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Ursinus College Football News
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Rountree named ECAC Southwest Rookie of the Year
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12/16/2009
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CAPE COD, Mass. – Ursinus College freshman cornerback Chris Rountree (Lawnside, N.J./Haddon Heights) was named as the ECAC Division III Southwest Rookie of the Year on Wednesday afternoon by the conference office.
Rountree who was also selected to the third-team All-South Region defensive unit by D3Football.com, was named to the defensive unit as a defensive back.
Rountree became the first player in Ursinus history to achieve first-team honors in the Centennial as a freshman. He led the Centennial Conference with eight interceptions and had a team-high ten pass breakups. He also was second in the Centennial in passes defended with 16.
Ursinus finished with a record of 6-5 overall and 6-2 in Centennial play. The Bears lost to Kean in the ECAC bowl, their second trip to the post-season in the last three years.
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Rountree named third-team All-South Region by D3Football.com
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12/14/2009
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MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Ursinus College freshman cornerback Chris Rountree (Lawnside, N.J./Haddon Heights) was selected to the D3Football.com 2009 All-South Region football team this past weekend. The team is voted upon by Sports Information Directors and D3Football.com staff members.
Rountree was selected to the third-team defensive unit.
Rountree became the first player in Ursinus history to achieve first-team honors in the Centennial as a freshman. He led the Centennial Conference with eight interceptions and had a team-high ten pass breakups. He also was second in the Centennial in passes defended with 16.
Ursinus finished with a record of 6-5 overall and 6-2 in Centennial play. The Bears lost to Kean in the ECAC bowl, their second trip to the post-season in the last three years.
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Football falls to Kean, 35-14, in ECAC bowl game
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11/21/2009
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UNION, N.J. – Kean (9-2) scored two touchdowns in the final quarter as the Cougars defeated Ursinus (6-5) 35-14 on Saturday in the ECAC Southeast Bowl.
The Cougars got two rushing touchdowns from senior running back Jared Chunn and two TD passes from sophomore quarterback Tom D’Ambrisi in the win.
For Ursinus, senior quarterback Justin Decristofaro (Jenkintown, Pa./Father Judge) had two touchdowns on 19-for-48 passing. He finished with 236 yards in the air.
On the ground, freshman running back Teddy Conrad (Doylestown, Pa./C.B. West) had 22 yards on ten carries.
Three different receivers: senior wide receiver Shea Wisler (Green Lane, Pa./Upper Perkiomen), sophomore wide receiver Kahlil Pittman (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington) and sophomore Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) each had four catches, with Wisler finishing with a game-high 66 yards. Pittman had 59 yards and touchdown catch, while junior tight end CJ Yespelkis (Wayne, Pa./Radnor) had a touchdown catch in the loss.
Defensively, junior linebacker Joe Galie (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) and junior defensive lineman Dave Queroli (Narberth, Pa./Harriton) each had seven stops. Freshman cornerback Chris Rountree (Lawnside, N.J./Haddon Heights) had another interception, to finish with eight on the season.
Ursinus actually outgained the Cougars in total yardage, 275-244, and had 20 first downs.
Ursinus took the ball first after Kean deferred to start the game. The Bears drove all the way down to the Kean-12 yard line, before the junior quarterback Matt McHugh (Chadds Ford, Pa./Garnet Valley) had his pass intercepted on second-and-5 with 10:22 left.
The Cougars struck first as D’Ambrisi threw a 36-yard scoring pass to junior wide receiver Matt Puorro with four minutes left for a 7-0 lead.
The Bears tied the score at 7-all when Decristofaro threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Pittman with two seconds left on the clock in the first quarter.
On Kean’s next possession, Chun would fumble and it would be recovered by sophomore cornerback Joe Henry (Medford, N.J./Shawnee). The Bears, however, would not convert as Decristofaro was intercepted on the goal line and sophomore defensive back Mike Mancini would return it 40 yards.
On the ensuing possession, Kean would punt, but, freshman defensive back Buddy Ferro (Clifton Heights, Pa./Episcopal Academy) would fumble the return giving the Cougars the ball at the Ursinus 36.
Chunn would run from 27 yards out three players later to give the hosts a 13-7 lead.
Kean would go up 20-7 on a 65-yard punt return by T.J. Denehy with 10:58 left in the third quarter.
On Ursinus’ next possession, the Bears would punt. Denehy fumbled at the Kean 17, which was recovered by Ferro. Two plays later, Yespelkis would score from 4-yards out to cut the Ursinus deficit to 20-14 at 8:10 left in the third quarter.
Rountree would intercept a D’Ambrisi pass with 6:40 to go in the third, but, Ursinus would attempt a fake punt on fourth-and-3 from the Cougars’ 38 which was not successful.
In the fourth quarter, freshman punter Derek Giannetti (Dresher, Pa./Upper Dublin) would have his punt blocked, giving the Cougars the ball at the UC 19. Two plays later, Chunn would score from 17-yards out for a 28-14 lead with 8:30 left.
Kean’s final score came on its next possession as senior wide receiver Derric Harris caught a 46-yard TD pass from D’Ambrisi with 6:47 left.
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Ten named All-Centennial; Rountree and Jaramillo named first-team
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11/16/2009
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LANCASTER, Pa. – Ten members of the Ursinus College football team were named All-Conference on Monday afternoon. The team was voted upon by the head coaches in the Centennial Conference at their annual meeting.
Two members of the squad were named first team as junior offensive lineman Victor Jaramillo (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) and freshman defensive back Chris Rountree (Lawnside, N.J./Haddon Heights) were named first-team.
Sophomore wide receiver Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) was named second-team wide receiver and kick returner, while offensive lineman Anthony Figueroa (Bridgeton, N.J./Cumberland Regional) also received second-team honors.
Defensively, senior defensive lineman Mark Worrilow (Wilmington, Del./The Charter School), sophomore linebacker Greg Martell (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) and sophomore defensive back JoeHenry (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) earned second-team honors.
Junior defensive lineman Tony Stefanoni (Lumberton, N.J./Holy Cross), junior linebacker Joe Galie (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) and freshman punter Derek Giannetti (Dresher, Pa./Upper Dublin) were named honorable mention.
Jaramillo and Figueroa were part of an offensive line that gained on average 330 yards of total offense per game.
Rountree became the first player in Ursinus history to achieve first-team honors in the Centennial as a freshman. Rountree led the Centennial Conference with seven interceptions and had a team-high ten pass breakups. He also was second in the Centennial in passes defended.
Desiderio had a team-high 738 yards receiving and grabbed five touchdowns. He was fourth in the Centennial in yards per game. As a kick returner, he averaged 24.4 yards per kick return with one 77-yard touchdown run, and had 16.2 yards per punt return with a long of 90 yards. He was a honorable mention kick returner in 2008.
Worrilow, serving as a captain this season, registered 28 tackles and four tackles for loss. He was a repeat second-team pick from a year ago.
Martell has a team-high 65 tackles with a team-best 45 solo tackles. He was also a All-Centennial All-Academic selection, having a GPA higher than 3.4.
Henry is right behind Martell in tackles with 56, but, has a team-high nine tackles for losses of 31 yards.
Stefanoni has registered 38 tackles, which is fourth-best on the squad and has a team-high four sacks.
Galie, a repeat All-Conference honorable mention selection, had the third-best tackle total on the squad with 49. He was an All-Conference All-Academic selection.
Giannetti averaged 37.5 yards per punt on 53 attempts this season, with 18 of his punts landing inside the 20 yard line. He was second in the conference in punting, just .2 yards behind Brian Betley of Gettysburg.
Ursinus will take on Kean University Saturday afternoon at high noon in the ECAC Southwest Bowl.
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Decristofaro, Kost named Football Players of the Week in Centennial
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11/15/2009
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LANCASTER, Pa. – Ursinus nabbed two weekly awards from the Centennial Conference on Sunday afternoon as the conference released its players of the week for football.
Senior quarterback Justin Decristofaro (Jenkintown, Pa./Father Judge) was named as Offensive Player of the Week, while sophomore defensive back Joe Kost (Freeland, Pa./Hazleton Area) was named as Defensive Player of the Week.
Decristofaro became the first quarterback since 1999 to throw for over 2,000 yards in season as he went 16-for-30 on Saturday for 205 yards and three touchdowns as the Bears defeated Dickinson 35-32. Decristofaro threw TD passes of 38, 6, and 13 yards in the win.
Kost picked off a career-best three passes, and had three pass breakups in the win.
Ursinus (6-4, 6-2 Centennial) won six games in league play for the first time since 1999 and are still alive for a possible ECAC bowl bid which will be announced Monday.
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Football finishes second in Centennial with 35-32 over Dickinson
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11/14/2009
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CARLISLE, Pa. – The Ursinus College football team finished the regular season on a high note as the Bears (6-4, 6-2 Centennial) defeated Dickinson (8-2, 6-2 Centennial) 35-32 at Biddle Field on Saturday to finish in second place in the Centennial Conference.
The Bears needed to win, and have Johns Hopkins lose to McDaniel to get the CC title, but the Blue Jays defeated the Green Terror 38-14 to win the automatic qualifier.
Still, the Bears find themselves in position for a possible ECAC bowl bid which will be announced on Monday morning.
Ursinus held a 35-17 lead only to see the Red Devils charge back to within three. The Red Devils mounted one final drive in the fourth quarter, but, senior wide out Pat O’Connor fumbled at the Ursinus 23-yard line with just over 1:30 left. The fumble was recovered by sophomore defensive back Joe Henry (Medford, N.J./Shawnee). That allowed the Bears to run out the clock.
“I’m happy for our kids and our program,” said head coach Peter Gallagher, who moved to within one win of tying the all-time wins mark at Ursinus. “I’m proud of the resiliency of our players. We needed a big play in the fourth quarter to win the game, and we got it.”
“Our coaches have done a great job all season with our players, and their hard work with our players helped them win a game of this caliber.”
The Bears posted six wins in the Centennial for the first time under Gallagher, and the first time since 1999.
Senior quarterback Justin Decristofaro (Jenkintown, Pa./Father Judge) threw for 205 yards and three scores, as he became the first quarterback to cross the 2,000 yard mark at Ursinus since Frank Vecchio did it in 1999. Decristofaro, who was 16-for-30, became the fourth quarterback in school history to go over 2,000 yards.
Freshman running back Teddy Conrad (Doylestown, Pa./C.B. West) had 113 yards on 27 carries with two scores.
Senior wide receiver Shea Wisler (Green Lane, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) had a team-high five catches for 66 yards and a score. Sophomore wide out Nick Giarratano (Wapwallopen, Pa./Crestwood) and sophomore wide receiver Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) each had a touchdown catch in the win.
Defensively, sophomore linebacker Greg Martell (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) had eight stops, while sophomore defensive back Joe Kost (Freeland, Pa./Hazleton Area) had three interceptions.
For Dickinson, senior quarterback Ian Mitchell threw for 214 yards and ran for an additional 103. Senior wide out Pat O’Connor caught 11 passes for 161 yards.
Ursinus scored on its first drive to go up 7-0 as Decristofaro threw a 38-yard scoring pass to Desiderio with 12:33 left. Following a 3-and-out by Dickinson, Ursinus scored on its next possession to go up 14-0 as Conrad ran for a 2-yard score with 7:36 left.
Dickinson answered back with a field goal on its next drive to cut the Ursinus lead to 14-3, as junior placekicker Gordon Craig made a 24-yard field goal with 2:12 left.
Ursinus forced a turnover on the next Dickinson drive, as freshman cornerback Chris Rountree (Lawnside, N.J./Haddon Heights) intercepted Mitchell at the Ursinus 40 and returned it back to the Dickinson 8-yard line.
At the start of the second quarter, Ursinus capitalized when Decristofaro threw a 6-yard scoring pass to Giarratano for a 21-3 lead with 14:14 left in the first half.
Senior running back Tim Wells scored for Dickinson on the next drive, as he completed a 10-play, 71-yard drive with a 3-yard run with 10:46 left, cutting the Ursinus lead to 21-10.
Dickinson forced a turnover on Ursinus’ next drive, as Decristofaro was intercepted by senior free safety Michael Maxwell at the Dickinson 48. He returned it to the Ursinus 39-yard line. Mitchell would eventually score on a 6-yard run to cut the Ursinus lead to 21-17.
Ursinus put together a 12-play, 64-yard scoring drive in six minutes to take a 28-17 lead when Conrad rushed for a 4-yard score.
After Dickinson’s next drive stalled at the Bears’44, Ursinus added one more score as Decristofaro threw a 13-yard pass to Wisler for a 35-17 lead with seven seconds left.
