Tuesday,
September 5, 2006
MORAVIAN GREYHOUNDS, 0-0 (0-0 MAC)
at
SUSQUEHANNA UNIVERSITY CRUSADERS, 0-1 (0-0 MAC)
3:00 p.m.; Saturday, September 9, 2006
Nicholas A. Lopardo Stadium (c. 3,500); Selinsgrove, PA
THE GAME: Moravian opens its 2006 season with
a Middle Atlantic Conference game Susquehanna University. Kickoff
is slated for 3:00 p.m. at Nicholas A. Lopardo Stadium in Selinsgrove,
PA.
THE COACHES: Scot Dapp (West Chester ’73)
enters his 20th season at Moravian, with a career record of 117-78-1
(.599). He entered the season in the top 50th in winning percentage
among NCAA Division III active coaches. Dapp, who
served as the president of the American Football Coaches Association
in 2005, 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, the ECAC Southeast Bowl
game in 2002, the ECAC Southwest Bowl game in 2004 & 2005, winning
the title in 2005.
Susquehanna coach Steve Briggs
(Springfield ’84) is in his 17th season at the school
with an overall mark of 94-69 (.577).
THE SERIES: Saturday’s meeting will be the
33rd in the series with Moravian holding a 17-14-1 advantage. The
Greyhounds earned a 22-10 win in Bethlehem in 2005 and a 32-13 victory
over Susquehanna in Bethlehem in 2004. The Crusaders last win was
in 2003 with a 26-14 victory in Selinsgrove. Moravian captured a
23-6 victory also in Selinsgrove back in 2002 and that victory was
the 100th win in coach Scot Dapp's career.
LAST TIME THEY MET: In Bethlehem last fall, Moravian
ran for 299 yards on 50 carries with a pair of touchdowns, and the
Greyhounds’ defense added another score as Moravian earned
its first victory of 2005 defeating Susquehanna University, 22-10.
The Greyhounds needed just two plays and a total of 57 seconds to
take an early 6-0 lead. Chris Jacoubs ran for four
yards on the first play of the game. Kevin Lukich
took the next handoff and rumbled 63 yards up the middle for a touchdown.
The run was the longest of Lukich’s career.
Brian Maida’s extra-point attempt was wide.
On Susquehanna’s third play of the game, Moravian senior linebacker
Cliff Garr (Easton, PA/Notre Dame HS) intercepted
a pass and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown. Maida
added the extra-point for a 13-0 Moravian lead with 12:24 remaining
in the first quarter. Neither team would score again until the third
quarter, although both squads missed field goal attempts in the
second quarter. Maida was wide right from 28-yards
out just two seconds before the intermission. After forcing a punt
on Susquehanna’s first possession of the second half, the
Greyhounds would drive 67 yards in eight plays and score on a 13-yard
run by Jacoubs with 10:12 left in the third quarter.
Maida’s extra-point was blocked by Susquehanna
and returned for a two-point, defensive extra-point giving Moravian
a 19-2 lead. Moravian would force Susquehanna to punt again, however,
a fumble on the punt return gave the ball right back to the Crusaders.
After driving inside the ten-yard line, Susquehanna was forced to
attempt another field goal, but was wide right again from 33 yards
out. During the ensuing Moravian drive, Jacoubs
became the first player in Moravian history to surpass the 3,000-yard
career rushing mark. He finished the game with 105 yards and a touchdown
on 23 carries to increase his career total to 3,025 yards on 604
carries in just 23 career games. Lukich had 93
yards on six attempts in the game while Greyhound senior quarterback
Jerry Venturino ran for 61 yards on 11 carries.
Venturino completed just five of 16 passes in the
game for 45 yards and one interception. Junior tight end Kris
Bisci (Easton, PA/ Easton HS) and Andrew Mazurek
each had one catch for 15 yards. Early in the fourth quarter, Moravian
had a chance to extend the lead but Maida was short
on a 37-yard field goal attempt. The Greyhounds would put their
final points of the game on the scoreboard with 8:56 remaining in
the contest when sophomore Brian Reckenbeil (Branchburg,
NJ/Somerville HS) connected on his first collegiate field
goal attempt of 38 yards, extending the Moravian lead to 22-2. Chad
DiFelice led the Greyhound defense with ten tackles including
six and a half tackles for loss, three sacks and a pass break-up.
