Complete Game Notes (PDF)

ECAC Southeast Bowl Championship
Wilkes (6-4) vs. Moravian (6-4)
Saturday, November 20, 2010 / 12:00 p.m. 
Ralston Athletic Complex / Edwardsville, PA 

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Moravian: Schedule / Roster / Statistics / Game Release

THE MATCHUP
Wilkes University has extended its season as the Colonels will battle Moravian College from the Centennial Conference in the 2010 ECAC Southeast Bowl Championship game on Saturday afternoon at the Ralston Athletic Complex.

The Colonels finished off their regular season last weekend by defeating cross town rival King's College 21-17 to recapture the Mayor's Cup. Fr. QB Alex George (York, PA/West York) was named the Wilkes MVP, jump starting the offense when he entered late in the 1st quarter, throwing for 148 yards and a touchdown and running for 41 more and
another score.

Moravian comes into this week on a four-game winning streak after defeating rival Muhlenberg College 14-13 in its regular season finale. Greyhounds running back Joe Tegan ran for a career-high 101 yards and Moravian blocked an extra point with 1:05 to play to get the win over the Mules, who earned a berth to the NCAA playoffs.

THE HEAD COACHES
Colonels coach Frank Sheptock (Bloomsburg '85), in his 15th year on the Wilkes sideline, is the school's all-time career wins leader, racking up a 94-64 (.595) overall record. Sheptock has led the Colonels to two NCAA and seven ECAC playoff berths during his tenure, along with a MAC championship in 2006. Wilkes made the NCAA playoffs in 2005 and 2006, going 19-4 overall, including a 42-0 win over Washington & Lee in the first round of the 2006 playoffs. Since 1996, Sheptock has coached 12 All-Americans and 123 All-MAC performers.

Scot Dapp (West Chester '73) is finishing up his 24th year as the head coach at Moravian, putting together a 143-103-1 (.581) overall record during that time period. Dapp has led the Greyhounds to two NCAA playoff berths and five ECAC bowl appearances, and started his career with a string of 11-straight winning seasons. Moravian's all-time victories leader, Dapp completed his term as the President of the American Football Coaches Association in 2006. 

THE SERIES
Moravian, a former MAC member, owns a 29-16-1 all-time advantage in a series that dates back to 1952. The two schools have not played since 2006, as the Greyhounds left after the season to become associate members of the Centennial Conference. The Colonels took the last two in the series, winning 17-0 in 2006 and 27-17 in 2005.

ALL-MAC COLONELS
Five Wilkes players were named All-MAC as Sr. SS Kevin Gerhart (Hummelstown/Lower Dauphin), Jr. K Chris Horn (New Tripoli/Northwestern Lehigh) and Fr. LB Tate Moore-Jacobs (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) were each named to the 1st team and Sr. WR Jordan D'Emilio (Stowe/Saint Pius X) and Sr. TE Anthony Dorunda (New Milford/Susqehanna) earned 2nd team honors. Horn doubled up on his awards, also being named 2nd team punter.
WILKES IN THE ECAC
This will be the Colonels eighth ECAC bowl appearance in program history, coming into this year's contest with a 3-4 record. Wilkes has collected ECAC wins in 1994 (Stony Brook), 1999 (FDU-Florham) and 2002 (King's Point). Sheptock is 2-4 for his career in ECAC games.

WILKES HEAD MAN
The Colonels thrilling victory over Lebanon Valley marked Sheptock's 91st career win, the most ever by a head coach in Wilkes football history. He surpassed legendary coach Rollie Schmidt, who had a 90-73-1 (.552) record from 1962-81. Sheptock's now 94 victories have been built up over 14-plus seasons of work and includes a program-record 11 wins in 2006. In 158 career games, Sheptock has a winning percentage of .595.

CARDIAC COLONELS
Of the Colonels six wins this season, five have been a one-score difference and
decided either in the game's final minutes or in overtime: 

     Opponent                                      Decided
1. Waynesburg, 38-35                     Nielsen pick with :43 left in 4th
2. Albright, 38-35                              Gerhart pick leads to Horn FG with :10 left in 4th
3. Lebanon Valley, 35-28                Rallied from 22 down in 4th to tie, scored TD in OT
4. FDU, 28-23                                   Withstood late rally, got Moore-Jacobs pick with 1:34 left
5. King's, 21-17                                Up by 4, Gunther picked off pass with 2:42 remaining in 4th

WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE
Wilkes is 2nd in all of Division III in turnover margin with a +20 (2.10 per game). The Colonels have forced 34 opponent turnovers - 19 fumbles and 15 interceptions - while giving it away just 14 times, throwing 9 interceptions and losing 4 fumbles.

CLIMBING THE RECORD BOOKS
Sr. WR Jordan D'Emilio (Stowe/Saint Pius X) has moved from outside the top 10 to sole possession of 6th place in school history for career receptions. Currently with 128, he is 12 behind Ryan Alston (1993-96) for 5th place. D'Emilio came into the season with 80 catches and has recorded 48 receptions for 512 yards and 4 TDs in 2010.

