Hardly Secondary

The Penn secondary has a lot to contend with this season, as the group of seven seniors looks to support a young and relatively inexperienced front seven as well as a Quakers offense that faltered from time to time last year.

This year's notable missing faces include former all-Ivy cornerback Duvol Thompson, who graduated and now plays on the St. Louis Rams' practice squad.

However, despite the loss of such a key component to the defense, the Quakers are confident that they have the right players to step in to the role.

"Obviously it's going to have a huge impact because of the significant player he was but we have some good guys coming up and hopefully they can fill his shoes," senior defensive back Doug Middleton said.

Middleton, who recorded 21 tackles and a fumble return last year, is just one of seven seniors that will bring their experience and leadership into the secondary, as they prepare to shoulder the weight of new roles in the team as defined by coach Al Bagnoli.

"This year's secondary has a huge role," Bagnoli said. "Not only in the pass defense, but they're also going to have to be part of the run defense; they have to be part of making sure that we get in to the correct checks and calls and adjustments."

Likewise, defensive coordinator Ray Priore looks to the secondary to provide some latitude for the front seven.

"We'll try to keep as much pressure off them as possible," Priore said. "We'll get some plays out of the seniors, and hopefully the young guys will gain some experience as we're going through the season."

Key players in the secondary include seniors Michael Johns, who recorded 49 tackles last season, and Casey Edgar, who had 46 tackles on the year.

Also contributing will be senior defensive backs Kelechi Okere and Adam Francks -- who last year also returned punts for the Quakers.

Out of the returning defensive backs, only two -- Johns and Davanzo -- recorded an interception. Johns also tied for the team lead with Thompson by breaking up six passes on the year.

Chad Slapnicka, a linebacker who will miss the entire season with a back injury, and Bryan Arguello, who was lost to graduation, were the only two players on the 2004 team to record more than one interception.

While the Quakers will take as many interceptions and deflections as they can get to disrupt the opponent's passing game, a big part of the secondary's job will be stopping the run.

With many Ivy League teams returning talented running backs, stopping the running game will most definitely be crucial in the race for the Ivy League title.

Despite the daunting opposition, Bagnoli remains confident that Penn's experienced secondary can contend with the best of the Quakers' foes.

"We feel very good about our secondary," Bagnoli said. "They have size, they have experience, and they have athleticism. We have some kids that can cover people and some run support too. We have filled that area and it should be a big strength for us."

The secondary is ready for the tough matchups as well, and welcomes the challenge.

"I don't think there's any concern over those kind of guys coming back; I think it heightens the intensity of the game," Edgar said. "We're not worried about them and I think they know that too and it's just going to come down to who is ready for the game."

The seniors are very aware of their importance as well and are prepared for the challenge that the season will provide.

"We know in the secondary that we have to take the lead," Middleton said. "We have to show leadership in the early part of the season to take a little bit of the pressure off up front. We will have a lot of pressure on our shoulders, especially for the first couple of weeks."

And with the glimmering prospect of another Ivy League title, the pressure is certainly on the secondary to stop the primed opposition.

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