Wilkes Colonels (2-3, 1-2) vs. Albright Lions (0-5, 0-3)
Saturday, October 6, 2018 - 1:00 p.m.
Schmidt Stadium (Homecoming)
 
Game Notes
 
Live Stats
 
Live Video
 
Live Audio: (NEPA Local Sports Media: Tom Ferguson, play-by-play)
 
THE MATCHUP
Wilkes University returns home for its Homecoming game as it welcomes Albright College for a Middle Atlantic Conference clash at Schmidt Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Saturday. The Colonels earned their first MAC win of the season and second win overall last week with a 34-14 victory at FirstEnergy Stadium against Alvernia University. The Lions are looking for their first win of 2018.
 
THE HEAD COACHES
Jonathan Drach (Western Michigan '04) was named head coach of the Wilkes University football team on February 8, 2018 becoming the ninth mentor of the program since its inception in 1946. Drach will also serve as the offensive coordinator. He comes to Wilkes after 11 years at Hobart where he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. There he was instrumental in leading the Statesmen to six Liberty League Conference championships, seven NCAA playoff appearances and three consecutive undefeated regular seasons. He began his career as the quarterbacks coach in 2007 until adding offensive coordinator to his responsibilities in 2014. Drach coached the Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year in 2007, 2014, 2016 and 2017 and the ECAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2007 and 2016. He also coached seven All-League quarterbacks and a Bill Middleton Memorial Football Award Winner. A native of St. Charles, IL, Drach earned his bachelor's degree in business finance and economics from Western Michigan University in 2004 where he was a three-year starter. As a senior he completed a single season record 67 percent of his passes for 1,499 yards and 13 TDs.
 
John Marzka (Allegheny '91) is in his 12th season at the helm of the Albright football program. Named head coach in 2007, he and his staff inherited a 2-8 team and have since directed one of the most impressive turnarounds in NCAA history. Leading into this season, the Lions amassed a 85-38 record and seven post-season wins under Marzka. He was named the 2009 John C. Whitehead / Nike NCAA Division III Coach of the Year. At Allegheny College he was a three-year letter winner and two-year starter at center and served as senior co-captain on the 1990 NCAA Division III National Championship team. Marzka, the 1990 Claire Jackson Outstanding Offensive Lineman recipient, also helped the Gators earn 3 NCAC Championships, two trips to the NCAA Playoffs and a 36-7-2 overall record during his playing career.
 
THE SERIES
This will be the 42nd meeting between the schools as Albright holds a 25-16 advantage in the series. Last season Albright won a tightly contested game, 26-23 on a touchdown with 15 seconds remaining in Reading, Pa. The last Colonels win came in 2010 with a 38-35 victory at home.
 
UP NEXT
Wilkes heads back on the road for a Friday night matchup with FDU-Florham in Madison, N.J. on October 12th. A season ago the Devils won 49-31 in a game also played at FDU-Florham. The last Colonels victory came at Schmidt Stadium in 2014.
 
SCOUTING THE WILKES OFFENSE (MULTIPLE)
- Wilkes is sixth in the MAC in scoring offense (28.6), fourth in total offense (391.4), ninth in rushing offense (113.0) and second in passing offense (278.4).
 
- Quarterback Jose Tabora (Egg Harbor Township, NJ/St. Augustine Prep.) accounted for all four of the Colonels touchdowns in a 34-14 win at Alvernia last Saturday. He scored rushing touchdowns of 1, 6, and 26 yards and caught a four-yard touchdown from Nick Yanik (Edison, NJ/Edison Twp.). For the season the junior is 112-of-184 for 1,342 yards and nine touchdowns with three interceptions and has added 69 rushes for 266 yards and five more touchdowns. Tabora ranks second in the MAC in passing yards per game with 268.4.
 
- Freshman receiver Juan Salas-Negron (Laurys Station, PA/Parkland) set career-best marks with four receptions and 40 yards receiving against Alvernia. He now has 12 receptions for 129 yards on the season.
 
