Pictured Above: Senior LB Mike Lombardo (left) and redshirt sophomore cornerback Jarrett Dieudonne are two of the 18 Seahawk Florida natives returning to their home state when Wagner meets Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton.

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In 2012, the Wagner College football team is looking to build upon the momentum generated by ending the 2011 season with three consecutive wins. The Seahawks will enter the season with a bit of a chip on their shoulders after being picked seventh in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Preseason Poll.
 
After becoming just the second NEC team to ever face an FBS foe (Central Connecticut-Western Michigan in 2007) in the season opener vs. Florida Atlantic on Aug. 31, the Seahawks take to the road again in week two, traveling to Georgetown for a 1:00 pm tilt vs. the Hoyas in our nation's capital.
 
The home, and NEC opener, on September 15 vs. Monmouth is a date the Seahawk faithful has had circled for some time. In July, Wagner College announced that prior to the September 15 opener, the field at Wagner College Stadium will be named Hameline Field, in honor of long-time Athletic Director (AD) and Head Football Coach Walt Hameline.
 
Hameline Field will be officially dedicated in a ceremony prior to the game and at halftime Wagner will honor  the 25th anniversary of its 1987 Division III National Championship. Hameline is one of just eight active Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) coaches to win 200 games with a 31-20 victory over Monmouth. He also ranks 16th all-time among FCS coaches and 18th among active NCAA coaches and  enters the 2012 season with an overall record of 204-123-2 (.622) over his 31-year head coaching career at Wagner.
 
In his 32nd season at the helm, Hameline will preside over a Seahawk team that returns eight starters on offense and six starters on defense, while all told 52 lettermen return.
 
Offense
When Wagner has the ball, Seahawk fans will have their eyes trained on three of the NEC's top offensive threats in senior quarterback Nick Doscher (Staten Island, NY/ Moore Catholic), redshirt-junior running back Dominique Williams (Bridgeton, NJ/ Bridgeton) and fifth-year senior wide receiver David Crawford (Carrollton, TX/ Hebron).
 
The last time this lethal trio of weapons was healthy and on the field together was in week three of last season, a September 17, 2011 home encounter with Central Connecticut. Towards the end of the down-to-the-wire 28-24 loss to the Blue Devils, Crawford suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Minus their top offensive perimeter threat, and with the mobile Doscher showing some effects from the several jarring hits he absorbed over the ensuing weeks, Wagner found itself with a 1-7 record and saddled with a seven-game losing streak.
 
Undaunted, the Seahawks rallied, summoning a 27-21 home win over Sacred Heart on November 5 which kick-started a season-ending three-game winning streak, capped by impressive road wins over Robert Morris and Monmouth. Buoyed by the three consecutive wins the closed the 2011 campaign, Wagner is brimming with optimism on the eve of the 2012 season opener, an 8:00 pm clash at Florida Atlantic on Friday, August 31.
 
Quarterback
Doscher, a dual threat who can win games with his arm or his legs, enters the 2012 season having already secured the No. 1 spot in Wagner history in total offense (running and passing) with 6,037 yards. The 25-year old, who spent four years playing professionally as a catcher in the Kansas City Royals farm system, is also third all-time in the Seahawk record books in completions (324), and touchdown passes (31). In addition, his 16 TD passes in 2010 are tied for fifth on the Wagner single-season list.
 
The rugged 6-2, 225-pounder, who burst onto the scene in 2009 as a 21-year old freshman by earning First-Team All-NEC honors, has been out of the lineup just once due to injury in his 32-game career but he has sat out the last two spring practice sessions following off-season surgeries. Wagner has depth at the quarterback spot. Junior mid-year transfer Kramer Berg (Plymouth, MN/ Rochester CC & Technical) took part in spring practice and looked comfortable in April's Green & White Scrimmage where he completed 8-of-12 passes for 75 yards, including a five-yard touchdown. As a sophomore Rochester CC last season, the 6-3, 210-pound Berg completed 142-of-261 passes for 2,341 yards and a school-record 28 touchdowns while throwing just three interceptions.
 
Also competing for a spot on the depth chart is redshirt sophomore Matt Misley (Park Ridge, NJ/ Park Ridge) who performed capably in his one start and in several substitute appearances last season. The athletic Misley displayed a cool, calm demeanor when thrown into the fire last year, completing 35-of-84 passes for 353 yards.
 
Tight End
The Seahawks boast a pair of more than capable tight ends in junior Joe Sidaras (Mastic Beach, NY/ William Floyd) and redshirt sophomore Bryant Watts. In 2011, the 6-3, 235-pound Sidaras burst onto the scene in his first season as a Seahawk, growing into one of the top tight ends in the NEC as the season unfolded.  Seeing action in 10 games, while starting eight, he caught 20 passes for a team-high 293 yards and one touchdown while his 20 receptions ranked second the squad.  Watts, meanwhile, is an impressive physical presence at 6-5, 260 and is a prospect the staff feels has just scratched the surface of what he will become. Watts saw action in six games in 2011 while starting one and caught one pass for six yards. Together with Sidaras, he helps form a potentially formidable two tight end tandem for the Green & White.
 
