Portelli is full-back at guard

On the eve of the end of his football career, things are coming full circle for sprint football captain Joe Portelli.

In his first three seasons on the team, Portelli played fullback and was used as a blocker on almost every snap he played. His efforts resulted in a league honorable mention last season.

Things changed this year when Portelli, a native of Wayne, N.J., was called upon by coach Bill Wagner to change positions. The senior became one of the team’s starting offensive guards, a position he hasn’t played since his first days on the field.

“I never thought I’d end my career playing guard because I started off playing guard in elementary school and I absolutely hated it,” Portelli said. “Now, I’m kind of enjoying it.”

Portelli and the rest of the Penn seniors are expecting tomorrow night’s game at Princeton to be bittersweet. The contest will be the last of their collegiate careers.

The Quakers (3-3) are coming off three straight losses, the latest being a 37-11 defeat at the hands of Navy last Friday.

“No games have been easy lately,” Wagner said. “I just want to see us regroup, so the seniors can go out with a good, solid class win and a better-than-.500 season.”

Princeton (0-6), however, should give Penn’s seniors a great opportunity to finish the season with a victory and give the team a winning record.

In Penn’s first meeting with the Tigers this season, the Quakers pulled off a 57-7 rout at Franklin Field. Junior running back Mike Bagnoli rushed for 172 yards and three touchdowns, as Penn outgained Princeton 548-183 in total yards.

Wagner insists, though, that the Quakers cannot take Princeton lightly.

“I think that they are a much-improved team from the first time we played them,” Wagner said.

Portelli echoed his coach, saying that “Princeton is always a better team the second time around.

“Last year, it took us a while to get things going, and even though they haven’t won a game this year, you can never take an opponent lightly.”

Poor tackling has been the primary cause for the Quakers’ recent woes.

“I just think that we have to tackle better, and we got to cover the pass, which would probably mean that we got to get to the quarterback,” Wagner said.

Penn has featured a prolific offense this season thanks to the combination of quarterback Todd Busler, wide receiver Whit Shaw and Bagnoli.

Busler and Shaw have already broken the Quakers’ single-season records in passing and receiving yards, respectively. Bagnoli has averaged 140 rushing yards per game this year.

Injuries, however, have plagued Penn this season, as nine players have gotten hurt since the Quakers’ first game.

“Our manpower is down a little bit,” Wagner admitted.

But the healthy talent that Penn does have on its roster will come out tomorrow and give it their all. For some of these players, this game is much more than a season finale.

“It’s been in the back of my mind all season, but it really doesn’t hit you until the week of your last game,” Portelli said. “Monday it really sank in with me, ‘Wow, this is my last week of organized football practice ever.’”

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