Dickinson threw the ball down field on the last play of the half, only to have the ball intercepted by Kost.
In the second half, Ursinus got another interception from Kost as he picked off Mitchell’s first pass of the second half. However, sophomore place kicker Keith Baker (Huntington Valley, Pa./Lower Moreland) pissed a 30-yard field goal with 12:14 left.
Neither team would score in the third quarter, however, Dickinson did get down to the Ursinus 27-yard line with 3:08 left, but, fumbled the ball. Dickinson turned the ball over six times on the day, to Ursinus’ two.
Ursinus had a chance to put the game away in the fourth, but, sophomore running back Travis Evans (Dallas, Pa./Northwest Area) fumbled at the Dickinson 12-yard line giving the Red Devils the ball. However, the Red Devils turned the ball over at the Ursinus 3-yard line as Kost picked off his third pass of the day.
Dickinson scored on its next drive, as Wells ran in from 2-yard out for a 35-24 Ursinus lead with 7:05 left. Following a botched punt, Dickinson took the ball over at the Ursinus 1, but, took three plays to get in as junior running back Tim Smith scored with 4:12 left to cut the Ursinus lead to 35-32.
Dickinson got the ball back one last time, but, O’Connor fumbled at the Ursinus 23 to end the game.
Ursinus was 9-for-18 on third downs, and 4-for-6 in the red zone in the win.
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Bears hope to keep CC title dreams alive on Saturday
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11/13/2009
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COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Ursinus College football team will take their crack at the Centennial Conference crown this weekend, but, need some help to accomplish their first trip to the NCAA tournament since 1999.
The big task at hand is the Bears game with Dickinson on Saturday afternoon at Biddle Field. Dickinson (8-1, 6-1 Centennial) needs a win to keep their dreams of a Centennial crown alive as well.
Meanwhile, a Centennial matchup 52 miles down the road will be the deciding point as to who gets the CC crown.
Johns Hopkins (7-2, 6-1 Centennial) will take on McDaniel (5-4, 3-4 Centennial) at 1 p.m. Should the Blue Jays defeat the Green Terror, JHU will take the Centennial’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
If the Blue Jays falter, Dickinson can advance to the NCAA tournament with a win over the Bears. Ursinus (5-4, 5-2 Centennial) needs to defeat the Red Devils and have McDaniel defeat Johns Hopkins to force a three-way tie atop the Centennial. It could also be a four-way tie, if F&M (7-2, 5-2 Centennial) defeats Gettysburg (3-6, 3-4 Centennial) on Saturday.
In a three-way or four-way tie, Ursinus would get the bid to the tournament since they would have wins over Dickinson and Johns Hopkins.
The game will be broadcasted free of charge on the Ursinus College website. Bern Gavlick will have the call starting at around 12:45 p.m.
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Bears down Muhlenberg, 24-10
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11/7/2009
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COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Ursinus stayed alive for a share of the Centennial Conference crown, as the Bears defeated Muhlenberg, 24-10, Saturday afternoon at Patterson Field. The win marked the first victory for the Bears (5-4, 5-2 Centennial) over the Mules (2-7, 1-6 Centennial) in nine years. Ursinus was outgained 267-181 in the victory, but, forced four turnovers to grab five wins in Centennial Conference play for the first time since 2007. With the victory, the Bears are one-game behind both Dickinson and Johns Hopkins heading into the final week. The Bears will take on Dickinson next Saturday at Biddle Field, while Hopkins will take on McDaniel. Back to Saturday’s game, Ursinus got a touchdown from freshman running back Teddy Conrad (Doylestown, Pa./C.B. West), and a touchdown pass from senior quarterback Justin Decristofaro (Jenkintown, Pa./Father Judge). Conrad rushed for 46 yards on 16 carries, while Decristofaro threw for 115 yards on 7-for-19 passing. Sophomore wide receiver Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) had four catches for 88 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown pass from Decristofaro in the third quarter for the only scoring in the second half. For Muhlenberg, senior running back Codie Bender had 40 yards on 12 carries. Freshman quarterback Dan Deighan had 198 yards on 15-for-30 passing. Senior wide receiver Phil Cresta caught a game-high 12 passes for 196 yards. Defensively, junior linebacker Patrick McDonough had a team-high eight tackles, while sophomore defensive back Joe Henry (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) had eight stops for Ursinus. The Ursinus defensive unit had 14 tackles for losses of 43 yards in the win. Ursinus got on the board first as sophomore kicker Keith Baker (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Lower Moreland) converted a 26-yard field goal with 2:08 left in the first quarter for a 3-0 lead. The score was set up by an interception by freshman cornerback Chris Rountree (Lawnside, N.J./Haddon Heights). At the start of the second quarter, Muhlenberg tied the score at 3-all when junior kicker Michael Katz converted a 22-yard field goal with 14:55 to go in the half. Ursinus’ next score, a 3-yard touchdown run by Conrad, came with 11:33 left to go in the second. The score was set up by a Muhlenberg fumble when freshman running back Terrence Dandridge fumbled at the Muhlenberg 5-yard line, which was recovered by senior defensive end Chas Cathers (Fountainville, Pa./C.B. West). On the next drive, Muhlenberg tied the score at 10-all when Dandridge capped a six-play, 50 yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run with 7:31 left. Dandridge would fumble on Muhlenberg’s next possession, which was recovered by junior defensive back Shane Whalen (Landenberg, Pa./Avon Grove) who then went 10-yards for the score with 5:23 left for a 17-10 lead. The final score came following a fumble recovery at the Muhlenberg 36 yard line with 13:11 left. On the next play, Decristofaro threw a 36-yard pass to Desiderio for a 24-10 lead with 13:00 left. Ursinus had another chance to score, but, Decristofaro’s pass with 8:36 left was intercepted by senior cornerback Cameron Ahouse at the Muhlenberg 1-yard line. Muhlenberg then went 91 yards, but, was stopped at fourth-and-4 from the Ursinus 8-yard line on an incomplete pass. Ahouse would rack up his second interception of the quarter with 1:02 left, as he picked off Decristofaro at the Ursinus 40-yard line. Muhlenberg got into the red zone one last time in the fourth quarter, but, was stopped by on the Ursinus 8-yard line with 3:27 left. Ursinus then ran out the clock. Muhlenberg had the ball for 32 minutes, and held Ursinus to just seven first downs.
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Moravian sacks Bears, 20-19
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10/31/2009
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COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. - Ursinus’ chances at sharing the Centennial Conference championship took a hit on Saturday afternoon as Moravian (2-7, 2-5 Centennial) rallied from 13 points down to defeat Ursinus (4-4, 4-2 Centennial) 20-19 Saturday afternoon at Patterson Field.
Moravian scored twice in the span of three minutes in the third quarter, then stopped two Ursinus’ drives in the final two minutes to win.
The Bears held a 16-3 lead with 9:08 left in the third quarter.
For Ursinus, freshman running back Teddy Conrad (Doylestown, Pa./C.B. West) rushed for 74 yards on 22 carries for the Bears’ only touchdown. Senior quarterback Justin Decristofaro (Jenkintown, Pa./Father Judge) was 17-for-34 for 189 yards, with two interceptions.
Sophomore wide receiver Nick Giarratano (Wapwallopen, Pa./Crestwood) had a game-high six catches for 78 yards.
For Moravian, senior running back Ryan Rempe rushed for 105 yards on 37 attempts. Sophomore quarterback Steve Panasuk was 6-for-20 for 139 yards and two scores, as junior wide receiver Shawn Sylvainus caught three passes for 80 yards and a score.
Special teams played a big part in the game as sophomore kicker Keith Baker (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Lower Moreland) kicked two field goals for Ursinus, including a career-best 42-yard field goal that he banked off the upright at the end of the first half.
Sophomore wide receiver Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) set a school record with a 90-yard punt return in the third quarter. He broke the old record set by Bill Scanlon in 1983 against Brooklyn.
Moravian got two field goals field goals from Ian Heck, one from 19-yards out and one from 22-yards out, which turned out to be the game-winner with 7:33 left.
Ursinus two first-quarter drives were both stopped by interceptions as Decristofaro was intercepted at the Moravian 9-yard line by David Wacker and by Travis King on the second drive of the game at the Moravian 16.
The Bears went up 7-0 with 10:00 minutes left in the second quarter as Conrad rushed for a two-yard score. The drive was set up by a blocked punt by junior defensive back Sean Whalen (Landenberg, Pa./Avon Grove) at the Moravian 12-yard line.
Moravian cut the Bears’ lead to 7-3 with 16 seconds left as Heck hammered home a 19-yard field goal. The Bears answered right back as Decristofaro completed a 40-yard pass to Desiderio down to the Moravian 24-yard line. Baker then hit his 42-yard field goal for a 10-3 Ursinus lead.
Desiderio provided the next score, as after fielding the punt due to an Ursinus player touching it, he ran 90-yards for the score and the 16-3 Bears lead with 9:08 left.
Moravian got to within 16-10 as Panasuk completed a 21-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Albie Moran with 3:47 left. On the ensuing kickoff, Moravian completed a long onside kick that was recovered by senior defensive back Kyle Krupa, giving Moravian the ball at the Ursinus’ 29-yard line.
On the next drive, Panasuk threw a 16-yard pass to Sylvainus for a 17-16 Moravian lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Ursinus took the lead at 19-17 when Baker kicked a 29-yard field goal with 10:30 left in the fourth.
Moravian took the lead for good on a 22-yard kick from Heck with 7:33 left. The big play was a 43-yard pass from Panasuk to Sylvainus that covered 43 yards.
Ursinus started at its own nine on the ensuing drive, and got all the way down to the Moravian 30 before Decristofaro was sacked by Wacker. As Moravian was running out the clock, Rempe fumbled on third down with 1:46 left, that was recovered by freshman defensive lineman Sam Morgan (Chester Springs, Pa./Owen J. Roberts).
However, Ursinus next four passes were incomplete.
Defensively, senior linebacker Nate Mast (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) had a team-high eight tackles, while freshman linebacker Jake Hildebrand had nine stops for Moravian.
Ursinus will host Muhlenberg on Saturday.
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Desiderio named Special Teams Player of the Week in the Centennial Conference
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10/25/2009
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LANCASTER, Pa. – Ursinus College sophomore wide receiver/kick returner Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) was named as the Centennial Conference Special Teams Player of the Week on Sunday afternoon by the conference office.
Desiderio returned a kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown in the Bears’ 48-13 win over McDaniel on Saturday afternoon. Desiderio also finished with five catches for 154 yards and a touchdown. On Saturday, he finished with 252 yards of total offense.
Ursinus (4-3, 4-1 Centennial) will host Moravian on Saturday.
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Bears move into first-place tie atop Centennial with 48-13 win over McDaniel
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10/24/2009
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WESTMINSTER, Md. – Ursinus moved into a first-place atop the Centennial Conference on Saturday, as the Bears defeated McDaniel 48-13 Saturday afternoon at Scott Bair Stadium.
The game was stopped for 41 minutes in the beginning part of the fourth quarter due to lightning. Both teams played in a downpour for most of the game, before the rain finally stopped in the final part of the fourth quarter.
For Ursinus (4-3, 4-1 Centennial), the Bears are now tied with Dickinson, F&M and Johns Hopkins for the top spot with three weeks to play. Ursinus defeated Johns Hopkins, lost to F&M and will play Dickinson in week 10.
“This was a total team win for us,” said Ursinus head coach Peter Gallagher afterwards. “The big thing for us was that we were able to run the ball in the second half and take some time off the clock.”
The Bears did run for 276 yards on 60 attempts, with two runners netting 133 yards. Freshman running back Teddy Conrad (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) had three touchdowns as he rushed the ball 29 times. Sophomore running back Travis Evans (Dallas, Pa./Northwest Area) had 20 attempts for his 133 yards.
Sophomore wide receiver Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) had five catches, all in the first half, for 154 yards and a score. He also returned a kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown, giving him 252 all purpose yards on the day.
Senior quarterback Justin Decristofaro (Jenkintown, Pa./Father Judge) was 8-for-14 for 186 yards and a score in the win. The Bears finished with 27 first-downs and 482 yards of total offense on 75 plays.
Defensively, Ursinus had takeaways as sophomore linebacker Greg Martell (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) had six stops. The defense had three interceptions as junior linebacker Joe Galie (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville), freshman defensive back Chris Rountree (Lawnside, N.J./Haddon Heights) and sophomore defensive back Mike Rissmiller (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) each had a pick. McDaniel was held to just 263 yards of total offense.
Ursinus scored on its opening drive as Conrad rushed for a 1-yard score with 9:17 left as the Bears took a 6-0 lead. The drive spanned 10-plays and 63 yards in 5:43.
