After finishing with a Pioneer Football League record of .500 or better in back-to-back seasons for the first time in over two decades, the Valparaiso University football team carries significant momentum with it into the 2022 campaign.

The team’s sight is set on taking the next step forward as the program prepares to kick off the new year on Saturday night under the lights at Brown Field as Indiana Wesleyan comes to town for a Labor Day Weekend showdown.

The Beacons are coming off a fall camp that featured 100 percent retention from the start of camp to its conclusion. All 110 student-athletes who began the fall finished camp with the program.

“That tells you something about the upperclassmen, about the freshmen, about our parents and about the program,” head coach Landon Fox said. “It takes everyone to be successful. When we talk about everyone completing camp, we’re excited for everyone involved. It’s more than just the football coach, it’s all of those factors. When you have all of that support, that allows you to have that opportunity. It’s all about retention in the Pioneer Football League. The best teams have always been the teams with the most experience.”

With a recent taste of success, an enhanced gameday fan experience and additions to the coaching staff highlighted by offensive coordinator Will Fleming, the positive energy surrounding the program is palatable with the season’s first kickoff just days away.

“I’m very excited about the culture that we have,” Fox said. “The players have done a nice job driving that culture. The program is in a place where it’s player driven. That’s a good thing; you want to be a player coached team and not a coach coached team. The players are driving our standards and expectations.”

Quarterback

Leading into the season, one of the most frequently asked questions has been as follows – who enters the season atop the quarterback depth chart?

After a competitive camp in a deep quarterback room, a pair of redshirt freshmen will see playing time on Saturday. Michael Appel Jr. (Springboro, Ohio / Springboro) and Mason Kaplan (Peachtree Corners, Ga. / Norcross) begin the season as the two quarterbacks on the two-deep. Kaplan saw action in two games last season, while Appel’s next snap will mark his collegiate debut.

“Mason is a football junkie who understands the game,” Fox said. “He understands the offense and where the ball is supposed to go. He has the ability to be a dual-threat quarterback and he’s very strong. He’s a good leader within our program. Mikey had a good camp. He has the ability to make all the throws. He’s smart and understands our schemes and where the ball is supposed to go. He’s a very intelligent football player both on the field and in the classroom, and is another very good leader.”

Redshirt senior Jeffrey Jackson (San Diego, Calif. / Bishop’s [San Diego]) and redshirt junior Teryn Berry (Redmond, Washington / Redmond [Weber State]) both saw game action a year ago, while true freshman Rowan Keefe (Park Ridge, Ill. / Maine South) rounds out the position group.

“It was a very competitive camp at quarterback, and that brought out the best in all of the guys,” Fox said. “You have to show up each and every day trying to win the job. At the same time, you’re playing for one team, it’s Valpo. They all have the ability to go out there and play well as individuals while doing it within the scheme for our team.”

Running Back

There’s no way around it – Valpo has significant shoes to fill at the running back position with the departure of Robert Washington, who turned in the second-highest single-season rushing total in program history en route to earning an NFL Rookie Minicamp Invite with the Philadelphia Eagles. Nick Orekoya has departed as well, but Washington and Orekoya are among the players who have established the model of successful transfers into the program.

The coaching staff has gone back to the transfer well for its projected starter at running back as Aaron Dawson (Westbury, N.Y. / W.T. Clarke & Milford Prep [Central Connecticut State]) is utilizing his COVID-19 eligibility year after spending the last four seasons at Central Connecticut State. Dawson’s CCSU career was highlighted by an epic performance on Oct. 27, 2018 vs. Wagner, when he posted the sixth-highest single-game rushing output in FCS history (361) and set a Division-I (FBS and FCS) record for rushing yardage in a half with 308. He also set an FCS record with 197 rushing yards in the fourth quarter alone.

“Aaron is a big back who can go the distance,” Fox said. “He has the ability to break long runs. He’s a complete back on all three downs. As a transfer, he has shown a tremendous ability to fit in well and do what we ask. Our standards and expectations are high, there’s a certain way we do it in our program, and he’s adjusted well to that.”

Redshirt freshman Jahni Clarke (Norcross, Ga. / Norcross) showed flashes in his three appearances last season. Sophomore Barret Labus (Wadsworth, Ohio / Wadsworth), freshman Jeffery Vercher (Nashville, Tenn. / Franklin Road Academy), freshman Ryan Mann (Vernon Hills, Ill. / Vernon Hills) and redshirt sophomore Darius Lane (Stephens City, Va. / Sherando) are all part of a deep running back room.

