The return game will have a new look but still returns three players with the ability to change the game in one return. Love and Williamson will take on kickoffs while Hill and Love will handle punt returns.
THE SCHEDULE
For the fifth straight season, BW will not have their bye week in the first two weeks of the season but instead will take a Saturday off during week six.
The 2022 fall season also features the Yellow Jackets playing on the road for the first three weeks. BW opens the campaign with its lone non-conference game on Saturday, September 3 against Mount St. Joseph University. What would have been the normal bye week in week two, the Yellow Jackets will remain on the road when it plays Wilmington College in the OAC opener on September 10. BW ends its season opening road trip on September 17 when it takes on crosstown rival John Carroll University in the 34th Battle for the Cuyahoga County Gold Bowl Trophy.
The Yellow Jackets close out September action and return to the friendly confines of The George Finnie Stadium with its home opener on September 24 against Ohio Northern University on Parents' and Family Day.
As the season rolls into October, BW returns to the road for its only night contest of the season when plays an OAC game at Marietta College on October 1. After a week off, the Yellow Jackets return home for back-to-back OAC contests against Muskingum College on October 15 and Otterbein University on October 22. The October 15 game against Muskingum is the Hall of Fame and the 44th Lee Tressel Shrine Classic game. The October 22 game is the Community and Family Day and Homecoming game. The second month of the season closes out with an OAC road game against Capital University on October 29.
As the calendar flips into November, BW hits road for the final time on November 5 for an OAC game against Heidelberg University. The regular season comes to an end on November 12 when the Yellow Jackets host an OAC game against defending OAC Champion University of Mount Union on Seniors' Day.
