Month: September 2018

Great week of practice and as usual the Special Forces shined and made our team even better.  It is going to be a great future for these young guys.  IOt is imperative that we keep reminding these guys to stay on their academic duties!

It is so important to have a great start with the books in their college careers!

The Bullets enter our contest this weekend with an 0-4 record under first year coach Kevin Burke (Gettysburg ’90 grad).  Gettysburg fell to the very physical McDaniel last Saturday 25-0.

Returning just five offensive starters and six on defense Gettysburg is playing with a young team lacking game time.  Obviously this is reflected in the record that they have at this point.  But, due to the unusual style of offensive play the visitors will be dangerous.

They have used two inexperienced quarterbacks this season with sophomore Mike Welsh (2) starting the first two and his classmate Ryan Finlay (9) replacing him when he was injured.  Both are going through the growing pains of operating Gettysburg’s high octane option  offense.

Generally Gettysburg is one of the top rushing offensive teams in the Centennial (if not the nation) due to the nature of their emphasis on all of the elements of the option game that they are noted for.

Both players have shown improvement, but they have struggled throwing the ball (competing just over 37% of their throws) and Welsh (2) leads the team rushing the ball with 111 yards in his two games.

Due to the nature of their offensive scheme the visitors must get the middle of their running game going and that puts the emphasis on the single running back.  Everything starts with the running back position for all option teams.

The Bullets are expecting dependable running back Nick Rella (22) to get into gear to open up the offense for the young quarterbacks.  (Rella ran for 324 yards last year).  Gettysburg will need to find a way to get the 5-9, 185 senior co-captain going this weekend.   He is expected to shoulder a bigger running load this weekend.

Gettysburg returns four starters up front and they have been effective despite the lack of production on the stat sheet.  Again, they employ an unusual style.  To allow Gettysburg to get the ball  to the perimeter quickly the offensive linemen align very close together with  tight splits (6 inches) between each player.

Whereas most teams will widen the splits between the lineman and deepen their alignments – Gettysburg is just the opposite.  Although this might seem to be a small detail, it has a big effect on defensive line play.

It negates aggressive and powerful defensive fronts by forcing you to play laterally.  Contrary to normal defensive philosophy penetration often will aid the offense and give them an advantage.

Our defensive line will have to be very disciplined this weekend.  But, this group has been very good all year long and I expect they will give Gettysburg problems all day tomorrow.

Johnny Davis (13) and Chase Fee (4) have been the bulk of the Gettysburg passing game.  With 9 and 11 catches respectively they have been the primary targets downfield.

Gettysburg also added a few new wrinkles last weekend by employing a type of “Swinging Gate” alignment to confuse their opponent.  In this tactic they align four offensive linemen wider on the field –  just inside the numbers on the field (sideline area).  The Center, QB and Running Back are alone in the middle of the field and the remaining players align on the opposite side of the field around those numbers.

The offense attempts to create a mismatch in their favor by confusing the way the defense aligns.  It is an old but unusual trick, but it can be effective yielding a big play if you are confused on defense and misalign.

One way or another it requires you to use practice time to prepare which takes away from the “reps” you can spend preparing for the other aspects of the game.

On the defensive side of the ball Gettysburg returned six players including two Centennial Conference honorable mention players in safety Mike McKnight (23) and linebacker Jake Skinner (47).

They also have productive linebacker Logan Aikey (38) who had 8 sacks in 2017 along with 17.5 TFL.  He currently has four sacks for the Bullet’s defensive unit which puts him second overall in the Centennial Conference (Gettysburg as a team has 11 as a team).

Punter Ervan Tannenbaum has been a big weapon for Gettysburg –  a few weeks ago he held F&M deep in their territory with an average of more than 41 yards on ten punts.  Five of which he put inside the 20 yard line.

As a team the Bullets have create 11 turnovers, but they have also given up 15.

GETTYSBURG COLLEGE

2018 RECORD: 0-4

Bridgewater 34 – Gettysburg 17

1. Welsh (2) first start at QB (15-35-2 199 YDS 2TD)
2. Close game but big interception return for TD and long run for score allowed Bridgewater to pull away.
3. The generally powerful Bullet running game was held to just 77 yards for the game.

Ursinus 42 – Gettysburg 7

1. Gettysburg offense again struggled while being outgained 506-117.
2. Aikey (38) added another sack and caused a fumble to set up Gettysburg’s only score.
3. Tannenbaum (90) one of the best punters in the CC averaged nearly 41 yards per punt while placing 4 of his 10 punts inside the 20-yard line.

Dickinson 30 – Gettysburg 7

1. Gettysburg fell to 0-3 as the Bullets again were held to less than 100 yards rushing. QB Welsh (2) was the top runner with 35 yards.
2. Aikey (38) recorded his third sack in as many games to pace the defense that was also aided by the productive play of fellow linebacker Jake Skinner (47).