- Jeff Steeber (Shickshinny, PA/Berwick) and Yanik also had 40 yards receiving against the Golden Wolves. Steeber ranks third among MAC players in receptions (33) and receiving yards (446). The senior now has 87 receptions for 986 yards and six touchdowns in his career. Yanik, a sophomore, threw a touchdown pass on his first career pass attempt to put Wilkes ahead 34-14 early in the fourth quarter last week. Yank ranks fifth in the conference with 26 receptions and 361 receiving yards.
 
- Freshman running back Jason Wiley (Port Chester, NY/Port Chester ) followed up a 100 yard effort against Misericordia with 90 yards on 17 carries against Alvernia. He ranks second behind Tabora in team rushing with 37 carries for 207 yards and two touchdowns. Fellow freshmen Jake Anderson (Shickshinny, PA/York County Tech) and Jeremiah Acker (Moscow, PA/North Pocono) each recorded their first career rush last week. Sophomore Travis Taylor (Takoma Park, MD/Montgomery Blair) and senior Jacob Kadis (Westminster, MD/Delone Catholic) rushed the ball for the first time this season and sophomore Brandon Taragna (Telford, PA/Souderton) had five carries. Freshman quarterback Heath Hoovler (Sparrowbush, NY/Burke Catholic) spelled Tabora and rushed three times for seven yards late in the game.
 
SCOUTING THE WILKES DEFENSE (4-2-5)
- Wilkes is sixth in scoring defense (27.4), sixth in total defense (344.2), seventh in rushing defense (161.6), and fifth in passing defense (182.6).
 
- Last week junior linebacker Bud Moyer (Tamaqua, PA/Tamaqua) led the Colonels in tackles for the third game this season with nine total tackles, 3.5 of which were for a loss. Moyer ranks second in the conference with 55 total tackles and jumped into a tie for fifth with 6.0 tackles-for-loss.
 
- Freshman cornerback Nahjir Woods (Piscataway NJ/Piscataway ) recorded his first career interception and had a career high five tackles and 2.0 tackles-for-loss against Alvernia.
 
- Junior strong safety Zachary Weber (Douglassville, PA/Twin Valley) also had an interception last week for the second one of his career.
 
- Vinny Bobbin (Schuylkill Haven, PA/Blue Mountain), Shane Montague (Yorktown Heights, NY/Trinity Pawling) and Zack Nesheiwat (Hackettstown, NJ/Hackettstown) all had one tackle-for-loss while Lukas Wood (Quakertown, PA/Quakertown), Pat Ricci (Gilbertsville, PA/Boyertown) and Dane Tarantelli (Gordon, PA/North Schuylkill) added 0.5 tackles-for-loss as Wilkes had 10 total tackles in the backfield against Alvernia.
 
SCOUTING THE WILKES SPECIAL TEAMS
- Freshman kicker David Kutteroff (Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg) converted on his first two field goal attempts of his career last week. He nailed a 30-yarder to extend the Wilkes lead to 24-14 in the third quarter and then hit a 29-yarder early in the fourth to push the lead to 27-14.
 
- Kutteroff and sophomore Alexander DeSpirito (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Crestwood ) have made all 17 of the Colonels PAT attempts to remain as one of three MAC teams to have a perfect PAT percentages on the season.
 
SCOUTING THE ALBRIGHT OFFENSE (MULTIPLE)
- The Lions are 11th in scoring offense (15.2), tenth in total offense (236.6), 11th in rushing offense (37.4), and sixth in passing offense (199.2).
 
- Junior quarterback Jimmy Lahay is 81-of-158 for 927 yards through five games. He has thrown six touchdowns and six interceptions.
 
- Freshman running back Tony Thorpe has been the most productive of the Lions' backs with 146 yards on 39 carries.
 
- Kyle Dickerson has been the standout performer on the offense. The senior wide receiver caught 14 balls for 199 yards and three touchdowns last week against FDU. He ranks second in the conference in receptions (36) and fourth in yards (424).
 
SCOUTING THE ALBRIGHT DEFENSE (3-4)
- Albright is 11th in scoring defense (61.2), 11th in total defense (560.8), 11th in rushing defense (293.0), and 11th in passing defense (267.8).
 
- Senior defensive lineman David Sanchez has forced three fumbles and recovered two this season to rank at the top of the conference in both categories.
 
- Junior cornerback Kaamal Stewart came away with interceptions against Stevenson and FDU.