Courtesy: Princeton Athletic CommunicationsHead coach Bob Surace liked what he saw throughout the 12-session spring practice season, and that certainly didn't change during the Spring Game Saturday afternoon. An inspired session concluded with Andrew Starks and Mike Catapano being named co-captains for the 2012 season.
Starks was voted co-captain by his teammates after back-to-back All-Ivy League seasons as an outside linebacker. Despite missing a game last season, he led Princeton with 80 tackles, and he has ranked fourth in the Ivy League in tackles in each of the last two seasons. While his play on the field continues to impress, Surace has continuously lauded Starks leadership this offseason; clearly his teammates felt the same.
Catapano will enter his second season as co-captain, and he is coming off a Second-Team All-Ivy League season in 2011 (49 tackles, 10 TFL, five sacks). One of the top defensive linemen in the league, Catapano figures to pair with Caraun Reid (68 tackles, 16 TFL, eight sacks) to create a premier tandem on the defensive line.
While those two are focused on the Princeton defense, most eyes were focused on the offense during Saturday's Spring Game. Most were especially watching the play of rising sophomore quarterbacks Quinn Epperly and Connor Michelsen, both of whom appear to be the leading candidates to win, or potentially share, the starting position when the season opens next September at Lehigh.
Both quarterbacks looked good Saturday. But neither stole the show. That role belonged to wideout Seth DeValve, who Surace estimated at nearly 250 yards receiving during the afternoon. Ninety-eight of those yards came on a spectacular catch and run that took the football from one side of the field to the other. Epperly hit the physically imposing DeValve (6-3, 215), who broke free from the defense and sprinted down the right sidelines. He eluded two late tackle attempts and sprinted in for the most electrifying touchdown of the day.
Surace will join GoPrincetonTigers.com over the next couple weeks for his annual Spring Chat. Follow along to see how you can participate in that chat for the first time. And you can do it in 140 characters or less.
