Leopards football preview: TV, Internet and roster news

Coach John Garrett addresses the Leopards at the end of the final training-camp practice.

This is the day! At noon, we’ll get together with Coach John Garrett and a couple of is players to talk about the season opener at Monmouth.

My preseason stories appeared in today’s Morning Call, but when I checked The Call’s website, I didn’t see the schedule and the possible starting lineups that ran in agate in the paper.

The schedule includes the television and computer online coverage of the Leopards’ games. Pretty impressive stuff by Scott Morse and the crew at Lafayette, with the LAFAYETTE Sports Network Carrying most of the load – on RCN cable Channel 4 and on WBPH Channel 60.

But the Monmouth game will be on ESPN3 only. And LSN will not be covering the Harvard or Georgetown games, although I don’t understand for the life of me would not want as much coverages As possible. Harvard’s game will be on North East Sports Network and the Ivy League Network; and Georgetown will be available only online through the Patriot League Network. The PLN online will carry all except the Monmouth game, so there is plenty of chance to see the Leopards without leaving home.

I personally like the fact that the schedule has only three 6 o’clock games, which are a nightmare for newspapers with early Saturday night deadlines. Purely selfish of me, isn’t it.

As for the lineups, these are not official. Coach Garrett said he’d have one for the luncheon today, but since our package was running earlier, I had to go with what I’ve seen and heard about who’s been doing what during preseason training camp.

If what we called “possible” in the newspaper turns out to be correct, the Leopards will have a freshman at QB. And if offensive tackle Cam Smith, a veteran of 23 starts and 25 games overall in his three previous seasons, isn’t ready because of a shoulder injury that has made him pretty much day-by-day at practice, another freshman could be on the o-line.

I’m pumped for the luncheon and I’m admittedly pumped for Saturday’s opener, too. I’ve seen some impressive stuff in camp, but as Coach G told me, “You can’t mimic the speed of the game in practice.”

I should have some more info in the next day or two.

THE SCHEDULE

Sept.  2 – at Monmouth (3) (ESPN3)

Sept.  9 – SACRED HEART (6) (RCN-4, WBPH-60, PLN)

Sept. 16 – at Villanova (6) (RCN-4, WBPH-60, ESPN3, PLN)

Sept. 23 – PRINCETON (6) ((RCN-4, WBPH-60, PLN)

Sept. 30 – at Holy Cross (1) (RCN-4, WBPH-60, MASN, PLN)

Oct. 7 – FORDHAM (3:30) (RCN-4, WBPH-60, PLN)

Oct. 14 –at Harvard (1) (NESN, Ivy League Network)

Oct. 21 – BUCKNELL (3:30) (RCN-4, WBPH-60, PLN)

Oct. 28 – Bye                                                     

Nov. 4 – at Georgetown (2) (PLN)

Nov. 11 – COLGATE (12:30) (RCN-4, WBPH-60, PLN)

Nov.18 – at Lehigh (12:30) (RCN-4, WBPH-60, PLN)

POSSIBLE STARTERS

OFFENSE

TE – Dylan Wadsworth (6-3, 240, Jr.)

WR – Matt Mrazek (6-4, 215, Jr.)

WR – Rocco Palumbo (6-0, 185, Jr.)

LT – Cam Smith (6-5, 310, Jr.)

LG – Gavin Barclay (6-5, 295, Fr.)

C – Mike Donnelly (6-4, 290 Sr.)

RG – Logan Grieser (6-3, 310, Jr.)

RT – Jake Marotti (6-6, 285, So.)

QB – Sean O’Malley (6-2, 200, Fr.)

TB – DeSean Brown (6-1, 195, Sr.)

FB-SB –Will Eisler (6-2, 245, Jr.)/Joey Chenoweth (5-11, 165, Jr.)

DEFENSE

E – Dante Lonardo (6-3, 255, Jr.)

T – Tony Giudice (6-2, 275 Jr.)/Demetrius Breedlove (6-2, 275, So.)

T – Matt Rothrock (6-2, 280, Sr.)/Andy Labudev (6-3, 270, Sr.)

E – Beau Bosch (6-5, 245, Sr.)

WLB – Brandon Bryant (5-11, 225, Sr.)

MLB – Michael Root (6-1, 230, Sr.)

SLB – Jerry Powe (6-1, 210, Jr.)

CB – Eric Mitchell (5-10, 185, So.)

SS – Yasir Thomas (5-11, 205, So.)

SS – Tymir Jones (6-3, 190, Sr.)

CB – Phillip Parham (5-10, 180, Sr.)

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK – Jacob Bissell (6-1, 205, Jr.)

P – Michael Turk (6-1, 215, Fr.)

KO – Bissell

KR – C.J. Amill (5-9, 185, Jr.)

PR – Amill

LS-SS – Michael Shiffert (6-1, 240, Sr.)

H – Turk