Following a punt by the Green Terror (4-3, 2-3 Centennial), Ursinus scored three plays later on a 49-yard scoring pass from Decristofaro to Desiderio with 5:43 left for a 14-0 lead.
McDaniel got on the board with no time left in the first quarter as Matt Cahill caught a four-yard pass from Thomas Massucci for a 13-7 Ursinus lead. The Bears scored on the ensuing kickoff as Desiderio returned the kick 77-yards for the score and a 20-7 Ursinus lead.
After another McDaniel punt, the Bears upped their lead to 27-7 as a seven-play, 79-yard drive ended with an 11-yard touchdown run from Conrad with 9:34 to go in the second quarter.
McDaniel’s next drive was stopped by a Galie interception at the Ursinus 44 with 8:44 left. On the first play following a 15-yard penalty, the Bears got the ball to midfield as junior quarterback Matt McHugh (Chadds Ford, Pa./Garnet Valley) threw a double-reverse option pass to junior tight end C.J. Yespelkis (Wayne, Pa./Radnor) for a 20 yards. The drive would eventually end on a 4-yard scoring run by Conrad for a 34-7 lead with 4:12 left until halftime.
McDaniel drove into Ursinus territory, but Massucci’s pass was intercepted by Rountree at the Bears’ 15-yard line with three minutes left.
The Bears lone turnover of the day came in the third quarter as Conrad fumbled at the Bears’ 31 just 1:49 into the third. That turnover allowed the Green Terror to score as Massucci completed a 17-yard pass to Cahill for a 34-13 Ursinus lead with 12:29 left.
The next Ursinus drive saw Evans score on a four-yard run with 7:33 left for a 41-13 Bears’ lead. The nine-play, 51 yard drive was all running plays.
Again McDaniel drove into Ursinus territory, but, Rissmiller intercepted Massucci at the 10 and returned it to midfield with 3:30 left in the third.
In the fourth quarter, Ursinus’ last score came when Evans rushed the ball from three-yards out for a 48-13 lead with 3:19 left.
Ursinus held the ball for 36:28 and was 9 for 14 on third down conversions, while holding McDaniel to just seven third-down conversions on 16 attempts.
Ursinus will host Moravian on Saturday, October 31.
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Bears take down Johns Hopkins, 16-14
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10/17/2009
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BALTIMORE, Md. – In a game that featured 20 punts, 23 first downs between the two teams, and a wild last 38 seconds, Ursinus (3-3, 3-1 Centennial) survived and handed Johns Hopkins (5-2, 4-1 Centennial) its first Centennial loss as the Bears won 16-14 at a rainy Homewood Field Saturday afternoon.
The win puts Ursinus a half-game back of first place, and in a three-way tie with Dickinson and F&M for second-place.
The game came down to a strange sequence of events in the final 38 seconds. Johns Hopkins, driving for the win, lined up a 38-yard field goal by junior placekicker Alex Lachman. Following a timeout by Hopkins and Ursinus, the Bears were called for 12 men on the field, giving Hopkins a first down.
The Blue Jays ran a sneak, that actually put them two yards back, giving Lachman a shot at a 35-yard field goal with 33 seconds left. Right as the ball was snapped, Ursinus called timeout as the kick sailed through the uprights.
Following the timeout, Lachman pushed the next kick wide left, and Ursinus kneeled down to take the win.
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to call the timeout,” said Ursinus head coach Peter Gallagher afterwards. “I figured, I’m not taking it (the timeout) back to Collegeville.”
“This was a great defensive effort by our team,” Gallagher added. “It’s great for our kids to get a win like this.”
Ursinus forced five turnovers in the win, despite netting just 137 yards of total offense, nine of which came in the second half.
Freshman running back Teddy Conrad (Doylestown, Pa./C.B. West) had 34 yards on 14 carries, while senior quarterback Justin Decristofaro (Jenkintown, Pa./Father Judge) was 9-for-26 for 93 yards and two scores.
Sophomore wide out Kahlil Pittman (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington) had three catches for 20 yards.
For Johns Hopkins, senior running back Andrew Kase had 122 yards and score on 30 carries. Sophomore quarterback Hewitt Tomlin was 11-for-27 for a score and 107 yards.
The key was the defense for Ursinus, as sophomore defensive back Joe Henry (Medford, N.J./Shawnee), senior defensive back Eikeem Barron (Philadelphia, Pa./Overbrook) and sophomore defensive back Mike Rissmiller (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) each had interceptions. Senior defensive end Chas Cathers (Fountainville, Pa./C.B. West) and junior linebacker Joe Galie (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) each had fumble recoveries.
Ursinus took the opening kickoff and went 15 plays in 52 yards, but, did not get any points as sophomore kicker Keith Baker (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Lower Moreland) missed a 30-yard attempt.
On the next drive, Hopkins was forced to a three-and-out, but, the snap on the punt went over the head of junior punter Mike Isslinger and into the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 Bears’ lead at 6:34 left.
After the two teams traded punts, Ursinus scored its lone touchdown on a 32-yard pass from Decristofaro to sophomore wide receiver Nick Giarratano (Wapwallopen, Pa./Crestwood) with 3:59 left for a 9-0 lead. The score was set up by a fumble recovery from Galie.
The Bears got their second takeaway on the Blue Jays next drive when Rissmiller intercepted Tomlin at the Ursinus 31-yard line with 2:05 left.
Hopkins scored its first touchdown on an Ursinus turnover when sophomore wide out Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) fumbled on the punt return giving the Blue Jays the ball at the Hopkins 46.
From there, JHU scored on six plays as Tomlin threw a 14-yard pass to junior wide receiver Dan Crowley with 8:34 left, cutting the Ursinus lead to 9-7.
Ursinus’ final score came off of a Blue Jays turnover when Cathers recovered a Blue Jays fumble at the JHU 13-yard line. From there, Decristofaro threw a 10-yard pass to sophomore running back Travis Evans (Dallas, Pa./Northwest Area) for a 16-7 Bears lead with 3:52 left.
The final score of the game came with 2:50 left in the third quarter when Kase ran for a 1-yard score for a 16-14 score.
Before Hopkins put together its final drive, Ursinus had the ball at the Hopkins 45 with 5:14 left in the game, but, went three-and-out.
Defensively, sophomore linebacker Greg Martell (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) had 11 tackles, while sophomore defensive end Sean Whelan (Doylestown, Pa./C.B. West) had two sackles, a sack, and two pass breakups.
Freshman punter Derek Giannetti (Dresher, Pa./Upper Dublin) had 12 punts for the Bears, averaging 37.2 yards per kick. He had a 66-yard punt before the end of the first half.
Ursinus heads to McDaniel on Saturday.
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Bears rally falls short against F&M, 21-14
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10/10/2009
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COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Franklin & Marshall sophomore quarterback John Harrison threw for 305 yards and two scores as the Diplomats (4-1, 2-1 Centennial) defeated Ursinus (2-3, 2-2 Centennial) 21-14 Saturday afternoon.
Harrison threw scoring passes for 4 and 5-yards in the second quarter as the Diplomats scored all 21 points in the second quarter.
Senior wide receiver George Eager had ten catches for 106 yards, while sophomore running back John Kaschak caught a touchdown pass and rushed for a score.
For Ursinus, senior quarterback Justin Decristofaro (Jenkintown, Pa./Father Judge) was 9-for-24 for 164 yards and two touchdowns. However, he was sacked eight times by the F&M defense as the Bears only had 222 yards of total offense compared to 442 for the Diplomats. Both touchdown passes were to sophomore wide receiver Nick Giarratano (Wapwallopen, Pa./Crestwood) from 52 and 32 yards out. Giarratano finished the day with 123 yards on five catches.
Ursinus was also hampered by 112 yards in penalties.
Defensively, sophomore linebacker Greg Martell (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) had 12 tackles, while junior defensive end Tony Stefanoni (Lumberton, N.J./Holy Cross) had two sacks. Junior defensive tackle Dave Queroli (Narberth, Pa./Harriton) had a sack, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
For F&M, sophomore outside linebacker Donald Wiezik had three sacks.
The day started off bright for the Bears, who scored 55 points in a win over Gettysburg last week. The Bears took the opening kickoff, then scored three plays later as Decristofaro threw a 52-yard scoring pass to Giarratano for a 7-0 lead with 13:59 left in the opening quarter.
After the teams traded punts, the Diplomats drove all the way down to the Bears’ 21-yard line before Harrison was intercepted by freshman defensive back Chris Rountree (Lawnside, N.J./Haddon Heights) on the Ursinus’ 9-yard line with 6:25 left. However, the Bears next drive stalled at their own 47.
F&M tied the score at 7-all on the next drive, going 73-yards in 13 plays capped by a four-yard run from Kaschak with 12:15 left in the second. Following a 3-and-out by the Bears, F&M went up 14-7 with 7:17 left as Harrison threw a 4-yard pass to junior tight end Michael Deutch.
Ursinus’ next drive got them all the way down the Diplomat 19-yard line, but, the Bears were hampered by a illegal block penalty that put them back to the F&M 38.
F&M would score its final points on its next drive, as Harrison threw a 5-yard pass to Kaschak capping a ten-play, 80 yard drive for a 21-7 lead. The Bears had stopped the Dips on third-and-1 on the third play of the drive, but, Ursinus was called for a roughing the passer penalty.
At the start of the second half, F&M drove to midfield, before Harrison was stripped by Queroli on the turnover. Again, the Bears drove deep into F&M territory but were called for a hold which forced them to punt. F&M’s next drive got them all the way down to the Bears 10-yard line, but, the Dips turned it over on downs at the ten-yard line.
Ursinus’ last scored came off a fumble by senior running back Ryan Murray, which gave the Bears the ball at the F&M 32-yard line with 6:47 left in the fourth. On the sixth play of the drive, Decristofaro found Giarratano in the left corner of the end zone on fourth-and-16 for the score.
The ensuing onside kick was knocked out of bounds by the Diplomats, and F&M got the ball on the Bears 44.
With 12 seconds left, Ursinus got the ball back and drove to the 29-yard line, before Decristofaro’s hail mary with time expiring fell short.
Ursinus heads to Johns Hopkins on Saturday.
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Decristofaro named Centennial Conference Co-Player of the Week
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10/4/2009
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LANCASTER, Pa. – Ursinus College senior quarterback Justin Decristofaro (Jenkintown, Pa./Father Judge) was named as the Centennial Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Sunday afternoon by the conference office.
He shared the honor with Gettysburg senior quarterback Matt Flynn.
Decristofaro completed 24-of-33 passes for 389 yards and three touchdowns, while also running for 70 yards and two more scores in Ursinus’ 55-50 win over Gettysburg Saturday afternoon.
He was also named the Kenneth Walker Memorial Trophy winner, given to the outstanding Ursinus player in the Homecoming game.
For the season, Decristofaro is 76-for-140 for 1,141 yards and eight touchdowns.
Ursinus (2-2, 2-0 Centennial) will host Franklin & Marshall Saturday afternoon at 1.
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Bears set records in 55-50 win over Gettysburg
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10/3/2009
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COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Ursinus and Gettysburg re-wrote the Centennial Conference record book on Saturday afternoon, as the Bears (2-2, 2-0 Centennial) defeated the Bullets (1-4, 1-2 Centennial) 55-50 on Homecoming at Patterson Field. Ursinus defeated the Bullets for the first time since 2005 and went 2-0 in the Centennial for the first time since 1996.
The two teams combined for 1,327 yards of total offense, while Ursinus set a Centennial Conference record for points in a half with 48 in the first half.
Gettysburg set the record for most points by a losing team in a Centennial Conference contest. The Bears raced out to a 55-23 lead in the third quarter, only to see the Bullets pull to within five with 6:36 to go in the contest.
However, Ursinus controlled the ball in the final 6:36 and did not give the Bullet offense one last chance at the end zone. The Bears controlled the ball for over 40 minutes on the afternoon.
Senior quarterback Justin Decristofaro (Jenkintown, Pa./Father Judge) threw for 389 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for two more. He also had a critical fourth-down conversion with two minutes to go on a fourth-and-1 which helped Ursinus run out the clock. For his efforts, he was named the Kenneth Walker Memorial Trophy given to the most outstanding Ursinus player in the contest.
Sophomore receiver Nick Giarratano (Wapwallopen, Pa./Crestwood) got his name into the Centennial Conference and Ursinus record books as he caught 11 passes for 218 yards and two scores. The 11 catches ties a school record.
