August 7, 2006

GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart football team will begin the season ranked 19th in the D3football.com preseason poll of sports information directors and media from across the country. The Statesmen, who return 15 starters, posted a 9-2 record in 2005 and made their fourth NCAA Playoff appearance in the past six seasons.

Hobart has been ranked in the top 25 of three other preseason polls. The Statesmen were picked 12th by Street & Smith’s, 14th by Don Hansen’s Football Gazette, and 21st by USA TODAY Sports Weekly.

The offense is expected to be Hobart’s strength this season, returning 10 starters. Senior quarterback Shawn Mizro (Newark/Newark, N.Y.) and senior running back Doug Blakowski (Iroquois/Elma, N.Y.) will headline the unit. Mizro, who has thrown for 4,407 yards and 47 touchdowns, is on the verge of breaking several career passing marks. Blakowski rushed for 1,364 yards a year ago, the third highest season total by a Statesman, and earned All-American honors from Football Gazette and D3football.com.

Defensively, Hobart will rely on senior linebacker Nolan Robinson (Johnson City/Johnson City, N.Y.), junior linebacker Jeff Sanders (Camden/Camden, N.Y.), and sophomore tackle Ryan Aruck (Canandaigua/Canandaigua, N.Y.) to provide a smothering pass rush, while the coaching staff brings an inexperienced secondary up to speed. The top three returning tacklers combined for 158 tackles, including 13 tackles for a loss in 2005.

The Statesmen open the season on Sept. 9, with a non-conference showdown on Boswell Field against Dickinson College.

2006 D3football.com Preseason Top 25

1  Mount Union (23)       14-1  623   1
2  UW-Whitewater (2)      14-1  601   2
3  Rowan                  11-2  518   4
4  St. John’s             11-1  492   7
5  Capital                10-3  456   5
6  Mary Hardin-Baylor      9-2  452  11
7  Linfield               10-1  447   3
8  Wesley                 12-2  432  10
9  Occidental              9-1  377   9
10 Union                  11-1  290  14
11 Hardin-Simmons          8-2  283  --
12 Delaware Valley        12-1  275   6
13 Bridgewater            10-2  273  12
14 Augustana              10-2  243  13
15 Washington & Jefferson  9-2  221  21
16 Concordia-Moorhead     10-2  205   8
17 Ohio Northern           8-2  202  18
18 Central                 9-2  169  20
19 HOBART                  9-2  147  22
20 Wabash                 11-1  141  15
21 North Central           9-2  140  16
22 Coe                     9-2  131  23
23 Wilkes                  8-3  120  --
24 Ithaca                  8-3  104  24
25 Thiel                  11-1   94  17