Mario Bevilaqua added seven tackles with one and
a half for loss, a pass breakup and a forced fumble. Senior defensive
tackle Alex Smith-Constantine (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus HS)
had an interception for Moravian to go with four tackles including
one and a half for loss.
SEASON OPENING GAMES: The Greyhounds will be looking
for their fifth season opening victory in the last seven years.
The Greyhounds defeated Delaware Valley College, 19-10, in Doylestown
to open the 2000 season, FDU-Florham, 21-14, in 2002 and 16-8, and
2003 and Juniata College, 34-0, in 2004. Moravian lost to Delaware
Valley, 31-22, in Bethlehem last fall.
SCOUTING SUSQUEHANNA: The Crusaders enter the
game after a 6-0 loss to Ursinus College last week to begin the
season. Susquehanna had just two first downs and 57 yards of total
offense in a game played in driving rain and on a muddy field. Sophomore
quarterback Derek Pope completed five of ten passes for 46 yards
while senior quarterback Dennis Robertson was two-for-six for ten
yards and an interception. Senior wide receiver Ravi Kantha caught
two passes for 21 yards while senior tight end Adam Smith had one
reception for 18 yards. On the ground, senior Anthony Edwards ran
for 22 yards on 14 carries. Sophomore defensive back/punter John
Lunardi averaged 35.8 yards per punt on eight attempts, and he did
have one punt blocked. Junior defensive back Eddie Jones averaged
8.7 yards on three punt returns and 15.5 on two kickoff returns
while adding an interception and two tackles. Senior defensive lineman
Damian Buggy also had an interception to go with three tackles while
senior linebacker Kevin Lilly and junior defensive lineman Nick
Defoe led Susquehanna with eight tackles and one tackle for loss
apiece. Sophomore defensive lineman Andy LeClere had seven tackles
in the Crusaders’ loss.
BALANCED & EXPERIENCED ‘HOUNDS: Of the
82 players on the Moravian roster, 18 are freshmen, 35 are sophomores
and 18 are juniors. There are 11 seniors on this season’s
squad, and the Greyhounds return 57 letterwinners and nine starters.
GREYHOUNDS IN THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC CONFERENCE:
Beginning five seasons ago, the Middle Atlantic Conference became
an 11-team conference instead of two separate leagues. Moravian
was selected to finish sixth in the MAC Preseason Coaches Poll this
season while Susquehanna University was picked tenth. Wilkes University
was selected to win the MAC.
THE QUARTERBACKS: After a long battle during the
preseason, junior Brad Swartz (Temple, PA/Muhlenberg HS)
has been named the Greyhounds’ starting quarterback. Last
season, Swartz played in four games, completing
his only two pass attempts for 60 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown
at FDU-Florham. Sophomore Marc Braxmeier (Center Valley,
PA/Allentown Central Catholic HS) is listed as the back-up.
IN THE BACKFIELD: In the backfield, senior tailback
Marc Panepinto (Perkiomenville, PA/Boyertown HS) had
439 yards and three touchdowns on 81 attempts last season, including
213 yards in a 38-31 victory over Lebanon Valley College. Sophomore
running back Tyler McCambridge (Northampton, PA/Allentown
Central Catholic HS) contributed 64 yards on just 13 carries
a year ago while senior fullback Joe Costanzo (Barnstead,
NH/Bow HS & Tilton School) added 25 yards on seven
carries.
THE WIDE RECEIVERS: Senior Shawn Martell
(Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) returns for his final
season. A year ago, Martell had a team high 26
catches for 434 yards and four scores, and Martell also went over
1,000-receiving yards for his career with 1,045 yards on 59 catches.
