Week 1 Summaries
ACFC Weekend Report
For Games of Sept. 1, 2007
Sept. 1 results
Wesley 34, N.C. Wesleyan 31
Salisbury 42, Albright 14
Fairmont State 3, Apprentice School 0
Sept. 8 games
Delaware Valley at Wesley
Salisbury at SUNY Brockport
Frostburg State at Apprentice School
WESLEY COLLEGE OUTLASTS NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN
Dover, DE - Despite high expectations and ample preseason hype, the 2007 edition of the Wesley College Wolverines (1-0, 0-0) still had a few questions to find answers to. First, would junior quarterback Jason Schatz shine in his duties under center? Second, would the re-addition of speedy wide out Larry Beavers give the Wesley offense yet another weapon? And third, would Wesley find a starting tailback in their four deep rotation?
When the final gun in Wesley's 34-31 victory against visiting North Carolina Wesleyan (0-1, 0-0) sounded, only one question seemed to have a sure answer. Wide out Larry Beavers sparked the Wolverines scoring two touchdowns including an 82-yard kick off return to start the second half. Beavers was the recipient of a first quarter 28-yard scoring pass from Schatz to put Wesley up 7-0.
Schatz proved that he could make the big play, but struggled at times with consistency and aim. Schatz ended the game 12 of 28 for 179 yards and three touchdowns. Schatz tossed two scores to 2006 leading receiver Michael Clarke in the second and third quarters.
With Wesley ahead 7-0 in the first quarter, senior tailback Alpha Koroma coughed up the ball on the Wolverines 22-yard line where Battling Bishop, Jezreel Davis, scooped up the ball returning it to Wesley's 11-yard line. Two plays later slippery quarterback, Cedric Townsend found room on the right side for a 1-yard score, knotting the teams a 7 with 14 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The Bishops grabbed the lead midway through the second quarter on a 47-yard scoring strike from Townsend to wide out Orlando Webb. Senior kicker Brian Vaughn added his second PAT advancing their lead to 14-7. Later, Vaughn added a 28-yard field goal with 2:19 remaining in the first half, quieting the home Wesley crowd.
With his offense sputtering, Schatz displayed his big play making ability on a 59-yard scoring strike to Clarke. Schatz threaded the needle between the cornerback and safety hitting Clarke perfectly in stride who then used his speed to outrun the defenders to the end zone. Despite missing the extra point, the score helped spark the crowd and the Wolverines going into the locker room at halftime down 17-13.
With the crowd already sparked, Beavers electrified the stands as he blazed an 82-yard path through the Bishop's kick off team to open the second half. Kicker Collin Blugis redeemed himself by nailing the ensuing PAT as Wesley took the lead for the first time in the game.
Living by the big play, Wesley's offense continued to struggle. That was until Coach Drass inserted running back Mike Pennewell into the fray. Pennewell, the fourth running back used in the game, turned out to be the key for the locked up Wesley offense as he reeled off run after run and was the workhorse on Wesley's next scoring drive as he rushed 5 times for 41 yards out of a 68-yard scoring drive. Pennewell ended the game with 96 yards on 12 carries, impressing the crowd and the coaches.
On 3rd and 11 from the 13 yard line of the Bishop's, Schatz checked down to Clarke who then sliced his way to the endzone for the score. Blugis added another extra point, and it seemed that the Wesley of old was back again.
However, no one told the Bishops. On their second drive in the fourth quarter, Townsend found Webb just behind a stumbling Wesley defensive back to connect for a stunning 76-yard score. Vaughn added the extra point giving the home crowd some unwelcome heartburn.
The Wolverines eased that heartburn with a little offensive antacid grinding out a 10 play, 56 yard scoring drive on their next possession. Alpha Koroma redeemed his earlier fumble by blasting his way to a 6-yard score, to cap the drive at 7:07 of the fourth.
With another 10 point lead, the Wolverines looked to run down the clock on its next possession, but an ill-timed fumble by Aaron Jackson with 1:30 was picked up Bishop's linebacker Justin Augustin who fought off Schatz and Clarke to score.
With the added extra point, both teams sent out their onside kick team and hands team for the ensuing kickoff. Wesley tight end Jon Lanouette, snagged the bouncing pigskin to give the Wolverines the final possession. Wesley was able to run off the final ticks to win the first game of the 2007 season.
