WASHINGTON – The 2022 season was one for the football record book for Gallaudet University (GU) and that is where those accomplishments will reside as the Bison take the field this September to begin its 2023 campaign.
GU celebrated its second Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) championship last season and its second NCAA tournament appearance in program history and the first since 2013. The Bison hauled in a record amount of postseason awards in the conference and nationally to highlight the 7-3 season, 5-1 in conference.
The Bison are focused on a brand new season as they left last year's accomplishments behind them once preseason camp began in August.
Gallaudet returns a lot of the key pieces from all three units (offense, defense, special teams) which will bode well for the buff and blue. It will be vital for All-Region 1 Coach of the Year and ECFC Coach of the Year Chuck Goldstein and staff to mold together the new players with the returning members and have them ready to go by the start of September.
How quickly the Bison come together this fall will impact the results on the field.
Below is a breakdown of the 2023 Gallaudet football team.
2022 Review
Record: 7-3
ECFC Record: 5-1
Highlights: ECFC Champions, first time since 2013, second NCAA tournament appearance, six D3football.com All-Region selections (Region 1), D3football.com Region 1 Coach of the Year, 15 All-ECFC honors, 13 All-Academic selections, six major ECFC Awards (Offensive Player of the Year (POY), Defensive POY, Special Teams POY, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Assistant Coach of the Year), three National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society selections, three College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honorees, two All-ECAC honorees.
TOP RETURNERS
Offense
Brandon Washington (Citronelle, Ala.), Jr., Quarterback
The ECFC Offensive Player of the Year is back under center for the Bison as he finished the 2022 campaign with 955 rushing yards and eight touchdowns and completed 12 passes for 145 yards and three scores. The versatile signal-caller also caught three touchdown passes as the Bison won the ECFC title for the first time since 2013. The all-conference first team selection also landed on the D3football.com All-Region First Team.
John Scarboro (Austin, Texas), Jr., Offensive Line
The All-Region third team selection and all-conference first team offensive lineman is one of two team captains in 2023. Scarboro and company helped the Bison rush for 249.8 yards per game last season as the Bison averaged 26.4 points per game en route to a second NCAA tournament appearance in program history.
Dre'Vaughan Mackall (Prince Frederick, Md.), Jr., Super Back
The all-conference first team fullback was second on the team with 574 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 101 carries.
Defense
Jacob Hartman (Petersburg, W.Va.), Jr., Linebacker
The ECFC Defensive Player of the Year returns to lead the Bison defense where he led the team with 83 tackles (49 solo) and tallied 18 tackles for a loss of 62 yards, which included five sacks (20 yards). Hartman is a two-time D3football.com All-Region selection and two-time all-conference first team honoree.
Andraé Green (Washington, D.C.), So., Defensive Back
The ECFC Rookie of the Year was a lockdown defensive back in 2022 as he led the team with three interceptions, seven pass breakups and recovered one fumble.
Antonio Mendoza (Lubbock, Texas), Jr., Defensive Back
One of two team captains on the 2023 squad, Mendoza tallied 40 tackles (24 solo) last season in the secondary for the buff and blue. Mendoza made four tackles for a loss of 12 yards and finished with one interception and one pass breakup.
Special Teams
Jonathon Waterman (Sebastian, Fla.), Sr., Kicker/Punter
The ECFC Special Teams Player of the Year and one of the top kickers in Division III is back this season for GU. Waterman was a second team All-Region honoree and an all-conference first team selection in 2022.
QUOTING COACH
"What happened last year is in the past. We are proud of what we accomplished but this is a new season and new team. We are pressing the reset button and taking things one day at a time. This will be an interesting year as everyone in the league has gotten better. We are focused on controlling what we can control." Chuck Goldstein, Gallaudet University football head coach
SCHEDULE OVERVIEW
- Season Opener: at Keystone (Sat., Sept. 2, Noon)
- Home Opener: vs. University of New England (Sat., Sept. 16, Noon)
- Homecoming: vs. Alfred St. (Sat., Oct. 21, 1 p.m.)
- Senior Day: vs. Dean (Sat., Nov. 4, Noon)
Gallaudet will begin the season on the road. The Bison will travel to Keystone College, former member of the ECFC, on Sept. 2 for a noon game in La Plume, Pa. The following week, GU remains on the road with a trip to New York to face the United States Merchant Marine Academy for the first time since 2010. The Bison return home to begin its home slate with a non-conference game against the University of New England on Sept. 16 at noon. Gallaudet is off the following week before traveling to Nichols College in Dudley, Mass., on Sept. 30 to close out the opening month.
GU will go up against Hilbert College for the first-time in program history at home on Oct. 7 at noon. The home stretch of the 2023 schedule will feature four conference games. The Bison begin the ECFC schedule on the road at Castleton University on Oct. 14. GU returns home for Homecoming on Oct. 21 against Alfred State College at 1 p.m. The buff and blue close out October on the road at Anna Maria College on Oct. 28.
Coach Goldstein and the Bison will celebrate its senior class on Nov. 4 with its final regular-season game with a home contest against Dean College at noon.
BISON HOME GAMES
Sept. 16 vs. University of New England, Noon
Oct. 7 vs. Hilbert, Noon
Oct. 21 vs. Alfred St., 1 p.m. (Homecoming)
Nov. 4 vs. Dean, Noon (Senior Day)
