Monday, November 10, 2003

MORAVIAN COLLEGE GREYHOUNDS, 3-6 (3-6 MAC)

MUHLENBERG COLLEGE MULES, 6-2, 5-1 Centennial)

1:00 p.m.; Saturday, November 15, 2003
Scotty Wood Stadium & Frank Marino Field (c. 3,000); Allentown, PA

THE GAME: Moravian closes out the 2003 season against rival Muhlenberg College in a non-conference contest. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Scotty Wood Stadium & Frank Marino Field in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

THE COACHES: Scot Dapp (West Chester ’73) is in his 17th season at Moravian, with a career record of 103-69-1 (.598). He entered the season 45th in winning percentage among NCAA Division III active coaches. Dapp has earned Coach-of-the-Year honors from the MAC three times including Co-Coach of the Year in 1997 and has led the ’Hounds to two appearances in the NCAA playoffs and the ECAC Southeast Championship game in 2002.

Muhlenberg coach Mike Donnelly (Ithaca ’75) is in his seventh season at the school with an overall mark of 44-28 (.611).

THE SERIES: Saturday’s meeting will be the 52nd in the series with Moravian holding a 30-19-2 advantage. Muhlenberg captured an 8-0 victory last season after the Greyhounds snapped a three-game losing streak in 2001 with a 17-7 win. The Mules won the three games by a combined score of 130-60.

LAST TIME THEY MET: In Bethlehem last fall, Moravian had its six-game winning streak snapped with an 8-0 loss to rival Muhlenberg College in the final game of the 2002 regular season. Muhlenberg's Matt Bernardo ran for 129 yards on 32 carries and Justin Jones threw the game’s only touchdown to Kodi Shay to lead Muhlenberg to the victory at a muddy and wet Steel Field. Greyhound Bill Engler, who had 13 tackles in the contest, was honored as the Moravian Player of the Game. Muhlenberg scored their touchdown on Jones’ 29-yard pass to Shay with 10:09 remaining in the second quarter. The Mules were unable to attempt the extra-point as the snap was fumbled. The Greyhounds, who gained just 125 yards on 56 plays in the game, would run their first play of the game in Muhlenberg territory with just 11 seconds left in the first half but Charlie Bowden threw an interception on the next play. Bowden completed just three of 16 passes for 27 yards and was intercepted three times. Muhlenberg would score the game's only other points with 7:23 remaining in the third quarter. On fourth down and ten from the Moravian 22-yard line, Greyhound Nate Pogue (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS) intercepted a pass at the one-yard line. Pogue pitched the ball to Jarrod Pence, who was tackled in the end zone for the safety. The Greyhounds would have a chance to score with just under ten minutes remaining in the contest as Moravian faced a fourth down and goal from the five yard line. The Greyhounds had Nate Strohl line up for a 22-yard field goal attempt but a bad snap bounced to Strohl’s feet and he never attempted the kick. The Mules controlled the clock for 33:21 of the game and had an advantage in field position as the Greyhounds only ran 23 plays in Muhlenberg territory. The Moravian defense, which was ranked in the top ten nationally against the run, allowed 163 yards on the ground. For the Moravian offense, David Darmofal gained 56 yards on 15 carries and had one reception for 15 yards while Eric Gustafson added 29 yards on nine attempts. John Cupples made 11 tackles and a half a sack to go with Engler’s 13 stops. Pat Mancini added eight stops.

LAST WEEK: Moravian freshman Chris Jacoubs (Fair Haven, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven HS) ran for a school-record 319 yards and three touchdowns on 51 carries but Albright College rallied from a 24-14 fourth quarter deficit to a 28-24 victory in Middle Atlantic Conference action at Eugene L. Shirk Stadium. Jacoubs broke James Evanko’s school record of 256 yards set on November 14th, 1953 against Wagner College. Jacoubs passed the mark on a 21-yard carry, his 39th attempt, with 12 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Jacoubs’ 319 yards was the second highest single-game in MAC history. The Greyhounds scored on their first drive of the game with six-yard touchdown run by Jacoubs with 9:46 remaining in the first quarter. Senior Josh Miller (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown HS) added the extra-point for the 7-0 lead. On Albright’s next drive, Moravian senior John Panikiewsky (Carteret, NJ/Carteret HS) forced a fumble at the Moravian 16-yard line and sophomore Richie Cline (Union Beach, NJ/Keyport HS) recovered the ball on the 20-yard line. The Greyhounds drove down inside the ten-yard line but sophomore Jerry Venturino (Hopatcong, NJ/Hopatcong HS) was intercepted inside the one-yard line. Jacoubs extended Moravian’s lead to 14-0 with 3:20 to play in the second quarter with an eight-yard touchdown scamper off the right side. Miller added the extra-point. The Lions took the ensuing kickoff and drove right down the field to cut Moravian’s lead to 14-7 with 1:59 remaining in the first half. Moravian would score again before halftime with Miller connecting on a 23-yard field goal with three seconds remaining in the half, giving the Greyhounds a 17-7 halftime lead. Albright cut Moravian’s lead to 17-14 with 11:42 to play in the third stanza before Jacoubs gave the Greyhounds the ten-point cushion back with 6:11 remaining on the third down on a five-yard run up the middle. Miller’s extra-point made the Greyhound lead 24-14. The Lions would score the next points in the game, cutting Moravian’s lead to 24-21 with 13:24 remaining in the fourth quarter. Albright scored the winning score with six seconds remaining. Panikiewsky and senior Nate Pogue led the Moravian defense with ten tackles apiece.