“We saw tremendous growth in Jahni during camp, and that’s a result of the competition in that room,” Fox said. “The position group is very deep, and we expect a number of those guys to have roles within our offense. Barret played a little receiver last year, and we’ve moved him back to running back. We plan to utilize a number of running backs this season because they all have different areas where they excel.”

Wide Receiver

Speaking of positions of depth, Valpo boasts a talented wide receiving corps that includes significant returning experience.

Junior Braden Contreras (Hillsdale, Ill. / Hinsdale Central) has shown an ability to make big plays with his memorable late-game touchdown catch to beat San Diego in Spring 2021. Redshirt junior Matt Ross (Naperville, Ill. / Montini Catholic [Eastern Illinois]) is battling with Contreras for the top spot at the X position, and both will see significant playing time. The same goes for redshirt freshman Dom Grguric (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit) and redshirt junior Solomon Davis (Brighton, Tenn. / Brighton), who are the top pair at the Z position. Redshirt sophomore Diego Del Castillo (Murrieta, Calif. / Rancho Verde) will provide depth at both wide receiver spots.

In the slot, redshirt junior Jordan Bingham (Indianapolis, Ind. / North Central) had one of Valpo’s biggest catches of the Fall 2021 season, a game-winning 30-yard TD with 1:05 remaining in Valpo’s 24-21 victory at Drake on Sept. 25. The speedy Chuck Maxwell (Elkhart, Ind. / Elkhart Christian Academy) will also see time at slot receiver.

“The receiving corps could be a strength of our team,” Fox said. “We have a lot of guys in that group who have played significant football for us. We are looking forward to utilizing the talent that we have in this position group.”

Tight End

Redshirt sophomore Jake Vickers (Canton, Mich. / Canton) is atop the Week 1 depth chart in a position group that also includes East Tennessee State transfer Dawson Pierson (Kingsport, Tenn. / Dobyns Bennett [ETSU]) as well as redshirt freshman Evan Jernegan (Altadena, Calif. / St. Francis) and redshirt junior Alex Conlin (Louisville, Ky. / duPont Manual).

“We have a number of guys who will play in our tight end room,” Fox said. “You’re always looking for those big skilled guys. They have the build to do a variety of different things, whether that’s blocking, receiving or special teams. Vickers played a decent amount of football for us last year, and Dawson is very similar to Jake.”

Offensive Line

When it comes to the Valpo offensive line, redshirt senior left tackle Aaron Byrd (Bradley, Ill. / Bourbonnais) has become a household name as a veteran of 29 career games who has twice earned the team’s offensive lineman of the year award. Other linemen with significant experience include redshirt junior center Drew Parrish (New Lenox, Ill. / Lincoln Way Central) and junior right guard Carter Woody (Fort Mills, S.C. / Charlotte Catholic).

Redshirt freshman left guard Ryan Merklinger (Savannah, Ga. / Calvary Day) and redshirt sophomore right tackle Keith Szczpanski (Batavia, N.Y. / Batavia Notre Dame) are also projected starters. Redshirt freshman Brett Gray (Vancouver, Wash. / Skyview) and redshirt junior Danny Files (Lake Orion, Mich. / Cranbrook-Kingswood) are both expected to see significant snaps as well.

“Coach Pat Denecke has done a great job with our offensive line,” Fox said. “We’ve seen growth from that group in the spring and into the fall. The nice thing is that we have depth and we’ve created competition at all of the positions. We’ll see a little bit of a rotation this year at guard and tackle, which is a good thing for the program. This group is unified, understands the schemes and knows what we’re trying to accomplish on offense.”

Defensive Line

A clear strength on the team last season, the defensive line will look to keep the success rolling despite several key graduation losses within the position group. Junior Kurt Kessen (Shelby Township, Mich. / Utica) is the group’s most experienced returner, while redshirt sophomore Sam Hafner (Green Bay, Wis. / De Pere) joins Kessen in providing leadership.

Freshman Chase Randall (Tucson, Ariz. / Canyon Del Oro), redshirt freshman Kevin Spelman (New Lenox, Ill. / Providence Catholic), redshirt freshman George Trojanek (Carpentersville, Ill. / IMC Academy), redshirt freshman George Dristiliaris (Lowell, Mass. / Lowell), redshirt senior Fletcher Christian (San Diego, Calif. / Helix) and junior Trent Miller (Gibsonia, Pa. / Pine-Richland) are the other players on the defensive line two-deep for the opening week. 

