Monday, September 24, 2001

MORAVIAN VERSUS LEBANON VALLEY FOOTBALL PREVIEW

1:00 p.m.; Saturday, September 29, 2001
Steel Field (c. 2,500); Bethlehem, PA

THE GAME: Moravian looks to win its first game of the season in its second home game of the year versus Lebanon Valley College in a Middle Atlantic Conference contest.  Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Steel Field in Bethlehem.  Saturday is Parent's Day at Moravian.

THE COACHES: Scot Dapp (West Chester '73) is in his 15th season at Moravian, with a career record of 88-56-1 (.607).  He entered the season 43rd in winning percentage among NCAA Division III active coaches.  Dapp has earned Coach-of-the-Year accolades from the MAC three times including Co-Coach of the Year honors in 1997 and has led the 'Hounds to two appearances in the NCAA playoffs

Lebanon Valley coach Mike Silecchia (Mansfield '78) is in his fourth season at the school with an overall mark of 7-27 (.206).

THE SERIES: Saturday's meeting will be the 56th in the series with Lebanon Valley owning a 28-26-1 lead.  Moravian won 19-6 last year in Annville while the Flying Dutchmen won the last game in Bethlehem, 24-13 in 1999.

LAST TIME THEY MET: In Annville last fall, Moravian jumped out to a 6-0 first quarter lead in route to a 19-6 victory.  The Greyhounds scored a defensive touchdown first with defensive back Jarrod Pence (Livingston, NJ/Livingston HS) returning a fumble 29 yards for a score just 4:18 into the game.  Lebanon Valley scored next with a 22-yard field goal by Eric Connelly with 9:34 to play in the second quarter.  Moravian scored again just before halftime with quarterback Charlie Bowden (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial HS) hitting wide receiver Jeff Lowry (Catawissa, PA/Southern Columbia HS) from 44 yards out.  Connelly connected on a 26-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter before Moravian finished the scoring with a nine-yard pass from Bowden to wideout Michael Abbate (South Plainfield, NJ/Bishop Ahr HS).  Kicker Josh Miller (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown HS) made the extra-point to get the final score of 19-6.  Bowden completed 15 of 29 passes for 200 yards in the game while Lowry had three receptions for 64 yards.  Tailback P.J. Jankowicz led Moravian with 28 yards on 13 carries and he caught four passes for 46 yards.  Lebanon Valley quarterback Dallas Noll completed 21 of 54 passes for 257 yards but he was intercepted three times.  Wide receiver Doug Henning caught eight passes for 89 yards.  Running back Gannon Enck led the Flying Dutchmen on the ground with 24 yards on six carries.  Linebacker J.D. Rhinehart led the Moravian defense with 13 tackles in the game while linebackers John Cupples (Allentown, PA/Allentown Central Catholic HS) and Bill Engler (Coopersburg, PA/Southern Lehigh HS) each made ten tackles.  Rhinehart and Engler each had a sack in the game.  John Music led the Lebanon Valley defense with 11 tackles, including one sack.

LAST WEEK:  The Greyhounds returned to action last Saturday in a Middle Atlantic Conference game at Widener University after having their second game of the season cancelled.  However, Moravian ended up on the short end of the score, falling to the fifth-ranked Pioneers, 44-26.  The Greyhounds took a 6-0 lead with 9:07 to play in the first quarter on a four-yard touchdown run by junior Josh Fick (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus HS).  Fick's run capped an eight-play, 43-yard drive.  There was a bad snap and the extra-point attempt came up short.  Trailing 13-6, Moravian scored with 7:30 left in the second quarter on a 46-yard touchdown run by Fick, who finished the game with 80 yards on 12 carries.  Senior Jim McIntyre (Hackettstown, NJ/Hackettstown HS) hit the upright to make the score 13-12 Widener.  Moravian had thought about going for the two-point conversion on the play.  Widener scored the next 21 points prior to halftime and the Pioneers added a field goal early in the third quarter.  The Greyhounds scored next on a 39-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Charlie Bowden, who completed 13 of 36 passes for 195 yards, to senior wide receiver Michael Abbate, who caught six passes for 101 yards.  McIntyre made the extra-point to make the score 37-19 Widener.  Moravian finished off the scoring for the game with a one-yard touchdown run by junior running back Will Shorman (Southampton, NJ/Lenape HS).  McIntyre's kick set the final score at 44-26.  Shorman's touchdown run was setup by a 51-yard pass from sophomore quarterback William Seng (Allentown, PA/William Allen HS) to sophomore wide receiver Ed Hughes (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) to the one-yard line.  Leading on the Greyhounds on defense was junior linebacker John Cupples with 12 tackles and one forced fumble.  Junior cornerback Jarrod Pence (Livingston, NJ/Livingston HS) and sophomore linebacker Steve Maslanek (Stockholm, NJ/Vernon Township HS) each made 11 tackles in the game.  Pence had one tackle for loss and three pass break-ups while Maslanek forced a fumble and made both of Moravian's sacks in the games.