SCOUTING MUHLENBERG: The Mules enter the game with an overall record of 6-2 this season. Muhlenberg can make its second straight trip to the NCAA Division III Playoffs with a Johns Hopkins University victory over McDaniel College on Saturday. Senior running back Matt Bernardo leads the Mule rushing attack with 745 yards and six touchdowns on 168 attempts while junior running back Mike Mrkobrad has 276 yards and two scores on 78 attempts. Muhlenberg has used three quarterbacks this season with sophomore Tom Kelleher completing 57 of 118 passes for 816 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions. Junior Ryan Newman has completed 26 of 57 passes for 384 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions while junior Nick Rosetti has completed 34 of 70 attempts for 516 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. Senior wide receiver Kodi Shay has been the top target with 42 receptions for 863 yards and 11 touchdowns. Mrkobrad has added 24 catches for 227 yards while sophomore wideout Kyle Douglass has 20 receptions for 333 yards. Shay is averaging 31.9 yards per kickoff return on 11 returns and 13.9 yards per punt return on 26 returns with one touchdown. Senior cornerback/punter Joe Getz is averaging 33.1 yards per punt while junior kicker Brian Hendershot has named 20 of 24 extra-points and three of eight field goal attempts with a long of 44 yards. Getz, senior free safety Thanasis Petrakis and sophomore cornerback Michael McCurley each have two interceptions this season. Senior linebacker Tony Briscella leads the Mule defense with 69 tackles and two fumble recoveries. Junior linebacker Dan Walker has contributed 60 tackles with ten for loss, three and a half sacks and three forced fumbles. Sophomore defensive end Daniel McCall leads the Mules with 15 and a half tackles for loss and ten and a half sacks this season among his 28 tackles. Sophomore linebacker Mark Bennett has made 54 tackles while senior defensive back Dan Miller has 47 stops.

YOUNG, BALANCED & EXPERIENCED ‘HOUNDS: Of the 81 players on the Moravian roster, 30 are freshmen, 28 are sophomores and 13 are juniors. There are ten seniors on this season’s squad, and the Greyhounds return 44 letterwinners and nine starters.

GREYHOUNDS IN THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC CONFERENCE: Beginning two seasons ago, the Middle Atlantic Conference became an 11-team conference instead of two separate leagues. Moravian was selected to finish seventh in the MAC Preseason Coaches Poll this season while Lycoming College was selected as the top team in the MAC.

MAC WEEKLY HONORS: Moravian freshman tailback Chris Jacoubs has been named the Middle Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his performance last week. Jacoubs ran for a school-record 319 yards and three touchdowns on 51 carries but Albright College rallied from a 24-14 fourth quarter deficit to a 28-24 victory in MAC action. Jacoubs broke James Evanko’s school record of 256 yards set on November 14th, 1953 against Wagner College. Jacoubs passed the mark on a 21-yard carry, his 39th attempt of the game, with 12 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Jacoubs’ 319 yards was the second highest single-game total in MAC history and leaves him just 28 yards shy of becoming the second running back in Moravian history to reach 1,000 yards in a single season and 77 yards short of Jim Joseph’s single season record of 1,048 yards. Jacoubs had four carries of over 20 yards in the game with nine attempts of over 12 yards and a long run of 46 yards on the second play of the game.