“The defensive line is an inexperienced group that is going to have to establish an identity,” Fox said. “We have to show the ability to play the run and also get after the passer. Kurt and Sam do a nice job in terms of leadership as they’ve both been a part of the program for three years and Kurt has played a lot of football for us. Sam has established himself as being very consistent day-to-day between last spring and this fall.”

Linebacker

Redshirt junior Evan Annis (Hilliard Ohio / Hilliard Davidson) is an emotional leader of the team, while redshirt senior Ben Hines (Snohomish, Wash. / Archbishop Murphy [Washington]) has claimed a starting role after joining the program as a transfer. Senior Anthony Sciarroni (Columbus, Ohio / St. Francis DeSales [Alderson Broaddus at Findlay]) is projected to start at nickelback.

Others in the mix are junior Adam Mekky (Mount Prospect, Ill. / Prospect), redshirt freshman Jake Birmingham (River Forest, Ill. / Oak Park and River Forest), redshirt sophomore James Doerer (Grosse Pointe, Mich. / Grosse Pointe South) and freshman Wade Abrams (Fox River Grove, Ill. / Cary-Grove).

“Ben Hines has done a nice job coming in and establishing himself as a starting middle linebacker,” Fox said. “Sciarroni is another guy with experience in our program. He played safety last year. Evan is a vocal and emotional leader for us.”

Secondary

At the safety position, fifth-year Kohlton Sherman (Millington, Mich. / Millington), sophomore Colin Graves (Seattle, Wash. / Bishop Blanchet) and redshirt junior Austin Chilton (Windermere, Fla. / West Orange) will all see significant playing time. Redshirt senior Tyler Days (Syracuse, N.Y. / Cicero-North Syracuse [Boston College]) will provide depth at that position. Sherman was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team last season, while Chilton ranked third on the team with 60 tackles and second on the squad with 37 solo stops.

Junior Keyon Turner (Chicago, Ill. / Marist) burst onto the scene by holding the outright national lead in takeaways as a true freshman in Spring 2021, earning HERO Sports Freshman All-American honors and finishing as a Jerry Rice Award finalist. Fifth-year Jadarius Horton (Charlotte, N.C. / West Charlotte [Southwestern College]) returns to start at the other corner after earning All-PFL Honorable Mention each of the last two seasons.

Sophomore Max Franco (La Habra, Calif. / La Habra) and redshirt senior Ousmane Dabo (Columbus, Ohio / Westland [Eastern Kentucky]) will also be factors at the cornerback spot. Junior Garner Jones (Brentwood, Tenn. / Brentwood) and redshirt freshman Caleb Rao (Liberty Township, Ohio / Lakota West) have moved from wide receiver to defensive back to provide additional depth.

“The secondary has a lot of experience and depth,” Fox said. “We have to play well on the back end. Corner is really deep. We’ve moved two players to DB to put them in the best position to play as soon as possible, and they’ll both see time in the defensive backfield as well as on special teams.”

Specialists

Redshirt senior kicker Brian Bartholomew (Sugar Grove, Ill. / Kaneland) is back after earning First Team All-PFL honors each of the last two seasons. After joining the program as a walk-on, Bartholomew has become the league’s finest kicker. He finished tied for second in single-season program history with 12 made field goals and ranked fifth in the program record book with 32 made PATs a year ago. While Bartholomew has established himself as the placekicker, redshirt freshman Ryan Hawk (Columbus, Ohio / Bishop Hartley) will push Bartholomew for kickoff duties.

Ben Niesner has graduated after becoming one of the best punters in Pioneer Football League history during his time with the Brown & Gold. The Beacons have welcomed another transfer at that position, as redshirt senior Evan Matthes (Reston, Va. / South Lake [West Virginia]) will serve as the team’s punter after four years at West Virginia. Junior Chuck Maxwell (Elkhart, Ind. / Elkhart Christian Academy) is a Preseason All-PFL choice at kick returner after leading the league in kickoff return yardage last season.

“We expect big things from Bart in the PAT/field goal department,” Fox said. “Like all of our transfers, Evan is a mature, smart kid. Chuck has established himself as a very good kick returner in this league over the last few years.”