John Jay Football: The Future of the Program

The John Jay Men’s Football team had a fairly successful football season in 2016. The team went 6-3 with promising wins over Harrison, Tappan Zee, Pearl River, Sleepy Hollow, Panas, and a bowl game win against Hendrick Hudson. However, the team already has it’s eyes focused on 2017. The Indians are hoping to have a very successful season this upcoming fall. The Indians don’t have many gaps to fill as they only lost three senior, starting positions.
The Indians offense should be just as strong as they were last season. The Indians have a loaded backfield with tandem Quarterbacks Matthew Lee and Bryce Ford. Both will now have plenty of experience after last season. Thor Adamec and Jaelen Ferrebee will remain as John Jay’s key running backs. The offensive line should be extremely strong with returning lineman Shahe Katchadurian and Halil Gecaj, who are two year starters with enough experience for the whole team. Joe O’Rourke is the team’s returning center. The other lineman that are competing for the two remaining spots are Juniors Nate Fisher and Ryan Hayes and Sophomore Tommy Megna. At the slot position, Juniors Sean Nolan and Joe Corelli had solid seasons last year and will have commanding roles next year as two of the primary receivers. The Indians lacked wide receivers this year and will expect to next year as well. However, Dean Ford will provide Jay with a deep threat, although they do not have another receiver on the opposite side.
The Indians defense, however, has several large gaps to fill. Safeties Jackson Rieger and Mark Machado will be leaving two empty spots at their position. At the linebacker position, Jay will lose starters Ethan Zimiles and Christian Stelluti who played significant minutes. At the defensive line, John Jay will lose Max Brown and Bim Gecaj. However, John Jay’s deep junior and sophomore class help them in terms of filling those spots and maintaining a strong defense. At cornerback, both Joe Corelli and Thor Adamec will be returning to their former roles. Linebacker Junior Liam Tassone, a 2016 starter, returns along with Tommy Megna who played in several games. The defensive line remains strong with Katchadurian and Gecaj returning.
Overall, John Jay has high expectations for the 2017 season with a surplus of returners with experience. John Jay’s senior leadership will be a factor in the team’s success as they return ten seniors.