Monday, September 17, 2001

MORAVIAN AT WIDENER FOOTBALL PREVIEW

1:00 p.m.; Saturday, September 22, 2001
Leslie C. Quirk Stadium (c. 4,000); Chester, PA

THE GAME: Moravian looks to win its first game of the season in its first road contest, traveling to Chester, Pennsylvania to battle nationally ranked Widener University in a Middle Atlantic Conference Game.  Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Leslie C. Quirk Stadium.  The Greyhounds will be returning to action for the first time in two weeks after having last weekend's game at FDU-Madison cancelled less than 24 hours before kickoff by FDU-Madison.  No make-up date has been set.

THE COACHES: Scot Dapp (West Chester '73) is in his 15th season at Moravian, with a career record of 88-55-1 (.615).  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.

Widener coach Bill Zwaan (Delaware '79) is in his fifth season at the school with an overall mark of 35-12 (.745).  Zwaan led the Pioneers to the NCAA Division III semifinals last year.

THE SERIES: Saturday's meeting will be the 55th in the series with Widener owning a 33-21 lead.  The Pioneers won last season in Bethlehem, 46-20.  Moravian's last win in the series came in 1997 when the Greyhounds defeated Widener, 27-24 in overtime, in Chester.

LAST TIME THEY MET: In Bethlehem last fall, Widener jumped out to a 21-0 lead by early in the second quarter on its way to a 46-20 victory.  Sean Selover got the Pioneers on the board with a one-yard touchdown run just five minutes into the game.  Widener quarterback Mike Granato threw the first of two touchdown passes to wide receiver Michael Coleman for eight yards with 1:18 left in the first quarter.  The Pioneers lead would be come 21-0 with 14:45 left in the second quarter when linebacker Andrew Waxman returned the first of two interceptions for touchdowns, this one for 41 yards.  Moravian would get on the board with 11:02 left in the first half on a five-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Charlie Bowden (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial HS) to tailback Tim Barlok (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS).  The Pioneers scored one more time in the second quarter on a ten-yard run by Mike Ambrose.  Ambrose opened the scoring in the second half with a 64-yard touchdown scamper with 7:27 left in the third quarter to make the score 34-7.  The Greyhounds scored the next 13 points on a pair of touchdown passes from Bowden to wide receiver Michael Abbate (South Plainfield, NJ/Bishop Ahr HS).  The first from 21 yards out with 31 seconds left in the third quarter and the other from 41 yards away with 7:24 remaining in the fourth quarter.  Kicker Josh Miller (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown HS) made two of three extra-point attempts for Moravian in the game.  The Pioneers scored the final 12 points of the game.  Granato hit Coleman with a 47-yard touchdown pass with 4:32 left in the game.  Waxman ended the game with a 51-yard interception for a touchdown with no time left on the clock.  For Widener, Granato was 12 for 23 for 188 yards and two touchdowns.  Wide receiver Jim Jones caught six passes for 82 yards while Coleman had four receptions for 80 yards and two scores.  Ambrose games 125 yards on 15 carries.  From Moravian on offense, Bowden completed 24 of 38 passes for a career high 343 yards and three touchdowns.  Abbate also had a career day with 188 yards on seven receptions.  Wide receiver Kevin Miltenberger (Carlisle, PA/Carlisle HS) had six receptions for 56 yards while wideout Jarod Rhinehart (Washington, NJ/Warren Hills Regional HS) had six catches for 43 yards for Moravian.  Barlok gained 27 yards on nine carries as the Greyhounds gained just seven yards on 34 carries.  Defensively, Ryan Wehmeyer had nine tackles to lead the Pioneers while linebacker John Cupples (Allentown, PA/Allentown Central Catholic HS) led Moravian with 13 tackles.  Safety Jarrod Pence (Livingston, NJ/Livingston HS) added 11 tackles and one interception for the Greyhounds.

LAST WEEK:  The Greyhounds did not play after FDU-Madison decided to cancel the game on Friday afternoon.  No make-up date has been set at this time.

SCOUTING WIDENER: The Pioneers, ranked in the top ten of every NCAA Division III national poll, enter Saturday's game with an overall and MAC record of 2-0.  Widener brings a potent offense into the game, scoring 50.0 points per game and gaining 494 yards per contest while the Pioneer defense is allowing 16.5 points per game and 232 yards per contest.  Junior transfer quarterback Mike Warker leads the Widener offense with a pass efficiency rating of 210.40.  Warker has completed 24 of 40 passes for 465 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception. Warker's top targets are senior wide receiver Jim Jones, who has caught 13 aerials for 254 yards and three touchdowns, and senior wideout Michael Coleman, who has nine receptions for 214 yards and two touchdowns.  On the ground, junior Michael Gandy leads the Pioneers with 175 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries.  Jones has gained 90 yards and two touchdowns on eight attempts while sophomore Mike Ambrose has 82 yards and one score on 14 carries.  Sophomore kicker Paul Ragan has made one of three field goals this season and 13 of 14 extra-point attempts this season.  Junior punter Christian Kearns has been called on four times this season with an average of 33.0 yards per kick.  Brian Grubb has made three punts with an average of 47.0 yards.  Senior strong safety T.J. Hess leads the Widener defense with 25 tackles this season including five tackles for loss.  Hess has added two pass break-ups and one interception.  Sophomore free safety Bill Walsh has added 15 tackles while senior strong safety Brian Mahon has contributed 11 tackles.  The Pioneers have three players with ten tackles, senior linebacker Mark Del Tin, sophomore linebacker Matt Swarter and sophomore linebacker Mike Granato.  Junior linebacker Steve Varrasse leads the Pioneers with three sacks this season while junior linebacker Steve Hutchinson and junior defensive end Anthony O'Neill each have two sacks this fall.

