Viator expects big things after 4-5 season

After a pair of 4-5 seasons, a lot of teams would say they expect to be better.

St. Viator expects to have one of the best seasons in school history.

"I usually don't do this but I tell people who follow us to expect great things because we are," said Viator coach Chris Kirkpatrick. "Sometimes that's not the smartest thing to say, but it's a mindset you have to get the kids to have."

And the Lions players don't mind the confidence Kirkpatrick has placed in them.

"As high as our expectations are," said Viator senior quarterback Julian Sipiora, "I don't think anyone would have it any other way."

Sipiora returns for his third year on varsity and his second full season of running the offense. He has plenty of weapons to choose from in third-year starting receiver Richard McLoughlin and seniors Jake Mastrangeli and David Alameda.

Patrick O'Malley moves from receiver to running back behind a line where Aaron Shuff started and Matt Cochrane and Matt O'Keeffe have varsity experience.

"We have a lot of team speed," Kirkpatrick said. "Speed doesn't have a bad day."

Which should mean some pretty good days for a defense where Connor Ptacin and Anthony Pensa return up front. Starting end Will Tumberger missed all of last season with a back injury.

Sean Conerty, Jack Etchingham and Matt Barry are back at linebacker with junior Mike Krzoska taking over in the middle. Kevin Gannon joins that crew after not playing as a junior to focus on baseball.

Sipiora, Mastrangeli and Alameda will also help in the secondary. But Kirkpatrick won't have to worry about wearing out players both ways and on special teams.

"We have a lot of other kids who can start on special teams," Kirkpatrick said. "Because of our depth we can play them there. I have enough confidence in the kids we can play."

Confidence which has the Lions believing this is a breakthrough year for a program which has never advanced past the second round of the playoffs.

"They understand what we're trying to do," Kirkpatrick said, "and they firmly believe we're going to do it."