Wide Receiver
The rangy and athletic 6-4, 215-pound Crawford is one of the top returning talents in the NEC. A Second-Team All-NEC selection as a sophomore in 2010, he enters the 2012 campaign with 72 career receptions which leave him 34 shy of cracking the Wagner all-time Top-10. Sophomore Anthony Carrington (Toms River, NJ/ Toms River North) is a potential big-play performer and be a dangerous complement to Crawford. As a true freshman in 2011, he displayed soft hands and a smooth running while appearing in seven games where he caught three passes for 36 yards.
 
In 2011, 5-7, 150-pound Wandy Saintilien (Miami, FL/ ASA College) proved to be a true game-changer and playmaker in his first season on Grymes Hill after transferring from ASA College. Now a senior, Saintilien is a potent slot receiver with a penchant for plucking short passes and turning them into big gains. He finished second on the team with 686 all-purpose yards on 411 kick return yards, 249 receiving yards, and 19 rushing yards, while scoring two touchdowns on the season. Senior Dan Ford (Staten Island, NY/ St. Peter's) is a sure-handed, reliabie slot receiver.
 
While Doscher and Williams were minus Crawford for most of last season, it was Williams who was on the sideline the year before, sitting out the entire 2010 campaign while rehabbing a knee injury suffered in preseason camp after serving notice of potential great things to come by rushing for 642 yards in 2009.
 
In the 2011 season opener, the 5-9, 200-pound Williams left no doubt that his knee was sound as he rumbled for 180 yards on 26 carries and two touchdowns to lift Wagner to a 38-28 victory over Saint Francis (PA) (9/3).Williams, meanwhile, has developed into one of the household names in the NEC as well as on the national stage. For his efforts, Williams was named NEC Player of the Week, and CollegeFootballPerformance.com National Running Back of the Week. His 1,388 yards rushing last season rank sixth in Wagner history and he enters the 2012 season eighth on the Wagner all-time rushing list with 1,982 career yards. All told, Williams has rushed for 100 or more yards in 12 of 19 career games, topped by a career-high 32-carry, 216-yard, four-touchdown effort on Nov. 11, 2011.
 
Sophomore Otis Wright (Fort Lauderdale, FL/ Dillard) showed glimpses of his potential, mainly on kickoff returns. The 5-10, 180-pound Wright made great strides in the spring and on into preseason camp. Redshirt freshman Ralph Greene (Tigard, OR/ Tigard) at 5-7, 170, is a diminutive dynamo who has shown a combination of burst, agility and quick feet.
 
Throwing many of the lead blocks for Williams and company will be sophomore fullback Patrick Gibbons (Carthage, NY/ Milford academy), a physical 6-1, 250-pounder who caught four balls out of the backfield in 2011.
 
Offensive Line
Wagner's most productive and experienced returning starter on the offensive line is fifth-year senior Steve Ciocci (Royersford, PA / Spring-Ford) , who was the lone Seahawk named to the All-Northeast Conference (NEC) Preseason Team. The 6-4, 290-pound Ciocci has been a fixture on the right side of the offensive line the last two seasons and enters the 2012 campaign having drawn starting assignments in 12 consecutive games dating back to the 2010 season. The battle-tested and durable Ciocci has 11 career starts at right tackle, eight at right guard and three at center. A transfer from Temple, Ciocci has started in 22 of the 30 career games that he has played.
 
Off the field, Ciocci has made a huge impact in the Wagner and Staten Island communities with his charitable work. In July, he was nominated for the 2012 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, a prestigious award that recognizes a select group of college football players committed to making a difference in their communities and for their commitment to volunteerism.  The 22-person 2012 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team will be announced in September.
 
Senior Brendan Byrne (Slate Hills, NY / Minisink Valley) has the inside track on the right guard spot. In 2011, Byrne spent time at left guard, evolving into a key cog in Wagner's season-ending three-game winning streak.  Sean Pearson (Scotch Plains, NJ/ St. Peter's Prep) developed into a mainstay on the Seahawk offensive line in 2011, starting eight games at left tackle while seeing action in 10. A versatile performer who can play both tackle positions and guard, has seen action in 14 career games and will likely open the season at right tackle. Wagner found a winner last season in David Fredrickson (Staten Island, NY/ Poly Prep), a rare left-handed center, who made the position his own in last season, showing prowess and durability while starting all  games.
 