THE MAC STATISTICAL RANKINGS: The Greyhounds are ranked seventh in the MAC in total defense, allowing 386..6 yards per game. The squad is ninth in passing defense at 228.1 yards per game and the defense is seventh in rushing yards allowed at 158.4. The Greyhounds are third in the MAC in points allowed at 20.6 per game but the squad is tenth in points scored per game at 19.7. Offensively, Moravian is tenth in the MAC at 305.4 yards per game. The Greyhounds are ranked fifth in rushing offense at 184.2 yards per game and 11th in passing offense at 121.2 yards per game. Moravian is eighth in turnover margin with a -0.11 per game average as the Greyhounds have committed 18 turnovers while forcing 17 turnovers. Individually, junior quarterback Jerry Venturino is tenth in the MAC in pass efficiency at 93.8. Freshman tailback Chris Jacoubs is fourth in rushing yards per game at 108.0 yards a contest, and Jacoubs is ninth in all-purpose yards per game at 128.6 and ninth in kickoff return average at 19.6 yards per return. Sophomore defensive back Tyler Chomik (Allentown, PA/Allentown Central Catholic HS) leads the MAC in kick off return average at 30.1 yards per return. Senior wide receiver Kevin Miltenberger (Carlisle, PA/Carlisle HS) is seventh in punt return average at 8.0 yards per return. Senior Josh Miller is sixth in kick scoring at 4.1 points per contest, and he is third in field goals per game at 0.67, tied for second in field goal percentage at 75.0 percent (6 of 8) and fifth in extra-point percentage at 90.5 percent (19 of 21). Junior punter John McLain (Belvidere, NJ/Belvidere HS) is fifth in the MAC in punting average at 36.5 yards per punt. Chomik, senior cornerback Nate Pogue and senior safety John Panikiewsky are tied for seventh in the MAC in pass break-ups with ten, and Panikiewsky is 12th in the MAC in tackles per game with an average of 7.8. Chomik is seventh in the MAC in interceptions per game at 0.43 while Panikiewsky is tied for tenth at 0.33 interceptions per contest. Sophomore safety Gerald Weiss (Gilbertsville, PA/St. Puis X HS) is tied for fifth with two fumble recoveries.

THE QUARTERBACKS: Sophomore Jerry Venturino has completed 48 of 113 passes for 684 yards, five touchdowns and eight interceptions. Venturino has been sacked 15 times this season and gained 53 yards on 51 carries. Senior Will Seng (Allentown, PA/William Allen HS) has completed 32 of 65 pass attempts for 407 yards with four touchdowns and five interceptions. Seng has been sacked six times this season, and he was run for 30 yards on 22 carries.

IN THE BACKFIELD: In the backfield, freshman tailback Chris Jacoubs leads the Greyhounds with 972 yards and seven touchdowns on 187 carries. Jacoubs surpassed the 100-yard mark in his first two starts of his career, with 126 yards at King's College and 136 yards against Wilkes University. Jacoubs had 319 yards last week at Albright College, breaking the old record of 256 yards set by James Evanko in 1953. Jacoubs needs just 28 yards to become the second player in school history to reach 1,000 yards in a season and 77 yards to pass Jim Joseph's single season record of 1,048 yards set in 1985 on 245 attempts. Sophomore fullback Kevin Lukich (Ogdensburg, NJ/Wallkill Valley HS) has 180 yards on 45 carries. Junior tailback Cody Hendershot (Bangor, PA/Bangor HS) has added 103 yards on 18 carries while senior fullback Ray Burgan (Egg Harbor, NJ/Oakcrest HS) has 49 yards on 16 attempts. Freshman Marc Panepinto (Perkiomenville, PA/Boyertown HS) has added 33 yards on five rushes while freshman Earl Kunkel (Jim Thorpe, PA/Jim Thorpe HS) has 24 yards on five carries.

THE WIDE RECEIVERS: Senior wideout Jeff Lowry (Catawissa, PA/Southern Columbia HS) leads the Greyhounds with 29 receptions for 381 yards and four scores. Senior wide receiver Kevin Miltenberger has caught 14 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown while freshman wideout Shawn Martell (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) has seven receptions for 161 yards and two scores. Junior tight end Chad Opdyke (Bath, PA/Northampton HS) has grabbed seven aerials for 92 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore fullback Kevin Lukich has six receptions for 51 yards. Sophomore wide receiver Russ Demko (Hellertown, PA/Saucon Valley HS) has three receptions for 52 yards. A total of 12 players have caught at least one pass for Moravian.

DEFENSIVE FRONT: Junior nose tackle Kevin McLaughlin (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic HS) leads the Greyhounds up front defensively with 39 stops, five tackles for loss, one and a half sacks and one pass break-up. Junior defensive end Shawn Nelson (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) also has contributed 38 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two half sacks and two pass break-ups while sophomore defensive end Bryan Kohlbecker (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South HS) has added 32 tackles with three for loss, half a sack, a forced fumble and two pass break-ups. Sophomore defensive end Robert Stockley (Red Bank, NJ/Middletown South HS) has 25 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and three pass break-ups while senior defensive end Justin Moyer (Allentown, PA/Salisbury HS) has made seven stops with a sack, a forced fumble and an interception returned for a touchdown against King's College.