McDaniel 25 – Gettysburg 0

1. Ryan Finlay (9) started at QB for the Bullets in their loss to visiting McDaniel. He completed 14 of 33 yards and had one interception.  He also rushed for a team leading 12 yards.  It appears that Welsh had been injured the weekend before.
2. Johnny Davis (13) paced Gettysburg with 3 catches for 49 yards.
3. McDaniel outgained Gettysburg 350-123 yards. The Bullets also lost three fumbles to the McDaniel defense.

 

2017 RECORD: 3-7

COACH:  Kevin Burke (Gettysburg ’90), 1^stseason.

OFFENSE: (5 Returning Starters)

Quarterbacks: (No returners)

 

Receivers:

1. Kevin Benavente (18) 5-6, 155      21 REC – 293  14.0

Runners: (Only returning starter is not on the roster)

Offensive Line: (Strength of then team)

1. LT Chris Chick (69)                 6-3, 270
2. LG Trent Seibert (60)             5-11, 250
3. C Nick Rollo (62)                       6-0, 250
4. RT Ethan Kendzulak (66)     6-3, 270

DEFENSE: (6 Returning Starters)

Defensive Line:

1. NG Donovan Bennett (55)     6-0, 250
2. DT Matt Grazianno (49)           6-3, 250     4 Sacks 8.5 TFL

Linebackers:

1. OLB-Logan Aikey (38)           5-10, 210   8 Sacks 17.5 TFL
2. ILB-Jake Skinner (47)             5-11, 215   3 Sacks Honorable Mention ALL CC

Secondary

1. CB-Thomeir Richardson (15) 5-8, 165.    4 Fumb Rec
2. FS-Mike McKnight (23)            6-0, 190     3 INT, 15 PBU  Hon. Mention ALL CC

SPECIALISTS

1. P-Evan Tannenbaum (90)   5-11, 180    60 P – 35.2 AVG, 18 inside of 20
2. PK-Justin Geisel (97)             6-3, 185      FG 9-15, XP-21-2

A few words about our week here in Bethlehem.

Here is some work from the Special Forces groups – Scott Poulson (4) at quarterback is a sport athlete who does a fantastic job getting the defensive unit ready.  Here is one of many fine throws he had during practice this past week.

Colin Frost (61) does a great job with the defensive side of the Special Forces giving the offensive unit a good picture to prepare each week.  He is one of several standouts who are a major part of the team going forward.

He is the defensive tackle on the right side of the defense (obviously the defensive left side.

We have many outstanding younger players who continue to get better as the weeks go along.

Due to injuries we often have to move people around and it opens up opportunities for younger players.  For example we shifted some personnel around opening up a role for one of our unselfish teammates.  Sean Agar (56) will move up into the rotation as an outside defensive lineman.  Until this point he served on our defensive special forces unit.

Sean is truly an interesting case.  He hurt his knee prior to camp last year – so he was unable to play at all in 2017.  Yet, all season in 2017 he went to all of the meetings, attended practice – helped with the video taping of practice.  In other words he was the consummate teammate last year.

He played a little this season and it was only a matter of time until he became a part of the defensive line rotation.  But, now is the  time for that to happen… we expect him to step into the breach and give us significant snaps in the upcoming games.  Before he finishes years down the roa I think he will be a very important part of our defensive unit.

Also having a great week for the “Special Forces” was Matt McNally (30).  Matt continues to get better and is a big contributor to the improvement of out squad.  Here is a great shot of some of Matt’s work.

Go Hounds!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sure we lost a hard and tough game last Saturday in Collegeville against Ursinus.  They were just a little bit better than us on that day.

But, we are still on an upward trajectory…who knows if we played the Bears again in a few weeks.  It might have a very different result.

It’s easy to be frustrated at 2-2. But we don’t have the luxury of feeling bad – we need to move on.  Our mind set has to always be geared to finding ways to move forward regardless of the outcome of a game we play.

But, let’s keep things in perspective, there are some really good teams we have to play.  Hopkins, yeah I would say they are pretty good (nine straight Centennial championships) – Ursinus (leading defense in our conference) obviously they have some really good guys as well!

Guess what, there are even more to come – including this weekend against Gettysburg in Bethlehem.

The most important component of the entire operation is our players (your sons, wards, relatives and friends) and we know that they are bothered by losing.  We have to guide them through the ups and downs of a season.  Because that is a guarantee – there will be peaks and valleys.

So one job we have as coaches is to help them understand as much about the game as we can.  From the playing of the actual contest, to the preparation and eventually to the correct response to winning and losing.

Players always must be confident in themselves….also they must  learn to have trust in their teammates and coaches. Knowing everything that is done within our program is to help develop them in all areas.

Winning and losing – that is part of our game.  The reason we play at Moravian is for the competition – the chance to win…    No guarantees are ever made – but we want to win – everything we do is to achieve  that result. ….but  whatever the result is – we must learn to deal with those emotions.

One of the most important things we can do as coaches, parents friends etc. is to instill confidence in our “troops.”  As coaches we will never give up on our guys and I am sure it is the same for our extended families.

