1998
Football Admitted to ODAC
The Catholic University football team has been accepted as the seventh football-playing member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. The formerly independent Cardinals join Bridgewater College, Emory & Henry College, Guilford College, Hampden-Sydney College, Randolph-Macon College and Washington & Lee University. The league champion will receive an automatic bid to the expanded 28-team 1999 NCAA Division III football playoffs.
"I am very excited for the football program to be aligned with the Old Dominion Athletic Conference," Catholic U. Director of Athletics Robert J. Talbot said. "It's a league of solid academic institutions and football programs, and I think the match is perfect.
"I think it opens up Washington, D.C., to their teams in terms of student recruitment. And I think it's going to help us recruit students in parts of Virginia and North Carolina. To me, the most important thing is that our football players will have the opportunity to compete for a league championship."
The Cards competed as an ODAC member in all sports from 1982-84. In 1983 - the only season the Cardinal gridders were eligible for the league title - they went 5-5 overall and 3-3 in the ODAC. The team has gone 10-1 each of the past two seasons and made consecutive appearances in the NCAA playoffs.
Coach Tom Clark welcomes Catholic's entrance into the 23-year-old conference.
"We're joining one of the most distinguished conferences in the nation at this level," Clark said. "It's an opportunity to establish long and substantial rivalries and to compete for a league championship. I think our players will benefit from the recognition that the ODAC provides its participants in terms of All-Conference, Player of the Week and Player of the Year awards.
"It gives us an identity that we lacked as an independent."
Talbot said that Catholic's new ODAC football affiliation reminds him of the days he played basketball and baseball for the Cardinals from 1955-59: "It renews league affiliations that Catholic enjoyed with many of the teams in the old Mason-Dixon Conference. It was great competition and a lot of fun and developed many friendships. So, for me, I'm equally excited about getting back to that experience."
1998 Results (10-1)
| Date | Opponent | Result | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 5 | Greensboro | W, 68-19 | Notarfrancesco 122 yds, 4 TD; DeBenedictis 27 yard blocked punt return; Hunter 10 catches, 223 yds, 2 TD; Reger 9 tackles |
| Sept. 12 | Bridgewater | W, 36-33 | Notarfrancesco career-high 204 yds, 3 TD; Hee 11 tackles. |
| Sept. 19 | Randolph-Macon | W, 22-12 | Cowan 2.5 sacks, Thornton 12 tackles, McGee 3 TD passes |
| Sept. 26 | Dickinson | W, 14-9 | Hee 11 tackles, Embrey fumble recovery leads to TD |
| Oct. 3 | Franklin & Marshall | W, 31-14 | Hunter 163 rec. yds, 2 TD, 59 passing yds., TD; Ybarra 70 yds, TD; Cowan 10 tackles; Change 2 sacks |
| Oct. 10 | La Salle (I-AA) | W, 25-14 | Notarfrancesco 182 yds, 2 TD; Hunter 12-143, TD; Cowan 12 tackles, 2 sacks |
| Oct. 17 | FDU-Madison | W, 40-13 | Notarfrancesco 143 yds, 2 TD; Hunter 11-127, 2 TD; Flint 8 tackles, sack; defense 3 INTs |
| Oct. 24 | Hampden-Sydney | W, 45-17 | Notarfrancesco 165 yds, 5 TD, Holdip and Varian 1.5 sacks; team 4 INTs and 2 recovered fumbles |
| Oct. 31 | Newport News | W, 49-12 | Defense records six sacks; Hunter 67 yds, 3 TDs; Boyle 57 yds, 2 TDs; Change 20-yard fumble return for TD |
| Nov. 14 | Albright | W, 34-33 (OT) | Boyle record 97-yd TD kickoff return; Notarfrancesco 157 yds, 2 TD; G.Anderson blocked PAT in OT |
| Nov. 21 | Lycoming * | L, 49-14 | Catholic loses five fumbles, three returned for scores. Flint 2 sacks; Reger and Embrey 7 tackles, Hunter 10 receptions |