SCOUTING LEBANON VALLEY: The Flying Dutchmen come to Bethlehem with an overall record of 0-4 and a 0-3 slate in the MAC.  Last week, Lebanon Valley fell to FDU-Madison, 37-21.  Junior quarterback Dallas Noll leads the Flying Dutchmen offense.  Noll has completed 48 of 104 pass attempts for 605 yards and two touchdowns but he has also thrown nine of the 12 interceptions by Lebanon Valley this season.  Noll's top targets have been sophomore wide receiver Chris George, who has 22 receptions for 276 yards and two touchdowns, and sophomore tight end Scott Marek, who has nine catches for 181 yards.  Sophomore wide receiver Matt Bubnis and junior fullback Bernie Skaudis each have eight receptions on the year.  Sophomore tailback Steve Roberts leads the Lebanon Valley attack on the ground with 219 yards on 66 carries and one touchdown.  Sophomore wide receiver Pete Henning has added 45 yards and one score on 12 carries while senior fullback Mark Ely has 42 yards and one touchdown on 12 attempts.  Marek handles the punting duties for the Flying Dutchmen with an average of 33.1 yards on 27 punts this season.  Sophomore Jim Povorotney is Lebanon Valley's place kicker and he has made four of five extra-point attempts and all four field goal attempts he has had this season for 16 points.  Senior linebacker Chad Hoofnagle leads the Lebanon Valley defense with 52 tackles and nine tackles for loss.  Freshman linebacker Adam Frantz has added 34 tackles while sophomore strong safety Brian Oberdick has 31 stops, two forced fumbles and three pass break-ups.  Hoofnagle, Frantz and Oberdick each have one interception this season.  Sophomore linebacker Brian Andrewsky has contributed 28 tackles with six for loss and the Flying Dutchmen's only sack this season.

YOUNG, BALANCED & EXPERIENCED 'HOUNDS: Of the 84 players on the Moravian roster, 30 are freshmen, 19 are sophomores and 26 are juniors.  There are nine seniors on this season's squad and the Greyhounds return 39 letterwinners and 16 starters.

GREYHOUNDS IN THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC CONFERENCE: Beginning this season, the Middle Atlantic Conference will be an 11-team conference instead of two separate leagues.  Moravian was selected to finish fourth in the MAC Preseason Coaches Poll this season while Lebanon Valley was picked seventh in the MAC poll.  Widener University, who reached the NCAA semifinals last season, was selected to win the MAC again this year.

MAC STATISTICAL RANKINGS: The Greyhound defense is ranked eighth in the Middle Atlantic Conference.  Moravian is allowing 433.0 yards per game.  The defensive squad is nine in passing defense at 288.5 yards per game, eighth in rushing defense at 144.5 yards per game and fifth in scoring defense at 29.0 points per game.  Offensively, the Greyhounds are ranked ninth in total offense at 305.0 yards per contest.  Moravian is fifth in passing offense at 240.5 yards per contest, eighth in scoring offense at 19.5 points per game and tenth rushing offense at 64.5 yards per game.  The Greyhounds are tied for third in turnover margin with a +1 per game average this season.  Individually, junior quarterback Charlie Bowden is ranked fourth in the MAC in passing yards per game at 210.5.  Bowden is fifth in total offense at 198.0 yards per game and eighth in pass efficiency at 88.9.  Junior running back Josh Fick is tied for eighth in scoring at 6.0 points per game.  Senior wide receiver Michael Abbate is ranked first in kickoff returns with an average of 31.2 yards per return on five returns and he is tied for seventh in punt returns with an average of 5.0 yards on four returns.  Senior kicker Marc Roesch (Egg Harbor City, NJ/St. Augustine HS) is eighth in punting with an average of 31.1 yards per punt.  Roesch is ninth in kick scoring at 1.5 points per game and he is tied for fifth in the MAC in field goals per game at 0.5 and tied for first in field goal percentage at 1.000.  Senior kicker Jim McIntyre is seventh in kick scoring at 3.0 points per game, tied for fifth in field goals per game with 0.5 and tied for first in field goal percentage at 1.000.  Sophomore linebacker Steve Maslanek is third in the MAC in the tackles with 10.5 per game.  Junior linebacker John Cupples is ranked fifth in tackles with 9.5 per contest.

BOWDEN LEADING THE 'HOUNDS OFFENSE: Junior quarterback Charlie Bowden completed 32 of 75 passes for 421 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in two games for the Greyhounds.  Bowden has hit nine different receivers with a pass while 11 different Greyhounds have caught a pass.  Sophomore quarterback William Seng has completed three of five passes for 60 yards this season.

IN THE BACKFIELD: Junior tailback Josh Fick leads the Greyhounds on the ground with 80 yards on 12 carries with two touchdowns, including a 46-yard score.  Senior wide receiver Michael Abbate has added 14 yards on six carries while sophomore wideout Kevin Miltenberger (Carlisle, PA/Carlisle HS) has 11 yards on four carries.  Sophomore tailback David Darmofal (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights HS) has 10 yards on five carries.  Senior fullback Jerod Dobry (Pottstown, PA/St. Pius X HS) has added nine yards on five carries while sophomore tailback Tim Barlok (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) has 13 yards and a touchdown on nine attempts.  Barlok left the Widener game early in the first quarter with a shoulder injury.

