Loretto, Pa. – The 2018 football season was admittedly a frustrating one for the Saint Francis football team with six of its seven losses coming by less than a score.
 
The Red Flash put itself in position to record an above .500 record but struggled to close out games; Saint Francis held a second half lead in five of its seven losses.
 
Head coach Chris Villarrial and the staff are ready to turn the page on 2018 and boast a young but athletic and exciting core nucleus.

Offense
 
The Red Flash return five starters on offense from the 2018 unit that averaged 26.8 points and 292.1 total yards per game last year.
 
The offense will have a new look with first-year offensive coordinator Marco Pecora moving over to the other side of the ball after serving as the defensive coordinator since 2016.
 
Pecora played safety at the University of Pittsburgh, but is no stranger to the offensive side of the ball, graduating from Richland High as one of the most prolific passers in Pennsylvania history. As a four-year starter, Pecora threw for 6,772 yards to rank ninth in state history, including 2,267 yards as a senior to lead Richland to a 7-4 record and its first playoff berth in 20 seasons.
 
SFU looks to bounce back offensively after finishing sixth in the NEC in points per game and seventh in the NEC in yards per game.  On average, the Red Flash posted 200 passing and 91.1 rushing yards per game. 
 
QUARTERBACKS
 
Saint Francis lost Bear Fenimore (Austin, Texas/Westwood) to graduation and will fill his void with a first-time starter.
 
Redshirt sophomore Jason Brown (Fredericksburg, Va./Chancellor) and redshirt freshman Justin Sliwoski (Greensburg, PA/Hempfield Area (Pitt)), a University of Pittsburgh transfer, have emerged as the likely candidates to win the job.
 
Brown saw brief action last season as a redshirt freshman, completing two of eight passes for 40 yards. As a high school senior, Brown threw for 2,383 yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing for 567 yards and 10 scores.
 
 RUNNING BACKS
 
The Red Flash will feature a deep but untested backfield.
 
Leading rusher from a season ago, Jymere Jordan-Toney (Philadelphia, Pa./Franklin), is lost to graduation and the Red Flash are looking for a home run hitter to emerge. Saint Francis only had two carries over thirty yards last season, both from sophomore Chris Cropper (Wilmington, Del./St. Frances Academy) who has since moved to linebacker.
 
The top returning rusher is junior Joel Denley (Beaumont, Texas/West Brook) who played in all 11 games in 2018, rushing for 231 yards. His biggest presence was in the passing game where he caught 20 passes with two touchdowns.
 
Senior Avery Miliner (Clayton, Ohio/Northmont) looks to bounce back after missing 2018 due to injury. In 2017, Miliner started three games and rushed for 247 yards and three touchdowns. 
 
Redshirt sophomore Syaire Madden (Norristown,Pa./LaSalle College Prep) could see significant playing time after a strong spring and is healthy after being sidelined with an injury in 2018.  As a senior at LaSalle College Prep, Madden rushed for 1,498 yards and 16 touchdowns. 
 
Redshirt sophomore Kei-Shon Graham (Philadelphia, Pa./Central) is also ready to make an impact after getting 10 carries last year, scoring his first collegiate touchdown against West Virginia Wesleyan.
 
There will be a number of new faces looking for playing time in the backfield this season, led by Derrick Wiley (Aberdeen, N.J./Matawan Regional), who is making the transition from linebacker to running back. Wiley ran for over 900 yards and 13 scores as a senior in high school.
 
The freshman crop of running backs is deep, led by Chris Wells (Philadelphia PA/Neumann-Goretti), who was an early enrollee for the Red Flash out of Jireh Prep (NC). Wells averaged over 10 yards a carry in high school and averaged over seven yards per carry in the Spring Game.
 
Damon Horton (Drums, PA/Hazelton Area) and Tank Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills) also put up eye-popping numbers in high school.  Horton ran for over 1700 yards as a senior, despite missing three games. Smith rolled up 26 touchdowns as a senior for Penn Hills in Pittsburgh.
 
WIDE RECEIVERS
 
Much like the running back and quarterback positions, the Red Flash will have to break-in a new and talented receiving corps in 2019. Gone is three-time All-NEC wide out Kamron Lewis (Fresno, Calif./Edison), who graduated after posting another season where he led the team in receptions (60) and yards (808).
 
Redshirt junior Zach Campbell (Upper Marlboro, Md./Riverdale Baptist) is the leading returning wide out, posting 19 grabs for 172 yards and two scores last season. Campbell had four multi-catch games in 2018.
 
Junior Ra'Shaun Henry (Killeen, Texas /Copperas Cove) is also a handful in the slot and will see his role expand after grabbing eight passes for 107 yards and a score in 2018.
 
Redshirt sophomores EJ Jenkins (Fredericksburg, Va./Chancellor) and Brandan Lisenby (Alexandria, Va./West Potomac) and redshirt freshmen Kahtero Summers (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) and Kai Williams (Johns Creek, Ga./Mount Pisgah Christian) will also feature heavily after strong Springs.
 
