Monday, September 20, 2004

MORAVIAN GREYHOUNDS, 2-0 (2-0 MAC)

LEBANON VALLEY FLYING DUTCHMEN, 2-1 (1-1 MAC)

1:00 p.m.; Saturday, September 25, 2004
Arnold Field (c. 4,000); Annville, PA

THE GAME: Moravian looks to improve to 3-0 for the first time since the 2000 season in a Middle Atlantic Conference game at Lebanon Valley College. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Arnold Field in Annville, Pennsylvania.

THE COACHES: Scot Dapp (West Chester ’73) is in his 18th season at Moravian, with a career record of 105-70-1 (.599). He entered the season 50th 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.

Lebanon Valley coach Jim Monos (Shippensburg ’72) returned to Lebanon Valley this season. He has a 44-66-2 (.402) record in 12 seasons in Annville with a 44-65-2 record in his first 11 seasons from 1986 to 1996.

THE SERIES: Saturday’s meeting will be the 59th in the series with Moravian holding a 29-28-1 lead. Moravian has won the last four meetings, 42-7 last season, 41-21 in 2002 in Annville, 34-20 in 2001 and 19-6 in Annville in 2000 while the Flying Dutchmen's last win was a 24-13 decision in 1999.

LAST TIME THEY MET: In Bethlehem last fall, quarterback Jerry Venturino (Hopatcong, NJ/Hopatcong HS) completed seven of 14 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns in his first collegiate start and tailback David Darmofal ran for 70 yards and two scores on 15 carries to lead Moravian team to a 42-7 victory over Lebanon Valley College in MAC action. Darmofal scored Moravian’s first rushing touchdown of the season on a six-yard run. Josh Miller added his first of six extra-points. Lebanon Valley took the ensuing kickoff and needed just three plays to tie the game. The Greyhounds would score the game’s next 35 points beginning with a 17-yard pass from Venturino to wide receiver Jeff Lowry with 9:38 left to play in the second quarter. Darmofal would score his second touchdown on a three-yard run with 2:26 remaining in the first half. The Greyhounds would add one more touchdown before halftime when Venturino hooked up with wide receiver Shawn Martell (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) on a 77-yard scoring strike with 57 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The Greyhounds made the lead to 35-7 with 9:10 remaining in the third quarter when running back Chris Jacoubs (Fair Haven, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven HS) scored on a 19-yard run up the middle. Jacoubs finished with 61 yards on ten carries as the Greyhounds had 12 different players run the ball for 251 yards. Moravian finished off the scoring when running back Aaron Barnes (Media, PA/Penncrest HS) scored from one-yard out on his first college carry. Linebacker Richie Cline (Union Beach, NJ/Keyport HS) led the Moravian defensive with ten tackles, including one for loss and a pass break-up.

