DEFENSE: Catapano, Starks leave big shoes to fill

Can an Ivy League defense lose two players to the NFL and recreate its magic from last season? A year after the Tigers’ defense paved the way toward Princeton’s first bonfire season in six years, the new lineup will be key if the Tigers are to replicate or even surpass last season’s success. To do that, Princeton will need to fill the shoes left by Mike Catapano ’13, defensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs, and linebacker Andrew Starks ’13.

Fortunately, the Tigers will have plenty of their strongest players from last season when they kick off for the season opener against No. 22 Lehigh on Saturday night. Senior defensive lineman Caraun Reid and sophomore cornerback Anthony Gaffney will lead the defense of co-coordinators Steve Verbit and Jim Salgado in a retooled unit that will need to sustain last season’s excellence if the Tigers are to compete for an Ivy League title.

“It’s always tough losing guys like Catapano, Starks, [safety Mandela] Schaeffer [’13], [linebacker Tim] Kingsbury [’13],” senior safety Philip Bhaya told GoPrincetonTigers.com. “Those guys were great players for us. But coming into this year, with more guys having real game action, meaningful game action … will allow us to start fast this coming season and also be able to finish the season strong since we’ve already been there.”

The defensive line has provided the foundation of Princeton’s defensive success, with Reid and Catapano teaming up for the Ancient Eight’s best duo in the trenches last season. Reid is back to anchor the line after his All-America and first-team All-Ivy season last year. Senior defensive linemen Greg Sotereanos, who started all 10 games for the Tigers with 32 tackles, and Matt Landry, who had 22 tackles while rotating between defensive end and linebacker, join him up front. This makes the defensive line the most experienced unit for Princeton on either side of the ball. This trio produced 94 tackles, 16 tackles for loss totaling 68 yards and eight sacks resulting in a loss of 51 yards. Junior Victor Prato and sophomores Ian McGeary and Evan Kappatos will rotate to fill out the rest of the line, and they will need to step up to maintain the consistent pass pressure that has been so valuable for the Tigers so far. Meanwhile, Princeton’s run stop should continue to be excellent, as it had one of the best rushing defenses in the league last year.

Gaffney, the other returning first-team All-Ivy Tiger on defense, comes off a breakout freshman season with three interceptions, as well as major contributions on special teams. Plenty of eyes will be on the sophomore as he leads the secondary. Senior Trocon Davis, junior Jakobi Johnson and sophomore John Hill will compete for the other cornerback job and will all see plenty of time on the field when the Tigers expand the secondary on passing downs. Bhaya and sophomore safety Matt Arends will occupy the middle of Princeton’s backfield. Both have had the speed to play cornerback when needed in the past, but their moves into the middle will likely pay dividends in pass coverage for the Tigers. Passing defense was a weakness for Princeton last year, but the Tigers should be able to utilize their experience alongside the strong pass rush to limit opponents through the air.

“He [Arends] had a great offseason, put on some weight and now he’s back there at safety,” Bhaya said. “I think he’s more comfortable with it, flying around, making plays in the run game and also helping out in the pass game. From my standpoint, I’ve just been trying to help him out, since I made a very similar switch a year ago.”

Of course, in between the secondary and the defensive line is the unit on this team with perhaps the most questions coming into this season. The departure of Starks is a big loss for the linebackers, but Princeton has experience in the projected corps — just not playing in their current positions. Senior Alex Polofsky moves from middle to weak-side linebacker this year, notching 67 tackles, the most of any returning player. Senior outside linebacker Jason Ray also returns, in his second full year on defense after moving from fullback to linebacker at the start of last season. However, two juniors are expected to make perhaps the biggest impact for the Tigers. Garrit Leicht returns after missing the first half of the season last year due to injury and Mike Zeuli moves from safety to linebacker this season. Starks also made that same transition with incredible success, so there is high hope that Zeuli can follow in those footsteps.

Unlike in recent years, Princeton is flying under no one’s radar. But also unlike in recent years, these Tigers have proven themselves on the field. Even though Princeton gave up a lot of yards, its scoring defense was third in the league. The Tigers need to continue this in order to be successful. If Princeton is to take the next step forward and contend for an Ivy title, it will need an effort led by the defense, just as last year’s bonfire season was keyed by the defense. If the Tigers can maintain their rushing defense from last year and limit their opponents’ passing attack with the pass rush and improved pass coverage, the era of head coach Bob Surace ’90 could reach even more milestones than it did last year.

“Last year, we were talking about getting Princeton football back to where it should be,” Bhaya said. “But we weren’t really satisfied with that end result. Now, coming off a 5-5 season, with more confidence, with more experience, we’re not trying to get Princeton back. We’re trying to win an Ivy League championship.”