Jenkins, at 6-8, caught 44 passes for 1,002 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior, playing with Jason Brown (Fredericksburg, Va./Chancellor) at Chancellor High School in Virginia.  He comes off a 2018 campaign that saw him grab five passes for 52 yards and a touchdown.
 
Lisenby grabbed 47 receptions for 1,067 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior at West Potomac.  He saw his first collegiate action last season, hauling in one pass, but was the spring game MVP after a five-catch, 76-yard performance.
 
TIGHT ENDS
 
The Red Flash tight ends will be led by redshirt junior Terrell Johnson. In 2018, Johnson was fifth on the team with 15 grabs and fourth with 157 yards to go along with three scores. His large frame could allow him to be a potent threat in the red zone.
 
Redshirt junior Sean Davis (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) transitions from fullback and brings a big body to the position.
 
Redshirt sophomores Justin McIntyre (Grantville, Pa./Lower Dauphin) and Dominic Clark (Havre de Grace, Md./Loyola Blakefield) round out the group. McIntyre saw action in four games in 2018, primarily on special teams after redshirting in 2017, while Clark moves over to tight end after suiting up on the offensive line in his first two seasons.
 
 
OFFENSIVE LINE
 
The Saint Francis offensive line will be anchored by redshirt senior all-conference guard Christian Eubanks (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg).
 
A Second Team All-NEC pick in 2016 and again in 2018, Eubanks enters his final season with 31 starts under his belts.
 
Fellow fifth-year senior and West Virginia transfer Alec Shriner (Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo) is the lead candidate to take over center duties after seeing time in all 11 games last season at tackle and guard.
 
Redshirt sophomores Shaun Hastings (Camp Hill, Pa./Cedar Cliff), Joshua Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa./West Catholic) and Geno Lauer (Ebensburg, Pa./Bishop Carroll), redshirt freshmen Bailey Ibolean and Seth Osborne (Williamsburg, Va./Lafayette), and true freshmen Cody Nawrot (New Lenox, IL/Providence Catholic (ASA Miami)) and Ben Phillis are battling for a starting role as is redshirt junior Anthony Barber (Johnstown, Pa./Greater Johnstown), who returns to the offensive line after contributing on the defensive line last fall.
 
 
The offensive line was among the best in the nation in pass protection in 2018, allowing just 19 sacks in 11 games, including three games with no sacks allowed.
 
DEFENSE
 
Saint Francis welcomes back six starters from a dominant 2018 defense that led the NEC in scoring defense (20.2 ppg) and total defense (290.3 ypg). In facts, SFU has ranked in the top 2 in the NEC in both scoring defense and total defense in each of the last four seasons.
 
The Red Flash ranked seventh in the FCS in total defense, 11th in scoring defense, ninth in pass defense and 18^th in rushing defense.
 
Saint Francis will have to replace three All-NEC selections on the defensive side of the ball, led by first-team All-NEC selection Hakeem Kinard (York, Pa./York Catholic). Kinard earned Stats-FCS All-America status as well after a 59-tackle, nine pass breakup senior season. Second-team selections in linebacker Ben Bruni (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) and Jermaine Ponder (Rochester, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) are also lost to graduation. Ponder set the SFU record with 15 passes defended in 2018 and signed an Undrafted Free Agent deal with the Cleveland Browns and is currently with the Houston Texans.
 
DEFENSIVE LINE
 
The Red Flash has benefited from strong depth on its defensive line over the last few seasons. The 2019 defense sees five players return that saw significant playing time last season.
 
Saint Francis will have to replace graduating senior Louie Gartner (Bloomfield, N.J./Paramus Catholic), who led the defensive line last season with 43 tackles including seven for loss.
 
Stepping into a leadership role on the line will be James Watkins (Oxon Hill, Md./Oxon Hill). The redshirt sophomore played in all 11 games last year, recording 18 tackles as a run-stuffer, including six for loss and a blocked kick.
 
Alongside Watkins is reigning NEC Defensive Rookie of the Year Jalen Brown (Clinton, Md./DeMatha Catholic). Brown recorded 19 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, but was a major reason the Red Flash were a top-20 rushing defense.
 
Redshirt junior Sam Cummings (Verona, N.J./Verona) saw action in nine games on the line and special teams in 2018. Cummings made 11 stops, including 2.5 for loss. Alongside Cummings, redshirt sophomore Kane Piroch (New Kensington, Pa./Valley) returns after seeing time in nine games on the line and on special teams. . Junior Todd Burger (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Boro) rounds out the returners who saw significant time in 2018. Burger looks to build off a 2018 that saw Burger record four tackles in 10 games.
 
The staff is also high on a pair of freshmen in Dwayne Majors (Fairless Hills, PA/Conwell-Egan Catholic) and Gavin Thomas (Clifton, VA/Centreville). Majors was named 1st-Team All-Catholic league for Conwell-Egan High School near Philadelphia, while Thomas earned a nod to the annual High School Blue-Grey game and was All-Region for Centreville High School in Clifton, Virginia.
 