THE LINEBACKER CORPS: Sophomore linebacker Richie Cline leads the Moravian linebackers with 58 tackles, three tackles for loss, a pass break-up, a forced fumble and a blocked kick. Senior linebacker Josh DiGiacomo (Zionsville, PA/Emmaus HS) has also added 58 tackles, three tackles for loss, half a sack and one pass break-up. Senior linebacker Steve Maslanek (Stockholm, NJ/Vernon Township HS), who was injured against Albright College, has contributed 47 stops, seven tackles for loss, one and a half sacks, an interception and three pass break-ups while junior linebacker Bill Carasia (Fair Haven, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven HS) has made 46 tackles, three pass break-ups, a tackle for loss and an interception. Sophomore linebacker Steve Cline (Union Beach, NJ/Keyport HS) has 26 tackles with three for loss. Freshman linebacker Matt Lieberwirth (Chester, NJ/Mendham HS) while sophomore linebacker Eric Williams (Jermyn, PA/Lakeland HS) has eight stops. Sophomore linebacker Chad DiFelice (Pen Argyl, PA/Pen Argyl HS) has contributed six tackles while freshman Cliff Garr (Easton, PA/Notre Dame HS) has added four tackles.

THE DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD: Senior free safety John Panikiewsky leads Greyhound defense with 71 tackles, three interceptions, four tackles for loss, one and a half sacks and ten pass break-ups. Senior cornerback Nate Pogue has made 60 tackles, two interceptions, three tackles for loss and ten pass break-ups this season while sophomore cornerback Tyler Chomik added 26 tackles, three interceptions and ten pass break-ups. Junior safety Bill Skriletz (Coopersburg, PA/Southern Lehigh HS) has 17 tackles while freshman defensive back Israel Aguila (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS) made 28 tackles. Skriletz has one pass break-up on the year while Aguila has three pass break-ups this season. Junior Jim D’Agostino (Oakland, NJ/Ramsey HS) has 15 tackles with one tackle for loss while sophomore Gerald Weiss made 21 tackles with two for loss, a half a sack, a forced fumble, two pass break-ups and two fumble recoveries, one he returned 42 yards for a touchdown against Widener University.

KICKING GAME: Junior punter John McLain is averaging 36.5 yards on 47 attempts. Three of his punts have ended up as touchbacks, ten others have been inside the 20-yard line and three have been fair caught. McLain had a long punt of 48 yards. Senior kicker Josh Miller made his first career field goal attempt, a 27-yard field goal, to open the scoring for the Greyhounds this season against FDU-Florham, and Miller is six-for-eight on attempts this season with a long of 28 yards versus Wilkes University. He has added 19 extra-points on 21 tries on the year.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Senior Kevin Miltenberger returned 11 punts for a total of 88 yards with a long return of 21 yards. Sophomore Tyler Chomik also has two punt return for 20 yards with a long of 15 yards while sophomore John Miles has ten punt returns for 71 yards with a long of 38 yards. Freshman Chris Jacoubs has returned nine kickoffs for 176 yards with a long of 44 yards for the Greyhounds while freshman Marc Panepinto has seven kickoff returns for 146 yards with a long of 27 yards. Chomik has added 11 kickoff returns for 331 yards and a long of 96 yards for a touchdown against Lycoming College. Junior Cody Hendershot has two kickoff returns for 28 yards. Freshman wide receiver Josh Kline has blocked an extra-point this season while freshman wide receiver Shawn Martell has a blocked punt and eight tackles on special teams this fall.

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. The Greyhounds were 0-1 in overtime last year.

WINNING WAYS: Moravian had 11 consecutive winning seasons—all under Coach Scot Dapp, from 1987 to 1997 and has had 13 winning seasons in Dapp’s 16 years. The 11-straight winning seasons is the longest in school history. Dapp ranks third among Greyhound coaches in winning percentage.

ON THE AIRWAVES: For the seventh straight year, the Greyhounds football game will be aired on WGPA, Sunny 1100 AM. Phil May will be the play-by-play announcer with color commentary from Chris Michael.

ON TELEVISION: Service-Electric Cable, TV-2, based in Allentown, Pennsylvania will be airing the Moravian-Muhlenberg game again this season on Saturday, November 15th.