Spokane, Wash. -- The fall of 2006 marks the 100th year of Whitworth College football, and perhaps never before in the previous 99 seasons have the Pirates had the same kind of pieces in place to make a serious run into the post season. With All-Americans and key starters returning on both sides of the ball, Whitworth could be in for a quite an autumn in the Pine Bowl.

"This is a special group of guys who have worked hard to put themselves in this position," said Whitworth head coach John Tully. "Their work ethic is excellent."

The Pirates return 16 starters in 2006, including ten on the defensive side of the ball. The Bucs have an All-American (AFCA, Football Gazette 1st Team, D3football.com 2nd Team) on offense in senior TE Michael Allan (Bellevue, Wash. - Interlake HS) and one (Football Gazette 1st Team; D3football.com 3rd Team) on defense in junior DB Ryan Marshall (Salem, Ore. - Sprague HS). Also back are several All-Northwest Conference selections from 2005, including senior QB Joel Clark (Spokane, Wash. - Mt. Spokane HS).

Allan and Clark, along with fellow seniors Steve Honeyman (OL, Kennewick, Wash. - Kamiakin HS) and Nick Portrey (LB, Ritzville, Wash. - Ritzville), will captain a team that includes a wide-open and high-scoring offense with an attacking and aggressive defense.

"These guys are outstanding leaders and have earned the respect of their teammates and the coaching staff," said Tully.

Defense:
Whitworth will return 10 starters on defense, losing only 2005 All-NWC tackle Austin Richard to graduation. But three other starters and several key reserves return on a defensive line that is big and physical. The Pirate defense finished second in the NWC in most major categories in 2005, including turnover margin and total defense.

Junior DE Justin Rundle (Spokane, Wash. - Mt. Spokane HS) is 6-6 and 250 pounds on one end of the defensive line. He had eight tackles for loss last season, including seven sacks totaling 57 yards. Junior Peter Clark (6-2, 240, Spokane, Wash. - Mead HS) was on the other end and had four sacks for 20 yards. Junior Dan Roberts (6-4, 240, Grand Coulee, Wash. - Lake Roosevelt HS) started every game at tackle last year and finished with 12 tackles and one sack.

Dusty Rasmussen (Sr., Seabeck, Wash. - Nisqaully HS) played in every game last year and will likely step into the open starting position. Jermane Easterlin (So., Tacoma, Wash. - Bellarmine Prep) also played in every game, providing key back up at both end spots. Travis Freeman (Jr., Royal City, Wash. - Royal City) and Dan Raible (So., So., Mesa, Ariz. - Red Mountain HS) provide outstanding depth on the line.

All three starting linebackers, plus several reserves with extensive experience, return this fall. Led by 2006 team captain Portrey, who had 45 tackles last year, the group is the kind of fast, athletic set needed to run the blitzing attack the Pirates have adopted over the last couple of seasons. Casey Clifton (Jr., Spokane, Wash. - University HS) clogs the middle, while Portrey takes one outside spot and Greg Caster (Jr., Sherwood, Ore. - Sherwood HS) takes the other. The trio combined for 21 tackles for losses totaling 91 yards last fall.

Tyler Hall (Sr., Newport Beach, Calif. - Goldenwest College) had 22 tackles through five games last year and had earned as much playing time as any of the starters before a knee injury ended his season. But he returns at full strength this year and will continue to challenge for a starting spot. Also back are a trio of players who made significant impacts off of the bench last fall: Jacob Riley (Jr., Vancouver, Wash. - Evergreen HS), Nate Hadley (Mukilteo, Wash. - Kamiak HS) and James Gelfer (So., Sammamish, Wash. - Eastlake HS). Trevor Nelson (So., University Place, Wash. - Life Christian HS) provides solid depth.