Positive reinforcement and praise is so key to the development of our young people.  They need to hear it from all of us….I can promise you they always hear it from the coaching staff.  These coaches are outstanding and positive young men (I don’t include my old ass in that group of “young” men by the way!)

Our responsibility to the guys we coach is to put the team in a position to win. To prepare them to play successfully each Saturday that a game is scheduled.

Winning is what we always work towards.  In those efforts we try our best to be upfront and honest with players.  That is not easy in this day and age of participation awards and politically correctness (is that a word??? correctness).

For example not everyone is going to be the star, not everyone will play and not everyone makes the travel roster.  But, that is reality and it isn’t easy.  But, it is part of what we do – sometimes decisions aren’t easy and many times they can be tough and painful for the players involved.

But, it is part of sport at this level…..  So, it is part of what we do.  It is our obligation to the team to put the best players on the field.  Sometimes these decisions aren’t embraced by everyone.  But, we have to make these hard choices and move forward.

At the same time it is also our obligation to help everyone see there role and continue to improve.  It isn’t always easy….but the team has to come first.  Feelings have to be sacrificed and egos may be bruised at times.  But team comes first and it always will.

GO HOUNDS!

 

As we enter the weekend with a very formidable opponent in Ursinus we do that with confidence.  The confidence of a well prepared team that has practiced well all season – but with even more precision this week.

Our training plans do not alter.  But the approach to the fundamentals continues to ramp up.  As we do each week on defense the team trains daily on tackling – something you cannot work enough.

Our offense returns to the basic work of consistent route running and ball carrying drills we always use.  The

offensive line pays attention to the tips and techniques that Chris Leavenworth offers up (along with his sarcasm and occasional off-color comment (imagine that!!)

Even as the increased emphasis on player safety heightens – our awareness of tackling techniques allows us to focus on doing it correctly.

!!THE ENEMY!!

Ursinus has opened the 2018 season with three straight wins.  They have defeated Bethany 36-13, Gettysburg 42-7 and then beat Juniata on the road 35-14 last weekend.

This is similar to the start they had last year, but the Bears faded to a 6-4 record as they dropped four of their last five games. (However, they were able to defeat Johns Hopkins during the first half of last year.)

Ursinus returned nine starters on offense and eight more on defense.  To this point the Bears have proven that they are strong on both sides of the ball.  Offensively they are paced by returning Junior QB Thomas Garlick (16), runners Samuel Ragland (37) and Stacey Gardner (3) and Freshman wide receiver Ryan Loughlin (46).

Garlick (16) is second in passing in the CC behind the QB we faced last week David Tammaro of Johns Hopkins.  He is big (6-4, 215) and has the ability to make all of the throws.  He is  currently completing 63% of his throws and has thrown 7 TD’s compared to his 4 interceptions.

Although Ursinus is a team that likes to run option style plays Garlick (16) is more a thrower than a runner.  In three games he has recorded 35 rushing attempts for just 75 yards.  Still, defensively he must be accounted for in the running game.

In the passing game Garlick (17) shines – and he has spread the ball around….but his favorite target is freshman (“freshperson” in some programs I guess) Ryan Loughlin (46) who has caught 17 passes and scored 3 TD’s.  He also handles much of the kick returning.

Also being key parts to the passing game are seniorThomas Cardozo (82) at tight end and Zach Gravelle (80) – both have nine catches each.

The front line returns three starters in Seniors Brett Highland (56) at 6-0, 250 and Gregg Olson (74) who is 6-3, 250. Junior James Marinelli (72) is another returning starter at 6-2, 300.

Highland (56) was named to the first team All Centennial first team offense following last season and Marinelli (72) was placed on the second team.

The running game has been productive with Ursinus averaging 207.7 yards rushing per game.  Sophomore Samuel Ragland (37) has been leading the Centennial Conference with 303 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns (also the leagues’ top).

Ragland (37) was named the Centennial Offensive Player of the week for the second game of the season. (He was also the Rookie of the Year in the conference for last season – his backfield running mate Stacey Gardner was named to the second team All Centennial team last year as well.)

Marcus Weathers (4) has been pacing the sturdy Bear defense with three sacks which places him in a tie for third with that production.  Nick Vandervere (40) has added two sacks which he had in the Juniata game.

Another All Conference honoree was Charles Anderson (96), at 6-0, 276 he made the second team ALL CC defensive unit last year .  Linebacker Jacob McCain (54) was chosen as the Centennial Defensive Player of the Week earlier this season.

In the Centennial Ursinus is the top team defensively allowing just 11.3 points per game.  Permitting just 218.3 yards a game the Bears are also the stingiest defense in the conference in regards to total yards allowed.

Everyone on the squad realizes the importance of this game.  But, every game is important in the growth of a young team.  We have made some very positive steps during each of the last three weeks and our goal is to keep making those strides.

We have a commitment to “Ongoing skill development” within the  program.  Continuing to get better at our fundamentals through daily work during our practice sessions.

As we continue to evaluate ourselves as coaches and teachers we constantly look to find better ways to help the “troops” become a more cohesive unit on the field.  We all know that we will always work to attain excellence each week as we work our way through the schedule.

