Friday, October 29, 2010

College Preview

College Preview

Grove City at Washington & Jefferson

When: Saturday, 2 p.m. kickoff
Where: Cameron Stadium
Radio: WJPA (1450-AM)
Internet: http://www.wjpa.com/sports.htm

The series: W&J has defeated Grove City 11 consecutive times and owns a 33-12 lead in the all-time series. Grove City has not defeated W&J since a 31-7 victory at Cameron Stadium in 1998. The Presidents have scored 30 or more points in 11 of the last 12 games versus the Wolverines.

The coaches: Mike Sirianni is in his eighth season as the head coach at W&J with a 75-14 (.843) overall record. The three-time PAC Coach of the Year and 2004 South Region Coach of the Year is second among all active NCAA head coaches in winning percentage (minimum five years of experience). Head Coach Chris Smith is the longest tenured coach in the PAC as he has been the face of the Wolverine program for 26 years. Smith has compiled a 106-148-2 overall record (.418) and has won a pair of PAC titles (1997 and 1998). Smith's teams hold a 2-23 record against W&J.

Notes: Over 75 percent (153-of-203) of Washington & Jefferson's scoring production has come during the first half of games this season. The Presidents have owned a leading heading into the fourth quarter five times and have won four of those games despite being outscored by a combined 29-15 margin in the final 15 minutes this season. ... W&J senior wide receiver Jordan Roycroft has caught at least one pass in 11 consecutive games. In 27 career games, Roycroft has produced 76 receptions for 815 yards and 10 touchdowns. ... Eleven opening day starters have missed at least one game for W&J, including five in senior safety Nathan Harmotto, juniors defensive tackle Darrick Dominick and cornerback Josh Buckley and sophomores wide receiver Zach DeCicco and running back Brian Baldrige, who have suffered season-ending injuries.

Waynesburg at Saint Vincent

When: Saturday, 1 p.m. kickoff
Where: Waynesburg
Radio: 99.5-FM WCYJ
Webcasts: www.waynesburgsports.com

The Series: Waynesburg leads 14-10-4 and won the last meeting, 33-12, last season. Waynesburg also won the first meeting, 19-6, in 1929.

The Coaches: Rick Shepas is in his sixth season at Waynesburg and has a record of 33-26. Head Coach Bob Colbert is in his fourth season and has a 3-34 record.

Notes: Waynesburg junior defensive back Sean Hunt’s seven interceptions not only lead the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC), but are also tied for third overall in Division III of the NCAA. Also, junior defensive tackle Darryl Moore, Jr. is tied for the PAC lead and tied for 18th in Division III with 1.7 tackles for loss per game. He is also in fourth place in the PAC with six sacks. ... The Bearcats boast the top-ranked passing offense in the conference (236.6 ypg), while the Yellow Jackets have the third-most potent attack (225.3 ypg). When it comes to the passing game, Waynesburg has done a better job of protecting senior quarterback Brad Dawson, and looks to continue that trend on Saturday. The Jacket offensive line has given up just seven sacks, which ties for the top spot in the PAC. Saint Vincent, on the other hand, has given up 18. ... Saint Vincent is the least penalized team in the PAC, yielding just 54.9 yards per contest. Waynesburg is at the other end of the spectrum, committing a conference-high 79.4 penalty yards per contest.

Indiana at California

When: Saturday
Where: Adamson Stadium, California
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
Television: WPCW

The Series: Indiana leads the series 59-21-2 but Cal has won four of the last five meetings.

The coaches:
In his fifth year as head coach of the Crimson Hawks, Lou Tepper has guided the program to a 34-17 record after posting his first losing season at IUP last year. Cal's John Luckhardt is in his eighth season with the Vulcans and has a 74-29 record. He has a career record of 212-66-2.


Notes: Cal has won 59 of its last 70 games (.843) overall, dating back to the start of the 2005 season. The Vulcans have posted a 39-5 (.886) record in regular season games dating back to the 2006 campaign. ... Cal sophomore running back Lamont Smith is on pace to become the fourth different Vulcan to rush for 1,000 yards in the last seven years. Currently, he ranks second in the PSAC with 964 rushing yards and third with 12 rushing touchdowns. Since 2002, Antoine Bagwell was the fastest player to reach 1,000-yard mark, surpassing the mark in Week 6 during the 2004 season.

