Hopewell Valley Bulldogs 

August 24, 2023 

2022: 

• 10-1 
• Lost to Delsea in the South Jersey Group 3 sectional finals, beat Burlington Township in the semifinals, and Matawan in the quarterfinals 
• Wins included Nottingham, Notre Dame, Ewing, Hightstown, and Northern Burlington 
• Scored 349 points for a 31,73 average 
• Allowed 202 points for an 18.26 average 

Graduation: 

• QB Tim McKeown – Gettysburg 
• RB Derek Van Brunt – Montclair State 
• DL Gael Vasquez – Montclair State 
• OL/DL Luke Reilly – Deerfield Academy (Mass. prep) 
• LB Nick Karpovich – Gettysburg 
• DL Annish Ponam – College of New Jersey (TCNJ) 

Offense: 

• Formation: Multiple Spread 
• Returning Starters: 5  

Quarterback: 

• Milan Desai, Junior, 6-2, 175 – projected starter 

Running Back: 

• Ben DeCore, Junior, 5-10, 165 – projected starter 
• Dylan Yasher, Junior, 5-11, 155 – will play often 

Wide Receiver: 

• John Michael Vlasac, Senior, 6-3, 220 – 3-year starter and also plays tight end  
• Owen Lengle, Junior, 5-10, 165 – projected starter 
• Tom Addonizio, Senior, 5-11, 180 – projected starter 
• Luke Caldwell, Junior, 5-8, 135 – projected starter 
• Justin Klotz, Junior, 6-3, 185 – returning starter; currently injured 

Offensive Line: 

• Gavin Lewis, Junior, 6-0, 215 – returning starter at left tackle 
• Chris Heyman, Junior, 5-10, 205 – frontrunner at left guard 
• Jon Trainor, Junior, 5-10, 240 – returning starter at center 
• Nathan Tewell, Senior, 5-10, 210 – returning starter at right guard 
• Ryan Takacs, Sophomore, 6-1, 210 – projected starter at right tackle 

Defense: 

• Formation: 4-3 
• Returning Starters: 2 

Defensive Line: 

• Dan Pszczolkowski, Junior, 5-10, 205 – projected starter at end 
• Gavin Lewis, Junior, 6-0, 215 – projected starter at end 
• Owen Shehab, Junior, 6-3, 350 – projected starter at tackle 
• Narsi Didi, Senior, 5-11, 210 – projected starter at tackle 

Linebacker: 

• Tom Addonizio, Senior, 5-11, 180 – projected starter on strong side 
• John Michael Vlasac, Senior, 6-3, 220 – projected starter in the middle 
• John Ellis, Junior, 5-11, 190 – projected starter on the weak side 
• Zach Brackin, Senior, 6-1, 200 – part of the rotation and may also play end 

Secondary: 

• Allen Patterson, Senior, 5-11, 190 – returning starter at cornerback 
• Owen Lengle, Junior, 5-10, 165 – projected starter at cornerback 
• Luke Caldwell, Junior, 5-8, 135 – returning starter at safety  
• Joe Demareski, Junior, 5-10, 160 – projected starter at safety 
• Branyan Hoppe, Senior, 6-1, 175 – returning starter at cornerback who is out for the year 
• Matt Whitlock, Senior, 6-0, 170 – returning starter at safety who is out for the year 

Special Teams: 

• The kicker will be junior Owen Lengle on kickoffs and senior Hallie Carrick on extra points, while the punter is junior Milan Desai 
• The return men have not been decided 

Schedule: 

• Friday, 9/1, Lawrence at home 
• Saturday, 9/9, at Ewing 
• Thursday, 9/14, Hamilton at home 
• Friday, 9/22, at Northern Burlington 
• Saturday, 9/30, at Nottingham 
• Friday, 10/6, Trenton at home 
• Friday, 10/13, Hightstown at home
• Friday, 10/20, at Notre Dame 

Concerns: 

• Youth, with only 12 seniors – 4 are out for the first time; there are 25 juniors and 30 sophomores 

Recruiting: 

• Vlasic is receiving looks from Yale and Holy Cross 
• Patterson has interest from Holy Cross and Ithaca 
• In the junior class, Klotz has big potential, but he is out injured 

Coach’s Comments: 

“We had a good season last year and there are high expectations to compete every game. Many contributed and want to become leaders. The boys want to play and compete on Friday night.” – Head Coach Dave Caldwell