Ursinus Overview:

• 2017 Record: 6-4
  • Bears opened season with five strait wins before dropping 4 of the last games.
  • 35-17 win over Hounds in Bethlehem last season.

• 2018 Record: 3-0
  • Ursinus 36 – Bethany 13
    • Garlick (16) threw for 291 yards and 4 TD’s.
    • Loughlin (46) 124 yards receiving and 3 TD’s – He is a freshman.
    • Weathers (4) has two sacks.
  • Ursinus 42 – Gettysburg 7
    • Garlick (16) 315 yards passing and 2 TD’s.
    • Ursinus defense forced Gettysburg to punt on 8 consecutive series – held the Bullets to 24 yards passing and 93 yards rushing.
  • Ursinus 35 – Juniata 14
    • Ragland (3) rushed for 170 yards and scored 3 TD’s.
    • Garlick (16) passed for 237 yards on a  17-24 performance…but had three interceptions.
    • Ursinus limited Juniata to 55 yards rushing and had three sacks (2 by Vandervere [40]).  The Bear defensive also forced and recovered three fumbles.

Coach:  Pete Gallagher (West Virginia Wesleyan ’93)  18th season (83-87).  Two Centennial Conference Championships.,

OFFENSE: Returning 9 Starters)

• Quarterbacks:
  1. Thomas Garlick (16)  Jr.  6-4, 215
• Receivers:
  1. Jacob Clifford (6)  Sr. 6-0, 200
  2. Thomas Cardozo (82)  Sr. 6-2, 235 – TE
• Runners:
  1. Stacey Gardner (3)  Jr.  5-7, 215
  2. Samuel Ragland (37)  Soph. 5-9, 175  (2017 Centennial Conference Rookie  of the Year).
• Offensive Line:
  1. Brett Highland (56)   Sr. 6-0, 250. (All Centennial Conference)
  2. James Marinelli (72)  Jr. 6-2, 300. (Second Team All Centennial Conference)
  3. Greg Olsson (74). Sr, 250

DEFENSE:

• Defensive Line:
  1. Noah Thomas (99)  Jr. 6-2, 220
  2. Matthew Trainor (93)  Jr., 6-4, 240
  3. Nick Vandervere (40)  Jr. 6-0, 220
  4. Charles Anderson (96)  Sr. 6-0, 290  (Second Team All Centennial Conference)
• Linebackers:
  1. Jacob McCain (54) Jr. 5-11, 207
• Defensive Backs:
  1. Michael Bradford (8)  Jr. 5-9, 170
  2. Danny Freeman (47)  Soph.  5-10, 175
  3. Jack Spingler (17)  Jr. 6-2, 205

*****

Here is an example of how our “Special Forces” practice during the week. This is an outstanding interception by Dylan Purdy (50) playing linebacker for the defensive SF.

He is the LB standing on the 30 yard line between the hashmark and the numbers.  It is exciting for me to watch the performance of the younger players.

Often the inexperienced players feel they are neglected a little during the season.  I take it as my personal goal to try and encourage these youngsters because they are the future of the HOUND PROGRAM!  (The Kennel??)

Being technologically challenged I have to admit I am somewhat proud of myself in getting this video placed in the blog.  I am still not sure how I did it!

Whenever you play Johns Hopkins you are in for a reality check.  This is a team that is attempting to win the Centennial Conference championship for the tenth year in a row.  Let me say that again…….for the tenth year in a row.  Let’s not take that too lightly.

That means for the last nine years nine other teams in our conference have failed to unseat them.  And, it wasn’t  until recently there have been any teams in our league who could even beat them.

*******

I have to mention something here because it bothered me when I heard an alum complain about our inability to beat teams like Johns Hopkins or even Muhlenberg.  Here are some stark facts.

Let me throw a little perspective out there for everyone.  Johns Hopkins has an annual endowment of 3.3 Billion dollars (That is with a “B”)….Moravian has an endowment of 102 Million dollars. I am not good at math.  But, that is a pretty big difference.

Just one other note…the guys from across the river – our supposed rival (My alma  mater –  Muhlenberg is ranked fifth in the Centennial Conference with 246 Million dollars in annual endowment.)   By the way that 102 million Moravian has is dead last in the ten team Centennial Conference.

Instead of worrying about winning football games the people who in charge of raising money – well you tell me what they should be doing.

Let’s not even start on facilities – trust me when I say we lag way behind there as well.  Easily WAY BEHIND in this area – just like financing.

I assure you these are not complaints THIS IS REALITY!  The things Moravian coaches face every day.

But our parents and backers should know the obstacles Moravian athletics face.

Sorry….I digress.  But it truly does irritate me when I here these negative things being said about our “troops”.  Outsiders have no clue about the handcuffs placed on Moravian athletics from the admissions department to financial aid.

Other coaches cannot say anything about these problems – they depend on Moravian for their living.  On the other hand – I work for free because even in retirement coaching is what I do.  

