Hopewell Valley Bulldogs  

July 9, 2024

2023: 

• 8-2 
• Beat Pinelands and Ocean in the South Jersey Group 3 consolations 
• Wins included Nottingham, Hightstown, and Trenton 
• Losses were to Notre Dame and Northern Burlington 
• Scored 343 points for a 34.3 average 
• Allowed 112 points for an 11.2 average 

Graduation: 

• DB Allen Patterson – Gettysburg (Pa.) 
• DL Luke Reilly from 2022 squad – Lehigh via Deerfield Academy (Mass.) 

Offense: 

• Formation: Multiple Spread 
• Returning Starters: 8 

Quarterback: 

• Milan Desai, Senior, 6-3, 200 – returning starter; passed for 1,522 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions, while rushing for 9 touchdowns per nj.com 

Running Back: 

• Ben DeCore, Senior, 5-10, 180 – returning co-starter; rushed for 1,292 yards and 14 touchdowns per nj.com  
• Dylan Yasher, Senior, 5-11, 165 – returning co-starter; rushed for 435 yards and 6 touchdowns per nj.com 

Wide Receiver: 

• Justin Klotz, Senior, 6-3, 205 – returning starter from 2022 who missed last year with an injury; had 52 receptions, 912 yards, and 12 touchdowns in 2022 per nj.com 
• Owen Lengle, Senior, 5-10, 165 – returning starter; 24 receptions, 334 yards, and 5 touchdowns per nj.com 
• Theo Ellerbe, Junior, 5-11, 180 – projected starter who rotated last year 
• Mike Whitlock, Junior, 5-10, 170 – part of the rotation 

Tight End/H-Back: 

• John Ellis, Senior, 5-11, 190 – projected starter; started on defense  
• Carter Horvath, Junior, 5-11, 190 – will see action 

Offensive Line: 

• Gavin Lewis, Senior, 6-0, 230 – 3-year starter at left tackle 
• Chris Heyman, Senior, 5-10, 205 – competing at left guard 
• Robert Taylor, Senior, 5-9, 200 – competing at left guard 
• Jon Trainor, Senior, 5-10, 250 – 3-year starter at center 
• Colin Turnbull, Senior, 6-3, 250 – frontrunner at right guard 
• Ryan Tackacs, Junior, 6-3, 240 – returning starter at right tackle 

Defense: 

• Formation: Multiple 3-man fronts 
• Returning Starters: 5 

Defensive Line: 

• Dan Pszczolkowski, Senior, 5-10, 205 – returning starter at end 
• Luke Hemmer, Junior, 6-0, 205 – projected starter at end 
• Robert Taylor, Senior, 5-9, 200 – projected starter at nose guard  
• Owen Shehab, Senior, 6-3, 350 -in the mix at nose guard  

Linebacker: 

• Joe Demareski, Senior, 5-10, 180 – projected starter on the outside 
• John Ellis, Senior, 5-11, 190 – returning starter on the inside 
• Ryan Ottobre, Junior, 5-10, 185 – projected starter on the inside 
• Ethan Barker, Junior, 5-10, 180 – projected starter on the inside 
• Kyle Yadamiec, Junior, 5-11, 175 – returning starter on the outside 

Secondary: 

• Jude Berman, Junior, 5-10, 165 – returning starter at cornerback 
• Cooper Briehler, Sophomore, 5-11, 160 – projected starter at cornerback 
• Luke Caldwell, Senior, 5-9, 150 – 3-year starter at safety 
• Mike Whitlock, Junior, 5-10, 170 – part of the rotation at safety 

Special Teams:  

• Senior Owen Lengle returns as the kicker and punter 
• The return men will be Klotz, Briehler, Caldwell, and Whitlock 

Schedule: 

• Friday, 8/30, at Montgomery 
• Friday, 9/6, Robbinsville at home 
• Friday, 9/13, at Notre Dame 
• Friday, 9/20, Nottingham at home 
• Friday, 9/27, at Allentown 
• Friday, 10/4, Seneca at home 
• Thursday, 10/10, at Burlington Township 
• Friday, 10/18, Steinert at home 
• Friday, 10/25, at Hightstown 

Concerns: 

• Replacing John Michael Vlasac will be difficult, who was versatile as a tight end; They may need a few players to compensate 

Recruiting: 

• Klotz verballed to Southeast Oklahoma 
• Caldwell verballed to Washington & Lee for lacrosse 
• Desai has interest from Johns Hopkins plus the Ivy League and NESCAC schools 
• Lewis and DeCore have interest from D3 schools, including the NJAC schools 
• Several are D3 prospects and some may play another sport 
• Underclassmen: 
• There are talented underclassmen and Briehler is a sophomore that will draw interest: his brother is playing at Stanford after attending prep school 

Coach’s Comments: 

“We have a chance to be highly competitive. We will take it one week at a time, as our schedule is stronger. We return many starters and our seniors have experienced success in other sports.” – Head Coach Dave Caldwell