Ryan Marshall, who earned his All-American credentials by leading the NWC in pass interceptions (6) and total passes broken up (11) last season, returns to start at corner back. Mike Johnston (Jr., The Dalles, Ore. - The Dalles HS) broke up four passes as the starter at the other corner in 2005. Jay Tully (Jr., Spokane, Wash. - Mead HS) led Whitworth in total tackles with 63 last fall and was named Second Team All-NWC at strong safety. Phil Entel (Jr., Clarkston, Wash. - Clarkston HS / Univ. of Idaho) returns as the starting free safety, where he made 42 tackles last season.

Zac Farnam (Sr., Deer Park, Wash. - Deer Park HS) and Jordan Marshall (So., Spokane, Wash. - Mt. Spokane HS) saw extensive playing time off of the bench last fall, and Kyle Duncan (So., Kennewick, Wash. - Kamiakin), McLane Stone (So., Orcas Island, Wash. - Orcas Island HS) and Mark Grow (Jr., Warden, Wash. - Warden HS) will provide outstanding depth in the defensive backfield.

Two newcomers could also make an immediate impact on defense. Peter Ghilardi (Jr., Ridgecrest, Calif. - Burroughs HS) was the starting safety at Moorpark College (Calif.) last fall, and linebacker Brandon Martin (So., Sweethome, Ore. - Sweethome HS) was the Capital Conference defensive player of the year in 2004 before taking a year off of football while attending junior college in 2005-06.

"I am very excited to see how our defense plays," said Tully. "They have the opportunity to take a major step forward and be a real strength of the program."

Offense:
The Pirates have had one of the most explosive and efficient offenses in Division III football the last two seasons. Over the course of the last two years, the team has set school records for total offense, total offense per game and points per game. Also over the last two seasons, Whitworth has scored points on more than 83% of its redzone opportunities.

"This has obviously been a fun group to watch," said Tully. "We will be talented and able to score again this season."

The offense will center around the dangerous combination of Clark and Allan. Allan caught a school-record 15 touchdown passes last season. Six of those touchdowns came on fourth down. But Whitworth also returns its top runners from last season and the Pirates will operate behind a solid offensive line.

Clark was named First Team All-NWC last season as the conference coaches took the unusual step of naming two quarterbacks to the first team. In only eight games, Clark accumulated 2,668 yards of total offense – the second highest single season total in school history. If he completes this season, he will hold most career passing and total offense records available as a Pirate. In 2005 he completed 64% of his passes for 2,234 yards with 29 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He also ran for 434 more yards and four more scores.

Clark’s primary back-ups will be sophomores Kory Kemp (Redmond, Wash. - Eastlake HS) and Jon Luke (Enumclaw, Wash. - Enumclaw HS), who were both highly regarded out of high school, but have yet to play more than a couple of downs in a Pirate uniform. Also joining the squad this season is Ray Valle (Fr., Royal, Wash. - Royal HS), who was the Washington state 1A Offensive Player of the Year and who set a state championship game record for passing yards in 2004.

The Pirate receivers will obviously be led by Allan, who caught 36 balls for 693 yards last year. He averaged 19.2 yards per catch from his tight end position and finished with the team-record 15 touchdown receptions. Whitworth, which often runs a multiple tight end set, is very strong in that position. Drew Griggs (Jr., Colbert, Wash. - Mt. Spokane HS) caught a pair of touchdown passes last year, and Joey VanHoomissen (So., Renton, Wash. - Kentridge HS) showed great promise as a freshman.

On the outside, Whitworth must replace three starters. Dustin Frank (Sr., Rathdrum, Idaho - Lakeland HS) Tyler Shook (Sr., Pasco, Wash. - Pasco HS) and Nick Koller (Jr., LaCrosse, Wash. - LaCrosse HS) all have significant experience and will be strong contenders to become starters. Steve Stockton (So., Spokane, Wash. - Ferris HS) earned playing time as a true freshman.

Whitworth will also welcome Steve Silva (Jr., Dos Pueblos, Calif. HS), who transfers after contributing to the championship season of College of the Canyons in California, where he had 19 receptions. In addition, Kyle Richardson (Fr., Olympia, Wash. - Olympia HS) was a First Team All-Narrows League selection last fall.