THE WIDE RECEIVERS: The Greyhounds have had 11 different players catch a pass this season, led by senior wide receiver Michael Abbate, who has 121 yards on nine receptions and one touchdown.  Sophomore wide receiver Jeff Lowry has six receptions for 65 yards while junior wide receiver Jarod Rhinehart (Washington, NJ/Warren Hills Regional HS), who has five receptions for 113 yards.  Sophomore wideout Kevin Miltenberger has four receptions for 27 yards while junior tailback Josh Fick has four catches for 49 yards.

OFFENSIVE LINE: Moravian has three starters back on the offensive line this season led by senior right tackle Matt Gray (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant HS).  Also back on the line are center sophomore Josh Zagorski (Morris Plains, NJ/Parsippany Hills HS) and junior left guard John Giacchi (Franklin, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS).  Moravian's offensive line will average 6'0", 265 this season.  The two new starters this season are freshman Andrew Leska (Coopersburg, PA/Southern Lehigh HS) and sophomore right guard Jeff Andruczyk (Hampton, NJ/Voorhees HS).

DEFENSIVE FRONT: Junior nose tackle Pat Mancini (Milford, NJ/Delaware Valley Regional HS) leads the front six for the Greyhounds with ten tackles.  Mancini has forced one fumble in and made one tackle for loss this season.  Junior defensive end Tom Blackledge (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge HS) added nine tackles; two for loss and one fumble recovery.  Senior defensive end John Kwiatkowski (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall HS) has made three tackles with one behind the line of scrimmage while junior nose guard Brian Cascioli (Center Valley, PA/Southern Lehigh HS) has two tackles with one stop coming for a loss.  Sophomore Justin Moyer (Allentown, PA/Salisbury HS) has seven tackles this season.

THE LINEBACKER CORP: Sophomore outside linebacker Steve Maslanek leads the Greyhounds with 21 tackles including two sacks and four tackles for loss.  Maslanek has also recovered one fumble and forced another.  Junior linebacker John Cupples has added 19 tackles with one sack and one forced fumble.  Sophomore linebacker Bill Engler has made 16 tackles this year with one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.  Junior outside linebacker Vince Cowlishaw (Chatham, NJ/Chatham HS) has 12 tackles, including four for losses, one forced fumble and three pass break-ups.

THE DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD: Junior cornerback Jarrod Pence has made 15 tackles this season with one for loss and a team high five pass break-ups.  Senior cornerback Jim McIntyre has 11 tackles, one fumble return for four yards and one pass break-up while senior safety Mike Wukitsch (Allentown, PA/Allentown Central Catholic HS) added five tackles and a fumble recovery.  Sophomore safety John Panikiewsky (Carteret, NJ/Carteret HS) has ten tackles this season but left the Widener game with an injury.  Freshman Bill Skriletz (Coopersburg, PA/Southern Lehigh HS) has seven tackles after stepping in for Panikiewsky.

KICKING GAME: Senior Marc Roesch is kicking off and punting for the Greyhounds this season.  He has had nine kickoffs this year and he has been called on 16 times to punt.  Roesch averaged 31.1 yards per punt with a long of 44 yards with five of his punts placed inside the 20-yard line.  Roesch also kicked a career-long 40-yard field goal against King's College to open the scoring for the Greyhounds this season.  Senior Jim McIntyre made a 32-yard field against King's and he is three for five on extra-points.  Backing up Roesch and McIntyre will be sophomore Joshua Miller.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Senior Michael Abbate has five kickoff returns for 156 yards, an average of 31.5 yards per return, with a long of 57 yards.  Sophomore Tim Barlok has had three kickoff returns for an average of 16.3 yards with a long return of 22 yards.  Junior Josh Fick has returned four punts for 13 yards with a long of seven yards while Abbate has four punt returns for 20 yards and a long of eight yards.

OVERTIME 'HOUNDS: Moravian has played a total of seven overtime games since the NCAA instituted the rule for the 1996 season and is 5-2 all-time in the extra-session.  Last year was the first time since 1996 that the Greyhounds did not play at least one overtime game.

WINNING WAYS: Moravian had 11 consecutive winning seasons-all under Coach Scot Dapp, from 1987 to 1997 and the squad has had 12 winning seasons in Dapp's first 14 years.  The 11-straight winning seasons is the longest streak in school history.  Dapp ranks third among Greyhound coaches in winning percentage.

ON THE AIRWAVES: For the fifth straight year, the Greyhounds football game will be aired on WGPA, Sunny 1100 AM.  Phil May calls the play-by-play call with color commentary from Jim Wills. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please contact SID Mark Fleming, either at Moravian's sports information office (610/861-1472) or at home (610/758-8721) or Lebanon Valley SID Gregg Matalas at (717/867-6033).