Monday, October 6, 2003

MORAVIAN COLLEGE GREYHOUNDS, 2-3 (2-3 MAC)

WILKES UNIVERSITY COLONELS, 3-1 (2-1 MAC)

1:00 p.m.; Saturday, October 11, 2003
Steel Field (c. 1,700); Bethlehem, PA

THE GAME: Moravian looks to bounce back from a tough loss last week and go into its bye week on a good note in a Middle Atlantic Conference contest versus Wilkes University. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Steel Field.

THE COACHES: Scot Dapp (West Chester ’73) is in his 17th season at Moravian, with a career record of 102-66-1 (.607). 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

Wilkes coach Frank Sheptock (Bloomsburg ’89) is in his eighth season at the school with an overall mark of 44-33 (.571).

THE SERIES: Saturday’s meeting will be the 33rd in the series with Moravian holding a 27-14-1 advantage. The Greyhounds have won the last four years, including a 22-7 victory last fall in Wilkes-Barre, a 25-15 win in 2001, a 28-21 victory in 2000 and a 28-22 overtime win back in 1999.

LAST TIME THEY MET: In Wilkes-Barre last fall, tailback David Darmofal (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights HS) ran for a career high 107 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries to lead Moravian to a 22-7 victory over Wilkes University in MAC action. Moravian took a 7-0 with 10:09 remaining in the first quarter on a seven-yard touchdown run by Darmofal and an extra-point kick by Nate Strohl (Coplay, PA/Whitehall HS). The Colonels tied the score with 10:29 left in the second quarter. Moravian would take the lead for good with 4:33 remaining in the third quarter on a three-yard scamper by Darmofal. Strohl would have the next three points in the game, connecting on a 35-yard field goal with 5:41 remaining in the contest. On the drive, Moravian moved the ball just 23 yards on eight carries by Darmofal and one by quarterback Charlie Bowden. The Greyhounds finished out the scoring on Wilkes next drive when cornerback Jarrod Pence stepped in front of a pass and returned it 57 yards for a touchdown. Strohl missed the extra-point to set the final score at 22-7 with 4:24 remaining in the contest. Bowden completed eight of 18 pass attempts for 90 yards but he was intercepted twice. Bowden also added 11 yards on five carries. Wide receiver Jarod Rhinehart caught two passes for 34 yards while tight end Rick Kulp grabbed two passes for 19 yards. Linebacker John Cupples led the defense with 11 tackles, including two for loss and one of four interceptions. Defensive lineman Pat Mancini had nine tackles while defensive end Shawn Nelson (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) and linebacker Steve Maslanek (Stockholm, NJ/Vernon Township HS) both had seven stops. Cornerback Nate Pogue (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS) and linebacker Richie Cline (Union Beach, NJ/Keyport HS) had interceptions.

LAST WEEK: Moravian jumped out to a 19-0 lead in the first 9:36 of the game but the Greyhounds were unable to hold the lead in a 27-19 loss at King’s College in Middle Atlantic Conference action. The Greyhounds started the scoring with 10:36 remaining in the first quarter when freshman tailback Chris Jacoubs (Fair Haven, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven HS) bounced a second-and-ten play to the right side and raced down the Moravian sideline for a 65-yard scoring run, the longest carry of his Moravian career. Senior kicker Josh Miller (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown HS) added the extra-point to give the Greyhounds a 7-0 lead. On the next possession, King’s punter had his knee hit the ground at the King’s 12-yard line while fielding a low snap to give Moravian possession. Jacoubs, who was making his first career start, scored from six yards out on the third play of the drive. Miller’s extra-point attempt was blocked by the Monarchs to give Moravian a 13-0 lead with 7:44 to play in the first stanza. Jacoubs finished the game with a career high 126 yards on 26 carries. The Greyhounds final score came with 5:24 remaining in the first quarter when senior defensive lineman Justin Moyer (Allentown, PA/Salisbury HS) intercepted a pass and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown. Moravian tried for a two-point conversion on the play but Jacoubs was stopped outside the end zone to give Moravian a 19-0 lead. The Monarchs scored the game’s final 27 points. King’s controlled the ball for 31:28, and the Monarchs out-gained Moravian 436-164. Moravian sophomore quarterback Jerry Venturino (Hopatcong, NJ/Hopatcong HS) completed just four of 12 passes on the game for 37 yards, and he was intercepted three times. Senior wideout Jeff Lowry (Catawissa, PA/Southern Columbia HS) had three receptions for 28 yards. Sophomore linebacker Richie Cline had nine stops and a forced fumble. Senior linebacker Steve Maslanek and sophomore defensive lineman Bryan Kohlbecker (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South HS) each had eight tackles.