Junior tight end Kris Bisci also returns as a weapon
in the passing attack after 20 receptions for 204 yards and three
touchdowns in 2005. Sophomore wide receiver Robert Shaffer
(Pottsville, PA/Pottsville HS) caught just three passes
last season but gained 85 yards and had a touchdown reception. Shaffer
also averaged 19.3 yards on 16 kickoff returns last year.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Leading the way for the backfield
will be a solid offensive line that returns two starters from last
season with senior Andrew Remsing (Bath, PA/Northampton
HS) and sophomore Timothy McBride (Egg Harbor Township,
NJ/Egg Harbor Township HS) returning. Junior Dave
Kircher (Manasquan, NJ/Manasquan HS), who began 2005 as
a starter for Moravian before an injury in the fourth game of the
year sidelined him for the remainder of the season, also gives experience
to the Moravian line. Sophomore Wes Harpel (East Greenville,
PA/Upper Perkiomen HS) and junior transfer Jeff
Kocsis (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) have earned
the other two starting positions. Kocsis was a
two-year starter for NCAA Division II East Stroudsburg University
of Pennsylvania and earned on a spot on the All-Pennsylvania State
Athletic Conference East Second Team last fall for the Warriors.
DEFENSIVE FRONT: Senior Nick Feo (Hampton,
NJ/Voorhees HS) is the Greyhounds’ only returning
starter on the defensive line but senior Alex Smith-Constantine
and juniors Tom Braxmeier (Center Valley, PA/Allentown Central
Catholic HS) and Arturo Duran (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood
HS) saw plenty of action last fall for Moravian to give
the Greyhounds the experience they need on the defensive front.
Feo had 36 tackles with ten tackles for loss, three
and a half sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery while Smith-Constantine
had 14 tackles with two and a half for loss and an interception
he returned nine yards. Braxmeier, who is out with
an injury, had 13 tackles with three for loss, two sacks, a fumble
recovery and a forced fumble while Duran added
12 tackles with one for loss and a forced fumble. Sophomore
Robert Kadel (Blairstown, NJ/North Warren HS) will start
for the injured Braxmeier.
THE LINEBACKER CORPS: The Greyhounds return their
two starting linebackers with senior Cliff Garr and
sophomore Andrew Morrissey (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus HS)
back in their starting positions. Morrissey made
88 tackles with three tackles for loss, half a sack, three forced
fumbles, one of which he recovered, an interception he returned
18 yards and a pass break-up while Garr added 70
tackles with two and a half tackles for loss, one and a half sacks,
a fumble recovery, a forced fumble and an interception returned
32 yards for a touchdown versus Susquehanna University. Junior Dan
Edleman (Pottstown, PA/The Hill School) will start at the
other outside linebacker position for Moravian after making seven
tackles in limited action last season.
THE DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD: In the defensive backfield,
senior cornerback Israel Aguila (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS)
is Moravian’s lone returning starter in the defensive backfield
after contributing 38 tackles with one and a half tackles for loss,
ten pass break-ups and an interception for 11 passes defended, a
fumble recovery and a forced fumble in 2005. Junior safety and transfer
Zach Santiago (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS)
was a starter last season for Widener University and had 54 tackles,
five tackles for loss and an interception for the Pioneers. Sophomores
Ryan Andrew (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery HS) and
Carl Robinson (Boothwyn, PA/Garnet Valley HS) will
start for the Greyhounds at cornerback and strong safety, respectively.
KICKING GAME: Moravian has its only returning
All-Middle Atlantic Conference player in sophomore kicker Brian
Reckenbeil, who is back after making the All-Conference
Second Team in his debut season. When Reckenbeil
arrived at football camp last August, the former high school soccer
player had never kicked a football in competition. By the end of
the season, Reckenbeil was nine-for-13 on field
goal attempts with a long of 38 yards versus Susquehanna University
and 28-for-29 on extra-point attempts. Reckenbeil’s
55 points were a new single season Moravian record, and the nine
field goals tied Chad Kurtz’s record for
a season, and Reckenbeil only did kickoffs for
the first two and a half games of the year. Moravian will need a
punter in 2006. Sophomore Michael Voskian (Brielle, NJ/Manasquan
HS) returns but did not punt in a game last season.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Sophomores Tyler McCambridge
and Tyler deRouen (West Milford, NJ/West Milford HS) will
return kickoffs while McCambridge and sophomore
transfer Tyler Hersch (Macungie, PA/Emmaus HS) are
set to return punts.
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 fifth 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 15 winning seasons in Dapp’s 19
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 10th straight year, the
Greyhounds' games will be on the radio. Moravian's games will be
aired on WKAP Oldies 1470 AM for the third straight year. Phil
May calls the play-by-play call with color commentary and
technical assistance from John Elliott.
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