Tuesday, January 21, 2003

NINE GREYHOUND FOOTBALL PLAYERS, MORAVIAN DEFENSE & SPECIAL TEAMS RANKED NATIONALLY

INDIANAPOLIS, IN --- The Moravian College football team had nine players ranked, and the Greyhound team was ranked four times in the top 50 in the final release of the NCAA Division III football statistics for the 2002 season.

Moravian’s highest ranked individual was senior linebacker John Cupples (Allentown, PA/ Allentown Central Catholic HS), who was third in the nation in forced fumbles per game at 0.45, after forcing five fumbles in 11 games. Senior linebacker Vince Cowlishaw (Chatham, NJ/Chatham HS) was tied for 21st in forced fumbles with 0.36 per game (four forced fumbles in 11 games). Senior defensive lineman Tom Blackledge (Sellersville, PA/ Pennridge HS) was 26th in the country this year in tackles for loss with an average of 2.0 per game (22 ½ tackles for loss of 66 yards). Junior defensive back Nate Pogue (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS) was tied for 11th in passes defended at 2.0 per game (15 pass breakups and seven interceptions) while senior defensive back Jarrod Pence (Livingston, NJ/Livingston HS) was 31st in the nation in passes defended at 1.6 per game (15 pass breakups and three interceptions). Pogue was also tied for 25th in the country in interceptions with 0.6 per game (seven interceptions in 11 games). Junior safety John Panikiewsky (Carteret, NJ/Carteret HS) was tied for 48th in passes defended with 1.5 per game (11 pass breakups and four interceptions in ten games).

Moravian’s other three players were ranked in special teams categories with junior punter John McLain (Belvidere, NJ/Belvidere HS) 14th in the country in punting with an average of 38.8 yards per punt (54 punts for 2,097 yards), sophomore wide receiver Jed Warsager (Andover, NJ/Newton HS) ranked 41st in the nation in kickoff returns with an average of 24.2 yards per return (25 returns for 556 yards and one touchdown) and freshman kicker Nate Strohl (Coplay, PA/Whitehall HS) ranked 42nd in the country in field goals per game at 0.6 (eight field goals in 11 contests).

The Greyhounds, who finished the 2002 season at 7-4, were 20th in the country in rushing defense, only allowing 93.9 yards per contest on the ground (1,033 yards on 400 carries), and the squad was tied for 39th in scoring defense, allowing just 16.4 points per game (180 points in 11 games). Moravian’s special teams were ranked 20th in net punting yardage at 33.89 yards per punt, allowing just 199 return yards after 2,097 yards on 56 punts, and 41st in kickoff return yardage, averaging 20.62 yards a kick off return (37 returns for 767 yards and a touchdown).

Moravian, which had a six-game winning streak during the season, participated in the 2002 Eastern College Athletic Conference Southeast Championship game, losing to McDaniel College, 21-7. The postseason appearance was Moravian’s third in the 16-year tenure of head coach Scot Dapp and the school’s first-ever berth in the ECAC Championships.