Sports News: Winter 2002-03

Wednesday, December 11, 2002

FOUR GREYHOUNDS NAMED TO DON HANSEN’S FOOTBALL GAZETTE ALL-SOUTH REGION SQUADS

BETHLEHEM, PA --- Four members of the Moravian College football team have been named to the Don Hansen’s Football Gazette All-South Region Teams with seniors Jarrod Pence (Livingston, NJ/Livingston HS) and Tom Blackledge (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge HS) and junior John McLain (Belvidere, NJ/Belvidere HS) earning spots on the Second Team and senior Josh Zagorski (Morris Plains, NJ/Parsippany Hills HS) garnering a spot on the Third Team.

The quartet helped the Greyhounds to their best season since 1997 this past fall as Moravian posted a 7-4 overall record, recorded a 7-2 mark in the Middle Atlantic Conference, which placed the team third, and made the 2002 Eastern College Athletic Conference Southeast Championship game, Moravian’s first-ever appearance in the ECAC Championships.

Pence, a defensive back that was on the Don Hansen’s Football Gazette All South Region Third Team a year ago, made 55 tackles for the Greyhounds this season. He added 18 pass break-ups, three interceptions with 88 return yards, four tackles for loss, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery he returned 53 yards for a touchdown. Pence, who was a 2002 All-Middle Atlantic Conference honoree, also returned one of his interceptions 57 yards for a score. Pence will be participating in the 2002 Aztec Bowl this Saturday, December 14th as one of 42 NCAA Division III players from the United States that will be playing the Mexican All-Star Team in Torreon, Mexico.

Blackledge, a defensive end who was named to the All-Middle Atlantic Conference Second Team this fall, led the Greyhounds with 28 tackles for loss and five and a half sacks. Blackledge had a total of 65 tackles this season and he added three pass break-ups. Blackledge and Pence both played in the 2nd Annual East Coast Bowl back on November 30th in an All-Star game that featured mainly NCAA Division II players.

McLain, a punter, returned to the Moravian line-up this season after missing the entire 2001 campaign with an illness. McLain was named to the All-Middle Atlantic Conference Second Team after averaging 38.8 yards per punt this season. McLain was called on 56 times to punt and he had just two kicks blocked while placing 13 inside the 20-yard line. He had 12 punts of over 50 yards and two over 60 yards with a season long of 64 yards.

Zagorski, Moravian’s center and anchor of the offensive line, was also named to the Don Hansen’s Football Gazette All South Region Third Team last year. Zagorski, an All-Middle Atlantic Conference First Team honoree this season, helped the Moravian offense average 288.8 yards per game this season including 150.6 yards per contest on the ground. The Moravian offensive line only allowed 22 sacks in 11 games this fall and paved the way for over 200 yards of rushing offense in four games.