The Carthage College football team (0-0, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) opens its 2012 season on Saturday, Sept. 1 with a 1 p.m., EDT game versus No. 38 Adrian College at Adrian's Multisport Performance Stadium in Adrian, Mich.
 
Carthage has 144 players in camp, as of Aug. 19, including 86 freshmen.  All-CCIW linebacker Brandon Mecozzi (Sr., Kenosha, Wis./Bradford, 62 tackles, six tackles-for-loss, two interceptions, one fumble recovered) and all-conference defensive end Tyler O'Brien (Sr., Cary, Ill./Cary-Grove, 44 tackles, 13 tackles-for-loss, seven sacks, two passes defended, one recovered fumble, two forced fumbles) lead the 26 returning letterwinners. 
 
Other key returnees include wide receiver/quarterback Pete Djurickovic (Sr., Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Kenosha-Bradford, 21 receptions in 2010 for 369 yards), defensive lineman Nick Dorau (Sr., Kenosha, Wis./Bradford, 22 tackles, five tackles-for-loss), left tackle Mike Greenwood (Jr., Oswego, Ill.), defensive end Mike Merucci (Sr., Kenosha, Wis./Bradford, 32 tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss, seven sacks), running back Reggie Miller (Jr., Downers Grove, Ill./South, rushed 99 times for 454 yards and caught 14 passes for 134 yards), wide receiver/quarterback T.J. Trepanier (Sr., Winthrop Harbor, Ill./Zion-Benton Township), defensive back Alex Vitkauskas (Sr., Tinley Park, Ill./Chicago-St. Rita, 35 tackles, three interceptions)
 
Coach Tim Rucks (92-75-1, 17 years at Carthage/101-108-4, 22 years) and the coaching staff are extremely upbeat about their 2012 freshmen, which features offensive lineman Jacob Alten (Loveland, Ohio), offensive lineman Danny Booth (Berwyn, Ill. /Morton West), offensive lineman Kevin Carlson (Geneva, Ill.), offensive lineman Paul Csongradi (Chicago, Ill./St. Patrick), linebacker Zach James, quarterback Nate Otto (Appleton, Wis./North, Associated Press honorable mention all-state, Appleton Post-Crescent "player of the year"), offensive lineman David Roney (Bourbonnais, Ill./Kankakee-Bishop McNamara, Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Class 4A All-State, All-Chicago Catholic Conference and Kankakee Daily Journal all-area), offensive lineman Tyler Schend (Kenosha, Wis./Bradford, first-team All-Southeast Conference and Kenosha News first-team All-Kenosha County), quarterback A.J. Simoncelli (Downers Grove, Ill./South, All-West Suburban League Gold and Downers Grove Reporter all-area), defensive end DeMarco Smith (South Holland, Ill./Chicago-Brother Rice), offensive lineman Kyle Stanton (Wheeling, Ill.) and running back Parker Woodworth (Geneva, Ill., All-Upstate Eight Conference and Daily Herald all-area).
 
Jim Deere (13-7, 2 years) coaches the Adrian Bulldogs, who went 8-2 last year and finished third in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association with a 4-2 mark.  This year's team, picked to win the 2012 MIAA title, is tied for 38th place in the pre-season "D3football.com" poll.  Carthage leads the Adrian series, which dates to a Sept. 23, 2000 game at Carthage, 2-1.  The two teams last met on Sept. 28, 2002, with Adrian winning a 28-24 game at Art Keller Field.  In the only other meeting in Adrian, the Red Men won a 30-19 contest on Sept. 22, 2001 at Maple Stadium.
 
Following the Adrian contest, Carthage enjoys an off-week before playing host to No. 41 Wartburg College on Saturday, Sept. 15 in a 1 p.m. contest at Art Keller Field in Kenosha, Wis.