Head Coach Keith Buckley is quick to head off the obvious question: In the fourth year of the Pacific football program, with this be the year the Boxers finish with their first winning season?
 
“As soon as I start talking about that, it means I am looking at the schedule and that means my head is in the wrong place,” he said.  “Externally people talk about wins and losses, look at schedules and compare things.  It’s never been part of my goal set.”
 
While Buckley’s approach is to de-emphasize the number of wins and losses the Boxers put up on the board, he headily admits that their are markedly higher expectations in 2013.  The team features its first true veteran presence with 37 players on the roster having been with the program since the first snap.
 
In the third season, Pacific showed some impressive growth that could only come with a veteran presence.  The Boxers had the 27th best passing offense in NCAA Division III football, averaging 286.7 yard per game and set single season records with 3,561 yards of total offense and 395.7 yards of total offense per game. 
 
Their three wins all came on the road, which included convincing victories over Lewis & Clark and Puget Sound.  The three wins could very well have been five as the Boxers saw dropped two games by four points or less, with the lead changing both times in the fourth quarter.
 
The offensive success came in the face of adversity.  Starting quarterback T.C. Campbell (Jr., Kaimuki, Hawaii) was lost after the season opener to injury, but P.J. Minaya (Sr., Wahiawa, Hawaii) stepped in to not only perform well, but post record-setting numbers.  Likewise, the Boxers responded to the loss of First Team All-NWC wide receiver Jordan Fukumoto (Jr., Mililani, Hawaii) in the second game of the year by putting up a near-record 2,580 yards receiving.
 
Pacific’s run game also saw great improvement, significantly increasing the team’s offensive success.  The Boxers rushed for 109 yards per game, up from 50.3 yards per game in 2011.
 
“We have the confidence that we can compete and play at a very high level, but to be truly be successful you have to be good in every aspect of the game,” Buckley said.  “We were near the top in some things, but near the bottom in others.  We want to be balanced on offense and we want to be efficient in both the running game and the passing game.”
 
Defensively, Pacific also developed some great maturity.  The Boxers ranked 29th among Division III programs with rushing yards allowed per game and 96th with two sacks per game.  Four of the Boxers’ 11 All-NWC players were on the defensive side of the ball.
 
But with all of the improvement, Buckley believes that the fortunes of Pacific football in 2013 will be tied to a senior class that wants to go out having built a winner and see through what they started four short years ago.
 
“We have a bunch of guys who have tied themselves to making Pacific a great place to play football and setting the foundation for a long, successful future that goes beyond the competitive side of the game,” Buckley said.  “It would be cool for this group of guys who have started this, and gone through the toughness of losing a lot of football games, to be able to have a successful senior year and to go out knowing that the work they put into it was worth it.”
 
QUARTERBACKS
 
Campbell was an honorable mention selection the season before, throwing for 1,858 yards while finishing fourth in the NWC with 206.4 yards per game.  Up until his injury, Campbell had earned the start in 18 of the Boxers’ 20 games since the program returned in 2010.
 
Buckley has no concern about having two high caliber quarterbacks to choose from.  “I think I am in the minority, but I think that’s the best position to be in,” he said.  “They both bring such unique things to the field and they are both such good friends.  They both have the individual drive to be the guy and they both have their individual goals, but at the end of the day they support the heck out of each other.  There’s a role for both of them and we are going to utilize both of them.”
 
While Campbell and Minaya impact the present, the Boxers will continue to cultivate the future.  Warner Shaw (So., Waimea, Hawaii) saw his only game action in the season finale at Linfield, but still shows the promise that caught the eye of coaches the previous spring.  Campbell Summerfield (Fr., Sandy, Ore.) also enters highly touted after earning all-conference honors at Barlow High School in 2011.
 
WIDE RECEIVERS
 
“Having that level of talent at that position has done nothing but improve that position,” Buckley said.  “They have to perform at a high level or they get passed up.  We throw the football enough to pass it around.”
 