Best announcer meltdown ... ever

Dave Lamont is a former college football play-by-play guy for ABC who now works Florida Atlantic broadcasts (talk about a steep fall). Last week, in a game against Arkansas State, Lamont had one of the all-time great meltdowns after a Florida Atlantic quarterback took a shot to the head without a penalty being called. Lamont wanted to know where the Sun Belt Conference commissioner was and then called out all the writers in the pressbox.

Friday, October 22, 2010

College Preview

Washington & Jefferson at Geneva

When: Saturday, 7 p.m. kickoff
Where: Geneva
Radio: WJPA (1450-AM)
Internet: http://www.wjpa.com/sports.htm

The series: W&J has defeated Geneva five consecutive times and owns a 36-19-2 lead in the all-time series. Geneva has not defeated W&J since a 19-0 victory at Reeves Field in 1983. Since that contest, W&J has scored at least 24 points in the each of the five games with the Golden Tornadoes, including a 31-10 victory at Cameron Stadium last season.

The coaches: Mike Sirianni is in his eighth season as the head coach at Washington & Jefferson with a 74-14 (.841) overall record. The three-time PAC Coach of the Year and 2004 South Region Coach of the Year is second among all active NCAA head coaches in winning percentage (minimum five years of experience). Head Coach Geno DeMarco is in his 18th season at the Beaver Falls campus and owns a 119-69 overall record (.633). He is Geneva's all-time football coaching wins leader.

Notes: Sophomore running back Tim McNerney has spearheaded the Presidents' last two victories with 131- and 173-yard performances. On Monday, he was selected as the Presidents' Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week. He rushed 40 times in the win over Frostburg State which was only four attempts shy of the school record set by W&J Hall of Fame running back Chris Babirad in 1992 versus Cortland State. His 173 rushing yards were the most in the regular season by a W&J back since Curt Jones piled up 188 against Westminster in 2008. McNerney is now fifth in the PAC in rushing (79.3 rpg) and 96th in the nation ... W&J has played at least one night game every year since 2003 and holds a 16-0 record in those contests. Only two of those were played in the road (2008 at Geneva, 2009 at Frostburg State)

Frostburg at Waynesburg

When: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. kickoff
Where: Waynesburg
Radio: 99.5-FM WCYJ
Webcasts: www.waynesburgsports.com

The Series: Waynesburg leads 26-12-1 and won the last meeting, 21-7, in 2006.

The Coaches: Rick Shepas is in his sixth season at Waynesburg and has a record of 32-26. Head Coach Tom Rogish is in his third year at Frostburg State. He owns a 5-20 overall record after spending 22 years as an assistant coach at NCAA Division II powers IUP and Shepherd (W.Va.).

Notes: Junior defensive tackle Darryl Moore, Jr. is tied for 27th in all of Division III when it comes to tackles for loss per game with 1.67 per contest. He is also second in the PAC with six sacks, including five solo quarterback takedowns ... Waynesburg junior defensive back Sean Hunt’s six interceptions not only lead the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC), but are also tied for fourth overall in Division III of the NCAA ... Frostburg State has played one of the toughest schedules in all of Division III. As one of just four members of the Atlantic Central Football Conference (ACFC), the Bobcats have set up an incredibly difficult slate of non-conference opponents. The Bobcats have faced four teams in their first six contests of the season that are either currently ranked in the D3Football.com national top 25, or were in the rankings at one point. Fellow ACFC member Wesley is currently ranked third in the country.

California at Mercyhurst

When: Saturday
Where: Mercyhurst in Erie
Kickoff: Noon

The Series: This is only the third meeting between the two teams and the Vulcans have won each game since the teams began playing in 2008.

The Coaches: Cal's John Luckhardt is in his eighth season with the Vulcans and has a 74-28 record. He has a career record of 212-65-2. Marty Schaetzle is in his eighth season and has a 37-56 record..

Notes: Cal tailback Lamont Smith is 35 yards shy of 1,000 for the season. He is on pace for 1,513 yards in the regular season. Depending on the length of Cal’s stay in the playoffs, he could challenge the school record of 1,935 yards, set by Wes Cates in 1999 ... Mercyhurst (3-1, 5-2) is coming off back-to-back one-point victories, 22-21 in overtime against Edinboro and 28-27 against Indiana. Both wins came on the road ... Gerald Anderson has rushed for 784 yards and five TDs for the Lakers.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

College preview

Frostburg at Washington & Jefferson

When: Saturday, 2 p.m. kickoff
Where: Cameron Stadium
Radio: WJPA (1450-AM)
Internet: http://www.wjpa.com/sports.htm

The series: Washington & Jefferson and Frostburg State meet for the sixth time in history and for the third consecutive year. W&J has won all five previous meetings. Prior to the 2008 game, the two colleges hadn’t faced off since the 1993 NCAA Division III Playoffs, a 28-7 W&J win in Maryland.