Freshman running back Teddy Conrad (Doylestown, Pa./C.B. West) rushed for 132 yards and three touchdowns. The three touchdowns ties him for second-best in a game in Ursinus history.
Gettysburg senior quarterback Matt Flynn threw for 519 yards and seven touchdowns in a losing effort, as the Bullets scored 27 straight points to pull within five.
Senior tight end A.J. Perrotti caught six of those passes for 150 yards. Senior running back Ricky Manigat rushed for a team-high 83 yards on four carries for Gettysburg.
Defensively, sophomore defensive back Joe Henry (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) had 11 tackles for the Bears, including a sack and two tackles for loss. Senior linebacker Tim Widdoes had 14 stops for Gettysburg.
Ursinus scored right out of the gate as Decristofaro threw a ten-yard pass to sophomore wide out Kahlil Pittman (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington) with 10:15 left, completing a ten-play, 66-yard drive for a 7-0 lead. Gettysburg came right back and got on the board on a 20-yard field goal from junior kicker Mike Barrett to cut the Ursinus lead to 7-3 with 8:13 left.
Ursinus went up 14-3 on the next drive, as Decristofaro ran off tackle for a 23-yard score with 3:51 left. Gettysburg scored on its next drive, as Flynn threw an 11-yard pass to junior running back Charles Curcio with 2:11 left for a 14-10 Bears lead.
On the next kick, Ursinus fumbled on the 30-yard line. But, the ball was recovered by Ursinus on the 49-yard line by sophomore defensive end Sean Whelan (Doylestown, Pa./C.B. East). Four plays later, Conrad scored from two-yards out for a 21-10 lead with 42 seconds left.
Gettysburg got down to the 2-yard line, but, junior wide receiver Gavin Jablonski fumbled and Ursinus junior defensive tackle Dave Queroli (Narberth, Pa./Harriton) recovered it in the end zone for a touchback.
Ursinus then scored on its next possession to go up 28-10 on an 18-yard run by Conrad at 12:21 in the second. Gettysburg came right back and scored on its next possession as Flynn completed a 52-yard pass to junior wide receiver Brian Betley with 10:44 left.
Back came the Bears again as Decristofaro completed an 11-play, 62-yard drive with a one-yard plunge and a 34-17 lead with 5:40 left.
After Gettysburg punted, which was the lone punt of the game, Conrad completed a nine-play, 59-yard drive with a four-yard run for a 41-17 Ursinus lead with 1:24 left.
Each team scored one more time in the half as Flynn threw a 21-yard pass to Jablonski with 40 seconds left to make the score 41-23 in favor of the Bears. Ursinus aided from a 59-yard return from freshman wideout Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic), which allowed the Bears to score on a 30-yard pass from Decristofaro to Giarratano with 12 seconds left for a 48-23 halftime score.
On Gettysburg’s first drive of the third, Flynn was intercepted by freshman defensive back Chris Rountree (Lawnside, N.J./Haddon Heights) with 13:42 left. Ursinus got all the way down to the Gettysburg 32, before Decristofaro was intercepted by junior defensive back Tairi Mobley at the Bullets’ 12-yard line. Gettysburg’s ensuing drive was stalled at midfield, giving the Bears the ball with 7:10 left.
The final Bears’ score came at 5:31 as Decristofaro threw a 34-yard pass to Giarratano for a 55-23 lead.
Gettysburg then turned on the offense as the Bullets recovered a Decristofaro fumble at the 29 and was aided by two Ursinus personal foul penalties, setting up shop at the Bears’ 49. Flynn then threw a 24-yard pass to Betley for a 55-30 Ursinus lead with 2:18 left.
In the fourth, Ursinus again fumbled going for a score as Decristofaro fumbled at the Bullet 1-yard line and Gettysburg recovered it in the endzone.
An 11-play, 80-yard drive put Gettysburg within 18 at 55-37 on a five-yard TD toss to Curcio with 10:30 left. The Bullets recovered the onside kick, and then scored on their next play as Flynn threw a 53-yard pass to Perrotti for a 55-44 score with 10:20 left.
Ursinus’ next drive stalled at the Gettysburg 27, allowing the Bullets to go six-plays, 73-yards in 1:13 to pull within 55-50 on a 21-yard pass by Flynn to junior tailback Jamel Mutunga with 6:36 left.
Ursinus took the ball and never gave it back, with the Decristofaro one-yard plunge at the Gettysburg 29-yard line sealing the win.
Ursinus hosts Franklin & Marshall next week.
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Bears blank Juniata, 31-0
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9/19/2009
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HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The Ursinus College football team got its Centennial Conference slate off a rousing start on Saturday by blanking Juniata, 31-0, at Knox Stadium.
The Bears pitched their first shutout since blanking Moravian, 27-0, on October 27, 2007.
“Certainly after the Lebanon Valley game where we threw the ball well and got some confidence, we knew Juniata’s coverages and threw the ball effectively,” said Ursinus head coach Peter Gallagher. “We are starting to form a little bit of an identity.”
The Bears had 441 yards of total offense, balanced almost perfectly with 202 on the ground and 239 in the air. The Bears had minus-19 yards rushing in the loss to Lebanon Valley.
Junior quarterback Justin Decristofaro (Jenkintown, Pa./Father Judge) was 16-for-31 for 234 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for another score in the second quarter.
Sophomore running back Travis Evans (Dallas, Pa./Northwest Area) rushed for a game-high 124 yards on 19 carries. The Bears’ 202 yards on the ground was the first time Ursinus crossed the 200-yard line since October 13, 2007. Freshman running back Teddy Conrad (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) had 55 yards on 14 carries.
Sophomore wide receiver Kahlil Pittman (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington) had a team-high four catches for 47 yards, while sophomore wide out Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) had a team and game-high 93 yards on three catches.
For Juniata, senior quarterback Alex Snyder had 27 yards rushing and 66 yards passing (8-for-27). Senior wide receiver Matt Dunker had a game-high six catches for 52 yards.
Defensively, six players had four tackles, with senior defensive tackle Mark Worrilow (Wilmington, Del./The Charter School), sophomore defensive back Mike Rissmiller (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) and sophomore defensive back Joe Henry (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) each having three solo stops. Sophomore linebacker Edward Cooney had eight stops for Juniata.
Ursinus’ first score came with 5:59 left in the first as Decristofaro threw a 2-yard strike to freshman wide out Nick Giarratano (Wapwallopen, Pa./Crestwood) for the 7-0 lead. The score completed an 8-play, 67-yard drive that took 3:13.
After a Juniata 3-and-out, Ursinus needed just four plays to score as on first-and-10 from the Bears’ 33, Decristofaro threw a 67-yard pass to Desiderio for a 14-0 lead. The lead expanded to 21-0 with 13:05 left in the first half when Decristofaro called his own number and ran from four-yards out for the score.
Ursinus’ next score in the first half came at the end of a long 90-yard drive that took 18 plays. Sophomore kicker Keith Baker (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Lower Makefield) kicked a 25-yard field goal for a 24-0 lead.
Juniata had one chance to score before halftime. Aided by a personal foul, the Eagles had an untimed down at the end of the first half from the Bears’ 12, but, the Snyder pass fell incomplete.
In the second half, the lone score came when sophomore running back Evans scored on a ten-yard run with 5:18 left in the third. The Bears got the ball when the Eagles muffed the punt return and freshman defensive back Scott Gardus (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury Township).
The Eagles had one chance to score, but, freshman kicker Scott Andrews’ 34-yard field goal was blocked by sophomore defensive tackle Tim Blaine (Alexandra, Va./Bishop Ireton). From there, Juniata would get no closer than the Bears’ 21-yard line.
The Bears will take the week off and will host Gettysburg on October 3.
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Bears rally falls short 27-20 at LVC
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9/12/2009
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COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Ursinus College football team rallied from a large deficit in the fourth quarter, but, came up just short as the Bears (0-2) lost to Lebanon Valley (2-0) 27-20 Saturday afternoon on a rain-soaked Arnold Field.
The Bears trailed 20-0 heading into the fourth quarter, and got to within 21-13 with 6:53 left. After LVC put seven on the board via a long run, the Bears responded back with a score with 2:18 left. The onside kick failed and LVC ran out the clock.
“We hibernated in the first half,” said Ursinus head coach Peter Gallagher afterwards. “We came out in the second half and had life. We made a game out of it.”
“We just have to find out who we are and what we are made of.”
The first half was dismal for the Bears, who had just 50 yards of total offense compared to 249 for the Flying Dutchmen. Ursinus did finish with 285 yards in the game, but, had minus-19 yards rushing due to eight sacks by the Flying Dutchmen defense. Zach Bleiler had 3.5 sacks for LVC.
For Ursinus, senior quarterback Justin Decristofaro (Jenkintown, Pa./Father Judge) threw for a career-high 304 yards on 21-for-41 for two touchdowns. Freshman wide out Nick Giarratano (Wapwallopen, Pa./Crestwood), sophomore wide receiver Kahlil Pittman (Willow Grove, Pa./Abington) and sophomore wide receiver Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic)each had a touchdown catch. Desiderio finished the day with five catches for 140 yards, while Giarratano had seven catches for 90 yards.
Defensively, sophomore linebacker Greg Martell (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) had 11 tackles, with sophomore defensive back Andrew Regan (Glenside, Pa./Roman Catholic) grabbing ten stops, including three tackles for a loss. Freshman defensive back Chris Rountree (Lawnside, N.J./Haddon Heights) had two interceptions, with junior defensive tackle Dave Queroli (Narberth, Pa./Harriton) also getting a pick.
Neither team got on the board in the first quarter. LVC had a chance to score with 3:14 left by junior kicker Brittany Ryan missed a 23-yard field goal. The Flying Dutchmen did score in the second quarter as junior quarterback Caleb Fick threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Joe Brennan for a 7-0 lead. Ursinus would not get into the red zone in the second.
LVC went up 14-0 as Fick threw a 28-yard pass to Brennan with five minutes left until halftime.
In the second half, Ursinus got down to the LVC 34 on its first possession, but, a sack on third-and-10 forced the Bears to punt. From there, Rountree intercepted the ball on the LVC 41, giving the Bears a first-and-10 at the LVC 40. However, the Bears did not convert on fourth down at the LVC 26.
LVC would go up 21-0 when sophomore Ben Guiles ran for a 14-yard score. The key play was an interception by senior cornerback Matt Lillis at midfield which gave the Flying Dutchmen good field position.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Ursinus scored its first touchdown of 2009 when Decristofaro threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Giarratano on fourth down for a 21-6 deficit. On LVC’s next possession, Rountree intercepted his second pass of the day to put the Bears at the LVC 30 yard line. However, Ursinus was hit with a personal foul penalty which put them back to the LVC 48.
Ursinus scored on its next offensive possession as Pittman caught a five-yard TD pass from Decristofaro pass with 6:53 left. That score was set up when LVC’s snap on the punt was low, allowing junior linebacker Joe Galie (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) to tackle punter sophomore punter Colt Zarilla.
Ursinus got the ball back quickly when Queroli intercepted Fick on 3-and-11 from the LVC 29, however, Decristofaro threw an interception in the end zone on second-and-10 from the Dutchmen 21 with 5:34 left.
Two plays later, Guiles ran 77-yards for the score and a 27-13 Dutchmen lead. The Bears would score one last time when Ursinus put together a two-play, 99-yard drive as Desiderio scored on a 79-yard touchdown pass with 2:18 left.
Ursinus will open Centennial play next Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Bears make the long trip to Juniata College.
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Bears drop opener to Albright, 28-3
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9/5/2009
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Ursinus quarterback Justin Decristofaro escapes a tackle by an Albright defender. The Bears fell to Albright, 28-3
COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Albright senior quarterback Tanner Kelly threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns as Albright (1-0) handed Ursinus (0-1) a 28-3 loss on opening day for both teams Saturday afternoon at Patterson Field.
Kelly tossed scoring passes of 8 and 13-yards as the Lions racked up 359 yards of total offense.
For Ursinus, senior quarterback Justin Decristofaro (Jenkintown, Pa./Father Judge) threw for 214 yards by going 15-for-35. He did throw two interceptions. Decristofaro also rushed for 34 yards on ten carries.
Sophomore wide receiver Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, Pa./Roman Catholic) caught four passes for 73 yards for Ursinus, with senior wide out Nate Romig catching three passes for 55 yards and a score.
Defensively, senior outside linebacker Dave Harig had a team and game-high eight stops for Albright. For Ursinus, junior defensive end Tony Stefanoni (Lumberton, N.J./Holy Cross), junior linebacker Joe Galie (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) and senior defensive back Bryan Borek (Vineland, N.J./St. Augustine Prep) each had six stops.