LAST WEEK: Sophomore tailback Chris Jacoubs ran for 216 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Moravian College football team to a 32-13 win over Susquehanna University in Middle Atlantic Conference football action at a rain-drenched Steel Field in Bethlehem. Jacoubs carried the ball 40 times for the Greyhounds. The Greyhounds pounded the Crusaders exclusively on the ground as Jacoubs ran 30 yards for a touchdown to complete a seven-play, 93-yard drive and give the Greyhounds a 7-0 lead with 5:06 remaining in the first quarter. Senior kicker John McLain (Belvidere, NJ/Belvidere HS) added the extra-point for Moravian. After recovering and onside kick, Susquehanna scored on a 47-yard touchdown pass. The extra point attempt failed, keeping the Moravian lead at 7-6. After an offsides call on the ensuing kickoff forced the Crusaders to re-kick from their own 30, Moravian senior wide receiver Jed Warsager (Andover, NJ/Newton HS) returned the boot untouched 79 yards for a touchdown to push the Greyhounds’ lead to 14-6. Two plays after recovering a fumble, Jacoubs ran 30 yards down the left sidelines for a touchdown to increase the Greyhounds’ lead to 20-6 with 7:01 left in the half. After freshman linebacker Arturo Duran (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood HS) intercepted a tipped pass early in the fourth quarter, Jacoubs finished off the drive on a 4-yard touchdown run to restore the lead to 26-13. The Greyhounds finished off the scoring when sophomore wide receiver Ben Hawkins (Belmar, NJ/Belmar HS) found a wide-open Warsager on a wide receiver option pass to increase the Moravian lead to 32-13. The Greyhounds ran for a total of 377 yards on 71 attempts. Junior fullback Kevin Lukich (Ogdensburg, NJ/Wallkill HS) added a career high 94 yards on 13 attempts while Venturino has 29 yards on eight carries despite being sacked three times. Venturino completed three of eight attempts for only 26 yards. Senior linebacker Bill Carasia (Fair Haven, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven HS) led the Greyhound defense with nine tackles while Chomik had six tackles, a interception and three pass break-ups. Junior linebacker Chad DeFelice (Pen Argyl, PA/Pen Argyl HS) also had six tackles with one for loss while senior defensive back Bill Skriletz (Coopersburg, PA/Southern Lehigh HS) and junior defensive back Gerald Weiss (Gilbertsville, PA/St. Pius X HS) each had five stops. Skriletz had three pass break-ups and a tackle for loss while Weiss added a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass break-up for the Greyhounds.

SCOUTING LEBANON VALLEY: The Flying Duchmen enter the game with a record of 2-1 and a 1-1 slate in the MAC after a 3-0 victory at Widener University last Saturday. Sophomore quarterback Dan Kelly leads the Lebanon Valley offense, and he has completed 32 of 73 passes for 427 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions. His top target has been junior wide receiver Luke Rendine, who has 13 receptions for 173 yards and a score, while freshman wideout Adam Brossman has caught nine passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore running back Gabe Ralston leads the Flying Dutchmen with 117 yards on 37 carries while freshman Ryan Brennan has 86 yards on 33 carries. Lebanon Valley has yet to score a rushing touchdown this season. Freshman defensive back Clint Vinju returns punts and kickoffs for the Flying Dutchmen, and he has averages of 8.6 yards on nine punt returns and 25.3 yards on three kickoff returns. Sophomore defensive back Dan Stauffer is also Lebanon Valley's punter with an average of 32.6 yards on 18 punts. Stauffer also leads the Flying Dutchmen with four interceptions. Freshman Aaron Mill is three-for-three on extra-points, but has missed two field goal attempts. Defensively for the Flying Dutchmen, junior defensive back Jimmy Holzman leads the team with 22 tackles, including one and a half for loss and two pass break-ups. Junior linebacker Chris Weaver has contributed 21 tackles and a pass break-up while junior linebacker Todd Dietrich has 18 tackles, three for loss, one sack and two interceptions.

YOUNG, BALANCED & EXPERIENCED ‘HOUNDS: Of the 83 players on the Moravian roster, 25 are freshmen, 25 are sophomores and 21 are juniors. There are 12 seniors on this season’s squad, and the Greyhounds return 57 letterwinners and 16 starters.

GREYHOUNDS IN THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC CONFERENCE: Beginning three 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 Lebanon Valley was picked 11th in the MAC poll. Lycoming College was selected as the top team in the MAC just one point ahead of Wilkes University.