They can tell me to hit the road…..then I’ll just load up my truck and go back to Michigan (trust me there are many college teams at all levels who will take a broken down coach for free!). So I feel no guilt or fear in sharing these ideas with you..

******

Enough!!

Back to football!

Basically I have been around football my entire life.  Trust me when I tell you that  our guys at Moravian have made tremendous strides….they continue to improve each week.  Actually they get better every day.  I have seen it, and I love where Moravian football is going.

These guys on the team work extremely hard and believe me when I tell you this – there is a bright future.  Can we be the one to eventually unseat JHU?  I don’t have a crystal ball  and honestly if I could answer that I would go to the track tomorrow and win some serious money.

Unlike many jobs in the real world……..

When you lose games – coaches go back and watch the video of the game.  They analyze the game plan….they review the previous week’s practice.  In other words they look for anything that they can improve.

It is a difficult and a very arduous task.  But, it is what we do.  Actually this analysis is cathartic.  It provides an outlet for our emotions – maybe like a valve to let off steam that is building up.  As coaches we are always in search of excellence – always looking for a better way.

When you examine a football contest there are always several factors that you have to bear in mind.  In a game you always look at turnovers, penalties, time of possession, field position, missed tackles, mental errors etc.

These things are almost always effected by your execution of fundamentals.  Like anything in any business if you don’t have your basic skills under control and a solid foundation established you will have a difficult time succeeding.

When we look at our game video we always see some errors in  these areas.  For example let’s take missed tackles.   In the first half alone failing to execute tackles cost our defense more than 70 yards.  We probably allowed even more in the second half.

So as coaches we go back to our past week’s game planning and we look to see if we practiced tackling enough.  In my opinion we certainly did – we practice tackling EVERY DAY!

But, perhaps we need to become better at developing different drills to simulate errors we made during the game.  That is the challenge of coaching – trying to help the players overcome their mistakes through better teaching (coaching) techniques.

OK enough about the things that hold us back.

Let’s look at some extremely big positives we have in Moravian football.

Our leadership is extraordinary and their efforts spread through our team every single day.  Senior captains –  Nick Zambelli and Nick Tone – among a very solid group of upperclassmen – are fine examples of what it is to be a Moravian football player.

Junior captains Brett Poling and Sal Pagano epitomize leadership and they combine with some very strong younger players to help our team move forward.  These guys paint a bright picture for Moravian football.

Personally I love being around these guys and the team that they lead.  They not only inspire me, but they allow me to see the great things we have to look forward to here in Bethlehem.

Then…let’s look at the troops.  The young men who get the job done day in and day out working on the field.  I have been around some excellent football teams over my years….but these guys on the 2018 Moravian Greyhound team are special.

From the early morning meetings every day – the late afternoon practices – to the  weight lifting sessions.  You. cannot find a more committed group.  These young men are the real deal.

Every single player – from our injured guys who help with the video taping of practice through our “Special Forces” players who force the starting units to improve to the guys who work on Saturdays – they are awesome.  (By the way that might be a run-on sentence I guess!)

I salute you Hounds and can’t wait to see where our season leads us!

 

JOHNS HOPKINS
(1-1)

2017 RECORD: 9-2

• Centennial Conference Champions (13th Championship since 2002) (Playing for 10th straight championship)

• Lost in first round of NCAA playoffs to Washington and Jefferson 31-28

2018 RECORD: 1-1

Johns Hopkins 63 –  Randolph Macon 31
• Hopkins trailed 24-21 at half. Scored six touchdowns in second half to win.
• Over 600 yards in total offense.
• Tight End Chuck Norgle (16) threw a TD pass on a double pass – he threw a TD pass last year as well. He is a former QB.

Susquehanna 37 – Johns Hopkins 35
• Susquehanna comes from behind in second half to win.
• Unusual special teams lapses hurt JHU. (Punt snap, missed FG)
• Hopkins with 451 total yards of offense…..allowed 398.

LOOKING BACK AT 2017 FOR HOPKINS:

COACH: Jim Margraff (Johns Hopkins ’81) 29th season (209-87-3 (.704).

OFFENSE:
Quarterbacks:
David Tammaro (11), Jr. 6-3, 205 (3010 YDS, 25 TD – PASSING)

Receivers:
Luke McFadden (82), Sr. 2017 CENTENNIAL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – (58 REC – 1162 YDS – 9 TD)
Ryan Hubley (3), So. 5-7, 165
Zac Fernandez (34), So. 5-9, 180

Runners:
***3000 Yards and nearly 50 TD’s between them.
Hogan Irwin (28), Sr. 5-10, 190
Tyler Messenger (20), Sr. 6-0, 195
Stuart Walters (5), Sr. 5-11, 215

Offensive Line:
Joe Figueroa (64), Jr. 6-2, 290 2017 ALL CENTENNIAL GUARD

DEFENSE:
Addison Quinones (14), Sr. 5-10, 195 2017 ALL CENTENNIAL SAFETY
Ian Lodge (46), Sr. 6-0, 200 2017 ALL CENTENNIAL SAFETY
Mike Kalanik (39), Jr. 6-1, 220 9.5 Sacks, 21.0 TFL DE
McCauley Kilbane (8), So. 6-0, 215 DB

SPECIAL TEAMS:
Punter – Brandon Hong-Dominguez 2017 ALL CENTENNIAL PUNTER  45 Punts – 37.8, 16 punts inside the 20.