SCOUTING WILKES: The Colonels come to Bethlehem with a 3-1 overall mark and a 2-1 slate in the MAC. Junior quarterback Matt Kaskie leads Wilkes on the field. Kaskie has completed 25 of 52 passes for 275 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Sophomore quarterback Duran Porrino has completed 13 of 21 passes for 164 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Their top target has been freshman wide receiver Jim Jordan, who has caught ten passes for 99 yards and a score. Senior wideout Mike Walk has eight catches for 89 yards while senior tight end Brian Fritts has five receptions for 52 yards. On the ground, junior Brett Trichilo leads the Colonels with 671 yards and six touchdowns on 108 carries. Junior running back Kyle Gallagher has added 138 yards and two scores on 32 attempts while Kaskie has gained 117 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries. Trichilo also has four receptions for 100 yards. Freshman kicker Dan Nilon has made 13 of 17 extra-point attempts this fall, and he is one-for-three on field goal attempts with a long of 25 yards. Sophomore Kyle Delvin is the Colonels punter, and he is averaging 37.8 yards per punt on 17 kicks. Delvin has had three punts inside the 20-yard line and another fair caught this season. Sophomore defensive back Will Wilson and freshman defensive back John Darrah each have two interception for Wilkes with Wilson returning one of his pick offs for a touchdown. Freshman linebacker Jason Mitkowski leads the Colonel defense with 43 tackles, and he has added three tackles for loss, a sack, two pass break-ups and two forced fumbles. Senior linebacker Steve Rogers has added 35 tackles with six for loss and once sack. Rogers also has an interception, three pass break-ups and a fumble recovery, which he returned 12 yards. Senior linebacker Chris Caccavale has contributed 22 tackles while junior defensive back Jon Jamison has 20 stops with an interception, three pass break-ups and a fumble recovery.

YOUNG, BALANCED & EXPERIENCED ‘HOUNDS: Of the 85 players on the Moravian roster, 32 are freshmen, 29 are sophomores and 13 are juniors. There are 11 seniors on this season’s squad, and the Greyhounds return 46 letterwinners and 11 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 Wilkes was picked second and received four first-place votes in the MAC poll. Lycoming College was selected as the top team in the MAC.

THE MAC STATISTICAL RANKINGS: The Greyhounds are ranked sixth in the MAC in total defense, allowing 351.6 yards per game. The squad is tenth in passing defense at 207.4 yards per game and the defense is seventh in rushing yards allowed at 144.2. The Greyhounds tied with Wilkes University for the lead in the MAC in points allowed at 17.8 per game but the squad is eighth in points scored per game at 21.0. Offensively, Moravian is eighth in the MAC at 324.2 yards per game. The Greyhounds are ranked fourth in rushing offense at 181.0 yards per game and ninth in passing offense at 143.2 yards per game. Moravian is tied for ninth in turnover margin with a -0.40 per game average as the Greyhounds have committed 11 turnovers while forcing nine turnovers. Individually, junior quarterback Jerry Venturino is fifth in the MAC in pass efficiency at 114.7 and he is tenth in passing yards per game at 89.8 while senior quarterback Will Seng (Allentown, PA/William Allen HS) is sixth in pass efficiency at 112.8. Freshman tailback Chris Jacoubs is eighth in rushing yards per game at 73.4 yards a contest. Freshman running back Marc Panepinto (Perkiomenville, PA/Boyertown HS) is fourth in the MAC in kickoff return average at 21.7 yards per kickoff 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 tied for eighth in kick scoring at 3.0 points per contest, and he is tenth in field goals per game at 0.20 and fifth in extra-point percentage at 85.7 percent (12 of 14). Junior punter John McLain (Belvidere, NJ/Belvidere HS) is fourth in the MAC in punting average at 37.7 yards per punt. Senior cornerback Nate Pogue and senior safety John Panikiewsky (Carteret, NJ/Carteret HS) are tied for second in the MAC in pass break-ups with eight.

THE QUARTERBACKS: Senior Will Seng has completed 28 of 56 pass attempts for 357 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions. Seng has been sacked six times this season, and he was run for 28 yards on 21 carries. Sophomore Jerry Venturino has completed 22 of 50 passes for 359 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions. Venturino has been sacked four times this season and gained 23 yards on 19 carries.