THE MAC STATISTICAL RANKINGS: The Greyhounds are ranked second in the MAC in total defense, allowing 208.0 yards per game. The squad is sixth in passing defense at 159.5 yards per game and the defense is third in rushing yards allowed at 48.5. The Greyhounds are second in points allowed at 6.5 per game, and the squad is second in points scored per game at 33.0. Offensively, Moravian is first in the MAC at 456.5 yards per game. The Greyhounds are ranked first in rushing offense at 358.0 yards per game and tenth in passing offense at 98.5 yards per game. Moravian is tied for third in turnover margin with a +1.5 per game average as the Greyhounds have committed four turnovers while forcing seven turnovers. The Greyhounds are also first in the MAC in net punting, 42.9 net yards per punt, kickoff returns with an average of 30.6 yards per return, third down conversions, 14 of 32 at 43.8 percent, time of possession, 38:28, and kickoff coverage, allowing just 9.7 yards per return. Moravian is also tied for the conference lead in field goal percentage, one for one at 1.000. Individually, sophomore running back Chris Jacoubs leads the MAC in rushing yards per game at 177.5, all-purpose yards at 189.0, and in scoring and touchdown scoring at 15.0 points per game. Jacoubs is also fourth in total offense at 177.5 yards per game. Junior running back Kevin Lukich is ninth in the MAC with an average of 56.0 rushing yards per game. Senior kicker John McLain is tied for second in field goals per game at 0.50 and tied for third in kick scoring with an average of 4.0 points per contest. McLain is seventh in extra-point percentage at 71.4 percent (five of seven). Junior defensive back Tyler Chomik (Allentown, PA/Allentown Central Catholic HS) is fourth in kickoff returns with an average of 22.0 yards, ninth in punt returns with an average of 8.0 yards per return and tied for second with four pass break-ups. Freshman linebacker Arturo Duran is tied for second in interceptions per game at 1.0.

MAC WEEKLY HONORS: Sophomore tailback Chris Jacoubs has been named the Middle Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Week after his performance last week in Moravian's 32-13 victory over Susquehanna. Jacoubs became just first player in Moravian history to run for more than 200 yards in a game more than once on Saturday when he ran for 216 yards, the fourth highest single game total in school history, and three touchdowns on 40 attempts. Jacoubs, who moved into tenth all-time at Moravian with 1,406 yards in just 12 career games, also owns the school record for a single game with 319 yards at Albright College last November. Jacoubs had a pair of 30-yard touchdown runs in the game and he added a four-yard touchdown run that gave the Greyhounds a 26-13 advantage early in the fourth quarter. Jacoubs has five 100-yard games in eight career starts.

THE QUARTERBACKS: Junior Jerry Venturino has completed nine of 18 passes for 64 yards this season with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Venturino has been sacked four times and scored a touchdown and added 28 yards on 13 carries. Senior quarterback Rick Muschlitz (Easton, PA/Notre Dame HS) has attempted two passes with one interception while gaining five yards on two carries. Freshman signal caller Sean Hill (West Reading, PA/Wyomissing HS) did not attempt a pass, and he carried the ball once for no gain in the season opener at Juniata College.

IN THE BACKFIELD: In the backfield, sophomore tailback Chris Jacoubs leads the Greyhounds with 355 yards and four touchdowns on 55 carries. Junior fullback Kevin Lukich has added 112 yards on 16 carries while sophomore tailback Marc Panepinto (Perkiomenville, PA/Boyertown HS) has added 76 yards on 17 carries. Freshman running back Kyle Heffron (Stanhope, NJ/Hopatcong HS) has run for 51 yards on nine carries. Senior tailback Cody Hendershot (Bangor, PA/Bangor HS) has added 34 yards on eight carries. Sophomore running back Joe Costanzo (Barnstead, NH/Bow HS & Tilton School) also has 11 yards on four carries while sophomore wide receiver Ben Hawkins has contributed 47 yards on four carries.

THE WIDE RECEIVERS: The Greyhounds have had six different players catch passes this season led by freshman tight end Kris Bisci (Easton, PA/Easton HS), who has three receptions for 23 yards. Senior wide receiver Jed Warsager has two catches for 48 yards and a touchdown while sophomore wide receiver Shawn Martell has two receptions for 11 yards. Sophomore wideout Ben Hawkins has one catch for 76 yards and a score while sophomore tailback Chris Jacoubs grabbed one aerial for 23 yards and a touchdown.