2018 OVERVIEW:

Johns Hopkins is the reigning Centennial Conference champion and they have won the last nine crowns.  They have a very strong club and it is doubtful the any other Division III school in the country has a team that boasts players from 22 different states.

After opening the year with a 63-31 win over Randolph Macon JHU traveled to Susquehanna to play against a very talented team last Saturday.

In a highly competitive game the Blue Jays suffered a loss  in Selinsgrove, PA.  The Susquehanna River Hawks (they are still the Crusaders to me!) took advantage of two uncharacteristic special teams errors to gain a 37-35 win.

• A bad snap over the punters head cost Johns Hopkins a safety, and a missed field goal near the end of the game were critical plays opening the door for the Susquehanna win..

This was an interesting game with Susquehanna playing a very physical game – which has become their calling card over the past several years.  There were a lot of hard hits and in the end SU managed to just outplay the visitors and gain the victory.

Despite the loss the Hopkins offense cruised along at it’s usual high octane rate putting up 451 yards of total offense.  QB David Tammaro (#11) threw for 272 yards and a pair of scores (But his 1 interception was returned to the two yard line and then followed by a Susquehanna TD).

He completed 26 of38 passes – nine to Ryan Hubley (#3) for 87 yards and a TD.  But, he ran the Hopkins offense with his usual expertise and spread the ball around to nine different players.

Even with the return of just one starter on the offensive line – All Conference Guard Joe Figueroa (#64) – the running game has been very good.  With the three experienced runners that Hopkins has – they have been very steady and confident with any one of the three backs in the game.

Stuart Walters (#5) continues to regain his past running form as he rushed for 137 yards on just 13 tries scoring one TD.  He returns after a three year absence and with more than 2300 yards and 36 TD’s over his career so he will certainly challenge the Hound defense with his elusive and powerful style.

Moravian has played well defensively in the two games leading up to Saturdays contest.  But, this game will require the team to play with emotion, but also maintain discipline in their assignments.

This is the type of game that plays will be made by both teams and the squad that can keep it’s composure and maintain a steady effort through four quarters will have the best chance at winning.

Johns Hopkins is always a very solid team on defense.  This year is no exception – as a Junior – returning Joe Kalanik (#39) at DE offers one of the best skill sets in the Conference.

Last season  he was tied for second in the CC with nine sacks.  (Well, maybe it doesn’t seem like that many….but basically think this….almost one sack per game!). Now combine that with his 20.5 tackles for loss and you can see what a fine player he is.

In the secondary the Blue Jays return two very good players in Addison Quinones (#14) and Ian Lodge (#46).  Both of these guys will be firm against the run and solid in pass defense.

Every year this  team statistically is generally ranked in the top  of the CC. This season’s group is no different.  By the time the year ends they will dominate many teams in the conference.

This has been very productive week in Bethlehem and the Hounds will enter the game on Saturday well prepared to play at there highest level.

Attention to detail, physical play and execution of fundamentals will decide how this game plays out.

GO HOUNDS!

 

It was a lousy cold and rainy day in Westminster, Maryland on Saturday.  Not a perfect day for a football game.  But, Moravian College controlled the afternoon and came away with a 14-9 win over the waterlogged host McDaniel Green Terrors.  (We were not dry but the troops certainly were not going to let anything stand in the way of getting the job done on the field.)

*****I have to mention here…that my “roomdog” Nate who is the assistant equipment manager told me many times that there would be no rain during the game.  He first told me that last nite as we watched Family Feud….. “my weather app is showing no rain after 10:00 – so our game in Maryland will be dry.” 

The next morning it rained most of the way from Bethlehem to Westminster, Maryland.

Then as we stood on the field during pregame warmup  (in the rain by the way)

he showed me the weather moving off on the aforementioned weather application.  “Gonna be clearing around 11:30!”  11:45 – yup pretty much a cross between a downpour and steady shower.

As game started at 1:00 the rain heads into a drizzle stage.  I swear Nate winked at me and said…”be clearing any minute.”   Well the heavens remained open the whole game! After we won in the parking lot I swear there was an old bearded guy herding animals two by two (no unicorns though) up a wide ramp and into what seemed like a huge sailing vessel.

Needless to say Nate’s career as a weatherman (sorry weather person) is not looking too promising.

Alas….I digress – back to the game. *****

Although it isn’t the only reason that the score was close – the officiating left a lot to be desired. A very questionable face-mask call negated a turnover the Hounds secured and led directly to a McDaniel FG.

Unfortunately, the refereeing did not improve – and we were hurt much more than our hosts.  But, that’s the way it goes in some games. There are some contests where you swear that everything is going against the good guys (us.)

