During the 2024 season, the Case Western Reserve University football team finished with an overall record of 6-4 and placed fifth in the PAC. This year the Spartans aim to improve with a totally fresh team, following the loss of 14 starters from last year’s roster.
The Spartans will be welcoming many new faces to the field this season after the graduation of several fourth and fifth-years who have been dominating the scene the last few seasons.
Stepping up as CWRU’s starting quarterback is fourth-year co-captain Aaron Filips, who started for the Spartans during last year’s homecoming game after former quarterback Alex Fromberg was injured.
“Aaron Filips is going to be an awesome quarterback,” Head Coach Greg Debeljak said in CWRU Athletics’ “2025 CWRU Football Season Preview” video, published Aug. 27. “He’s ready to be one of the best in the country in my opinion.”
As a first-year, Filips saw time as the team’s wildcard quarterback before suffering a season-ending injury that put him out of play his second year.
Joining Filips in offensive play are fourth-year wide receivers Dylan Cave and Alec Angello, as well as second-year running back Andy Kavcic and third-year running back Mitchell Waite among other players looking to fill vacant starter positions.
Last year, the team had the No. 12-ranked DIII defense and will be looking to maintain their strong hold on the field. The Spartans will see a large turnover of their defensive team with only three of their starting defensive players on this year’s roster.
“This group is different. It’s younger. I think there’s this youthful enthusiasm. I think the willingness to be coached. They’re just really receptive to being coached,” Debeljak said. “We’ve graduated some guys that we’ve been doing things with for two, three years. So I just think the vibe’s different and excited because these guys are finally getting their chance, and coaches, we are having to tweak things that we’ve done in the past. So it makes for a different vibe.”
As one of the captains, Filips commented on the team culture and how it’s been one of the team’s main focuses during the off-season.
“We have like a bunch of new guys that have never gelled together and never played together. So I think bringing the team together, really hammering down culture wise, that everyone has a role, regardless of if you’re a freshman or a senior, or you play 70 plays a game, or you’re on the sideline cheering on your teammates, everyone has an equal part,” Filips said. “I think bringing that culture where everyone’s committed is one of our bigger focuses this off season. I think we’re resilient, and I think we’re like a brotherhood. We’re really tightly connected.”
Cave is looking forward to his final season as a Spartan, and is excited to get the season rolling.
“The big PAC games we have Week Three, Westminster at home, night game, home opener. I think that’s the one I’m looking forward to the most right now. Especially because it’s the closest,” Cave said. “We really try to keep it one game at a time.”
Filips shared that sentiment and explained their mentality of taking it one game at a time.
“I don’t really like setting goals or expectations.” Filips said. “I’m just focused on what I can do, how I can be the best version of myself and help my team win each week. I think as a team, obviously, we want to win the conference, win a PAC championship, and go to playoffs, that’s obvious, but I think how we do that is just staying focused and grounded each week, only focusing on that opponent, and focusing on how we can get better, controlling things we can control. And then I think all the goals and our expectations will fall in place.”
The Spartans will open their season on Saturday, Sept. 6 as they travel to Glassboro, New Jersey to face Rowan University.