Defense
Somewhat quietly, lost a bit perhaps due to the injuries to several high-profile players on offense, the Seahawk defense ranked No. 1 in the NEC in 2011 in three different categories: rushing defense (141.1 yards per game), red zone defense (71.8%) and takeaways (29). Last year's Seahawk defense was led by a trio of seniors who went on to sign NFL Free Agent contracts in outside linebacker Julian Stanford (Jacksonville Jaguars), who also earned First-Team All-NEC honors, defensive back Jeremiah Brown (Jacksonville Jaguars) and defensive end Quintin Anderson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
 
Linebacker
Wagner returns seven of its nine leading tacklers overall in 2012. Headlining this year's defense will be the senior inside linebacker tandem of #C.O. Prime# (Laval, Quebec/ The Kent School) and Mike Lombardo, (Jupiter, FL/ Jupiter Christian) who combined for 162 tackles a year ago. Prime is a big, physical and attacking linebacker at 6-1, 255. One of the top returning defensive players in the NEC, the coaching staff gave Prime a long, hard look at nose tackle during the spring. He opened preseason camp there but was eventually shifted back to his familiar linebacker position where he has amassed 200 tackles, No. 1 among active Seahawks. He finished the 2011 campaign two behind the team-leader Lombardo, with 80 tackles. He also recorded 1.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, three pass-breakups, one interception (which he returned for a touchdown), and one fumble recovery, His four forced fumbles tied for tops in the NEC.
 
Prime's running mate at inside backer, Lombardo, made a huge impact in his first season as a Seahawk after transferring from Arkansas St. The 6-1, 230-pound Lombardo is blessed with exceptional instincts and leadership skills. He saw action in all 11 games while starting 10 at inside linebacker during his maiden voyage as a Seahawk. His 82 tackles not only lead the team (41 solo, 41 assisted), it ranked ninth-best in the NEC. Lombardo also recorded six sacks which tied for sixth in the NEC and tops on the team, while he was second on the team with 8.5 tackles for loss.
 
Defensive Line
The Seahawks will be a bit untested up front, due to graduation and injury,  but there is plenty of promise. The coaching staff is high on 6-2, 250-pound junior Davon Johnson (Baltimore, MD/ASA College), an active and athletic defensive end who flashed in both the spring practice sessions and preseason camp. Jerome Williams, fifth-year senior and an incoming transfer from UConn, is a physical specimen at 6-1, 255 and the Seahawks are hoping for big things from him.
 
Secondary
Wagner sports several proven commodities in the defensive backfield. Redshirt sophomore Jarrett Dieudonne (Fort Lauderdale, FL/ Dillard) is a transfer from Purdue who had a major impact as a redshirt freshman in 2011. A punishing tackler, who also possesses tremendous cover skills, he started in all 11 games, finishing sixth on the team in tackles (52) and third in interceptions (2).
 
Opposite Dieudonne at the other corner spot is senior Torian Phillips (Staten Island, NY/ Port Richmond) a productive local product and a transfer from Syracuse. Named to the CFPA Defensive Backs Watch List, Phillips saw action in all 11 games, becoming a starter cornerback after switching from running back where he excelled in 2010 following the season-ending injury sustained by Dominique Williams. He had 49 tackles (seventh on the team), five tackles for loss, four interceptions, three pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one blocked kick. His four interceptions were tops on the team and tied for second-best in the NEC.
 
Junior free safety Patrick O'Connor (Leominster, MA/ Leominster) is a solid, steady performer who is coming off a 51-tackle campaign. Senior strong safety Sidiq Soulemana (Bronx, NY/ Hudson Valley CC), is now settled in has a high ceiling to his game. After transferring from junior college in 2011, he went on to record 19 tackles but big things are expected this year from this aggressive, hard-hitting athlete.  Redshirt-sophomore Blake Bascom (Monroe Township, NJ/ Monroe) and junior D'Metrius Smith (Prince George, MD/ Milford Academy) will provide quality depth in the Seahawk secondary.
 
Special Teams
The Seahawks feel very good about their kicking game heading into 2012. Senior David Lopez (Plantation, FL/ American Heritage) appears to be back on the beam physically, as the familiar sound of his right foot thumping the ball has been heard throughout training camp.
 
Lopez is an accomplished kicker who earned Second-Team All-NEC honors as a sophomore in 2010 before missing the final eight games of the 2011 campaign due to a nagging, non- contact back injury. He started the first three games of the 2011 campaign before his season was shortened due to injury. In those three games, he went 4-for-5 on field goals and 8-for-8 on point after touchdown attempt.  In the season-opening 38-28 win over Saint Francis (PA) (9/3), Lopez hit a 40 yard field goal and was a perfect 5-for-5 on PATs.
 
The man with the inside track as the team's starting punter is redshirt sophomore #A.J. Firestone# (Mercersburg/ Mercersburg Academy), a former walk-on at Penn St. who showed flashed of brilliance during his first season on Grymes Hill last year. He appeared in six games during his freshman season, booting 24 punts for 914 yards, 38.1 yard average. On the season, Firestone had two touchbacks, two fair caught and five downed inside the 20.
 
A pair of wide receivers are ticketed to be the starting kickoff return tandem in shifty 5-7, 150-pound senior Wandy Saintilien (Miami, FL/ ASA College) and hard-charging 6-1, 200-pound sophomore Josh Talbott (Jupiter, FL/ Jupiter Christian). Back deep again to return punts is the always dangerous Dominique Williams who averaged 7.8 yards per return last season.