Del Val With Big Challenge In Friday Opener Vs. Wesley

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The season opens on Friday night for the Delaware Valley University football team as they head down to Delaware to take on Wesley College.

The Aggies, who call Doylestown home, are one of the top programs in Division III. Last year they went 9-2 and they are the preseason favorite this year in the Middle Atlantic Conference.

"We have a good group here," DelVal head coach Duke Greco tells KYW Newsradio. "I feel like we have a lot of talent. Can we put it all together? We'll find out. I know it's kind of cliche, but we're trying to take things a day at a time here and get better every time we step on the football field."

Listen to the entire interview with Delaware Valley University head coach Duke Greco:

On offense, the Aggies are coming off a season which saw them average more than 25 points per game.

"(Starting quarterback) Dashawn Darden's back," Greco says. "That's exciting for us. He's got a year of experience under his belt. We were excited to see how he leads us offensively. We have some guys here, we have some explosive guys like (running backs) Rob Cleveland and Devauntay Ellis and (wide receivers) Eric Shorter and Tyler Bing. We feel like we're going to be able to make some big plays on offense."

Darden threw 11 touchdowns last season while rushing for 594 yards and an additional four scores. Ellis led the team in rushing in 2015 with 711 yards. Bing and Shorter were the top pass catchers with 19 receptions each.

On the other side of the football, the Aggies were a stingy defense in 2015, allowing just 16.5 points a game.

"We got some players," Greco says. "We're really excited to have Shawn Miller back (team high 4 interceptions in 2015). He really does a lot of different things for us on D. He's our safety, he's a captain. We think the interior of our D is very strong as well. You've got Marc Isaac, Devante Ford, Aric Boyes back on the defensive line. Plus at linebacker, we get a couple guys back, Nick Wright and Frank Law, who's coming off an injury last year to be back here in the mix. We have some experience there and some guys that can get after it."

On Friday, the Aggies meet a Wesley team that went 11-2 last year, advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals. The Wolverines have qualified for the NCAA playoffs in each of the last eleven seasons. Greco says a match-up like this will allow him to learn a lot about the 2016 Aggies right out of the gate.

"We're on the road facing one of the best teams in the country," Greco says. "Can't ask for more. It's a great challenge, opportunity for our guys. So we are excited for Friday night. Can't wait."

Friday's game will kickoff at 6:00pm in Dover, Delaware.