The coaches: Mike Sirianni (Mount Union ’94) is in his eighth season as the head coach at Washington & Jefferson with a 73-14 (.839) overall record. The three-time PAC Coach of the Year and 2004 South Region Coach of the Year is second among all active NCAA head coaches in winning percentage (minimum five years of experience). Head Coach Tom Rogish (IUP ’71) is in his third year at Frostburg State. He owns a 5-19 overall record after spending 22 years as an assistant coach at NCAA Division II powers IUP and Shepherd (W.Va.).

Notes: Junior safety Matthew Gal recorded a career-high 14 tackles Saturday versus Saint Vincent. Two of his stops were behind the line of scrimmage for Bearcat losses. The 14 stops were the most by a W&J defender since Mitch Erdely '10 had 14 in the 2008 NCAA Division III quarterfinals at Mary Hardin-Baylor. ... Despite throwing two interceptions against Saint Vincent, senior quarterback Gino Rometo remains as one of the most accurate passers in NCAA Division III. Rometo ranks 12th nationally and leads the Presidents' Athletic Conference with a 165.93 pass efficiency rating. Rometo has completed 74-of-111 passes, 31 of which have gone to senior wideout Jordan Roycroft. Roycroft is tied for 52nd in the country in receptions per game (6.2 rpg). ... Senior Joe Kelly has continued to impress in his second year as the Presidents' full-time punter. Last year, Kelly became the first W&J punter to earn First Team All-PAC laurels since Brian Plichta in 1996. This fall, Kelly is averaging 40.3 yards per punt, the 20th-best average in the nation.

Westmnster at Waynesburg

When: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. kickoff
Where: Waynesburg
Radio: 99.5-FM WCYJ
Webcasts: www.waynesburgsports.com
The Series: Westminster leads 36-29-3.

The Coaches: Rick Shepas is in his sixth season at Waynesburg and has a record of 31-26. GeneWestminster's Jeff Hand is 21-34 in his 16th season.

Notes: Waynesburg junior defensive back Sean Hunt’s five interceptions not only lead the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC), but they are also tied for fifth overall in Division III of the NCAA. Also, junior defensive tackle Darryl Moore, Jr. is tied for the PAC lead and 9th in Division III with 2.0 tackles for loss per game. He is also tied for the conference lead with six sacks. ... The two teams are similar when it comes to special teams. Westminster is the top team in the conference with a 24.6 yards per return average, while Waynesburg is third at 23.4 yards per return. ... Westminster quarterback Shawn Lehocky has to be looking at this weekend’s game as one he can use to kick start his season. Last year, after being substituted into the game in place of starter Kevin Franz, Lehocky threw for 235 yards, had a game-high 112 yards rushing and five total touchdowns.

Slippery Rock at California

When: Saturday
Where: CaliforniaStadium: Adamson Stadium
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m.

The Series: Slippery Rock leads the all-time series that started in 1919 by a 42-27-3 margin. The Vulcans have won six of the last seven meetings against
The Rock after Slippery Rock won seven-straight games from 1996-02.

The Coaches: Cal's John Luckhardt is in his eighth season with the Vulcans and has a 74-28 record. He has a career record of 211-65-2. George Mihalik is Slippery Rock’s all-time leader in career wins with a 152-91-4 record.

Notes: Josh Portis has passed for 1,331 yards (4th best in PSAC) and 14 TDs in the first six games this fall ... Lamont Smith has rushed for 770 yards and a conference-high 12 TDs ... Portis is second in the PSAC in pass efficiency with a 154.2 mark ... Smith is the No. 3 rusher in the conference at 128.5 yards per game ... Junior wide receiver Chedrick Cherry is California’s top receiver with 26 catches for 422 yards and five TDs ... Junior defensive back Erik Harris leads the team in tackles with 34 and has intercepted two passes ... Fellow junior DB Shawn Anderson is tied for the conference lead in INTs with four of the Vulcans’ 13 picks.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

W&J Hall of Fame inductees


W&J President Dr. Tori Haring-Smith, Brian Sullivan '94 (Cross Country and Track & Field), Lynne (Unice) Yater '94 (Basketball), Kenneth Mason '64 (Football and Baseball), A. Michael Pratt '81 (Basketball), Nemanja Kuzmanovic '03 (Water Polo), Angelo Morascyzk '77 (Wrestling), Director of Athletics Bill Dukett


The W&J Athletic Hall of Fame was instituted to honor and to memorialize those individuals or teams who have made outstanding contributions to Washington & Jefferson College athletics and who have helped to bring recognition, honor, excellence, and distinction to the College and its intercollegiate athletic programs.

