Turning the corner

The second-ranked Quakers may be opening the 2006 season with an entirely new defensive secondary, but defensive coordinator Ray Priore, who enters his 20th year with the team, isn't fretting.

"They're good, hardworking kids, all very young," Priore said. "Areas of concern? They're all very young."

Priore can be excused for worrying after losing the likes of defensive backs Michael Johns, Casey Edgar, Kelechi Okere or Doug Middleton, all of whom left Franklin Field in May, degrees in hand. However, that unit last year did tally just eight interceptions, not many considering Penn quarterbacks were picked twice as many times.

The good news? Captain Scotty Williams returns for his senior year to anchor the defense at safety, returning cornerback Greg Ambrogi is a double-threat as a kick returner, and the team's front seven should play solidly against the run - taking pressure off the defensive backs to step up and help.

And given the fact that pass protection came back to bite the Quakers in several defeats last year, that may prove vital - in losses to Villanova and Harvard, Penn gave up seven touchdowns and over 630 yards in the air.

"It all comes down to our preparation," said senior Rob Lombardi, who begins the season backing up Ambrogi. "We have some big shoes to fill."

Also looking to step into that footwear are sophomore Tyson Maugle, who earned a starting job at corner but who has not played a down of college ball yet, and classmate Jordan Manning, who will play alongside the considerably more seasoned Williams at safety. Priore also has some lightning off the bench in cornerback Joey Brown, a former track star who head coach Al Bagnoli considers one of the fastest players on his squad.

But despite all the question marks, Quakers fans should still expect the defense to take its share of chances and rush the passer as much as always.

"We've got to take some risk because that's our defense," Bagnoli said. But "we can't put them in too many situations that compromise where they are in terms of the learning curve."

And as with any learning curve, this new secondary's education is coming from its time on the field. But it is as much about learning where teammates are on the field as where the opposition is -- especially deep in the secondary.

Said Priore of his fledgling unit, "I want to look at the kids' eyes. I want to make sure their eyes are very, very focused [and] there's not that scared look in the kid's eyes."

The team has had weeks of practice and a live scrimmage to work that fear into submission so far. So, have these young Quakers gotten as much out of their preparation time as those who have already stepped onto Franklin Field as a starter?

"We have really not cut back what we've done with the kids early on," Priore said. "I think the inexperience factor comes into situations [like] down-and-distance, to be able to understand where they must be within the given realm of things. But that just takes time - it's reps. They've got to start sometime."

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