Despite missing most of 2012 with injuries, Fukumoto remains at the top of the list as one of the most dynamic receivers in the conference.  A First Team All-NWC selection in 2011, Fukumoto finished second in the NWC and 32nd among Division III receivers with an average of 93.8 yards per game.  His 844 receiving yards and 16.9 yards per catch also ranked second in the league.
 
Darin Kamealoha (Jr., Waipahu, Hawaii) started strong before injuries cut his season short again four games into the year.  He averaged 65.2 yards per game in those four contests, including a season-high 112 yards in the Boxers’ first matchup with Willamette.
 
Those two injuries allowed Kelson Kawai (Sr., North Kohala, Hawaii), Caleb Roher (Jr., Gresham, Ore.) and Jakob Lawrence (Jr., Sherwood, Ore.) to step further into the spotlight.  Roher finished as the team’s top receiver, finishing with 489 yards and five touchdowns on his way to an Honorable Mention All-NWC selection.  His 14.4 yards per catch ranked ninth in the NWC. 
 
Kawai led the Boxers and finished sixth in the league with six touchdowns, earning an Honorable Mention All-NWC selection.  He led the Boxers with 14.7 yards per catch, ranking eighth in the NWC, and highlighted his season with three straight touchdowns, all on catches of 40 yards or more, in the Boxers’ rout of Lewis & Clark.  Lawrence performed at a high level as well, catching 31 balls for a total of 416 yards and an average 46.2 yards per game.
 
Blake Anthony (Jr., Valencia, Calif.) will also compete in the receiving mix.  Anthony made 16 catches for 191 yards and was one of the Boxers’ two primary punt return specialists.
 
James Berry (Jr., Elk Grove, Calif.) and Bodie Simpson (Fr., Kennewick, Wash.) lead the list of newcomers expected to compete at the position.  Berry comes to Pacific after two years of junior college football and comes from a long family football tradition.  Simpson finished his prep career as a three-time all-area selection in Washington.
 
RUNNING BACKS
 
Much of that improvement came with the growth of Bobby Ladiges (Jr., Escalon, Calif.).  In his sophomore season, Ladiges led the Boxers and finished sixth in the NWC with an average of 43.3 rushing yards per game and seventh with his 390 rushing yards and 3.3 yards per rush.  His four rushing touchdowns tied him for third among Pacific scorers.
 
Gunther Schultze (Sr., Bellflower, Calif.) and Deven McKinney (Jr., Spanaway, Wash.) also made significant contributions to the Boxers’ ground success.  Schultze compiled 233 yards and an average of 4.2 yards per carry.  McKinney finished with 216 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown and an average of 4.3 yards per carry.  He also caught 11 balls for 110 yards and two touchdowns.
 
Bronson Barretto (So., Mililani, Hawaii) and Kamana Pimentel (So., Kaneohe, Hawaii) will also contend for playing time at running back after seeing limited action in 2012.  The two will be complimented by four newcomers with strong prep resumes.  Justin Cash (Fr., Bakersfield, Calif.) rushed for 719 yards his senior season on his way to all-conference and all-area honors.  Matt Walker (Fr., Fort Hood, Texas) was a two-position standout, covering the field at both wide receiver and running back.
 
Colby Ruark (Fr., Clarkston, Wash.) was a two-time all-conference performer in high school at both running back and slot receiver.  Juan Carlos Magana (Fr., Santa Paula, Calif.) also earned all-conference and all-area laurels after rushing for 918 yards and 11 touchdowns in his senior season.
 
TIGHT ENDS
The tight end position is the only spot where the Boxers will depend completely on returners to fill the role.  Brian Taylor (Sr., Lewiston, Idaho) started all but one of the Boxers’ games in 2012, catching five balls for 56 yards and a touchdown.  Will Marchbanks (Sr., Brownsville, Ore.) played in all nine games and provided strong blocking ability in addition to his three catches.  Buckley said both players had really strong camps and are poised to finish their careers strong.
 
Jack Michels (So., Kirkland, Wash.) saw his playing time steadily increase as his freshman year progressed.  “He’s a very big and physical tight end and he is going to be a significant part of our system this year,” Buckley said.  “He’s had a great summer and looks great on the football field.”
 
