EDWARDSVILLE – The Wilkes University football team returns to the field in 2024 for their sophomore season in the Landmark Conference after a successful first campaign that saw them go 5-6 overall and 4-2 in conference play, finishing the season with a win in the Cape Henry Bowl over Bridgewater College. Longtime Colonel assistant coach David Biever begins his tenure as the tenth head coach in program history after the departure of Jonathan Drach, and with a blend of returning talent and exciting first year student-athletes, will look to improve upon the success of last season.

The new-look Colonels' first test will be against longtime rival King's College in the 28^th annual Mayor's Cup game, a test on the road on Saturday, September 7 at 6:00 p.m. This is the second consecutive year that the game will open the season for both teams, a placement that Biever believes keeps the team fired up.

"To be able to wake up in the offseason, in the summer, in camp, every day and have motivation to go play those guys, it's been really easy to bring the energy every day," he said.

Wilkes' non-conference opponents remain unchanged from the 2023 season, as they welcome Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to Schmidt Stadium for the home opener on Friday, September 13., before a trip to SUNY Brockport the next week. Finally, the Colonels close out non-league schedule with St. John Fisher University (Homecoming) on September 28.

The schedule remains strong as the Colonels transition to league play, with games against Juniata College, Lycoming College, Keystone College, Susquehanna University, Catholic University, and Moravian University (Senior Day).

"We did a lot of offseason training to get ready for the first couple of weeks, and last year it was a learning curve playing those teams that are ranked in the top 25 and ready to go from the beginning to the end of the season," Biever said. "Having the ability to compete with the Landmark teams showed that those first four weeks of not always being ahead in the scoreboard taught us lessons we learned but then in Landmark play it also taught us also how to play and compete at a higher level and taught us in the offseason how to train at a higher level."

Despite losing some productive skill players in the offseason, the Colonels return three All-Landmark selections in skill positions on offense. Leading the way is All-Landmark First Team selection Elijah Jules (Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank Catholic), who was top of the rushing charts for the second consecutive season in 2023, totaling 766 yards with three touchdowns. He also caught 24 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown, putting him just under 1,000 all-purpose yards on the year. Also adding depth to the running back room are sophomore Ben Contella (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills) (12 attempts, 48 yards, 1 touchdown), along with four first year players in the backfield.

Another member of the All-Landmark First Team, senior tight end Jason Dean (Auburn, PA/Blue Mountain) was crucial in the Colonels' Cape Henry Bowl win, catching two touchdowns on the day. He also worked hard in the trenches as a part of the dynamic Wilkes run offense and will play an expanded role this season.

Devin Higgins (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley), an All-Landmark Honorable Mention, leads an all-senior quartet at wide receiver alongside Jimmy Johnson (Fallston, MD/Fallston), Zane Grover (East Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg), and Justin Moore (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern Regional). The four wideouts combined for 1,388 yards across 94 receptions with 13 touchdowns in 2023.

Xavier Powell (Poughkeepsie, NY/Arlington) is the lone senior of the quarterback room and has been in a competition for the starting spot all summer. Also in that battle are Junior Cooper King (Northampton, PA/Northampton), who only played in two games in 2023, and sophomore Anthony Torres Jr. (Philadelphia, PA/Cheltenham), who played in just one game last season. Biever has still not named a starting quarterback.

Whoever is starting under center can rest easy knowing that the stout Colonel offensive line returns four of five starters from last season, including All-Landmark selections Mauro Guarino (Cedar Grove, NJ/Cedar Grove) and Aidan Palochik (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth Area), as well as fellow seniors Anthony Messina (Bellmore, NY/Mepham) and Damian Grullon (North Miami Beach, FL/North Miami Beach). As a unit, they helped lead the second-best rush offense in the Landmark Conference and only allowed 17 sacks total in 2023.

On the other side of the ball, new defensive coordinator Chris Bantell has a plethora of returning talents at his disposal, including three all-conference selections from last season.

Angel Ramos (Allentown, PA/Parkland) leads the defensive line off the back of one of his most productive seasons. The Allentown, Pa. native set a new career-high in tackles (68), had 13.5 tackles for loss, and his second-straight 10-sack season. His play earned him not only All-Landmark First Team honors, but his first regional recognition as a First Team All-Region 2 defensive tackle by D3football.com. He is joined by two more seniors in Kellen Redmond (St. Petersburg, FL/Calvary Christian) and Steele Hess (Allentown, PA/Whitehall) who combined for 117 total tackles, 10 TFLs, and 4 sacks. Hess was also named All-Landmark Second Team in 2023.

At the second level, junior Tallen Murray (Vineland, NJ/Saint Joseph Academy) anchors the linebacking corps coming off of a 2023 campaign where he led the team and the Landmark Conference in tackles with 103, earning him First Team All-Landmark honors. Joining him are seniors De'von James and Jesse Addesso (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph's by the Sea), with Addesso expected to split time at linebacker and at safety. Addesso was sixth on the team in tackles in 2023 with 54 and led the team in interceptions (3) and pass breakups (6).

Joining Addesso at the top of the PBU charts in 2023 was Donnell Mackey-Woodson, who now leads the defensive back room in his senior year. He is joined by Leroy Marshall (Cambria Heights, NY/Christ the King) as the senior leadership in the room, mixed with the youth of sophomores Rob Barbieri (Avoca, PA/Pittston Area) and Michael Kevin Cornick III (West Philadelphia, PA/William Penn), who played valuable roles as first-years in 2023. Cornick registered one interception that season while both him and Barbieri broke up three passes each and combined for 51 tackles.

On special teams, Alex Orlando (Allentown, PA/Emmaus) earned All-Conference honors for the second consecutive year, leading the conference with an average punt distance of 41.2 yards, a new program record. The Emmaus, Pa. native had seven punts that pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line, and seven over 50 yards, another record in Wilkes' internet era (since 2004). Junior Nick Volpone (Delco, PA/Ridley) will be the placekicker after a record-setting year where he made 43 PATs, the most in Wilkes' internet era.

In total, the team consists of 29 seniors that have brought a tremendous foundation to the team for the season ahead.

"Having all 29 seniors on the field, leadership really comes day by day. It's kind of who steps up each day to set the tone for the day," he stated. "Guys like Higgins, Guarino, Grover, Dean on offense along with Palochik, and then defensively guys like Ramos, Addesso, Mackey-Woodson who have been around for a long time, and then having young guys step up like Barbieri on defense to organize the secondary has been really good for our team to see old leaders and young leaders step up every single day to bring the energy and juice."

Biever also stated how the energy from the senior class has made its way to the first-year student-athletes, forcing them to get up to speed quickly.

"Our freshmen right now have really gotten a trial by fire," he continued. "Having 29 seniors to go up against every day they got welcomed to college football really quick. There was no learning curve, it was 'let's go and let's go and compete', and we've had a lot of young guys step up and compete every day. They will be on special teams, they will have roles on offense and defense, but it will be a senior-led football team when we come out on Saturday."

With the Mayor's Cup just days away, Biever reflected on the importance of the game.

"Obviously this is a huge game for the area, it's a huge game for our players, but it sets the tone for who we're going to be for the season," he said. "I'm excited for our guys to go out and compete and show who they are now and who this senior-led team is going to be and who we want to be for 60 minutes of football and let the scoreboard end up where it ends up."