Whenever there is poor weather it benefits the defense and it was no different today.  The passing game was pretty much absent (combined 150 yards for both teams) – and it became increasingly difficult to run the ball as the game progressed.  (Both teams averaged just over two yards per carry.)

Many people just play lip service to the kicking game – but, it was obvious that all the work the Hounds put into this phase of the game was paying off.

The tremendous effort in the punting game by Nick Petros (7) and the great coverage really kept McDaniel bottled up most of the day.  Although he averaged just under 30 per punt…..he continually forced the Green Terrors to start deep in their territory.

McDaniel had a solid game plan both on offense and defense.  The defensive design coupled with the wet weather kept the Hounds offense hamstrung throughout the game.  But, when it counted the entire Moravian team worked together to get the job done.

Petros (7) punted McDaniel into a deep hole with a 30-yard punt with a very short return.  The Hound defense stiffened and on 2^ndand 7 from the 9-yard line Shane Mastro (92) stripped the ball carrier and Jackson Buskirk (21) scooped it up and ran it into the end zone untouched.

The icing score by Moravian in the third quarter was set up by another McDaniel fumble.  Nick Tone (51) – who was dominant the entire game – found a loose ball on the Green Terror 32 yard line.  Following a 21-yard scramble by Doug Erney (2) – he continued his success by running in a 9 yard TD to put the Hounds ahead for good.

Moravian’s stifling defense held the McDaniel running game to just 70 yards with hard tackling and physical play throughout.  Brady Hornbaker (20) had 7 tackles with 2 sacks, three and a half tackles for loss and a forced fumble.  Shane Mastro (92), Jackson Buskirk (21) and Nick Tone (51) among others really stood out.

Although frustrated by the tough run defense thrown at them – the offense maintained their composure and fought the entire game.  The numbers weren’t exciting…..they were effective and timely.  Both Berto Diaz (5) and Eli Redmond (1) kept pounding away with clock eating runs.

Eli (1) nearly broke loose on a cutback….had he been able to do this it might have been an easier win for the Hounds.

We are certainly a much better team than we were a week ago. The goal for Hounds is to get better each week.. It was a hard hitting game – we will be sore tomorrow.  But, it is better to be sore and win than sore and lose.

Again – Nate as a weatherman….not so much!

The Hounds 2-0!

One more shot of praise at the Special Forces.  Both offensively and defensively those guys on

the look squad are extremely important to our squad.  We need every one of our guys on the team to contribute – and they do!

Moravian College opens up with a 24-0 win over visiting Kings College.  Next up is McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland.  Both teams enter the game at 1-0.  The Green Terrors won at Rocco Calvo Field last year 35-14.

 

The Green Terror Outlook……………….

Mike Dailey (6-14) enters the third year of his tenure as head coach of the McDaniel Green Terror. His team opened the 2018 football season with an impressive 27-12 win on the road against Catholic University.

Dailey is one of the winningest coaches in the Arena Football League (with two Arena Bowl championships) with the Albany Firebirds and the Colorado Crush.  His overall record was 115-85 including a 9-5 playoff mark.

Last season the Green Terrors handled Moravian relatively easily with a 35-14 win on Rocco Calvo Field.  But from there things fell apart and they were able to win just one more time in the next eight games to finish 3-7.

The McDaniel captains are all seniors – LT Jared Staub (73), NT – Markos Katrakazis (49), LG – Paul Flagg (61) and DB Angelo Payne (11).

McDaniel returns three ALL CENTENNIAL performers in kick returner Matt Schleifer (3) who had 1296 all-purpose yards, Punter Joey Cornwell with a 36.7 average, and left tackle Jared Staub (73).

Offensively MC returns three quality running backs in Grad Student Perry Stefanelli (7) and seniors Matt Cathey (21), Isaac Murray (28) and John Chamberlin (4).  They combined for over 1500 yards last year with Cathey (21) leading the way.  (Stefanelli (7) was lost early last season to a knee injury and is aiming to be ready for next week’s game.)

The offensive line returns three starters in Captain Paul Flagg (61), All- Centennial Tackle Jared Staub (73) and Josh Disharoon (68).  Disharoon (68) was injured during the debut game and did not return to finish.

Defensively the Terrors are returning a fair amount of starters…but in the opener very few were on the field for the opening series.  Only Angelo Payne (11) in the secondary and Defensive Tackle Markos Katrrakizis (49) were starters in the first game of the season.

 

Ray Doh (6) a 6-3, 235 pound Senior Defensive lineman was not in the starting line up despite the fact that over his only two seasons with the club he averaged five sacks per season and has totaled over 100 tackles.  When he did play last Saturday nite he kept up with his sack numbers as he was able to get the Catholic quarterback on the ground during the game.

Garvin Grooms (33) recorded nine sacks last season, but he did not start the game against Catholic nor did he record any stats when he did play for McDaniel in their opening game.

These are obviously interesting developments, but as with most Division III colleges it is difficult to get any information with the exception of a basic pregame write up and a very generic story about the game when it is over.  In this age of rapid information it seems like Division III has decided to remain in the 1980’s.