OFFENSIVE LINE
 
“Sean has been our most productive lineman to date,” Buckley said.  “He’s been really good at left tackle and has started there for four straight years.  He anchors the whole group.”
 
Eric Gietzen (Sr., Forest Grove, Ore.) was on track to graduate last spring, but decided to return this fall to use his remaining year of eligibility.  An Honorable Mention All-NWC selection in 2012, Gietzen also comes in as a fourth-year starter.  Aaron Victorino (Sr., Lihue, Hawaii) has also started every game of his career.
 
Brandon Sattlemeier (So., Temecula, Calif.) opened the season as a starter, but was lost for the year with an injury two games in.  Will Ulrich (Jr., Lake Elsinore, Calif.) stepped into the spot and started the final five games of the year.  Both are expected to compete for a starting role.  Nicholas Schilla (So., Honolulu, Hawaii), Taylor Mack (So., Bonney Lake, Wash.) and Tim Claussen (So., Yamhill, Ore.) are all expected to compete for time in the line thanks to strong off-season workout and fall camp performances.
 
Chuck Barden (Jr., Boise, Idaho) leads the list of top offensive line newcomers, coming to Pacific after a redshirt season at Washington State.  Nick Reese (Fr., Pacifica, Calif.) was an all-league lineman for San Francisco’s powerful Archbishop Riordan program and also could see early action.  Kennon Quiocho (Fr., Kapulena, Hawaii) finished as a three-time all-conference lineman in Hawaii while Tyler Corsi (Fr., Fairfield, Calif.) ended his career as an all-conference selection.
 
DEFENSIVE LINE
 
Devin Lagorio (Sr., Stockton, Calif.) earned Honorable Mention All-NWC honors after another solid season that saw him finish with 23 tackles.  He was once again a big factor on special teams, which included a blocked kick against Pacific Lutheran that led to the Boxers’ second defensive two-point conversion in as many years.  “Devin has the chance this year to be one of the best defensive tackles in the conference,” Buckley said.
 
Landon Aano (Sr., Ewa Beach, Hawaii) is slotted to be a four-year starter.  As a junior, Aano was among the Boxers’ leaders with five tackles for loss and three sacks, all of which came in the road contest at Occidental.  “Landon always has his explosive moments and is always very hard to block,” Buckley said.
 
Eddie Carrillo (Jr., Milpitas, Calif.) and Mike Smith (Sr., Tumwater, Wash.) both stand to move into starting positions after seeing significant playing time in 2012.  Smith finished the season with 11 tackles last year, but three of those resulted in losses.  Carrillo had nine tackles and showed an innate ability to distract offensive lines.
 
At defensive end, Sean Bangs (Sr., Portland, Ore.) rebounded from a mid-season injury to start in seven games and figures to be a fourth-year starter.  As a junior, Bangs finished with 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks and picked off a pass against Occidental that led to a Boxers’ touchdown.  “Sean had a really good summer and we’re really excited about him becoming that type of defensive end that can affect a ball game,” Buckley said.
 
The second defensive end spot is wide open with as many as seven players competing for time.  Brandon Hand (Jr., Auburn, Wash.) made two spot starts and played in all nine games.  Alex Willeford (Jr., Keizer, Ore.) played in just three games, but has shown significant improvement in preseason practices.
 
Keenan Mahler (Fr., Concord, Calif.) and Jeff Bajema (Fr., Burlington, Wash.) lead the list of newcomers competing on the ends.  Mahler finished his prep career with all-conference honors as a junior and senior and was recognized in his junior season on both offense and defense.  Bajema was also an all-conference performer each of his last two seasons with 17 tackles for loss and 14 sacks in that time span.
 
LINEBACKERS
First Team All-NWC selection Tim Hastie (Sr., Auberry, Calif.) leads an experienced group of linebackers that has made great strides to solidify the Pacific defense.  Hastie finished second for the Boxers with 55 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss and his 27 assisted tackles ranked eighth in the NWC.
 
“Tim has been so solid for us from day one,” Buckley said.  “He has led the defense and has been a big presence in the middle of the field.  He’s playing with great confidence and knowledge on how to play while driving the bus for us on defense.”
 