Albright scored on its second drive as Kelly found sophomore wide receiver Josh Bakala from eight-yards out for a 7-0 lead with 4:02 left in the opening quarter. On their next offensive possession, the Lions went 80 yards in fourplays, capped by a 2-yard touchdown run from sophomore tailback Josan Holmes for a 14-0 Albright lead. Homes had 69 yards on 19 carries on the day.
Albright would again score on their next offensive possession, with sophomore tailback Mike Wilbur scoring from 43-yards out for a 21-0 lead.
Ursinus then put together a 14-play drive, but, was stopped at the Lions’ five-yard line on fourth down with 3:35 to go. However, the Bears put three points on the board on their next possession as sophomore kicker Keith Baker (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Lower Moreland) converted on a 35-yard field goal with 17 seconds left, cutting the Albright lead to 21-3.
The second half spotlight turned on the defense, as neither team found the end zone until Albright scored 2:08 left in the fourth on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Kelly to senior wide receiver Nate Romig.
Albright finished with 359 yards in total offense, compared to 307 for Ursinus. The two teams also combined for 19 penalties for 194 total yards.
Ursinus heads to Lebanon Valley next Saturday.
Game photos available for purchase here
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Coach Gallagher interviewed on KYW prior to Albright opener
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9/2/2009
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Head coach Peter Gallagher was interviewed recently on KYW Newsradio 1060 by Matt Leon.
Catch the full interview here.
(this is a large file.)
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2009 Ursinus College Football Outlook
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8/28/2009
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The Ursinus College football team suffered through an injury-plagued 2008 on its way to a 3-7 record and a 2-6 mark in the Centennial Conference. A bright spot that came out of 2008 and will greatly benefit the Bears in the upcoming 2009 season is the fact that many freshman and sophomores saw significant playing time in 2008.
With eight returning starters on offense and nine on defense, the Bears hope to figure into the Centennial Conference championship mix.
Offense (Pro set)
Wide receivers/running backs
Ursinus returns a strong core of wide receivers, headed by sophomores Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic) and Kahlil Pittman (Willow Grove, PA/Abington) along with senior wideout Shea Wisler (Green Lane, PA/Upper Perkiomen). Desiderio, a Centennial Conference honorable mention selection last season, had a team-high 29 catches for 401 yards and two touchdowns. Pittman had 14 catches for 117 yards. Wisler had 19 catches for 246 yards and two scores.
Desiderio did not participate in spring practice but had a good reason. He won several gold medals in the sprints at the Centennial Conference track championships, both in the indoor and outdoor seasons.
The running back tandem will be solved in pre-season camp. Pittman, who had 34 yards on 24 carries, is the top returner for 2009. Sophomore Jason Golderer (Philadelphia, PA/Overbrook) will look to step into the starting role, as will sophomore Travis Evans (Dallas, PA/Northwest Area). At the fullback spot, sophomore Seth Cardene (Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley) had some experience last season and will look to continue to fill that role.
Quarterbacks
The Bears will have to replace graduated senior Nick Dye as the main signal caller, and have two people who are vying for that spot. Juniors Justin Decristofaro (Jenkintown, PA/Father Judge) and Matt McHugh (Chadds Ford, PA/Garnet Valley) will battle for the top spot in camp. Decristofaro threw for 247 yards last season with a 52.4 percent completion rate (22-42-4), while McHugh was 11-for-18 for 85 yards. Coach Peter Gallagher noted that there is a possibility that Ursinus could be a two quarterback system.
Offensive Line
The Bears return four starters on the offensive line, all underclassmen. Junior tackle Wills Wendel (Villanova, PA/Radnor), junior guard Bob Wise (Wallingford, PA/Strath Haven), sophomore center Anthony Figueroa (Bridgeton, NJ/Cumberland Regional) and sophomore James Noebels (Hightstown, NJ/Hightstown) all return for 2009. At the tight end spot, junior CJ Yespelkis (Wayne, PA/Radnor) had three catches for 23 yards last season.
Defense (4-2-5)
Defensive line
The Bears return three of its front four for the 2009 season, headed by senior defensive tackle Mark Worrilow (Wilmington, DE/The Charter School), who is a returning second-team All-CC selection from 2008. Worrilow, a two-year starter, was fourth on the team in tackles with 48. He had a team-high 3.5 sacks on the season. Also back on the front line is junior defensive tackle Dave Queroli (Narberth, PA/Radnor) and junior defensive end Tony Stefanoni (Lumberton, NJ/Holy Cross). Also looking to figure into the mix is senior defensive end Chas Cathers (Fountainville, PA/C.B. West), sophomore defensive end Sean Whelan (Doylestown, PA/C.B. East), sophomore defensive tackle Chris Decker (Forty Fort, PA/Wyoming Valley West), sophomore defensive tackle Tim Blaine (Alexandria, VA/Bishop Ireton), freshman defensive lineman Sam Morgan (Chester Springs, PA/Owen J. Roberts) and freshman defensive tackle Greg Fontaina (Millburn, NJ/Millburn).
Linebackers
The Bears return a strong linebacking core in 2009. Senior Nate Mast (Manheim, PA/Manheim Central) is a two-year starter and junior Joe Galie (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville) led the team in tackles last season at 66. Mast was right behind him at 65. Galie was named as an honorable mention selection by the conference last season. Mast has been the leading tackler for the Bears for the last two seasons. Sophomores Greg Martell (Levittown, PA/Neshaminy) and Chris Salaga (Bordentown, NJ/Florence Township) also look to factor in to the mix at linebacker.
Defensive Backs
Like the front line, the Bears have several returnees at this position and like the wide receivers, the defensive backfield possesses speed. Senior defensive back Eikeem Barron (Philadelphia, PA/Overbrook) had 37 tackles last season and returned an interception 80 yards for a touchdown in the opener against Alfred in 2008. Fellow senior defensive back Bryan Borek (Vineland, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) is also back, netting 26 stops last season.
Sophomore corner back Joe Kost (Freeland, PA/Hazleton Area) and sophomore defensive back Joe Henry (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) also return for another season. Also battling for playing time will be sophomore defensive back Mike Rissmiller (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin), freshman defensive back Chris Rountree (Lawnside, NJ/Haddon Heights), sophomore defensive back Andrew Regan (Glenside, PA/Roman Catholic) and freshman safety Buddy Ferro (Clifton Heights, PA/Episcopal Academy).
Special Teams
Kickers/punters
The Bears lost first-team All-Centennial kicker/punter Greg Zara to graduation. Sophomore kicker Keith Baker (Huntingdon Valley, PA/Lower Moreland) has shown promise, in addition to freshman quarterback Derek Giannetti (Dresher, PA/Upper Dublin), who will handle the punting duties.
Kick/punt returners
As far as returners, Desiderio will handle the return duties. He averaged 19 yards per punt return and 21 yards per kick return. He had an 82-yard kick return for a score against Muhlenberg last season.
Schedule
Aside from the conference schedule, the Bears take on two of the best teams that the Middle Atlantic Conference has to offer. The Bears open up at home against Albright on September 5, then travel to Annville to take on Lebanon Valley on September 12. The Centennial slate opens up on September 19 against Juniata.
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Bears picked seventh in pre-season coaches poll
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8/5/2009
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LANCASTER, Pa. – The Ursinus College football team was picked seventh in the Centennial Conference pre-season coaches poll released on Wednesday by the conference office. The poll was voted upon by the nine coaches in the Centennial Conference, as well as the sports information directors. Ursinus received 45 points, 19 ahead of McDaniel (26) and 23 points ahead of Juniata (22). Johns Hopkins University was in first place at 115 points with ten first-place votes. Muhlenberg and Dickinson were tied for second with 102 points. Muhlenberg had five first-place votes while Dickinson had two. Moravian was fourth at 91 points with one first-place vote. Gettysburg took fifth (75) and Franklin & Marshall was sixth at 63 points. Ursinus opens up the 2009 season on Saturday, September 5 as the Bears host Albright. Game time is at 1 p.m.
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Coach Gallagher to participate in Centennial Conference live webchat Wednesday
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8/4/2009
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Ursinus head football coach Pete Gallagher will take part in the Centennial Conference Football Media Day on Wednesday starting at 11:15 a.m. Unlike previous years, this year's media day will be held online at the Centennial Conference website.
Fans can submit questions to coach Gallagher and the rest of the Centennial Conference coaches.
The chat can be found at the Centennial Conference website at www.centennial.org.
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Bears to host bone marrow drive on April 24
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4/16/2009
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COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Ursinus College football team has joined Villanova University and the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) in an effort to recruit 5,000 new members to the bone marrow registry. Ursinus will host the “Get in the Game. Save A Life” program on Friday, April 24 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Floy Lewis Bakes Fieldhouse. Students, faculty and staff, along with area residents can join the bone marrow registry at the time. Thousands of patients with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases depend on the NMDP registry to find a match. Donors with diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds are especially critical as patients in need of a transplant are most likely to match someone of their own race or ethnicity. The NMDP facilitates unrelated marrow and cord blood transplants as a single point of access for a long-standing collaborative network of national and international leading medical facilities in marrow and cord blood transplantation. The NMDP connects patients, doctors, donors and researchers to the resources they need to help more people live longer and healthier lives. The “Get in the Game. Save A Life” program was started by Villanova head football coach Andy Talley more than 15 years ago. Since starting the program, he has recruited thousands of members to the registry by encouraging his football team and their friends to join. In addition to Ursinus and Villanova, more than 24 college football programs are participating in the program. For more information on the program, call 1-800-MARROW-2 or visit www.marrow.org.
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Five named All-Centennial
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11/17/2008
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LANCASTER, Pa. – Five members of the Ursinus College football team were named to the All-Centennial team on Monday afternoon by the conference office. The teams are selected by the nine head coaches in the Centennial Conference.
Senior punter Greg Zara (Wilkes Barre, PA/Hanover Township) was named a first-team selection at punter.
Junior defensive lineman Mark Worrilow (Wilmington, DE/The Charter School) was named to the second-team defensive unit.
Freshman kicker returner Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic) was named as an honorable mention, as were sophomore linebacker Joe Galie (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville) and defensive back Eikeem Barron (Philadelphia, PA/Overbrook).
Zara finished as one of the top punters in Division III this season, averaging 41.1 yards per kick. He had 11 kicks go 50 or more yards and ten kicks landed inside the 20-yard line. He also averaged 58.5 yards per kickoff. He was 4-for-6 in field goals, with a season-best 39 yard boot coming against Alfred in week one. He accounted for 25 points, third best on the team.
Worrilow finished fourth on the team in tackles with 48, with the 48 being third-best in the Centennial among defensive lineman in stops. He ranked first on the team in sacks with 3.5 and had eight tackles for losses totaling 39 yards.
Desiderio finished 2008 ranked first on the team in all-purpose yards with 1170. He finished with a team-high 29 catches for 401 yards and two touchdowns. As a kick returner, he averaged 21 yards a return, and had a 82-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Muhlenberg. As a punt returner, he averaged 19.7 yards per return.
Galie led Ursinus in tackles with 66, including 37 solo stops. He had two sacks and 4.5 tackles for losses of 18 yards. He was also named to the Centennial Conference All-Academic team.
Finally, Barron had 37 tackles in ten games, with 25 solo stops. He also had an interception return for a touchdown, going 80 yards in a win over Alfred in week one.
Ursinus finished 2008 with a mark of 3-7 and 2-6 in the Centennial.
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Bears fall in season finale, 30-12, to Dickinson
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11/15/2008
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COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Dickinson junior quarterback Ian Mitchell threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for 114 yards as the Red Devils (6-4, 5-3 Centennial) pulled away from Ursinus (3-7, 2-6 Centennial) 30-12 Saturday afternoon in Centennial Conference football action.
Mitchell threw both touchdowns in the fourth quarter, capping a 16-point second half that helped the Red Devils break open a 14-12 game at the half.
Both touchdown passes were caught by junior tight end Gray Gish from eight and 47 yards out in the fourth quarter.
For Ursinus, junior tailback Mark Jaskowski (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) finished with a game-high 159 yards on 35 carries. Senior quarterback Nick Dye (Glenside, PA/Cheltenham Township) threw for 179 yards in his final game for Ursinus, on 17-for-25. He also had two passes intercepted in the end zone.
Freshman wide receiver Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic) had seven catches for 65 yards.
Senior defensive lineman Adam Kabacinski (Pittston, PA/Pittston), one of 14 seniors playing in their final game today, had seven tackles for Ursinus. For Dickinson, senior defensive back Michael Dalton had ten stops, as did sophomore linebacker Kevin Wood.