IN THE BACKFIELD: In the backfield, freshman tailback Chris Jacoubs leads the Greyhounds with 367 yards and three touchdowns on 69 carries. Senior tailback David Darmofal has added 237 yards and two scores on 70 attempts. Darmofal went over 1,000 yards in his career versus FDU-Florham, and he now has 1,212 yards as a Greyhound, 14th all-time. Sophomore fullback Kevin Lukich (Ogdensburg, NJ/Wallkill Valley HS) has 92 yards on 23 carries. Junior tailback Cody Hendershot (Bangor, PA/Bangor HS) has added 70 yards on 16 carries while senior fullback Ray Burgan (Egg Harbor, NJ/Oakcrest HS) has 41 yards on 13 attempts. Freshman Marc Panepinto 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 leads the Greyhounds with 11 receptions for 157 yards and three scores. Senior wide receiver Kevin Miltenberger has caught seven passes for 116 yards and a touchdown while freshman wideout Shawn Martell (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) has five receptions for 149 yards and two scores. Senior tailback David Darmofal has added five catches for 48 yards while sophomore fullback Kevin Lukich has five receptions for 39 yards. Junior tight end Chad Opdyke (Bath, PA/Northampton HS) has grabbed six aerials for 75 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore wide receiver Russ Demko (Hellertown, PA/Saucon Valley HS) has three receptions for 52 yards. A total of 12 different players have caught at least one pass for Moravian this season.

DEFENSIVE FRONT: Junior defensive end Shawn Nelson leads the Greyhounds up front defensively with 23 tackles, four tackles for loss and one and a half sacks. Sophomore defensive end Bryan Kohlbecker has added 19 tackles with two for loss and half a sack while junior nose tackle Kevin McLaughlin (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic HS) has 16 stops, four tackles for loss and one and a half sacks. Sophomore defensive end Robert Stockley (Red Bank, NJ/Middletown South HS) has nine tackles, a sack and three pass break-ups while senior defensive end Justin Moyer has made five stops with a sack and an interception returned for a touchdown against King's College.

THE LINEBACKER CORPS: Sophomore linebacker Richie Cline leads the Moravian defense with 34 tackles, a pass break-up, a forced fumble and a blocked kick. Senior linebacker Josh DiGiacomo (Zionsville, PA/Emmaus HS) has added 31 tackles, two tackles for loss, half a sack and one pass break-up. Senior linebacker Steve Maslanek has contributed 32 stops, five tackles for loss, a sack, an interception and three pass break-ups while sophomore linebacker Steve Cline (Union Beach, NJ/Keyport HS) has 13 tackles with one for loss. Junior linebacker Bill Carasia (Fair Haven, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven HS) has made 17 tackles and an interception. Sophomore linebacker Chad DiFelice (Pen Argyl, PA/Pen Argyl HS) has contributed six tackles while sophomore linebacker Eric Williams (Jermyn, PA/Lakeland HS) has five tackles. Freshman Cliff Garr (Easton, PA/Notre Dame HS) has added four tackles.

THE DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD: Senior free safety John Panikiewsky leads the defensive backs with 29 tackles, two interceptions, one tackle for loss and eight pass break-ups. Senior cornerback Nate Pogue has made 22 tackles, two interceptions, two tackles for loss and eight pass break-ups this season while sophomore Tyler Chomik (Allentown, PA/Allentown Central Catholic HS) added 11 tackles and four pass break-ups. Junior Bill Skriletz (Coopersburg, PA/Southern Lehigh HS) has 16 tackles while freshman defensive back Israel Aguila (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS) made 12 tackles. Both Skriletz and Aguila each have one pass break-up this season. Junior Jim D’Agostino (Oakland, NJ/Ramsey HS) has 12 tackles with one tackle for loss while sophomore Gerald Weiss (Gilbertsville, PA/St. Pius X HS) made three stops before leaving the FDU-Florham game with an injury.

KICKING GAME: Junior punter John McLain is averaging 37.7 yards on 24 attempts. Three of his punts have ended up as touchbacks, four others have been inside the 20-yard line and one has 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, and he is one-for-two on attempts this season. He added 12 extra-points on 14 tries on the year. Sophomore place-kicker Nate Strohl has missed five games with an injury.

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 (Warriors Mark, PA/Council Rock HS) has one punt return to 38 yards. Freshman Chris Jacoubs returned two kickoffs for 47 yards for the Greyhounds while freshman Marc Panepinto has six kickoff returns for 130 yards with a long of 27 yards. Chomik has added six kickoff returns for 168 yards and a long of 47 yards while senior Ray Burgan has one kickoff return for 21 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. 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 this week with color commentary from Jim Wills.