Shane Feuerbach (Sr., Rocklin, Calif.) returns as a four-year starter at linebacker while Chris Santiago (Jr., Waipahu, Hawaii) comes back after being lost to injury after the first game of the season.  Buckley said both players have come into camp very strong and ready to compete.
 
Jack Perez (So., Petaluma, Calif.), Trey Kodama (So., Pearl City, Hawaii) and Justin Revilla (So., Mililani, Hawaii) could all see increased time in their sophomore campaigns.  Perez played in eight games and finished with 13 tackles, including nine solo.  Revilla appeared in all nine games while Kodama saw action in three games.
 
Nolan Ramirez (Fr., Santa Clarita, Calif.) and Avery Richardson (Fr., Corona, Calif.) lead the list of newcomers expected to contribute at linebacker.  Ramirez earned all-conference and all-state honors in a very competitive Southern California conference.  Richardson was a three-time prep all-conference standout and amassed over 200 tackles in his final two seasons.
 
CORNERBACKS
 
Harms, meanwhile, finished fourth for the Boxers with 42 tackles while starting the final seven games of the season.  He also shared the team lead with two interceptions and had a pair of tackles for loss.  Harms also doubled as one of the Boxers’ primary punt return specialists.  “Both of those guys are savvy players that just get better with age,” Buckley said.  “I expect both to be impactful for us again.”
 
Kasey Dukes (Jr., Wahiawa, Hawaii) will also figure into the mix after playing all nine games.  He finished the 2012 season with 20 tackles and was one of the team leaders in breaking up passes.  Jaquari People (So., Merced, Calif.) made quite a splash as a freshman, finishing with 24 tackles, 15 solo, and three tackles for loss.  Shahin Marzband (So., Hayward, Calif.) has shown great improvement in camp and is expected to see more time.
 
Kris Sapp (Fr., Sacramento, Calif.) and Kyle Sato (Fr., Aiea, Hawaii) are expected to compete for playing time as newcomers.  Sato was a three-year starter as a defensive back and is converting to corner thanks to his speed.
 
SAFETIES
 
Mills was named Honorable Mention All-NWC for the second straight season after finishing third for the Boxers with 52 tackles.  He also picked off two passes, both in the Boxers’ victory at Lewis & Clark.  Mills posted a Pacific season-high of 12 tackles against Pacific Lutheran.
 
“If they can stay healthy all year, they have a chance to be in the upper tier of safety tandems in the conference,” Buckley said.  “Over the course of four years, Bryan has developed into an intelligent and savvy safety.  Josh does a lot in the run game for us.  We’re really looking for those guys to be active for us.”
 
Chase Rogers (Jr., Lahiana, Hawaii) and Kamu Morita (Sr., Honolulu, Hawaii) are both candidates to see more time in 2012.  Rogers played in all nine games and finished with 13 tackles and a fumble recovery.  Morita started two games towards the end of the season and finished fifth for the Boxers with 42 tackles, including 25 solo efforts.
 
Aderemi Adeyemo (Fr., North Hollywood, Calif.) and Martin Henderson (Jr., St. Paul, Minn.) come to Forest Grove with the immediate chance to compete.  Adeyemo was a two-time all-conference selection and had 47 tackles as a senior.  Henderson is one of a handful of junior transfers in the program, having played two years at Fort Scott CC in Kansas.  He was an all-conference and Minnesota all-state selection as a prep player.
 
SPECIALISTS
 
Aaron Koford (Sr., Wilsonville, Ore.) has developed into one of the top punters in the conference, leading the league with an average of 39.1 yards per punt and landed 10 punts inside the 20-yard line.  Both Scotty Cooper (Jr., Fullerton, Calif.) and Travis George (Sr., Grants Pass, Ore.) return as long and short snappers, respectively, giving the Boxers an added level of continuity.
 
There will be many candidates for return duties, with regular assignments developing as the season progresses.  Roher led the Boxers with 14 kick returns for 26.1 yards per return, while Kawai returned 11 balls for an average of 22.5 yards per return.  Anthony and Harms evenly split punt return duties. With Anthony leading the way with an average of 9.8 yards per return.