To be eligible for the Athletic Hall of Fame, an alumnus must have participated in two full seasons of varsity intercollegiate competition at W&J. Coaches, athletics trainers, team managers and any other persons who have made outstanding contributions or offered extraordinary service to W&J athletics are eligible. In addition, alumni may be eligible for the Robert M. Murphy Award if they have made outstanding contributions or offered extraordinary service to athletics at W&J after graduation.

The College used the first four years as a charter membership stage of the Athletic Hall of Fame which was established in 1999 by the W&J Alumni Association.


In 2002, the W&J Athletic Hall of Fame revamped the official ceremony which now honors a select group of individuals and a Robert M. Murphy award winner each fall in a ceremony on campus.

The inductees are chosen by the Hall of Fame Committee from a field of typically 75-100 nominees.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

College preview

Saint Vincent at Washington & Jefferson

When: Saturday, 2 p.m. kickoff
Where: Cameron Stadium
Radio: WJPA (1450-AM)
Internet: http://www.wjpa.com/sports.htm

The series: W&J and Saint Vincent meet for the fourth time in history Saturday. W&J claimed the first two games by an average of 55.0 points, but needed a late defensive touchdown to pull out a 21-7 win last season at muddy Chuck Noll Field. The Presidents averaged 807.0 yards of total offense during the two victories, but were limited to 335 last season.

The coaches: Mike Sirianni (Mount Union ’94) is in his eighth season as the head coach at Washington & Jefferson with a 72-14 (.837) overall record. The three-time PAC Coach of the Year and 2004 South Region Coach of the Year is second among all active NCAA head coaches in winning percentage (minimum five years of experience). Bob Colbert (Maryland '71) took over a new program at Saint Vincent four years ago. Colbert, who has held positions in the NFL with the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Colts, owns a 2-32 record since bringing football back to the Latrobe campus after a 45-year absence.

Notes: W&J will play its 1,082nd game (668-373-40) on Saturday. The Presidents have only lost three times in history when scoring 31 or more points, all of which have come since 2000 (Bridgewater 59, W&J 42 - 2000 NCAA; Thiel 38, W&J 35 - 2005; NC Wesleyan 35, W&J 34 - 2007 NCAA). ... Washington & Jefferson rushed for 279 yards last week against Westminster, the most by a Presidents' squad since Nov. 8, 2008, when posting 288 yards on the ground versus Bethany. The sophomore starting tandem of Brian Baldrige (11-126-2) and Tim McNerney (17-82-2) led the way, while senior Nick Puckett added 59 yards and a touchdown on 10 second-half carries

Waynesburg at Geneva

When: Saturday, 4 p.m. kickoff
Where: Beaver Falls
Radio: 99.5-FM WCYJ
Webcasts: www.waynesburgsports.com

The Series: Waynesburg leads 39-30-4, but lost last year's game 49-39. The first meeting was 1908, a 5-0 victory for Geneva.

The Coaches: Rick Shepas is in his sixth season at Waynesburg and has a record of 30-26. Geneva's Geno DeMarco is 106-67 in his 16th season.

Notes: Waynesburg junior defensive back Sean Hunt’s four interceptions not only lead the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC), but are also tied for fifth overall in Division III of the NCAA. Also, junior defensive tackle Darryl Moore, Jr. is tied for the PAC lead and 13th in Division III with 2.0 tackles for loss per game. ... Geneva has a true double whammy on offense. Senior quarterback David Girardi leads the PAC in passing yards per game (259.2) and passing touchdowns (nine), while senior running back Gerard Muschette leads the conference in rushing yards per game (130.0). ... Waynesburg and Geneva currently rank third and fourth, respectively in scoring offense per game. However, the Yellow Jackets rank third in scoring defense (21.0 ppg), while the Golden Tornadoes are ninth (34.6 ppg).


California at Gannon

When: Saturday
Where: Gannon
Stadium: Gannon University Field
Kickoff: Noon

The Series: The Vulcans and Golden Knights are facing each other in only the third all-time meeting between the two schools. Cal has won each of the previous two games against Gannon, including a 52-10 win last year.

The Coaches: Cal's John Luckhardt is in his eighth season with the Vulcans and has a 73-28 record. He has a career record of 210-65-2. Jim Kiernan is 14-24 in his fourth season.

