Group Will Be Inexperienced, But Talented
Stony Brook, N.Y. - With fall football practice now in full swing for the Stony Brook University Seawolves, GoSeawolves.org will present a position by position look at the 2009 team during the course of fall camp. Today the Stony Brook defensive line will be featured.
As experienced as the defensive line was going into last season, the front of the Stony Brook defense will be the least experienced part of the unit going into the 2009 season. That is not to say that there is no talent available, but the unit will be young and inexperienced after the group lost all of its starters from last season to graduation.
One player that returns with some experience is sophomore Ryan Haber (Lafayette Hill, Pa.). After redshirting his freshman season, Haber made his debut last year and saw action in eight games. He showed a knack for making big plays, finishing among the team leaders in tackles for loss, with his total yardage lost on those stops ranking fourth on the squad. Another player with experience is senior Josh Auerbach (Langhorne, Pa.). After spending the latter half of the 2008 season as a blocking back on offense, he will move back to the defensive side of the ball where he has played in 18 games during his career.
While he has yet to play a down at Stony Brook, senior Christopher Perri (Alameda, Calif.) should emerge as one of the stalwarts of the line. He brings Big 12 playing experience to the line after transferring from Colorado where he was a regular for the Buffalos during the 2007 season After sitting out last season after transferring from Colorado, . Another transfer that could help right away is senior Ryan Sollazzo (Valrico, Fla.). He comes to the Seawolves from the program at Florida Atlantic where he appeared in 10 games over two seasons.
A pair to watch for after strong spring seasons are sophomore Michael Marino (Middle Island, N.Y.) and junior Frank Conti (Lake Grove, N.Y.). Marino sat out last season after transferring from Southern Connecticut State and is a Long Island native, earning All-Suffolk County honors at Longwood High School. Conti is another local product that spent the past two seasons at nearby Nassau Community College where he lettered twice.
Immediate help from the JC ranks should come in the person of Joseph Kirkpatrick (Athens, Texas). An all-conference selection at Trinity Valley CC in Texas, he could step into a significant role right away. Two other first-year players could also play big roles on the Stony Brook defensive line. Sophomore Alex Probasco (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) has not played football in two years, but brings first team all-state credentials with him from California where he made 85 solo tackles as a senior in high school. True freshmen Elias Martinez (Long Beach, Calif.) and Julio Geronimo (East Orange, N.J.) could also play a role right away after strong high school careers in California and New Jersey respectively.
"This is probably my biggest concern going into the preseason," remarked head coach Chuck Priore. "It is certainly not for lack of talent, but for a lack of experience. That being said, we have two of the best defensive linemen that I have had since I have been at Stony Brook in Ryan Haber and Chris Perri. Both of them will be very successful in the new defensive scheme as well as provide leadership on the field. We need to build depth with a couple of transfers, our returning players and our freshman class."
Stony Brook, N.Y. - With fall football practice now in full swing for the Stony Brook University Seawolves, GoSeawolves.org will present a position by position look at the 2009 team during the course of fall camp. Today the Stony Brook defensive line will be featured.
As experienced as the defensive line was going into last season, the front of the Stony Brook defense will be the least experienced part of the unit going into the 2009 season. That is not to say that there is no talent available, but the unit will be young and inexperienced after the group lost all of its starters from last season to graduation.
One player that returns with some experience is sophomore Ryan Haber (Lafayette Hill, Pa.). After redshirting his freshman season, Haber made his debut last year and saw action in eight games. He showed a knack for making big plays, finishing among the team leaders in tackles for loss, with his total yardage lost on those stops ranking fourth on the squad. Another player with experience is senior Josh Auerbach (Langhorne, Pa.). After spending the latter half of the 2008 season as a blocking back on offense, he will move back to the defensive side of the ball where he has played in 18 games during his career.
While he has yet to play a down at Stony Brook, senior Christopher Perri (Alameda, Calif.) should emerge as one of the stalwarts of the line. He brings Big 12 playing experience to the line after transferring from Colorado where he was a regular for the Buffalos during the 2007 season After sitting out last season after transferring from Colorado, . Another transfer that could help right away is senior Ryan Sollazzo (Valrico, Fla.). He comes to the Seawolves from the program at Florida Atlantic where he appeared in 10 games over two seasons.
A pair to watch for after strong spring seasons are sophomore Michael Marino (Middle Island, N.Y.) and junior Frank Conti (Lake Grove, N.Y.). Marino sat out last season after transferring from Southern Connecticut State and is a Long Island native, earning All-Suffolk County honors at Longwood High School. Conti is another local product that spent the past two seasons at nearby Nassau Community College where he lettered twice.
Immediate help from the JC ranks should come in the person of Joseph Kirkpatrick (Athens, Texas). An all-conference selection at Trinity Valley CC in Texas, he could step into a significant role right away. Two other first-year players could also play big roles on the Stony Brook defensive line. Sophomore Alex Probasco (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) has not played football in two years, but brings first team all-state credentials with him from California where he made 85 solo tackles as a senior in high school. True freshmen Elias Martinez (Long Beach, Calif.) and Julio Geronimo (East Orange, N.J.) could also play a role right away after strong high school careers in California and New Jersey respectively.
"This is probably my biggest concern going into the preseason," remarked head coach Chuck Priore. "It is certainly not for lack of talent, but for a lack of experience. That being said, we have two of the best defensive linemen that I have had since I have been at Stony Brook in Ryan Haber and Chris Perri. Both of them will be very successful in the new defensive scheme as well as provide leadership on the field. We need to build depth with a couple of transfers, our returning players and our freshman class."