Home games in bold
* - NCAA Playoffs
1998 Roster
| No. | Name | Pos | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | Hometown | High school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Tim Medlin | WR | 5-9 | 160 | So. | Silver Spring, Md. | Blair |
| 3 | Derek McGee | QB | 6-1 | 179 | Fr. | Marlton, N.J. | Cherokee |
| 4 | Matt McDonald | LB | 5-10 | 178 | Sr. | Silver Spring, Md. | Good Counsel |
| 6 | James Parker | DB | 5-10 | 165 | Fr. | Landover, Md. | Parkdale |
| 8 | Jason DeBenedictis | DB | 5-10 | 176 | Sr. | Woodbury Hts, N.J. | Camden Catholic |
| 9 | Mike Hunter | WR | 6-1 | 180 | Jr. | Washington, D.C. | Gonzaga |
| 10 | Pat Hanley | K | 5-9 | 175 | Fr. | Wilmington, Del. | Salesianum School |
| 11 | Tokollo Moffat | WR | 5-7 | 141 | Fr. | Wheaton, Md. | Good Counsel |
| 14 | Kevin Pozdol | QB | 6-3 | 205 | So. | Bridgewater, N.J. | Bridgewater-Raritan |
| 15 | Terry O'Rourke | QB | 6-2 | 190 | Fr. | San Diego, Calif. | La Jolla |
| 16 | Pat Curtin | QB | 6-3 | 175 | Fr. | Ardmore, Pa. | Archbishop Carroll |
| 17 | Roy Shannon | K | 5-11 | 196 | Sr. | Gaithersburg, Md. | St. John's |
| 18 | Ryan Zarzycki | QB | 5-11 | 191 | So. | Newark, Del. | St. Mark's |
| 19 | Mike Fleet | P | 5-8 | 155 | Fr. | Wheaton, Md. | Good Counsel |
| 20 | Geoff DeOliveira | RB | 5-8 | 223 | So. | Washington, D.C. | St. John's |
| 21 | George Yeboah | DB | 5-9 | 163 | So. | Gaithersburg, Md. | Magruder |
| 23 | Greg Hayden | DB | 5-11 | 185 | Fr. | Holmes, N.Y. | Trinity-Pawling |
| 24 | John Quinn | DB | 6-0 | 182 | Fr. | Cape May C.H., N.J. | Middle Township |
| 25 | Andrew Reger | FS | 6-1 | 190 | Sr. | Drexel Hill, Pa. | Cardinal O'Hara |
| 26 | Todd Leader | WR | 6-1 | 174 | Fr. | Halifax, Pa. | Halifax |
| 27 | Kevin Ulrich | RB | 5-8 | 181 | Fr. | Egg Harbor Twp., N.J. | Holy Spirit |
| 29 | Larry Waters | DB | 5-10 | 179 | So. | Wyndmoor, Pa. | Bishop McDevitt |
| 30 | Kevin Mitchell | LB | 5-10 | 182 | Fr. | Harrisburg, Pa. | Bishop McDevitt |
| 32 | Jeff Keating | DB | 5-9 | 181 | Jr. | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Central Catholic |
| 33 | Dan Boyle | RB | 5-10 | 198 | Fr. | Warminster, Pa. | Archbishop Wood |
| 34 | Mike Torrey | RB/K | 5-11 | 204 | So. | Winter Springs, Fla. | Trinity Prep |
| 35 | John Portalatin | RB | 5-9 | 190 | So. | Oceanside, N.Y. | Oceanside |
| 36 | Gregg Anderson | DB | 6-4 | 195 | Fr. | Clifton, Va. | Robinson |
| 37 | David Thornton | DB | 5-10 | 204 | So. | Delran, N.J. | Holy Cross |
| 38 | Matt O'Hearn | WR | 6-2 | 174 | Fr. | Nashua, N.H. | Bishop Guertin |
| 39 | Jimmy Nalls | LB | 5-11 | 170 | Fr. | Silver Spring, Md. | Gonzaga |
| 40 | Richard Change | DE | 6-0 | 195 | Jr. | Atlanta, Ga. | St. Pius X |
| 41 | Phil Anderson | RB | 5-9 | 185 | Fr. | Cherry Hill, N.J. | Cherry Hill |
| 42 | James Geissler | TE | 6-1 | 210 | Jr. | Marlton, N.J. | Cherokee |
| 44 | Andrew Notarfrancesco | RB | 5-9 | 200 | Jr. | Mechanicsburg, Pa. | Cumberland Valley |
| 46 | Brian Daly | RB | 5-11 | 235 | Fr. | Wheaton, Md. | Good Counsel |
| 47 | Joe Rakowski | DE | 6-1 | 225 | Jr. | Philadelphia, Pa. | La Salle |
| 48 | Tim Whitney | LB | 5-10 | 192 | So. | Bellmawr, N.J. | Gloucester Catholic |
| 49 | Brian Hee | LB | 6-0 | 205 | Jr. | Somerdale, N.J. | Paul VI |
| 50 | Robert Brown | OT | 5-10 | 272 | So. | Washington, D.C. | St. John's |
| 51 | Dan Riely | OL | 6-2 | 240 | Jr. | Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y. | Archbishop Stepinac |
| 52 | Chris Gorman | LB | 5-7 | 192 | So. | Sayville, N.Y. | Sayville |
| 53 | Jerren Holdip | DE | 5-9 | 243 | Sr. | Washington, D.C. | Archbishop Carroll |