Dickinson took the ball on its opening drive and went 72 yards on 12 plays, capped by a 1-yard scoring run from junior running back Tim Wells with 10:40 left.
The Bears would answer right back, going 11 plays, 75 yards capped by a 1-yard plunge from Dye. However, senior kicker Greg Zara (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Hanover Area) had his PAT attempted blocked by freshman linebacker Nicko Nagel with 4:28 left, making the score 7-6.
The Red Devils went up 14-6 on their next drive, driving 64-yards in six plays. Senior running back Matt Matt Manganaro scored from seven yards out with 2:12 left.
In the second quarter, Ursinus got to within two as Jaskowski scored on a 12-yard run with 11:10 left, capping a 12 play, 80-yard drive. The Bears had a chance to score on their next drive, but, Dye had his pass intercepted in the end zone on third-and-10 from the Dickinson 11-yard line with 1:31 left by sophomore linebacker Cole Glennon.
However, Ursinus was able to hold Dickinson to a three-and-out, and got the ball back with 30 seconds left. Dye’s last second pass into the end zone was intercepted by junior defensive back Michael Maxwell as the gun sounded.
Dickinson got on the board on their first drive in the second half, as sophomore place kicker Gordon Craig kicked a 26-yard field goal with 9:21 left to give the Red Devils a 17-12 lead. Mitchell tossed his first TD pass to Gish with 12:32 left in the fourth, giving Dickinson a 23-12 lead.
Dickinson scored its final touchdown on a one-play, 47-yard drive when Mitchell threw a 47-yard pass to Gish with 9:41 left for the final scoring margin.
Wells finished with 71 yards on 13 carries on the day for Dickinson, while junior wide receiver Pat O’Connor had 120 yards on seven catches.
For Ursinus, 14 seniors played in their final game today: Defensive back Billy Stolle (Lincoln University, PA/Avon Grove), defensive lineman Ronnie Anderson (Wallingford, PA/Strath Haven), defensive back Kevin Niedelman (Springfield, PA/Monsignor Bonner), Zara, Dye, quarterback Erich Wolf (Avalon, NJ/Middle Township), defensive lineman Dan Price (Mountaintop, PA/Bishop Hoban), defensive back DeVohn Butler (Swedesboro, NJ/St. Augustine Prep), defensive lineman Brian Hampson (Philadelphia, PA/Father Judge), offensive lineman Matt Govern (Pittston, PA/Pittston), Kabacinski, offensive lineman JohnHaughney (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic), full back Chris Sanna (Greenville, DE/Archmere Academy) and tight end Tyler Wolf (Avalon, NJ/Middle Township).
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Bears fall to third-ranked Muhlenberg, 45-8
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11/8/2008
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ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Muhlenberg senior running back John DeLuca rushed for 202 yards and three touchdowns as third-ranked Muhlenberg (9-0, 7-0 Centennial) clinched the 2008 Centennial Conference championship with a 45-8 win over Ursinus (3-6, 2-5 Centennial) Saturday afternoon.
Senior quarterback Eric Santagato passed for 206 yards and another score as Muhlenburg racked up 561 yards of total offense on the afternoon.
For Ursinus, its lone score came with 10:11 remaining in the contest as freshman wide receiver Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic) returned a kickoff 82 yards, which was followed by a two-point conversion on a pass from junior quarterback Justin Decristofaro (Jenkintown, PA/Father Judge) to freshman wide receiver Blaze Wasserleben (Willow Grove, PA/Upper Moreland).
After stopping Muhlenberg on its opening drive, Ursinus saw the Mules score with 11:13 left in the first quarter as Decristofaro had his second pass of the day intercepted by senior linebacker Matt Rathburn who returned it 29 yards for the first score of the game.
Following a nine-play, 13-yard drive that stalled at the Ursinus’ 26, the Mules upped the lead to 14-0 as DeLuca completed a 65-yard pass to junior wide receiver Phil Cresta with 5:37 left.
Muhlenberg looked like it was going to score at the beginning of the second quarter, but, Santagato had his pass intercepted in the end zone by senior defensive back Billy Stolle (Lincoln University, PA/Avon Grove).
However, the Mules did take a 21-0 lead on their next drive when DeLuca rushed for an 8-yard score with 8:53 left. A field goal with no time left on the clock at the end of the half gave Muhlenberg a 24-0 when sophomore place kicker Michael Katz converted on a 37-yard attempt.
At the beginning of the second half, sophomore quarterback Matt McHugh (Chadds Ford, PA/Garnet Valley) marched the Bears down to the Muhlenberg 25, but, his pass was intercepted at the 14-yard line by freshman Chris Hartzell.
On the next drive, DeLuca was a one-man drive, rushing the ball 86-yards on 12 successive plays for a 31-0 lead. DeLuca would later score from 2-yards out with 10:28 left in the game for a 38-0 lead.
After Desiderio’s kick return, Muhlenberg answered back as Santagato threw a 12-yard TD pass to senior wide receiver Edward DeRisi for the final score of the game.
Decristofaro then led the Bears to the Muhlenberg 27-yard line, before his pass was intercepted by freshman cornerback Steve Nissley at the Mules’ 9-yard line.
Ursinus finished with 150 yards of total offense, as Decristofaro was 8-for-17 for 91 yards, with McHugh going 10-for-16 with 75 yards.
Desiderio had six catches for 74 yards, with freshman running back Kahlil Pittman (Willow Grove, PA/Abington) making four catches for 27 yards. The Bears as a team had minus-16 yards of rushing.
DeRisi had a game-high 113 yards on six catches for Muhlenberg, who earned the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Defensively, sophomore linebacker Joe Galie (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville) had a game-high 14 tackles, with Stolle adding in 12.
Ursinus will host Dickinson in the season finale next Saturday at 1 p.m.
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Moravian ten better than Bears, 17-7
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11/2/2008
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Moravian junior running back Ryan Rempe rushed for 107 yards on 32 attempts as the Greyhounds (7-2, 5-2 Centennial) defeated Ursinus (3-5, 2-4 Centennial) 17-7 in a physical affair on Saturday afternoon at Rocco Calvo Field.
The game saw the two teams combine for 162 yards in penalties and also saw both starting quarterbacks leave the contest due to injury.
Greyhounds junior quarterback Patrick Weiss, in relief of senior starting quarterback Marc Braxmeier, threw for 43 yards and the game’s lone passing touchdown for Moravian. He finished 5-for-9 for 43 yards. Braxmeier left the field in an ambulance in the second quarter, but, was returned to the sidelines late in the game.
For Ursinus, junior quarterback Justin Decristofaro (Jenkintown, PA/Father Judge) threw for 130 yards on 11-for-19 passing in relief of senior quarterback Nick Dye (Glenside, PA/Cheltenham Township). Dye exited the game in the first quarter, only throwing for ten yards on 2-for-2 passing.
Freshman wide receiver Kory Kapinos (Fallston, MD/The Hill School), started the game at tailback due to an injury to junior running back Mark Jaskowski (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown). Kapinos rushed for 35 yards on 12 attempts.
Freshman wide receiver Blaze Wasserleben (Willow Grove, PA/Upper Moreland) was the top receiver on the day, catching four passes for 52 yards. Another freshman, Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic), had four kick returns for 56 yards and two kick returns for 21 yards.
At the start of the game, Ursinus was backed up early as Moravian drove all the way to the Bears’ 1-yard line. However, the Greyhounds did not convert on fourth down as Braxmeier’s could not cross the goal line.
Ursinus’ first drive of the game ended at the Bears’ 8-yard line as a fumble was recovered by Moravian sophomore defensive lineman Allen Petros. But, the Greyhounds turned it right back over as freshman defensive back Joe Kost (Freeland, PA/Hazleton Area) intercepted Braxmeier in the endzone on the second play of the drive.
Moravian would score with 12:25 left in the second quarter as senior fullback Morgan deRouen scored on a six-yard run for a 7-0 lead.
The Bears would answer right back on the next drive, going 76-yards in 12 plays. The drive was capped by a 1-yard scoring run from freshman running back Kahili Pittman (Willow Grove, PA/Abington) with 6:26 left, tying the score at 7-all.
At the beginning of the second half, Ursinus fumble on the second play of the half as Decristofaro was sacked by senior defensive lineman Doug Bocchino at the Ursinus’ 20, who then recovered the fumble.
It then took Moravian four plays to score as senior kicker Brian Reckenbeil made a 32-yard field goal with 12:37 left for a 10-7 lead. Ursinus got into Moravian territory on the next drive, but, the drive stalled at the Moravian 21-yard line.
Moravian’s final score came on the ensuing drive, as Weiss completed a 4-yard pass to sophomore wide out Alex Hirsch with 3:09 left for a 17-7 lead. The score completed a 12-play, 79-yard drive in 5:54.
Ursinus finished with 204 yards of offense on the afternoon.
Defensively, sophomore linebacker Joe Galie (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville) finished with a game-high 13 tackles, with sophomore defensive lineman Dave Queroli (Narberth, PA/Harriton) finished with ten tackles. Galie and Kost both had interceptions.
Ursinus will travel to Muhlenberg next Saturday.
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Jaskowski named CC Offensive Player of the Week
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10/26/2008
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LANCASTER, Pa. – One week after winning the Kenneth Walker trophy for the most outstanding player in the homecoming game, Ursinus football junior running back Mark Jaskowski (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) picked up another award on Sunday.
Jaskowski was named as the Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Week by the conference office for his performance in Saturday’s 26-7 win over McDaniel
Jaskowski rushed for 148 yards on 35 carries and scored twice as the Bears scored 23 points in the fourth quarter to snap a three-game losing streak
For the season, Jaskowski has 586 yards on 125 attempts, with four scores. He is averaging 97 yards per game.
Ursinus (3-4, 2-3 Centennial) will travel to Moravian on Saturday.
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Bears get big fourth quarter in 26-7 win over McDaniel
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10/25/2008
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COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Trailing 7-3 heading into the fourth quarter, Ursinus poured on the offense in the final 15 minutes by scoring 23 points in a span of 6:20 as the Bears (3-4, 2-3 Centennial) smashed McDaniel (2-5, 1-4 Centennial) 26-7 Saturday afternoon in an off-and-on wind and rain at Patterson Field.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Bears heading into the final three games of the season.
“It has been awhile, since we needed a win so badly,” Ursinus head coach Pete Gallagher said afterwards. “It’s great for the kids to battle back in the fourth quarter after facing adversity.
“We kept saying all week that we needed to ignite a spark in this young team to start a fire, and we did that in the fourth quarter.”
The win marked the first time that Ursinus has won two straight at home against McDaniel in school history.
Junior running back Mark Jaskowski (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) continued to improve game-by-game as he rushed for a game-high 148 yards on 35 carries. He scored twice.
Ursinus scored on five successive drives in the fourth quarter, with three of the drives coming off McDaniel turnovers.
Senior quarterback Nick Dye (Glenside, PA/Cheltenham Township) finished the day 6-for-19 for 107 yards. He also rushed for 27 yards on nine carries.
Freshman running back Kahlil Pittman (Willow Grove, PA/Abington) had two catches for 21 yards. Freshman wide out Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic) excelled on special teams as he had two punt returns totaling 73 yards, including a 42-yard return in the fourth quarter.
For McDaniel, junior running back T.J. Develin rushed for 47 yards on 15 carries. Freshman quarterback Vinny Corona rushed for 43 yards on 15 carries, while throwing for 74 yards on 8-for-15.
After a scoreless first quarter, McDaniel struck first. For the second straight week, a special teams gaffe led to an opponent score as a bad snap on a fourth-down punt, gave the Green Terror the ball on the Ursinus’ 4 with 4:44 left in the first half.
It took McDaniel just one play to punch it in as Develin scored on a four-yard run for a 7-0 lead with 4:39 left.
Ursinus got a field goal at the end of the first half as senior kicker Greg Zara (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Hanover Area) converted a 25-yard field goal to make the halftime score 7-3. The key play in the nine-play, 64 yard drive was a 35-yard catch by Desiderio.
Ursinus had another chance to score in the third quarter, but, the Bears could not convert on fourth-down from the Green Terror 4-yard line with 1:59 left in the quarter.
Just 55 seconds into the fourth quarter, Corona had his pass intercepted by senior defensive back Billy Stolle (Lincoln University, PA/Avon Grove) at the Green Terror 27.
Four plays later, Dye plunged from one-yard out and a 10-7 Ursinus lead with 13:17 left. On the ensuing drive, McDaniel went three-and-out. Desiderio’s 42-yard punt return gave Ursinus the ball at the McDaniel 9-yard line.
