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| Jaleyn Gaither had a handful of receptions and a touchdown catch in 2021, but finds himself on the other side of the ball and in the starting lineup for Delaware Valley in 2022 as a cornerback. Photo by Jeffrey Levy, d3photography.com |
By Joe Sager
D3sports.com
Delaware Valley’s defense has been among the nation’s best all season.
The Aggies, who rank second overall in yards allowed per game (180.7) and sixth in points allowed (8.1), have relied on a couple new faces to shut down teams.
On a defense where twin brothers Michael and Anthony Nobile have been starting for several years, and Yusuf Aladinov was a D3football.com First Team All-America selection last year, senior Jaelyn Gaither (cornerback) and junior Anthony Puntolillo (middle linebacker) have settled into key roles for DelVal, which is in 12-0 for the fourth time in program history and in the national quarterfinals for the third time in the last five years.
Puntolillo saw time at linebacker in the past for the Aggies, but made his mark on special teams since his freshman year. This season, he slid into the starting middle linebacker slot when last year’s Middle Atlantic Conference defensive player of the year Anthony Tedesco graduated. Puntolillo responded with 67 tackles and was named to the MAC first team.
“It all started when I was a freshman and one of my roommates, Anthony Tedesco, set the mold of how an inside linebacker should play,” he said. “I am trying to do my best with the guys. They have trust in me. Any communication I give them – it’s all love, even if I am getting on someone. We just want to be on the same page so we can win as a unit.”
Defensive coordinator Nick Brady is pleased with how Puntolillo has taken over such a vital spot on a talented and veteran unit.
“He’s a natural leader and a typical inside linebacker. He is our voice on the field,” Brady said. “He has had success since his freshman year. He was one of only a couple true freshmen to be on special teams in the playoffs. Last year, he was in our will (weakside) linebacker rotation. To his credit, he was patient and waited until it was his time to be a full-time guy. In our exit interview after last season, I could just see the excitement in his face knowing it was his turn to be the leader back there. I am not surprised at all to see his success.”
Meanwhile, Gaither switched from offense to join the team’s defense. He was a wide receiver and caught four passes and scored a touchdown last fall. However, he moved to cornerback and worked his way into the team’s starting lineup. He has 22 tackles and five pass breakups.
“I was a senior and didn’t want to come back and not play much again. I wanted to play and make an impact this year,” he said. “In the very beginning, I was getting cooked in practice by my former buddies. But, I worked hard. I didn’t even begin the season starting. I think I had my first start in Week 3 and it took me maybe until the middle of the year until I started to feel comfortable and was able to react to things and not just thinking. Other guys on defense definitely made things easier for me. We have a lot of talent up front. Our defensive line is probably one of the best in the country. We have great linebackers and a great safety in Blaine Netterman.”
Brady is thrilled with Gaither’s progress.
“It’s been fun to see. When he was a receiver, I could see his ability. I knew he’d be able to transition over. He wanted an opportunity and nothing was handed to him. He knew he had to come over and work for it,” Brady said. “He has an unbelievable work ethic. He came in and earned that spot and it’s a credit to him. He’s had some big pass breakups and tackles for us.”
Brady has experience with the transition from offense to defense. A 2004 Del Val graduate, he was a wide receiver for the Aggies and later coached on the offensive side. However, he’s guided the program’s defense for the past six years.
“It was a challenge early,” he said. “When I transitioned over, I used my offensive background to build that plan for the defense. It’s something I still do.”
The Aggies’ defense faced a major challenge last Saturday against Randolph-Macon. The squad faced a 32-18 deficit late in the third quarter. But, the team’s defense shut the door the rest of the way and the offense rallied for a 39-32 win.
“We haven’t gone through that kind of adversity all season,” Puntolillo said. “We could have put our head down and folded and pointed fingers, but we stuck together, rallied and it paid off. The defense really stepped it up in the fourth quarter played defense like we could. It was the best game I’ve ever played in in my life. It was a great experience.”
The thrilling win gave the team some extra motivation this week.
“It was definitely big. We haven’t had a game like that all year. It brought us closer together as unit, knowing that, if we go down in a game like that, we can come back,” Gaither said. “It also lit a fire under us this week to prevent something like that from happening again. We felt a lot of the mistakes we made were mental mistakes and we have to clean that up.”
The Aggies’ defense will be tested Saturday when Mount Union (12-0) pays a visit.
“All the credit goes to Mount Union. They are a great team and have been a great team for years,” Puntolillo said. “We are ready to go, though. It’s going to be a great game. We’re really excited to be hosting them.”