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 Widener was picked first in the MAC poll.  Widener reached the NCAA semifinals last season.

MAC STATISTICAL RANKINGS: The Greyhound defense is ranked third in the Middle Atlantic Conference after the second week of statistical rankings by the conference.  Moravian is allowing 263.0 yards per game.  The defensive squad is first in passing defense at 115.0 yards per game, fifth in rushing defense at 148.0 yards per game and fourth in scoring defense at 14.0 points per game.  Offensively, the Greyhounds are ranked ninth in total offense at 242.0 yards per contest.  Moravian is eighth in passing offense at 226.0 yards per contest, ninth in scoring offense at 13.0 points per game and 11^th in rushing offense at 16.0 yards per game.  Individually, junior quarterback Charlie Bowden is ranked fourth in the MAC in passing yards per game at 226.0.  Bowden is sixth in total offense at 200.0 yards per game and ninth in pass efficiency at 97.4.  Junior wide receiver Jarod Rhinehart is ranked seventh in receiving yards per contest with an average of 90.0.  Senior kicker Marc Roesch (Egg Harbor City, NJ/St. Augustine HS) is ninth in punting with an average of 29.1 yards per punt.  Roesch is tied for sixth in kick scoring at 3.0 points per game and he is tied for second in the MAC in field goals per game at 1.0 and tied for first in field goal percentage at 1.000.  Senior kicker Jim McIntyre (Hackettstown, NJ/Hackettstown HS) is fourth in kick scoring at 4.0 points per game, tied for second in field goals per game with 1.0 and tied for first in extra-point percentage at 1.000.  Junior linebacker Bill Engler (Coopersburg, PA/Southern Lehigh HS), sophomore linebacker Steve Maslanek (Stockholm, NJ/Vernon Township HS) and sophomore cornerback John Panikiewsky (Carteret, NJ/Carteret HS) are all tied for fourth in the MAC in tackles per game at 10.0 tackles a contest.

BOWDEN LEADING THE 'HOUNDS OFFENSE: Junior quarterback Charlie Bowden completed 19 of 39 passes for 226 yards in the Greyhounds season opening loss to King's College.  Bowden hit nine different receivers in the game.

IN THE BACKFIELD: Sophomore tailback David Darmofal (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights HS) led the Greyhound rushing attack versus King's with 10 yards on five carries.  Senior fullback Jerod Dobry (Pottstown, PA/St. Pius X HS) had nine yards on two carries while sophomore tailback Tim Barlok had six yards and a touchdown on seven attempts.

THE WIDE RECEIVERS: The Greyhounds had nine different players catch a pass against King's two weeks ago, led by junior wide receiver Jarod Rhinehart who had four receptions for 90 yards.  Sophomore wide receiver Jeff Lowry (Catawissa, PA/Southern Columbia HS) had three catches for 28 yards while sophomore wideout Kevin Miltenberger had three receptions for 26 yards.  Senior wide receiver Michael Abbate, who played sparingly against King's while recovering from an injury, grabbed three passes for 20 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 seven tackles.  Mancini had seven tackles and forced one fumble in the game.  Junior defensive end Tom Blackledge (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge HS) added five tackles; two for loss and one fumble recovery.  Senior defensive end John Kwiatkowski (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall HS) and junior nose guard Brian Cascioli (Center Valley, PA/Southern Lehigh HS) each made one tackle in the game with Cascioli's stop coming for a loss.

THE LINEBACKERING CORP: Junior inside linebacker Bill Engler and sophomore outside linebacker Steve Maslanek each had ten tackles in the game versus King's.  Maslanek also recovered a fumble in the game as did junior inside linebacker John Cupples.  Cupples had the Greyhounds only sack of the game and he had a total of seven stops.  Junior outside linebacker Vince Cowlishaw (Chatham, NJ/Chatham HS), who was making his first career start, had eight tackles including two for losses and one pass break-up.

THE DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD: Sophomore cornerback John Panikiewsky had 10 tackles in his first career start against King's.  Panikiewsky added two tackles for loss and one forced fumble.  Junior safety Jarrod Pence made four tackles versus King's and he led the Greyhounds with two pass break-ups.  Senior cornerback Jim McIntyre had five tackles while senior safety Mike Wukitsch (Allentown, PA/Allentown Central Catholic HS) added three tackles and a fumble recovery.

KICKING GAME: Senior Marc Roesch is kicking off and punting for the Greyhounds this season.  He had four kickoffs last weekend and was called on ten times to punt.  Roesch averaged 29.1 yards per punt with a long of 42 yards.  Five of his punts were placed inside the 20-yard line.  Roesch also kicked a career-long 40-yard field goal against King's to open the scoring.  Senior Jim McIntyre made a 32-yard field last week and he was one for one on extra-points.  Backing up Roesch and McIntyre will be sophomore Joshua Miller (Boyertown/Boyertown HS).

SPECIAL TEAMS: Sophomore Tim Barlok had three kickoff returns for an average of 16.3 yards with a long return of 22 yards.  Junior tailback Josh Fick (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus HS) has returned four punts for 13 yards with a long of seven 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 Widener SID Susan Fumagalli at (610/499-4436).