LINEBACKERS
 
SFU's linebacking unit will have to replace its top two tacklers from the position in Ben Bruni (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) and Sean Orsini (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny). Bruni was an All-NEC linebacker who led the Red Flash with 89 tackles last season. Orsini saw action in nine games, recording 37 tackles and was second on the team with 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
 
Offenses will be zeroing in on outside linebacker Da'Jon Lee (Falls Church, Va. /Robinson). A First-Ream All-NEC linebacker, Lee led all of the FCS with six forced fumbles last season and was eighth in the FCS with 18.5 tackles for loss. He has been named a pre-season All-American by multiple publications.
 
Senior Calvin Beatty was limited to four games last season due to injury but still managed to record 20 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks. The redshirt junior is a leading candidate to fill one of the vacancies in the middle of the Saint Francis defense.
 
Sophomore Brian Lee Jr. will also play inside after recording 11 tackles in 11 games as a freshman.
 
Redshirt junior Jake Curry (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Boro) is an experienced veteran who can plug in and be relied on by the coaching staff after making five stops last season. The aforementioned Cropper will also see snaps at inside linebacker after showing flashes of his athleticism at running back as a freshman.
 
Redshirt freshman Jaylen Parks (Dallas, Ga./North Paulding) has emerged as an edge rusher opposite of Lee and will contribute alongside fifth-year senior Trysten Hunt (Levittown, Pa./Truman) and redshirt freshman Yosuke Sugano (Akashi, Japan/Kwansei Gakuin (Greenville Sr. (Pa))), the defensive MVP of the spring game with 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
 
SECONDARY
 
Saint Francis has produced All-American defensive back in each of the last four seasons and is in line to do so once again with senior safety Nick Rinella (Collegeville, Pa./La Salle College).
 
A Preseason All-American, the Collegeville, Pa. native made 59 stops last year, including four for a loss. He added four pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble to be named to the NEC First Team All-Conference.
 
 Alongside Rinella is redshirt junior Jake Heiple (Somerset, Pa./Somerset). He returned from injury in 2018 to play in all 11 games, recording 44 tackles, three pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble.
 
Redshirt freshman Tremayn Stott (Germantown, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel) and redshirt sophomore Corey Johnson (Fort Washington, Md./Bishop Ireton (Va.)) will also contribute at safety after limited playing time in 2018.
 
Junior Martin Foray Jr. played in every game last year and will expand his role as a primary corner. The staff loves his versatility as a corner and safety who can handle duties as a nickel back as well. Redshirt sophomore Gio Vonne Sanders (Jeannette, PA/Jeannette) is also a jack-of-all trades type who can be moved all over the secondary.
 
Sophomore Dorian Jackson (Pittsburgh, Pa./Obama Academy ) looks to assert himself as a lockdown corner after nearly winning a starting job out of camp last season as a true freshman. Jackson played in 10 games last season, making 15 tackles and breaking up a pass.
 
Redshirt sophomore Christian Massie (Lorton, Va./South County) and redshirt freshman Kerry Galloway (Wilmington, Del./DuPont) are ready to make an impact as well and will be called upon to play immediately. Redshirt freshman Terrell Smith (Baltimore, Md./St. Frances Academy) and true freshman Joshua Flowers (Carol Stream, IL /Glenbard North (The Hill School)) have also turned heads with impressive fall camps.
 
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
 
Saint Francis special teams has been a hallmark of consistency for the Red Flash and will look to continue in 2019.
 
The Red Flash will have to replace All-NEC place Kicker Eric Bofenkamp (Warren, Ohio/John F. Kennedy), who led the NEC with 12 field goals made in 2019.
 
Sophomore Trevor Thompson (Columbus, Ohio/Canal Winchester), who handled kickoffs in 2018, and freshman Alex Schmoke (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis) are in a tight battle for the job.
 
The Red Flash also must replace All-NEC punter Andrew Zecca (Berkeley Heights, N.J./Gov. Livingston) who led the NEC with a 42-yard average last season. Sophomore Ryan Oliver (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) stepped in for an injured Zecca in two games last season and averaged 38 yards per kick with a long of 52. He is the favorite to be named starting punter in 2019.
 
Rinella earned Second Team All-NEC accolades as a return specialist, averaging 24.4 yards per kick return and an NEC-leading 12.2 yards per punt return last season. He set a school-record with 140 punt return yards against West Virginia Wesleyan, including a 79-yard return for a touchdown, one of two returns he took to the house.
 
Zach Campbell (Upper Marlboro, Md./Riverdale Baptist) also saw time as a kick returner alongside Rinella. The junior averaged 20 yards per kick return in 2018 with a long of 42. The Red Flash also returns junior Tanner Schmidt (Maple Lake, Minn./Maple Lake), who served as the team's long snapper for the entire 2017 and 18 seasons. 
 
Saint Francis opens the season on Saturday, Aug. 31, at Lehigh. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. and will be streamed live on the Patriot League Network.