From the second the ball was hiked, he said there was a noticeable difference. The game was faster. The players were bigger, and the talent level was higher. It was nothing like high school.

But after getting the nerves out, freshman defensive end Owen Kugler has since settled in nicely to his starting role on the football team’s defense.

“I felt nervous in the beginning, to be honest,” Kugler said. “But the more game experience I got, I became more loose and used to the system.”

Back at Highland Park High School in Highland Park, Ill., Kugler won all-conference, all-area and earned first team all-state as a lineman.

Originally, Ithaca College was on the back burner for Kugler, who was recruited by several colleges for football. But Kugler’s high school rival, friend and current roommate, freshman quarterback Jason Hendel, convinced Kugler to take a recruiting visit to the college.

“We talked about it, and Ithaca was always on the back of our minds,” Hendel said. “I came out and visited and loved it, and then told him to check it out. [Kugler] called me after his visit and said to sign him up, too.”

Kugler has made an immediate impact since the time he set foot on the practice field at Bombers training camp in early August.

When senior defensive end and captain Adam Drescher went down with an injury, Kugler stepped up, seeing his first varsity action in the Bombers’ first game of the season against St. Lawrence University on Sept. 5.

Drescher was one of the first people Kugler met on the team and has had a significant impact on him. He said Drescher has helped him loosen up and have fun while playing.

“The first day of camp we did introductions,” Drescher said. “When he came up and introduced himself, I knew he was going to be something special.”

Kugler has seen action in all nine of the Bombers’ games, and with four starts, Kugler is the only freshman starter on the team. In his first season as a Bomber, Kugler has recorded 29 tackles, six tackles for loss and four sacks, along with a pass deflection and two fumble recoveries.

Kugler said he understands the difference between the first nine games and the last game on the schedule each year — the Cortaca Jug. He said he has always loved rivalry games and school spirit.

Fortunately for Kugler, he is no stranger to rivalries. He said his high school rival, Deerfield High School, was also red like SUNY-Cortland, making it an easy transition. And while living with Hendel, Kugler said he is reminded every day that red is the color of the enemy, as their high school rivalry has often come up in discussion during the season. Hendel said he has also had to deal with the previous rivalry with his roommate.

“I have to see [Kugler’s] high school jersey hanging on our wall, and it tears me up day by day,” Hendel said. “But the fact that Cortland is red has now made it my least favorite color.”

Kugler may be the youngest starter on the field Saturday, but he said he has been looking forward to competing in his first career Cortaca Jug game.

“They tell you to hate Cortland before you even get here,” Kugler said. “Winning this game has been one of my goals the whole season.”

 

Box Score - #25 Alfred vs Ithaca (11/07/09 at Ithaca, N.Y.)