The Case Western Reserve University football team finished the 2025 season with a 4-5-1 overall record, including a 4-4 mark in Presidents' Athletic Conference games.
The Spartans' trademark during the year was a high-octane passing offense combined with a stalwart pass-stopping defense. On the offensive side of the ball, the Spartans finished the year ranked in the top 25% of all Division III teams with 251.6 passing yards per game, while averaging 32.6 points per contest. CWRU added 147.4 rushing yards per contest during the season, and the team's 399.0 total yards per game were second in the PAC and 59th among all Division III squads.
After an early-season injury sidelined senior quarterback Aaron Filips, who was slated to be the starter heading into the campaign, junior Sam DeTillio led the offense in his absence, finishing the year with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 1,793 passing yards and a 54.4% completion percentage. He also led the team in rushing yards (468) and touchdowns (six). Adding to the team's ground game were senior running back Stefan Lopez, who had 282 yards and five touchdowns, and sophomore running back Andy Kavcic, who registered 214 yards and a pair of scores. The team's receiving corps saw contributions from a variety of players, including senior Dylan Cave (38 receptions, 475 yards, 3 TDs), junior Liam O'Brien (30 receptions, 467 yards, 2 TDs), sophomore Will Stack (29 receptions, 373 yards, 3 TDs), graduate student Brian Caldwell Jr. (21 receptions, 326 yards, 1 TD), and junior Beau Wolf (19 receptions, 274 yards, 2 TDs). The Spartans' offensive success was made possible by an offensive line that included a pair of all-conference honorees in right tackle Owen Myer (first team) and left tackle Gus Salopek (second team), along with blocking running back and tight end Jack Bryer (honorable mention).
Defensively, CWRU allowed the fewest passing yards in the conference and ranked 53rd among all Division III teams, allowing opponents just 174.5 yards through the air per game. The Spartans allowed 22.4 points per game while surrendering 116.2 rushing yards and 290.7 total yards per contest (49th in DIII).
Senior Osi Chukwuocha was named to the All-PAC First Team after providing lockdown coverage at cornerback and totaling 50 tackles, five pass breakups, and an interception. Sophomore safety Jake Kavcic secured a spot on the second team with a team-high three interceptions to go along with five pass breakups. Senior linebacker Daniel King led the defense with 63 tackles and was named to the All-PAC Second Team. Meanwhile, all three starting members of the CWRU defensive line claimed All-PAC honors, with senior defensive end Joseph Swarm (46 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss) being named to the Second Team, while senior defensive end Sean Reilly (46 tackles, two sacks, seven tackles for loss) and sophomore nose guard Jack Tierney (24 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss) earning honorable mentions.
The Spartans had several breakout players on special teams. Junior kicker Gabriel Petrozzi made all 40 of his extra point attempts and converted six-of-nine field goal attempts, including a career-long 50-yard kick against Thiel, en route to earning an honorable mention to the All-PAC team. Meanwhile, first-year punter Nick Delfau was selected to the All-PAC First Team after averaging 38.1 yards per punt, with 10 of his 35 landing inside the opponents' 20-yard line and three over 50 yards.
CWRU also remained one of the least penalized teams in Division III, ending the campaign 15th in the nation with just 32.6 penalty yards per game.
The first two games of the season for the Spartans, both non-conference road affairs, were a series of fits and starts with five lightning delays over the two contests. CWRU opened its season against Rowan in Glassboro, New Jersey, and led 14-7 midway through the third quarter and appeared to be close to taking a two-touchdown lead. However, when trying to score on a scramble, Filips suffered a non-contact injury at the one-yard line, losing the football while also seeing his season come to a close. Rowan went on to take a 17-14 lead with 4:19 left, before play was stopped due to persistent lightning in the area. With the game unable to continue the contest was declared a 17-17 tie by mutual decision. CWRU was also forced to battle through three lightning delays the next week at Wabash and was tied 21-21 heading into the fourth quarter before the Little Giants outscored the Spartans 17-7 in the final frame to pick up the 38-28 win.
CWRU opened its PAC schedule the following week at home against Westminster, and despite a 386-yard passing day for DeTillio (the 12th-most yards in a game in program history), CWRU ultimately suffered a 28-23 setback to the Titans. However, the Spartans bounced back the next week with a 55-0 win at Bethany for their first victory of the season, outgaining the Bison 568-117 in the game.
The win against Bethany spurred a four-game winning streak for the Spartans, each of which was a lopsided victory. CWRU bested Saint Vincent on the road 42-14 the following week and then returned home for a 62-21 win over Allegheny during Homecoming Weekend on the campus. Lopez totaled four touchdowns in the game, and the team tied the program record for points in a quarter with 28 in the second, the ninth time that the feat has been achieved, and the CWRU offensive line was recognized on the D3football.com Team of the Week after the squad ran for 302 yards, the most by the squad in nine years. CWRU went on to defeat Thiel 55-7 on the road the following week, capping off their winning streak at four games and improving to 4-2-1 overall. CWRU outscored its opponents by an average of 53.5 to 10.5 during the four-game winning streak.
Sitting at 4-1 in PAC games, the Spartans entered their eighth game of the season, a road contest at Washington & Jefferson, with a chance to move into the lead in the conference with a win. CWRU led 10-7 early in the second quarter, but a pair of late touchdowns by the Presidents gave them a 21-10 lead going into halftime, as Washington and Jefferson eventually pulled away for a 28-17 win. CWRU ended the season with a pair of home losses, falling 28-14 to Grove City and 43-16 to Geneva.
Several Spartans were also recognized for their academic achievements during the 2025 campaign. A majority of the team (62 total players) were named to the Fall PAC Academic Honor Roll, while eight members of the team – Chukwuocha, sophomore defensive back Tyler Fikis, senior offensive lineman David Freedman, Lopez, Myer, Reilly, Swarm, and Tierney – received College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors.
CWRU football players earned the following individual awards during the 2025 season:
The following were the team's statistical leaders during the 2025 season:
