The Forester football team has reached the midpoint of its regular season with a 5-0 record and sits atop the NCAA Division III rankings in interceptions with 13. The senior-laden Lake Forest defense also ranks among the national leaders in several other categories.
Senior cornerbacks Ed Dobernig (pictured) and Nick Waters have each picked off a pair of passes, including Waters' game-clinching interception with 68 seconds remaining in the Foresters' 14-13 Homecoming victory over Carroll University on Saturday. Junior safety Joey Kropp has snared a team-high three passes from opposing quarterbacks and sophomore safety Pat Clark joins Dobernig and Waters with two. Senior linebackers John Dillon and Bryce Jones, junior linebacker John Preston, and sophomore linebacker Mike Letizia have added an interception apiece to the total.
Senior linebacker Jordan Cruz has accounted for two of Lake Forest's six fumble recoveries and the team is tied for second in the country with 19 turnovers forced. While a Forester return has yet to reach the end zone, seven of the team's 13 touchdowns this season have been scored after forcing a turnover.
The Foresters also rank sixth in the nation in scoring defense and seventh in passing efficiency defense and third down conversion percentage defense. In terms of yards allowed, Lake Forest has the top rushing and total defense in the Midwest Conference and ranks 23rd in the country against the run (86.8 yards per game) and 18th overall (257.0 ypg).
Dillon is the team's leading tackler with 36 stops on the season while Preston has made 31 tackles and Cruz 30. Dillon is also second on the squad with 6.5 tackles for loss, one fewer than senior defensive lineman Michael Garetto-Balmer. Garetto-Balmer has a league-high 5.5 sacks to his credit while fellow senior defensive linemen Jake Rotkvich and Taylor Holzmeyer have chipped in with 3.5 and 3.0, respectively.
"These numbers are great and are a testament to the dedication and discipline that our players have displayed throughout their career," begins fifth-year head coach Jim Catanzaro. "I am proud of what we have accomplished so far this season, but we have a LOT of work left to do. Our players are hopefully focused on the only stat that truly matters, and that's going 1-0 this week against Illinois College."
Lake Forest was listed among the others receiving votes in Monday's American Football Coaches Association Top 25 Poll.
