The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Players at JCU, Mount would return in Fall 2021
The expected spring football season for most Division III programs likely won’t come with a full 10-game season.
It’s expected most — if not all — seasons will be half that. Nothing has been confirmed for D-III, but when the likes of John Carroll and Mount Union hit the gridiron in spring 2021 amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, don’t expect the look of a normal fall season.
That’s likely not what the host of seniors across the nation envisioned for their final season, but there is good news.
The NCAA recently announced if a team plays 50 percent or less of the sport’s maximum contests or dates of competition, a student-athlete would not be charged with participation for the 2020-21 season.
Expect a push by D-III football coaches for such a season for several reasons:
• It would allow seniors not planning to return in fall 2021 a semblance of a season.
• It would allow seniors that plan to return in fall 2021 another year of eligibility.
• It would allow the spring season to be completed in time to allow players to recover physically for the fall.
Two of the best running backs in the Ohio Athletic Conference are excited about that possibility. If JCU’s Michael Canganelli of Mayfield and Mount Union Josh Petruccelli of Perry play a season of just
five games, they are eligible to play in the Fall of 2021.
That’s what the running backs expect to do in such a scenario. Add JCU senior quarterback Jake Floriea to that list as well.
“I’m sure everyone will be thinking, ‘When’s the old guy gonna leave?’ “said Floriea, who accounted for 1,955 total yards and 17 touchdowns in 2019. “I’ve made up my mind, and it wasn’t hard. I waited a long time for this opportunity. The way I look at, it’s a chance to play 15 more
games.”
Coach Rick Finotti said if a scenario of Floriea and Canganelli returning for Fall 2021 plays out, “It would be huge for our program to maintain the mindset, work ethic and leadership of those guys.”
Canganelli and Petruccelli, who have each been first-team All-OAC selections the past two seasons, also want a chance to play — at minimum — 15 more games. With the success each has had in college, it’s easy to understand why.
Canganelli in 2018 set the school record for most allpurpose yards as a sophomore with 1,905. He also has 2,286 career rushing yards and 30 rushing TDs. Petruccelli has been a workhorse for the Purple Raiders with three straight 1,000yard seasons, 3,929 career rushing yards and 44 TDs.
Each said it’s all but a given they will return in fall 2021 if the NCAA waiver process is confirmed after the spring season, which has yet to be announced. It could be a while before
that is confirmed, mostly because of the ongoing pandemic.
“I’m totally fine playing in the spring,” said Canganelli. “It will definitely feel different, but I plan to play in the fall. I’ll just split up my credit hours from the spring to the fall.”
In Petruccelli’s case, he planned to take a heavy course load this spring to graduate but now he’ll do the same as Canganelli and split up his courses.
“It kind of works out perfectly for me,” he said. “I’m
hoping this all works out because I would be excited playing about next fall.”
As for the decision of playing in fall 2021, Petruccelli said: “I didn’t think long and hard about it.”
In the case of Floriea, it took him two stops — first Penn, then Toledo — to find a home and an offense as its starting QB. So when word of the NCAA waiver was announced, seniors nationwide took notice, including Floriea.
“Just a chance to play more football,” he said.