Notes: Cal has won 57 of its last 67 games (.851) overall, dating back to the start of the 2005 season. The Vulcans have posted a 37-4 (.902) record in regular season games dating back to the 2006 campaign. ... The Vulcans are off to their second 5-0 start in the last four years. Prior to posting an undefeated regular season in 2007, the last time Cal won its first five games of the year was in 1986. Overall, the Vulcans have opened the year at 5-0 only six times since 1916.

Friday, October 1, 2010

College preview

Westminster at Washington & Jefferson
When: Saturday, 7 p.m. kickoff
Where: Cameron Stadium
Radio: WJPA (1450-AM)
Internet: http://www.wjpa.com/sports.htm

The series: W&J has dominated the series with Westminster throughout history, winning 29 of the 31 meetings. The Presidents have defeated the Titans nine consecutive times and have averaged 48.3 points in the last six games against WC. Westminster's lone victories in history came in 2000 (19-17) and 1910 (W&J forfeit), both played in Washington.

The coaches: Mike Sirianni (Mount Union ’94) is in his eighth season as the head coach at Washington & Jefferson with a 71-14 (.835) overall record. The three-time PAC Coach of the Year and 2004 South Region Coach of the Year is second among all active NCAA head coaches in winning percentage (minimum five years of experience). Head Coach Jeff Hand (Clarion '92) holds a 58-56 (.509) career record in 11 seasons, including a 21-32 mark in six years at Westminster. Hand was Waynesburg's head coach from 2001-2004.

Notes: Washington & Jefferson has forced at least one turnover 32 times in the regular season since 2006 and has won 31 of those games. The only game during that time that W&J forced a turnover and lost was three weeks ago at Delaware Valley (Matthew Gal interception). W&J has won nine consecutive week four contests. Ironically, the last loss came in a 2000 defensive battle to Westminster at Cameron Stadium by a 19-17 margin.

Waynesburg at Bethany

When: Saturday, 2 p.m. kickoff
Where: Bethany
Radio: 99.5-FM WCYJ
Webcasts: www.waynesburgsports.com

The Series: Waynesburg leads the series, 27-15-7, but lost last year's game 35-24. The first meeting was 1903, a 17-5 victory for Waynesburg.

The Coaches: Rick Shepas is in his sixth season at Waynesburg and has a record of 30-24. Bethany's Tim Weaver is 15-29 in his fifth season.

Notes: The Yellow Jackets starting offensive line, consisting of Melvin Warrick, Nebojsa Nedic, Nick Hanley, Corey Dieterle and Mike Broda, was named to the D3Football.com Team of the Week. ... Bethany is second in the conference in rushing yards per game (227.5) and the Bison lead the PAC in rushing touchdowns (9) and yards per carry (5.0). The two men leading the ground game are freshman quarterback Matt Grimard and junior running back Eric Walker, who rank third and fifth, respectively, in rushing yards per game in the conference. ... Waynesburg cornerbacks Sean Hunt and Matt Czulewicz are currently ranked 1-2 in the PAC in interceptions with three and two, respectively, while Bethany quarterback Matt Grimard, primarily a running quarterback, has been picked off six times. No other team in the PAC has more interceptions than the Jackets (8).Outside linebacker Scott Bogdan also leads the conference in fumble recoveries with two.


Lock Haven at California

When: Saturday, Sept. 18
Where: California, Pa.
Stadium: Adamson Stadium (6,500)
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
TV: Pittsburgh CW (live) I FSN Pittsburgh (tape delayed)
Radio: WCAL (91.9 FM) I WVPO (840 AM)
Live Video: America One (PPV) I ESPN3

The Series: The Vulcans and Bald Eagles are meeting for the 67th time this weekend. Cal U has won six-straight and eight of the last 10 meetings against Lock Haven,including a 48-14 victory last year.

The Coaches: Cal's John Luckhardt is in his eighth season with the Vulcans and has a 72-28 record. He has a career record of 209-65-2. John Klacik is 5-54 in his fifth season.

Notes: This weekend features the longest winning and losing streaks in the PSAC West. Behind five-straight divisional crowns, Cal has won 21-consecutive games in league play dating back to 2006. Meanwhile, Lock Haven has suffered 15-straight losses in divisional games dating back to the final week of the 2007 season. Lock Haven has lost 26 straight games. Junior safety Shawn Anderson played in 24 games before becoming a starter in 2010. After four starts, he is tied for the lead in the PSAC with four interceptions and is second on the team with 17 tackles (11 solo).