| 54 | Chris Martorana | LB | 5-11 | 210 | Jr. | Franklin Square, N.Y. | Sewanhaka |
| 55 | Puri Garzone | C | 6-1 | 245 | Fr. | Philadelphia, Pa. | La Salle |
| 56 | Brandt Lapko | LB | 5-10 | 194 | So. | Palm Coast, Fla. | St. Joe Academy |
| 57 | Ben Bailey | LB | 5-11 | 194 | Fr. | Alexandria, Va. | T.C. Williams |
| 58 | Justin Flint | LB | 6-0 | 209 | Sr. | Towson, Md. | Loyola |
| 59 | Tim McCarthy | OG | 6-0 | 290 | So. | Silver Spring, Md. | Gonzaga |
| 60 | Michael McAdams | LB | 6-0 | 200 | Fr. | Upper Marlboro, Md. | Largo |
| 61 | Brian Mullen | OL | 6-1 | 247 | So. | Delran, N.J. | Holy Cross |
| 62 | Mike Dankowski | OL | 6-2 | 218 | Fr. | Philadelphia, Pa. | Holy Cross |
| 64 | Joe Bauer | OL | 6-3 | 213 | Fr. | Philadelphia, Pa. | St. Joseph's Prep |
| 65 | Mike Keenan | OL | 5-10 | 270 | Fr. | Villanova, Pa. | St. Joseph's Prep |
| 66 | Gaynor Jablonski | OG | 6-2 | 260 | Sr. | Edgewater, Md. | Loyola |
| 67 | Drew Anderson | DT | 6-2 | 245 | Fr. | College Park, Md. | Gonzaga |
| 68 | Pat McGeehan | OL | 6-2 | 193 | So. | Flourtown, Pa. | Northeast Catholic |
| 69 | Andrew Malloy | OL | 6-6 | 310 | Fr. | Littleton, Colo. | J.K. Mullen |
| 70 | Matt Schlindwein | OL | 6-2 | 242 | So. | Cinnaminson, N.J. | Holy Cross |
| 71 | Glenn Benjamin | OL | 6-1 | 270 | So. | Rockville, Md. | St. John's |
| 72 | Ted Nigro | DE | 5-9 | 216 | Fr. | Norwalk, Conn. | King & Low-Heywood Thomas |
| 74 | Drew Maurano | OL | 6-2 | 230 | So. | Silver Spring, Md. | Good Counsel |
| 75 | Nick Faiola | C | 5-10 | 268 | Fr. | Philadelphia, Pa. | St. Joseph's Prep |
| 76 | Anthony Bottoni | OG | 6-0 | 279 | So. | Warren, N.J. | Watchung Hills |
| 78 | Brian Miller | OT | 6-2 | 275 | Sr. | Lake Hopatacony, N.J. | Pope John XXIII |
| 81 | Keith Brancato | WR | 6-1 | 172 | So. | Rockville Centre, N.Y. | Southside |
| 82 | Matt Reinhardt | WR | 6-3 | 171 | Fr. | Warwick, N.Y. | Warwick Valley |
| 83 | James Gallagher | DE | 5-7 | 183 | Fr. | Potomac, Md. | Good Counsel |
| 84 | Brad Jones | WR | 6-0 | 164 | Jr. | Rockville, Md. | Churchill |
| 85 | John DeCicco | TE | 6-1 | 211 | Jr. | Marlton, N.J. | Cherokee |
| 86 | Greg Sesny | TE | 6-3 | 230 | Sr. | Harrisburg, Pa. | Bishop McDevitt |
| 87 | Brian Kovacs | TE | 6-1 | 187 | Fr. | Medford, N.J. | Holy Cross |
| 88 | Aaron Ybarra | WR | 5-11 | 186 | Jr. | Hudson, N.H. | Bishop Guertin |
| 89 | Joe Kennedy | TE | 6-0 | 177 | Fr. | Mt. Vision, N.Y. | Cooperstown Central |
| 90 | Mike Cowan | LB | 6-1 | 208 | Sr. | Lowell, Mass. | Bishop Guertin |
| 91 | Jonah Burrelli | LB | 6-0 | 226 | Fr. | Olney, Md. | Sherwood |
| 92 | Tim Varian | DE | 6-0 | 217 | So. | Long Beach, N.Y. | Chaminade |
| 93 | Jesse Jenkins | DE | 6-0 | 230 | So. | East Orange, N.J. | Immaculate Conception |
| 94 | Stephen Marquez | DT | 6-3 | 240 | So. | Oakton, Va. | Oakton |
| 95 | Chris Fox | DE | 6-1 | 213 | Fr. | Philadelphia, Pa. | William Penn Charter |
| 96 | Joe Marino | DT | 5-11 | 245 | Sr. | Marlton, N.J. | Holy Cross |
| 97 | Bryan Embrey | DT | 5-9 | 256 | Sr. | Woodbridge, Va. | Gar-Field |
| 98 | Matt Steiner | DT | 5-11 | 245 | Fr. | Hainesport, N.J. | Holy Cross |
| 99 | Damian Richard | TE | 6-2 | 215 | Fr. | Winona, Minn. | Cotter |
Head Coach: Tom Clark (fifth season)
Assistant Coaches: Bill Edwards (Offensive line,
recruiting coordinator); Marty Favret (Offensive
coordinator/quarterbacks); Craig Fitzgerald (Tight
ends/H-backs/Special Teams/Strength); Bob Larson (Defensive
coordinator/Defensive Line); Clay Goldston (Defensive Backs); Tom
Mulholland (Defensive Backs); Chuck Rohan (Assistant Offensive
Line/Tight Ends); Steve Ghent (Linebackers); Pat Swoyer (Assistant
Defensive Line); Kris Yangas (Wide Receivers); Billy Harris
(Running Backs).