Moravian……………

The Greyhounds pitched a shutout last week in beating Kings 24-0.

Offensively the hounds were very effective with a 453 yard output as the Mpravian front line wore down the visiting King’s College Monarchs.

262 yards of that total were accounted for by the running game with the tandem of Eli Redmond (96 yards) and Berto Diaz (91 yards) with QB Doug Erney (2) chipping in 79 yards as well.

Redmond and Diaz were chosen as the co-players of the week offensively for

their work.  But as can be expected the offensive line really did a nice job of opening up some lanes for the backs.  This group continues to take steps forward in their goal of becoming a dominating force.

The Hounds will have their work cut out for them offensively as McDaniel allowed just 287 yards to host  Catholic University last weekend.  The Green Terrors were very stout against the Catholic running game – giving up just a total of 61 yards rushing.

Aside from shutting out Kings last weekend the Greyhound defense limited the Monarchs to just 16 first downs (7 were in the first quarter).  It was a solid defensive effort throughout the game.

Moravian managed one interception (Jake Kober #29) and two sacks and broke up three passes.  It was a good overall team win for the home team.

For the week Nick Tone (51) was named defensive player of the week for the Hounds.

The Special Forces had a great week in preparing the squad for the game.  Their efforts are not overlooked by the coaches…..this week RJ Nicholson (87), and Matt McNally (30) were players of the week for the look squads.

GO HOUNDS!

 

 

Great start to a Labor Day weekend!

24-0 and Hounds pitch a shutout to start the season!

What a great win over Kings to open the season for the Hounds. It isn’t very often you see such an exciting game to begin the season.

This was  the first Moravian shutout since a 42-0 win at Juniata in 2010 and the first shutout at Rocco Calvo Field since 2001.  Pretty nice way to christen the new synthetic field!

Although we made  errors that certainly cost us points they are mistakes that can be corrected.  But, for the most part the game was in hand midway through the third quarter.

The offensive line simply dominated the Kings front wall and by halftime it was apparent that the offseason in the weight room with our Strength Coach Tom Long had paid big dividends.  Tyler Maxsim, Zack Cregar, Brett Poling, PJ Weirbach and Jason Barish wore down the Monarchs with their strong, aggressive play.

No offense to Kings….but the Greyhounds unleashed a lot of built up frustration.  There have been many little things that have piled up over the last year…..unfortunately for the visiting Monarchs they were on the receiving end of that pent up energy.

Once they got rolling the only thing that stopped the offense was our own mistakes.  Again, these are correctable and we cannot allow them to continue or they will hurt us in closer games.  It isn’t often that you can  rush for 262 yards in a game – averaging six yards per attempt is something you dream about.

As a defensive coach it is great to watch your offense control the tempo of the game.  It allows you time on the sidelines to correct mistakes, settle the team down and it gives the players a chance to catch their breath.  This is a luxury we didn’t have very often last year.

But, all of the growing pains we went through with our young team has brought us to this place.  But, we can’t get ahead of ourselves.  Each week presents a new challenge that we must rise up to.

It was really fun to watch “the troops” have an enjoyable afternoon and put on a show for our home crowd.  Again, this was a well earned reward for a great bunch of hard working young men.

Looking at the game statistically there were obviously many superlatives including the obvious shut out of a very capable opponent.  But, one thing that really stands out is that we only punted once and that was really a planned play in which our offense remained on the field and our multi-talented quarterback Doug Erny (#2) punted the ball from an offensive formation preventing King’s from returning the kick.

This means that our offense was operating at a high level and was basically unstoppable.   A stout defensive effort limited Kings to 252 yards which was really outpaced by our offensive output of 452 yards.

In all games – among other things – you look at a few critical indicators.  Penalties (especially pre-snap or “after “the play is over = “Free” yardage),  turnovers (they give a team extra possessions and chances to score), the kicking game (largest amount of yardage takes place in this area).

These factors are especially important in opening games where both teams are wary of each other.  (Imagine two boxers circling each other waiting for an opening).  We certainly were on top of these areas on Saturday.

For those watching it was pretty apparent that this year’s version of the  Hounds has a chance to develop into a strong team.  Now, this will take a lot of effort in practice and the continued improvement of our younger players.

As we all know there are never any guarantees in life.  Football is no different – the right to play at your highest level on game day is earned on the practice field.  We need to continue working and driving ourselves to earn that chance to play well each week.

*************************************************************************

The foundation is being laid right now….we need to continue with our overall team development.  This is a never ending growth process that includes the molding of the student-athlete into a total person.

Coach Pukszyn has always emphasized the academic side of college life combined with all social aspects (especially for the new players on the team).  Basically trying to show these young men how to become a well rounded person and not to just look at their lives only through the eyes of an athlete.

I fully expect to see success on many Saturdays this year….but, that is something we cannot know.  But, one thing I can guarantee is this.  Those young men who are a part of the Moravian football program are going to be great citizens on our campus!

The brotherhood of the Greyhound is established and it grows daily!

Go Hounds!