Chris Ahsing (Jr., Ewa Beach, Hawaii - Campbell HS) and Kyle Havercroft (Jr., Rathdrum, Idaho - Lakeland HS) have shared the role of running back in the Pirates’ one-back offense over the past two seasons. Ahsing earned Second Team All-NWC honors after rushing for 597 yards and six touchdowns last fall. Havercroft, who battled injury much of the season, had 381 yards and five scores. Havercroft has scored 16 career touchdowns, while Ahsing has 13. Shane Stonemetz (So., Zillah, Wash. - Zillah HS) and Obe Quarless (So., Tacoma, Wash. - Bellarmine Prep) provide the Pirates solid depth at running back and will vie for their own playing time.

Whitworth returns three starters on the offensive line, including starting center Jonathan Erlenmeyer (Sr., Moses Lake, Wash. - Moses Lake HS), who Tully considers one of the best he’s ever had at the position. Team captain Steve Honeyman returns at one tackle spot, and Levi Wyman (Jr., Aiea, Hawaii - Aiea HS) returns as a starting guard.

Several others with on-field experience will battle to fill the remaining to starting spots and fill important back-up roles. They include Jon Gray (Jr., Spokane, Wash. - Mt. Spokane HS/CWU), Kyle Kania (Jr., Pasco, Wash. - Pasco HS), Dan Sanders (So., Valleyford, Wash. - Freeman HS), Adrian Grissom (So., Spokane, Wash. - Mt. Spokane HS), and John Phelps (So., Spokane, Wash. - Mead HS). Josh Alfrey (Jr., Kellogg, Idaho - Kellogg HS) and Andrew Zugner (Jr., Yakima, Wash. - West Valley HS) give the Pirates solid depth on the line. In addition, Jeff Kintner (Fr., Wenatchee, Wash. - Wenatchee HS) joins the team this fall after earning First Team All-Big Nine honors last year.

"I look forward to seeing what this offensive group will do," said Tully. "Joel and Mike are two of the really special players at the Division III level, and they really do make the other guys around them better."

Special Teams:
Cameron Collings (Sr., Spokane, Wash. - Mead HS), a preseason D3football and Street & Smith’s All-American last fall, did not play more than the first couple of games because of a persistent leg injury. He was granted a hardship redshirt and will return in 2006. He led NWC kickers in points scored in 2004, including field goals of 53 and 48 yards. He was 7 of 9 on field goal attempts and made 45 of 48 extra points. He could also return to his punting duties.

Jordan Marshall, in addition to his back up role in the defensive secondary, took over the kicking responsibilities. He made 22 of 30 extra points and averaged 36.3 yards per punt. He could continue the punting role this fall.

Jay Tully, who led the Pirates in kick off return average last fall, will continue the job this year. Ryan Marshall will also return kick offs and punts.

Schedule:
If Whitworth is to make the 100th year of football as special as it can be, the Pirates will have to do it against a very difficult schedule in 2006. The first four games, all non-conference tilts, present a great challenge. The Pirates will open at annual SCIAC title contender Redlands on September 9th. The home opener follows against an up-and-coming La Verne program that has put together back to back winning seasons. Whitworth will travel to Wisconsin for the first time ever for football to take on Wisconsin-Stout, a team expected to challenge for the title of the very difficult WIAC. Then Whitworth hosts Azusa Pacific, an NAIA program that has been a regular playoff contender for the past several years.

The NWC chase will be as tough as ever. Linfield looks to keep alive its run of six straight conference titles. Willamette has been a playoff contender for several years, while Puget Sound continues its trend toward improvement. Pacific Lutheran expects to bounce back from its first losing season in nearly 40 years. Indications are Lewis & Clark is on the right track to reviving its program. And Menlo (Calif.) joins the NWC this season as a football-only member looking to make a strong statement.