STREAKING
D'Emilio has now caught a pass in 27 straight games, one of the longest current streaks in the nation. During the streak, which dates back to a 24-14 win over FDU on Oct. 18, 2008, D'Emilio has caught 127 passes for 1,445 yards and 8 TDs. 

For the season, D'Emilio is t-3rd in the MAC with 4.8 receptions per game, averaging 10.7 yards on his 48 catches. He's caught 5 passes in a game six times this season, including a season-high 7 receptions for 50 yards and a score in the comeback win over Lebanon Valley.

IT'S TIVALD TIME
Jr. RB Zach Tivald (Edison, NJ/Edison) is one of many offensive weapons for the Colonels this season as he leads the team with 786 rushing yards and 1,083 all-purpose yards. His 9 total TDs are also tops on the team.

Tivald is 5th in the MAC in rushing with 78.6 yards per game and has 232 yards and 3 TDs in the last two weeks. Also a threat out of the backfield, he has catching 22 catches for 297 yards and averages 5.9 yards every time he touches the ball.

HE THROWS, HE RUNS
A true dual threat, So. QB Tyler Berntsen (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central) leads the team in total offense, accumulating 1,358 total yards (1062 pass, 296 rush) while throwing for 5 TDs and running for 5 more. He has increased his passing production in the last four games, going 42-82 for 572 yards and 2 TDs, compared to throwing for 490 yards and 3 scores in the previous six games.

On the ground, Berntsen is the Colonels 3rd leading rusher, going for a career-high 92 yards and 2 TDs on 18 carries in the win over Albright. Taking away sack yardage, the Monmouth transfer would have 373 rushing yards, going for 4.1 per carry.

GETTING HIS TOUCHES
Fr. RB Auxence Wogou (Hackettstown, NJ/Hackettstown) has been a big contibutor in his first year, putting up 617 all-purpose yards. Wogou got his first 100-yard rushing day against FDU with 114 on just 5 carries, getting runs of 58 and 43 yards. He averages 7.0 yards per carry and has 3 TDs.

THE “WILD OX”
Against Lycoming, the Colonels debuted their “Wild Ox” formation, which lines Wogou up at quarterback in the shotgun formation. Wogou gained 57 yards on six carries out of the formation, including a 38-yard TD. Wilkes used it twice against Widener for 11 yards and twice again against King's, running once for 6 yards and passing it another, just barely missing an open receiver.

AN EFFECTIVE BACKUP
Fr. QB Alex George (York, PA/West York) has gotten plenty of work as the no. 2 signal caller, earning the team MVP in the win over King's last week with 148 yards and a TD throwing an another 41 yards and a score on the ground. George also led a 22-point 4th quarter comeback win over Leb Val, accounting for 101 yards and 4 TDs.

For the season, George is 32-53 for 315 yards, 3 TDs and 2 INTs and has 35 carries for 184 yards and 3 scores.

SHOWING HIS VALUE
Sr. TE Anthony Dorunda (New Milford/Susqehanna) is 2nd on the team with 24 catches for 198 yards, including a 20-yard TD catch with 2:36 left against Leb Val. He has also shown he can throw the ball, as he took a backwards pass from George and connected with D'Emilio on a 28-yard score in the 1st quarter against Delaware Valley.
LEADERS ON THE LINE
Sr. RG Joe Lemoncelli (Clarks Summit/Lakeland) and Jr. C Ben Webb (Shohola, PA/Delaware Valley) have combined for 58 career starts in a Colonels uniform, as Webb has started every game since he's come on campus. After switching up the offensive line prior to the Albright game, they've combined with So. LT Simon Tkach (Lehighton, PA/Lehighton), Jr. LG Nick Riccio (Howell, NJ/Howell) and So. RT Chris Grube (Orwigsburg, PA/Nativity) to pave the way for 178.7 rushing yards per game and 16 TDs in seven games, compared to just 113.3 yards and 3 scores in the first three games.

ANCHORS OF THE LINE
Sr. DT Chris Swinarski (Old Bridge/Old Bridge), Jr. DT Jimmy Moore and Jr. NG Harry Reese (Plymouth, PA/Wyoming Valley West) have caused havoc upfront in the Colonels 3-4 alignment. Combined, the three have 116 tackles and 13 TFL this season, adding 4 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.

Reese, starting on the defensive side this season after playing in the offensive backfield last year, has recorded at least 5 tackles in seven of the nine games he's played in this season, and is tied for the team lead with 5.5 TFL and 2 sacks.

Swinarski has 37 tackles, including a career-high 14 tackles from his defensive tackle position against Springfield and Moore, battling injuries, has added 28 tackles this season, including a season-high 5 stops against Delaware Valley and Widener.

TOP FRESHMAN
Fr. LB Tate Moore-Jacobs (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) has put up very impressive numbers in his first year, as he ranks 7th in DIII in total tackles and solo tackles per game. He's recorded double digit tackles in nine of 10 games, including 16 against Albright.