Four plays later, Ursinus went up 13-7 as Zara made a 32-yard field goal with 9:22 left.
A fumble by junior running back Eric Zwilsky on McDaniel’s first play following the score, gave Ursinus the ball at the McDaniel 29. Jaskowski scored two plays later on a three-yard run for a 19-7 lead with 8:34 left.
Ursinus went up 26-7 as Jaskowski scored on a two-yard run with 6:54 left. The drive was set up by a sack by junior defensive lineman Mark Worrilow (Wilmington, DE/The Charter School) which forced a fumble.
Ursinus finished with 268 yards of total offense on the day.
Defensively, Worrilow finished with eight tackles, which was a team-high. Junior lineback Mike Weick had a game-high 13 tackles for McDaniel.
Ursinus will play the first of two games in the Lehigh Valley next Saturday, this time traveling to Moravian for a 1 p.m. start at Steel Field.
Box score
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Bears blanked by Johns Hopkins, 14-0
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10/18/2008
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COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Johns Hopkins University junior running back Andrew Kase rushed for a game-high 168 yards on 32 carries, including 136 yards in the second half as the Blue Jays (5-2, 3-2 Centennial) blanked Ursinus (2-4, 1-3 Centennial) 14-0 Saturday afternoon.
Ursinus was shut out for the first time since October 23, 2004 in a 14-0 loss to Gettysburg.
The Blue Jays broke open a scoreless game in the third quarter as Kase ran for a 5-yard score, capping an 18-yard, five-play drive with 7:59 left. Johns Hopkins had great field position as Ursinus’ fourth-down punt attempt resulted in a bad snap which gave the Blue Jays the ball at the Bears’ 18-yard line.
Following the score, Ursinus then went three-and-out. On its second play of the ensuing drive, Johns Hopkins went up 14-0 as sophomore wide receiver Dan Crowley threw a 60-yard option pass to freshman wide receiver Sam Wernick with 6:13 left.
Ursinus had just 196 yards of total offense on the day, with 150 yards coming from junior running back Mark Jaskowski (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) on 24 carries.
For his performance, Jaskowski received the Kenneth Walker trophy, which is given to the most outstanding Ursinus player in the homecoming game.
Senior quarterback Nick Dye (Glenside, PA/Cheltenham Township) was 7-for-19 for 82 yards and two interceptions. He was also sacked nine times by the Blue Jays.
Freshman running back Kahlil Pittman (Willow Grove, PA/Abington) made a team-high four catches on 42 yards.
For Johns Hopkins, freshman quarterback Hewitt Tomlin was 13-for-19 for 128 yards. Wernick had five catches for 116 yards, while sophomore wide receiver Tucker Michels had a game-high six catches for 50 yards.
Defensively, junior linebacker Nate Mast (Manheim, PA/Manheim Central) had a team-high nine tackles. Johns Hopkins sophomore linebacker A.J. Albert had nine stops and two sacks.
Neither team found success on its first drive. Johns Hopkins got the ball moving on its second drive of the game, driving all the way down to the Bears’ 19-yard line. However, sophomore kicker Alex Lachman missed a 36-yard field goal with 5:55 left.
However, the Blue Jays got the ball right back as Dye was intercepted by freshman defensive back Sam Eagleson on the next play from scrimmage. Eagleson got the ball at the Blue Jays’ 44-yard line.
The Bears started the move the ball in the beginning of the second quarter, driving all the way down to the Blue Jays’ 13-yard line. On fourth-and-goal, senior kicker Greg Zara (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Hanover Area) missed a 30-yard field goal.
Ursinus again would get deep into Blue Jay territory on its next drive, moving to the Johns Hopkins 15-yard line. On third-and-10, Dye had his pass intercepted in the end zone by junior defensive back Jon Salem.
Following the two Hopkins scores, Ursinus put together one final drive in the fourth quarter. With the ball at the Blue Jays’ 12-yard line with just under 4:30 remaining, Dye was sacked on fourth down.
Ursinus will host McDaniel next Saturday at 1 p.m.
Box score
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Bears downed by F&M, 51-13
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10/11/2008
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LANCASTER, Pa. – Franklin & Marshall freshman quarterback John Harrison threw for 235 yards and three touchdowns as the Diplomats (3-2, 2-1 Centennial) defeated Ursinus (2-3, 1-2 Centennial) 51-13 Saturday afternoon in Centennial Conference play.
The Diplomats scored on their first three drives, building a 24-6 lead with 11:43 left in the second quarter.
For Ursinus, senior quarterback Nick Dye (Glenside, PA/Cheltenham Township) threw for 135 yards and two touchdowns, but, was intercepted twice on the day.
Junior wide receiver Shea Wisler (Green Lane, PA/Upper Perkiomen) caught a team-high five passes for 53 yards.
Freshman wide receiver Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic) had four catches for 38 yards and a score. He also returned three kickoffs for 53 yards on the day.
Rushing wise, junior running back Mark Jaskowski (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) finished the day with 67 yards on the ground on eight carries.
Franklin & Marshall took an early 7-0 lead on its first drive as freshman wide receiver Jarrell Diggs ran for a 15-yard score with 12:52 left for a 7-0 lead.
The Diplomats got good field position on their next drive, as senior punter Greg Zara (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Hanover Area) had his punt blocked, putting the Diplomats at the Ursinus 24.
Three plays later, Harrison tossed a 13-yard pass to senior tight end Matt Jenschke with 11:10 left for a 14-0 F&M lead.
Ursinus got on the board on their next drive as Dye completed a 45-yard TD pass to Wisler with 8:18 left to cut the deficit to 14-6. The score completed a seven-play, 80-yard drive.
F&M answered right back as Diggs threw a 67-yard pass to junior wide receiver George Eager with 7:02 left for a 21-6 lead.
The Diplomats almost scored on their next drive, but, junior defensive lineman Mark Worrilow (Wilmington, DE/The Charter School) intercepted Harrison at the Bears’ 1-yard line with 1:27 left in the quarter.
Ursinus started to move the ball, but, Jaskowski fumbled at the end of a 44-yard run at the Diplomats 25, giving F&M the ball back before the end of the quarter.
In the second quarter, F&M recovered a fumble by Dye and then scored on a 21-yard field goal by senior kicker Paul Sousa with 11:43 left until halftime.
Ursinus would score its final touchdown before the half as Dye tossed an 11-yard pass to Desiderio with 56 seconds left to cut the deficit to 24-13.
In the third quarter, F&M upped the lead to 31-13 on a Sousa 29-yard interception return with 9:33 left.
The Diplomats would score with 5:42 left in the third as Harrison threw a six-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Michael Deutch. The score came following an interception by the Diplomats.
Ursinus then drove down the field, reaching the Dips’ 19-yard line, but junior quarterback Justin Decristofaro (Jenkintown, PA/Father Judge) has his pass intercepted by senior inside linebacker James Gregory at the Diplomat 12-yard line.
F&M scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter within a span of 29 seconds. The first score came with 10:41 left as Harrison threw a 20-yard pass to Diggs for a score. Then, following an interception by Decristofaro, F&M made the score 51-13 with 10:12 left as junior running back Ryan Murray scored on a 7-yard run. The Diplomats held the ball for 12:01 of the final quarter.
F&M finished the day with 452 yards of total offense on the day.
Defensively, freshman defensive back Joe Henry (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) finished with ten tackles to lead the Bears.
Ursinus will return home for the first time since September 20 next week, as the Bears host Johns Hopkins in their annual homecoming game at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Box score
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Bears routed by Gettysburg, 38-7
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10/4/2008
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GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Host Gettysburg racked up 539 yards of total offense as the Bullets scored 31 unanswered points in a 38-7 win over Ursinus Saturday afternoon at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium in Centennial Conference football action.
The Bullets (1-4, 1-2 Centennial) earned their third straight win over the Bears (2-2, 1-1 Centennial). Bullets junior quarterback Matt Flynn had 399 yards and three scores in the win, just missing the Gettysburg school record for passing yards in a contest. Sophomore wideout Gavin Jablonski caught six of those passes for 120 yards.
For Ursinus, senior quarterback Nick Dye (Glenside, PA/Cheltenham Township) finished the afternoon 17-for-32 for 149 yards, and threw his first interception of the season. Dye was hounded by the Bullets’ defense as he was sacked seven times.
Junior running back Mark Jaskowski (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) had a team-high 55 yards on 17 carries. Dye rushed for 27 yards on 15 attempts. Junior wideout Shea Wisler (Green Lane, PA/Upper Perkiomen) had four catches for 36 yards, with Jaskowski having 29 yards on four catches.
Following Ursinus’ first drive of the game, the Bullets struck first as Flynn found senior tight end David Rodriguez wide open in the middle of the field for a 63-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 Gettysburg lead with 13:06 left. It was the Bullets’ first offensive play from scrimmage.
The Bears responded right back as Dye rushed for a 1-yard score with 7:05 left to tie the score at 7-all. The drive covered 54-yards in 12 plays, and also benefited from a penalty on fourth down by Gettysburg which gave Ursinus a first down.
Following the score, Gettysburg drove all the way down to the Ursinus’ 20, but, senior kicker Josh Huson missed a 36-yard field goal with 2:30 left in the quarter. Ursinus then fumbled the ball right back to the Bullets, as Jaskowski fumbled giving Gettysburg the ball at the Bears’ 24. However, Gettysburg turned the ball back over on the nine-yard line three plays later as Flynn fumbled.
The Bears, however, saw their drive stall at their own 44. The Bullets were able to put three points on the board on their following drive, as Huson capped a 12-play, 63-yard drive with a 25-yard field goal with 5:47 left. Ursinus did force the field goal, after keeping Gettysburg out of the end zone following a first-and-goal at the Bears’ 2.
The key play was a tackle by junior linebacker Nate Mast(Manheim, PA/Manheim Central) on third down.
Gettysburg put one more score on the board with just 46 seconds left in the first half as Flynn found junior running back Ricky Manigat in the middle of the field for a 25-yard touchdown pass and a 17-7 Bullets lead.
The Bullets took the ball to start the second half, and proceeded to march 82 yards in ten plays, capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass from Flynn to sophomore wideout Charles Curcio for a 24-7 Gettysburg lead.
Ursinus could not get anything going on their first drive, but, recovered a fumble on Gettysburg second drive of the game as junior linebacker Marc Lordi (Pennington, NJ/Notre Dame) hit Jablonski at the Ursinus 33. Sophomore defensive lineman Dave Queroli (Narberth, PA/Harriton) recovered the fumble.
After a three-and-out by Ursinus, Gettysburg upped the lead to 31-7 with 3:26 left as sophomore tailback Jamel Mutunga rushed for a five-yard score. The score ended a five-play, 71-yard drive.
Gettysburg punched in one more score in the fourth quarter, as Curcio scored on a 20-yard run with 12:30 left for a 38-7 Bullets lead.
Defensively, Mast had seven stops with junior defensive back Eikeem Barron (Philadelphia, PA/Overbrook) making six.
Ursinus will take on Franklin & Marshall next Saturday, starting at 1:30 p.m.
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Bears rally to beat Juniata, 21-17
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9/20/2008
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COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Ursinus College senior quarterback Nick Dye (Glenside, PA/Cheltenham Township) threw for 200 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for another as Ursinus (2-1, 1-0 Centennial) rallied to beat Juniata (0-3, 0-1 Centennial) 21-17 Saturday afternoon in the Centennial Conference opener for both teams.
Dye scored what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown on a 23-yard run with 6:19 left in the final quarter as Ursinus won its third straight Centennial Conference opener for the first time since 1999-2001.
“Give Juniata all the credit, they gave us everything they had,” Ursinus head coach Pete Gallagher said afterwards. “With our backs against the wall in the fourth quarter, our kids responded and fought back.”
After leading 14-0, Juniata rallied by scoring 17 straight points to take a 17-14 lead with 14:55 left. Juniata had one last chance to score as they got the ball with 3:05 left, but, the drive stalled with 1:35 left as senior quarterback Jay Leonard was sacked by sophomore defensive lineman Tony Stefanoni (Lumberton, NJ/Holy Cross) on fourth-and-10 from midfield.
Dye finished the day with 51 yards rushing, and did not throw an interception for the third straight game.
Special teams play was huge for Ursinus as senior punter Greg Zara (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Hanover Area) averaged 40.4 yards on nine punts, including four inside the 20-yard line.
Junior running back Mark Jaskowski (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) returned from injury and finished with 65 yards on 13 carries. Junior wideout Shea Wisler (Green Lane, PA/Upper Perkiomen) had a team-high five catches on 52 yards. Six different players caught passes for Ursinus.
