Wednesday, November 27, 2002

SEVEN GREYHOUND FOOTBALL PLAYERS & MORAVIAN DEFENSE RANKED NATIONALLY

INDIANAPOLIS, IN --- The Moravian College football team has seven players ranked and the Greyhounds’ defense is ranked twice in the top 40 in the 11th release of the NCAA Division III football statistics for the 2002 season.

Moravian’s highest ranked individual is senior linebacker John Cupples (Allentown, PA/ Allentown Central Catholic HS), who is third in the nation in forced fumbles per game at 0.45. Senior linebacker Vince Cowlishaw (Chatham, NJ/Chatham HS) is tied for 22nd in forced fumbles with 0.36 per game. Senior defensive lineman Tom Blackledge (Sellersville, PA/ Pennridge HS) is tied for 27th in the country this week in tackles for loss with an average of 2.0 per game. Junior defensive back Nate Pogue (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS) is tied for 12th in passes defended at 2.0 per game while senior defensive back Jarrod Pence (Livingston, NJ/Livingston HS) is tied for 30th in the nation in passes defended at 1.6 per game. Pogue is also tied for 24th in the country in interceptions with 0.6 per game.

Moravian’s other two players are 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, and sophomore wide receiver Jed Warsager (Andover, NJ/Newton HS) ranked 39th in the nation in kickoff returns with an average of 24.2 yards per return.

The Greyhounds, who finished the 2002 season at 7-4, are 21st in the country in rushing defense, only allowing 93.9 yards per contest on the ground and the squad is tied for 40th in scoring defense, allowing just 16.4 points per game.

Moravian, which had a six-game winning streak during the season, participated in the 2002 Eastern College Athletic Conference Southeast Championship game last weekend, 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.