Moore-Jacobs also has 5.0 TFL while forcing a fumble and recovering 4 more. His first career interception came with 1:34 left in the FDU game, sealing the win for the Colonels.

TACKLE MACHINE
In addition to Moore-Jacobs, Sr. LB Ryan Clifford (Raritan, NJ/Bridgewater) is 3rd on the team with 69 tackles. He posted 9 in each of the Colonels first three games and had a season-high 11 in the win over Lebanon Valley. Clifford is tied for the team lead with 5.5 TFL and has a sack and an interception.

ADDING DEPTH
Not to be outdone are Fr. LBs Tom Calabrese (Belvidere, NJ/Belvidere) and Rob Houseknecht (South Williamsport, PA/South Williamsport). They have combined for 10 starts this season, with each getting five. They've each been all over the field for the Colonels, combining for 60 tackles, 8.5 TFL and 5.5 sacks. They've also each picked off a pass, adding to their all-around abilities.

THE BALL HAWKS
Sr. SS Kevin Gerhart (Hummelstown/Lower Dauphin) and Sr. FS Greg Nielsen (Wharton, NJ/Roxbury) both find themselves around the ball on a frequent basis. Gerhart joins Moore-Jacobs among the NCAA's leaders in tackles, ranking 30th with an average of 10.50 per game.

Gerhart's 100-yard interception return for a TD against Lycoming broke the previous school record by one yard and with 15 picks, he's just 2 away from tying the Wilkes career mark of 17.

Nielsen has also flashed his big play potential this year, picking off two passes and recovering two fumbles. He's added 59 tackles this season, 4th on the team, including a career-high 9 against Springfield. His most important play came against Waynesburg when he picked off a pass with 43 seconds left to seal the win for Wilkes.

TRIPLE DUTY
Jr. Chris Horn (New Tripoli/Northwestern Lehigh) has handled field goal and extra point attempts, kickoff chores and the punting this season for the Colonels. Horn has been magnificent, connecting on 12-17 field goals and 27-28 extra points. He was clutch in the win over Albright, kicking the game-winning 30-yard field goal with 10 seconds left, and had a big day against Del Val, going 4-4 including a 49-yarder, the school record. Horn leads the MAC with 12 field goals and is 1st in scoring among kickers with 63 points.

SCOUTING THE GREYHOUNDS
Moravian finished the regular season with a 6-4 record, going 6-3 in the Centennial Conference. Defeating rival Muhlenberg 14-13 regular season finale, the Greyhounds on a four-game winning streak and had seven players named to all-conference teams.

Offensively, the Greyhounds are eighth in the Centennial with 285.3 yards per game, are are led by So. QB Matt Johnson, who moved over from defensive back four weeks into the season.
Johnson has completed 56.5% of his passes for 1,135 yards and 5 TDs and has added 353 yards and 5 more scores on the ground. He'll be looking for Sr. WR Shawn Sylvainus, who leads the team with 49 catches for 809 yards and 3 TDs while Sr. WR Alex Hersch has added 29 catches for 462 yards and 3 TDs. In addition to Johnson in the ground game, the Greyhounds will hand the ball to So. RBs Joe Tegan and Rocco Del Priore, who've combined to rush for 777 yards and 6 TDs.

Moravian's defense has been stout this year, allowing just 267.9 yards per game, 3rd in the conference, and giving up 17.7 points per contest. So. LB Jake Hildebrand leads the team with 75 tackles, including 7.0 TFL and has 3 picks, including one returned for a TD. Sr. DE Allen Petros leads the push up front with 12.0 TFL and 5.5 sacks, adding 48 tackles while Sr. CB Daniel Burley is the main threat in the backfield, intercepting 5 passes and breaking up 5 more. 

Jr. K Ian Heck has connected on 6-9 field goals, with a long of 41, and leads the team with 38 points.
 
FOR OPENERS
After its thrilling 38-35 victory over Waynesburg on September 11, Wilkes is now 26-38-1 all-time in season openers since 1946. The longest win streak in their openers came from 1965-69 when the Colonels won five straight. Under Sheptock, Wilkes is 8-7 in the season's first game, including 5-3 at home.

MAC PRESEASON POLL
The MAC preseason coaches poll was released on August 3 as Wilkes was tied with Lycoming in the fourth slot. Delaware Valley, last year's conference champion, was picked first, receiving six first place votes.

THE NEW LOOK RALSTON ATHLETIC COMPLEX
The Ralston Athletic Complex is currently in Phase I of a $3 million renovation, which has seen a new synthetic turf along with lights added to the stadium. New fencing, a temporary visitor's press box and comfort facilities, as well as an upgraded public address system are additional features of this part of the project.

In addition to the Colonels football team, Wilkes men's and women's soccer along with field hockey will play on the new turf in the fall, while the lacrosse team will use the new field in the spring.