For Juniata, Leonard finished 22-for-54 for 212 yards and a score. Sophomore running back Kyle McKechnie had 30 yards on six carries. Senior wide receiver Chad Steiner had 70 yards on five catches. The Eagles ran 84 offensive plays on the afternoon.
Defensively, the Bears secondary was extremely busy as they accounted for 16 pass breakups. Senior defensive back Billy Stolle (Lincoln University, PA/Avon Grove) and junior defensive back Eikeem Barron (Philadelphia, PA/Overbrook) each had three.
Neither team had success on their first drives.
On Ursinus’ second drive of the game, the Bears converted a fourth-down play as Dye completed a 34-yard pass to freshman wide receiver Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic) for a 7-0 Ursinus lead with 7:14 left.
Juniata continued to struggle offensively in the first quarter, as Ursinus held the Eagles to just nine yards of total offense (7 rush, 2 pass).
In the second quarter, Ursinus looked to punch one in following a Juniata three-and-out. However, Jaskowski was stripped off the ball at the Juniata 10, giving the Eagles the ball. However, Juniata would not capitalize.
On their next drive, Ursinus got on the board again as Jaskowski rushed for a three-yard TD and a 14-0 lead with 7:57 left. Senior defensive back DeVohn Butler (Swedesboro, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) set up the Bears by returning the punt to the Juniata 16.
Juniata then got on the board following a 12 play, 49 yard drive capped by a 21-yard field goal from freshman Dan Zentz making the score 14-3 in favor of Ursinus with 3:46 left.
In the third quarter, Juniata cut the lead to 14-9 with 6:47 left as Leonard threw a 27-yard TD pass to sophomore tight end Ronnie Shrift. Zentz’s PAT was blocked following the TD.
Following an Ursinus three-and-out, the Eagles put together a 14-play, 77 yard drive totaling 5:03 which was capped by a Zentz four-yard run. A Leonard to Shrift two-point PAT was converted, giving the Eagles a 17-14 lead. The Eagles were aided by a pass interference penalty on Ursinus on third-and-6 from the Bears 10 right before the end of the quarter.
Following the score, Ursinus marched right down the field but on fourth-and-1 from the Eagles 7-yard line, Zara’s 24-yard field goal hit the right upright with 10:16 left.
Ursinus did score on their next drive to take the lead for good.
Defensively, senior defensive lineman Adam Kabacinski (Pittston, PA/Pittston) had ten stops, including a sack and two tackles for loss. Sophomore linebacker Joe Galie (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville) had seven stops, a sack and a fumble recovery. The defensive unit had ten tackles for loss, totaling 45 yards.
For Juniata, junior defensive back Brandon Spayd and senior linebacker Josh Roy each had seven stops.
Ursinus will have a week off, before traveling to Gettysburg on Saturday, October 4.
Box score
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Bears drop 31-19 decision to Lebanon Valley
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9/13/2008
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COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Lebanon Valley sophomore quarterback Caleb Fick threw for 206 yards and three touchdowns as the Flying Dutchmen (2-0) improved to 2-0 for the first time since 1979 with a 31-19 win over Ursinus (1-1) Saturday afternoon at Patterson Field.
Fick was 11-for-19 in the game, and two of his TD passes went to junior wide receiver Joe Brennan, who finished with 104 yards on four catches.
The Flying Dutchmen scored 31 straight points, after trailing 7-0 after the first quarter.
Junior tailback Charlie Parker rushed for 80 yards and score on 19 carries, becoming the fifth running back in LVC history to rush for over 2,000 in a career.
For Ursinus, senior quarterback Nick Dye (Glenside, PA/Cheltenham Township) had a game-high 213 yards passing and two touchdowns, both coming in the fourth quarter. He finished the day 17-for-27 in the air.
Ursinus was hampered by eight fumbles in the contest, four of which were recovered by the Flying Dutchmen. Dye also finished day with 28 yards rushing for Ursinus, including a rushing TD early on.
Junior wide receiver Shea Wisler (Green Lane, PA/Upper Perkiomen) caught six passes for 87 yards and a touchdown for Ursinus.
In the first quarter, Ursinus benefited from a LVC fumble as on a punt, senior returner Andrew Shambach fumbled. The Bears recovered at the LVC 36 with 10:20 left in the opening quarter.
From there, Ursinus had a five-play, 36 yard drive that ended with a Dye plunge from the one, giving Ursinus a 7-0 lead with 7:58 left. The Flying Dutchmen then took the ball at their own 21, and marched all the way down to the Bears 1-yard line. However, Fick fumbled on fourth-and-1 from the one, giving Ursinus the ball.
The Bears then turned it right back over as freshman running back Jason Golderer (Philadelphia, PA/Bishop McDevitt) fumbled the ball on second down, giving LVC a first and goal on the four.
The Bears defense then stepped up and stopped LVC on four plays. But, Ursinus would not get to capitalize as the Bears fumbled on the 13-yard line. Freshman back Kahlil Pittman (Willow Grove, PA/Abington) fumbled after catching a pass from Dye, giving LVC the ball at the 13-yard line.
The Flying Dutchmen would then capitalize for the first time, as Fick threw a five-yard TD pass to junior Matt Donley, tying the score at 7-all with 13:23 to go in the half.
On LVC’s next drive, the Flying Dutchmen went 69 yards in nine-plays, ending with a 26-yard TD pass to Brennan for a 14-7 lead with just 6:25 left until halftime.
In the third quarter, Ursinus got as far as the LVC 36, before fumbling the ball as senior back Chris Sanna (Greenville, DE/Archmere Academy) fumbled at the LVC 15. LVC recovered, and then scored on nine plays later as junior kicker Dan DiBona kicked a 29-yard field goal for a 17-7 LVC lead with 8:09 left.
LVC upped the lead to 24-7 on its next drive as Parker rushed for a two-yard score with 4:36 left.
The Bears then fumbled the ensuing kickoff, as freshman returner Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic) was hit at the UC 35, giving the Flying Dutchmen the ball. On the play, LVC was hit with a 15-yard penalty for a personal foul, putting them at the 50.
On first-and-20, Fick threw a 45-yard bomb to Brennan for a 31-7 LVC lead with just 2:11 left in the third. Ursinus took the ball and drove all the way to the LVC one-yard line, before the Flying Dutchmen defense returned the favor from the first quarter as they stopped the Bears from scoring.
However, the Bears would score on the next drive as Dye found Wisler for a 19-yard TD pass, cutting the Ursinus deficit to 31-13 with 5:44 left.
The Bears scored on their final drive of the game, as Dye completed an 11-yard pass to junior wide receiver Jesse Ordonio (Wayne, PA/Radnor) with 28 seconds left for the final score of the game at 31-19.
LVC finished 336 yards of total offense, while Ursinus had 258.
Defensively, junior linebacker Nate Mast (Manheim, PA/Manheim Central) had nine stops, as did senior defensive back DeVohn Butler (Swedesboro, NJ/St. Augustine Prep). Senior outside linebacker Brian Cottone had seven stops for the Flying Dutchmen.
Ursinus will host Juniata on Saturday, to start its Centennial Conference schedule.
Box score
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Bears win season opener, 34-27 over Alfred
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9/6/2008
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ALFRED, N.Y. – The Ursinus College football team started off the 2008 season on a high note as the Bears (1-0) defeated Alfred (0-1) 34-27 at Merrill Field Saturday afternoon in the season opener for both teams. The Bears forced eight Saxon turnovers in the win, marking the third straight season the Bears have won the opener. Ursinus also got two defensive scores and two field goals from the special teams unit in the win. Offensively, junior running back Mark Jaskowski (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) had a game-high 109 yards on 29 carries for a touchdown, while senior quarterback Nick Dye (Glenside, PA/Cheltenham) passed for 142 yards and a touchdown on 8-for-18 on the day. Defensively, sophomore linebacker Joe Galie (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville) had a team-high ten tackles, with junior defensive lineman Mark Worrilow (Wilmington, DE/The Charter School) picking up nine stops including a sack and two tackles for loss. Junior defensive back Eikeem Barron (Philadelphia, PA/Overbrook) had a big day, recovering two fumbles and returning an interception 80 yards for a touchdown. Sophomore defensive back Tony Santino (Delanco, NJ/Holy Cross) also had two interceptions, as Saxon quarterback Tom Secky was intercepted four times. Alfred struck first as Secky threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Trevor Bork with 6:14 left in the first quarter, completing a seven-play, 87 yard drive for a 7-0 Saxon lead. After Ursinus’ next drive stalled at the Bear 29, the Saxons took over at their own 39. On second-and-20 from the Saxon 29, Secky was sacked by Nate Mast and fumbled the ball. The ball was recovered in the end zone by senior defensive back DeVohn Butler (Swedesboro, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) with 2:08 left. Following senior Greg Zara’s (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Hanover Area) PAT, the score was tied at 7-all. On Alfred’s first play from scrimmage following the score, running back Dustin Morris was hit by Mast and fumbled the ball. Barron recovered it at the Alfred 48, giving the Bears the ball to start the second. An eight-play, 48 yard drive ended when Dye completed a 33-yard pass to junior wideout Jesse Ordonio (Wayne, PA/Radnor) for a score and a 14-7 lead with 12:14 left. Both teams traded possessions, before Santino intercepted Secky at the Bears 13 yard line with 7:11 left in the second quarter. However, the Bears gave the ball back to the Saxons deep in Bear territory as Dye was sacked and fumbled the ball with 6:20 left. Alfred capitalized as Secky completed an 8-yard pass to Bork with 5:37 left. However, Eric Rockwood’s PAT failed and Ursinus held a 14-13 lead. The Saxons tried to score one more time before the end of the half, but, Secky was intercepted by Santino at the Bears’ 3-yard line with 16 seconds left to end the drive. In the third, Ursinus’ first drive netted three points as Zara completed his first of two field goals, this one from 39-yards out for a 17-13 lead with 12:11 left. The Bears went up 24-13 with 4:13 left as Barron intercepted Secky at the Bears’ 20 yard line and raced 80 yards for the score. Alfred would turn the ball over on its next possession, as senior defensive lineman Dan Price (Mountaintop, PA/Bishop Hoban) intercepted Secky at the Saxon 35 and raced 16 yards to the 19. Zara kicked his second field goal of the day, again from 39 yards out for a 27-13 lead with just 38 ticks left in the third. Alfred turned the ball over on its next drive, as Jared Manzer fumbled following a pass from Secky which was recovered by Mast. Barron forced the fumble. When the Saxons got the ball back with 12:43 left in the fourth, Secky got them back on the board as he completed a 32 yard pass to Bork for a 27-20 Bears lead. Ursinus then turned the ball over, as Jaskowski fumbled at the Bear’ 41. However, Alfred would not capitalize as again Barron recovered a fumble on a rush by Dustin Morris at the Bear 32. Senior defensive lineman Adam Kabacinski (Pittston, PA/Pittston) forced the fumble, and Barron went 52 yards to the Saxon 18. Jaskowski then took the ball three straight plays, ending with a three-yard score with 7:38 left for a 34-20 lead. Alfred’s final score came with just six seconds left, as Secky threw a 37-yard pass to Manzer. Secky finished 27-for-47 for Alfred, with 387 yards and four scores. For Ursinus, freshman wideout Al Desiderio (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic) had three catches for 73 yards, including a 48-yard grab. Ordonio had two catches for 48 yards. Mast finished with 1.5 sacks for 11 yards and two forced fumbles. Marc Mangovski had 14 tackles for the Saxons. Ursinus will host Lebanon Valley on Saturday at 1.
Box score
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Ursinus picked third in Centennial pre-season poll
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8/8/2008
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HERSHEY, Pa. – The Ursinus College football team was selected to finish third in the Centennial Conference this season, according to the pre-season poll released on Wednesday at the annual football media day in Hershey. The Bears, who finished 7-3 last season and 5-3 in the Centennial, received 90 points in the poll, which was voted upon by the head coaches and sports information directors in the conference. Muhlenberg, who won the Centennial Conference last season, was picked to finish first with 126 points and 14 first-place votes. Dickinson was second at 98. Following Ursinus, Johns Hopkins was fourth with 86 points and two first-place votes. Moravian was fifth at 77 points, with Gettysburg sixth with 72 points and two first-place votes. Rounding out the poll were Franklin & Marshall (52 points), McDaniel (29) and Juniata (18). Ursinus, who returns 65 letterwinners from last season, opens up pre-season camp on Wednesday, August 12. The Bears will open up the 2008 season at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 6 as they travel to Alfred. Complete poll: http://www.centennial.org/football/2008/poll.pdf
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