After going undefeated for the first time in the regular season since 1986, the Ithaca College football team returns with high expectations in their chase for an NCAA Championship.

In his return to South Hill, head coach Michael Toerper helped guide the Bombers back to the playoffs for the first time since 2014, winning their first playoff game since 2013 during the 2022 season. 

After claiming their first outright Liberty League Championship during the 2022 season, the Bombers made a deep push into the NCAA D-III playoffs, ultimately falling short against North Central College in the quarter-final round. While the season did not end with the Bombers hoisting the trophy, graduate student quarterback AJ Wingfield said the game was a learning moment for the Bombers.

“[North Central College] beat us up pretty good, but you got to get beat up to learn from those mistakes,” Wingfield said. “Hopefully, now we’re in a better spot where we felt what that was like, and [now] we move forward and do more this year.”

Wingfield was one of the many reasons for the Bombers’ success in 2022, ranking second in the Liberty League in passing with 2,090 yards, averaging 160.8 yards per game and 19 touchdowns. He also utilized his running ability, running for 289 yards during the season. 

In his second full season as the Bombers’ starting quarterback, Wingfield said he felt much more confident running the offense.

“I grew a lot, and last year I did feel comfortable,” Wingfield said. “The game slowed down for me mentally. I was definitely more confident. I saw defenses a little bit easier this year, and I’m expecting more of myself from a mental standpoint. It’s really mental, and I think now, [it] being my third year as a starter, I feel really good.”

The Bombers’ defense also put together a solid season. Ranking fourth overall in the conference, the Bombers also ranked fourth in total yards given up per game, allowing 284.2. 

One of the defensive standouts on the season was fifth-year linebacker Ben Stola, who had 43 total tackles, five passes defended, and two fumble recoveries. Entering his final season as a Bomber, Stola is excited to see what the year brings for the team and himself.

“Coming in as an older kid now, as opposed to the past years when I’ve been a little younger, I just gotta have faith in the process, you know?” Stola said. “Just grinding the offseason [and not taking] anything for granted. Trusting my abilities and trusting the coaches’ schemes and the other players around me because I’m surrounded by a lot of great players too.”

One thing the Bombers are not looking to do is deal with any hangover from the previous season. Wingfield and Stola acknowledge that players have discussed not letting last season’s success affect what they do this year.

“You can’t get complacent,” Stola said. “Especially after a great season last year, you just got to move on. Last year is last year. We were 12–1 last year, we are 0–0 this year, we haven’t proved anything. We still have a whole season ahead of us, whole camp ahead of us. There’s a lot that still has to get done.” 

One of the most significant differences for the Bombers this season will be on the sideline. While the Bombers hired Drew Miller ’21 as their offensive line coach and Ben Johnson as the running backs coach, their defensive coordinator, Trevor Werner, and offensive coordinator, Sean Reeder, left for new roles. To fill their positions, assistant head coach Mike Hatcher will be the new offensive coordinator, while Toerper will be the new defensive coordinator.

When looking at the routes the team could go, Toerper said it never crossed his mind to go outside the program to fill those roles, opting to keep it in-house.

“Coach Hatcher, who’s called plays before, is a great offensive mind who coaches our quarterback, so that was an easy plug and play,” Toerper said. “For me, getting a chance to get back to coordinated defense, Coach Warner did a phenomenal job. Now we’re able to take some things and implement some systems here that we hope to run defensively [and offensively] for many years to come and just keep the status quo no matter who’s the coordinator.”

Both Wingfield and Stola acknowledged continuity for both units; keeping the coaching within the program was vital, allowing for a smooth transition heading into summer camp and the upcoming season.

While the sidelines will look different, the field will have many familiar faces with 15 fifth-year athletes returning to the Bombers this year. Toerper said he is excited about what their experience will bring to the table.

“[It] certainly adds an element of maturity physically, mentally, leadership, everything. … I mean, I’m missing when these guys are gone,” Toerper said. “When this fifth-year thing is no longer [around], we’re going to miss it, but certainly we’re enjoying it while they can be here for an extra year.”

One of the points Toerper said he is looking to improve upon this season is being more situationally aware within two-minute drills. He said the team did not deal with those situations much last year and believes it will happen more this season. 

Such situations could come as soon as week one when the Bombers open on the road in a tough matchup against No. 18 John Hopkins University. For the Bombers, it offers a strong opportunity to make a big statement against one of the well-known Division III programs.

“It’s a different brand of football than what we’ve played in week one in previous years and it’s going to be interesting for us,” Wingfield said. “Hopkins is the national powerhouse. The name speaks for itself.”

Another exciting matchup, as it is every season, will be the 64th annual Cortaca Jug game. However, this game will have added significance, marking the first time the tradition will be played on South Hill since 2017. 

“My class, we’ve been home twice, but it was at MetLife [Stadium] and Yankee Stadium, so we’ve never truly had a home Cortaca,” Stola said. “It’s just the environment; we’re just looking forward to it. It’s going to be electric in there.”

While the season will bring new challenges, Toerper said he is excited to watch how the 2023 season unfolds.  

“Enjoy the journey, give everything we got and always put the team over ourselves,” Toerper said. “Football is the ultimate game of sacrifice, doing something for the guy next to you. So can you maintain that throughout the season? Again, we did a great job at [that] last year. So can we replicate it? It’s easier said than done. We’re just going to go out one day at a time and see what happens. Maybe we can make another run.”