OFFENSIVE LINE: The Greyhounds front five of juniors Scott Burke (Holmdel, NJ/Holmdel HS), Brenten Runne (Stanhope, NJ/Hopatcong HS) and Salvatore DeWalt (Allentown, PA/Allentown Central Catholic HS) and sophomores Michael Abruzzo (Newton, NJ/Kittatinny Regional HS) and Andrew Remsing (Bath, PA/Northampton HS) have helped the Greyhounds average 358.0 yards per game on the ground while allowing just four sacks.

DEFENSIVE FRONT: Senior defensive end Steve Cline (Union Beach, NJ/Keyport HS) has four tackles, a pass break-up and has caught a two-point conversion pass at Juniata College while junior defensive tackle Mike Hurden (Spring Lake, NJ/Wall HS) had four tackles with one for loss. Senior defensive end Shawn Nelson (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) and senior defensive tackle Kevin McLaughlin (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic HS) each have four tackles with Nelson contributing one and a half tackle for loss, a sack and two pass break-ups. Sophomore defensive end Matt Lieberwirth (Chester, NJ/Mendham HS) added two tackles, one and a half tackles for loss, a sack a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass break-up.

THE LINEBACKER CORPS: Senior Bill Carasaia has 11 tackles, a fourced fumble and half a tackle for loss to lead the linebackers while sophomore Cliff Garr (Easton, PA/Notre Dame HS) has nine tackles, one and a half tackle for loss and a sack. Junior Chad DeFelice has contributed seven tackles with one for loss and two pass break-ups while freshman Arturo Duran has four tackles and two interceptions.

THE DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD: Junior cornerback Tyler Chomik leads the Greyhound defensive backs with 11 tackles, an interception and a pass break-up while senior safety Bill Skriletz has added eight stops, a half tackle for loss and three pass-break-ups. Junior safety Gerald Weiss has contributed six tackles a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass break-up while sophomore cornerback Israel Aguila (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS) has five tackles and an interception. Sophomore cornerback Tom Carroll (Blackwood, NJ/Paul VI HS) has three tackles.

KICKING GAME: Senior John McLain is five-for seven on extra-point attempts and has made his only field goal attempt of 26 yards. McLain also has five punts for an average of 43.6 yards with a long of 63 yards and two that have landed inside the 20-yard line. Junior punter Corey Czerniak (Randolph, NJ/Randolph HS) has averaged 39.5 yards on two punts with a long of 43 yards and one inside the 20 yard line. Sophomore Michael Liccketto (Barrington, NJ/Haddon Heights HS) and senior Ken Macaulay (Perkasie, PA/Pennridge HS) have been kicking off for the Greyhounds.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Junior Tyler Chomik has four punt returns for 32 yards with a long of 15 yards and three kickoff returns for 66 yards with a long of 28 yards. Senior Jed Warsager has returned one kickoff this season for a 79-yard touchdown. Warsager also has the longest kickoff return for a touchdown in school history with a 98-yard return at Lebanon Valley in 2002.

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 third 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 has had 13 winning seasons in Dapp’s 17 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 eighth straight year, the Greyhounds football game will be on the radio. However, this fall Moravian's games will be aired on WKAP Oldies 1470 AM. James Vaughn calls the play-by-play call with color commentary from Jim Wills and technical assistance from John Elliott.

STARTERS PLAYER OF THE GAME: As part of Moravian's new radio contract with Oldies 1470 WKAP, the announcers will select the Starters Player of the Game for Moravian during the St. Luke's Hospital Post-Game Show. Last week, sophomore tailback Chris Jacoubs was selected as the Starters Player of the Game for his performance. Jacoubs had 216 yards and three touchdowns on 40 carries in the 32-13 win versus Susquehanna. Starters Restaurant, a sponsor of Moravian College Athletics, is located on Route 378 South of Bethlehem.