The Yeomen football program is coming off one of its most successful seasons in recent memory. Smashing multitudes of offensive records as well as returning twenty starters, twelve of whom play on the offensive side of the ball, the 2007 squad is looking to keep the momentum going.

Among those returning twenty starters, seniors Cassius Harris, Mark Miller, Chris Pisani; juniors R.V. Carroll and LaKristopher DeVant; and captains Chris Schubert and Chase Palmer received All-NCAC nods in 2006.

Junior all-region quarterback Greg Mangan will quarterback the Oberlin offense. Tall and solid with an ability to fire the ball into a receiver’s chest, Mangan will surely continue to come close to, if not surpass, the records he set last season. In 2006, he set new standards for Oberlin in passing yards, total yards and completion percentage.

Mangan’s protection will come from an offensive line spearheaded by Miller that also includes seniors Caleb Buck and Justin Catalano and junior Max Roessler.

Carroll, Harris and Schubert all look to continue the momentum that made them a lethal trio during the 2006 season. Carroll proverbially set the record book aflame by rushing off with eight new records including rushing yards, touchdowns and points in one game, overall points and touchdowns in a game, rushing yards and touchdowns in a season — not to mention already claiming the title of most rushing yards in a career.

Defensively, Palmer, Pisani and DeVant will lead a group of Yeomen that returns eight starters. Pisani, the lone first-team All-NCAC conference selection in 2006, will look to add onto his already impeccable career sack record as well as increase his career tackles for loss marks that have him ranked fifth on the all-time Oberlin list. He will lead a defensive line that includes juniors A.J. Greene and John Feazell.

Behind the line, the linebackers include senior Geoff Sirockman, junior Max Helzberg and first-year Austin Richards. Backfield play will be led by DeVant and Palmer. Palmer, a second-team All-NCAC conference player last year, was recently named to the Street & Smith’s magazine preseason All-American team. With help coming from seniors Cody Hartley, Clayton Thurmer and Mike Evans, the defensive back unit will look to ward off the opposition’s offense by keeping a zero on the scoreboard.

Unfortunately for the Yeomen, on September 1, they came up against a Case Western Reserve University opponent that laid the men to rest by besting the team before halftime.

The contest initially started out as planned for Coach Ramsey as Evans returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown halfway through the first quarter to put the Yeomen up early at 6-0. Evans’ interception rattled the cage of a Case team that finally was released thereafter, scoring four unanswered touchdowns to put the game out of reach.

Carroll tried his best to keep the game close, scoring on a ten yard run to bring the score to 13-27, but a field goal and touchdown later for Case led the scoreline to read 13-37. Oberlin ended the game with a safety to make the final scoreline 15-37 in favor of Case Western.

Defensively, the Yeomen were spurred on by the fantastic play of DeVant who led the team with eight and a half tackles, three and a half of them for a loss of yardage, including a sack. Offensively, Schubert caught nine passes for 80 yards to lead the Yeomen.

Overall, Coach Jeff Ramsey’s football program has started to establish a name that equates success with Oberlin. 2006 proved to be a breakout year for a program that has seen some truly dark days in its history, but 2007 looks to set another benchmark on the continuum of accomplishment, an over .500 winning record.