Defensively for the Wolverines, linebacker Sean Matthews led with 16 tackles and pounced on one Bishop fumble. Pre-season All-American Bryan Robinson earned two tackles for loss but no sacks while chasing the slippery Bishop's quarterback. Cornerback, Chet Turned hauled in two interceptions, while Trae Swann snagged the third. Defensive lineman, Mike Ward garnered 1.5 sacks.
Wesley hosts Delaware Valley College next Saturday, September 8 at Wolverine Stadium with a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.
SEA GULLS ROUT LIONS 42-12 IN SEASON OPENER
SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury University football team kicked off the 2007 season with a thunderous 42-12 victory over Albright College before a crowd of 1,488 that witnessed the first official SU varsity game on the new A-Turf field at Sea Gull Stadium.
The Sea Gulls (1-0) scored six touchdowns in their first seven possessions to run away with the non-conference victory. Salisbury scored two touchdowns in the first three quarters and led 28-0 at the half and 42-0 a minute and a half into the third quarter.
Junior quarterback Ronnie Curley scrambled seven times in the first quarter and racked up 102 yards and scored two touchdowns. Curley scored from 11 yards out on the first drive of the season for the maroon and gold. The drive took seven plays and 72 yards in just over three minutes. Curley ran for 61 of the 72 yards in the scoring drive which also featured a 38-yard scamper from the second-year starting signal caller.
SU capitalized on its third possession of the first half as Albright (0-1) gave the Sea Gulls excellent field position after an eight-yard punt placed the Gulls on the Lion's 34-yard-line. Curley took the first snap and ran 34 yards into the end zone at the 4:28 mark for the score.
The second quarter belonged to junior quarterback Bobby Sheahin who made his debut for the maroon and gold after transferring from the University of Maryland this past August. Sheahin completed his first four passes as a Sea Gull for 89 yards and two touchdowns. Sheahin connected with senior captain David Leonard for a 42-yard score, 31 seconds into the second quarter.
Albright grinded out a 20-play drive, that lasted an astounding 14 minutes. The drive ended with a missed 41-yard field goal attempt that clanked off the crossbar.
Sheahin then marched the Sea Gulls down the field, 76 yards in 10 plays, over the final three minutes and 33 seconds before the half. The junior aired the ball out three times and hit Kevin Tillage twice for a gain of 28 yards and the touchdown catch from 15 yards out. Tillage held onto the strike from Sheahin as he came across the middle of the end zone and got tackled hard with 18 seconds left.
The SU offense threw for 147 yards between the trio of Curley, Sheahin and freshman Sean Kelly (47 yards). The 147 passing yards are the most a Sea Gull team has thrown since October 15, 2005 when Travis Peters threw for 179 yards against Buffalo State.
Senior kicker Brendan Kincaid was a perfect 6-for-6 on point after attempts for the day.
Salisbury began the second half right where it left off as Nick Soussanin took the third quarter kickoff 83 yards in 14 seconds to the end zone for the touchdown. Albright fumbled the ensuing kickoff and senior captain Jamar Garner moments later rumbled in from 28 yards out to give SU the commanding 42-0 lead a minute and a half into the second half.
The SU defense wrecked havoc against the Lion offense as senior captain Chris Loveland led all defenders with five solo tackles and six assists for 11 total tackles. Junior defensive lineman Jarrell Chandler had nine tackles (five solo, four assists) and three sacks against Albright. Chandler's four tackles for a loss equaled 32 yards. Chandler also blocked Albright's point after attempt at the 4:43 mark.
Senior captain Joe Galloway had nine tackles (four solo, five assists) as well to go along with his two sacks that Albright lost 13 yards on. The Sea Gulls had nine sacks total for the game and five pass breakups.
Albright quarterback Tanner Kelly was 29-of-40 for 252 yards and two touchdowns. The Lions' last score came midway through the fourth quarter when Kelly hit Raj Sandher for a 12-yard score.
Salisbury is now 7-2 all-time in season openers under Coach Sherman Wood and 6-3 in home openers. SU is now 20-15 all-time in season and home openers.
Salisbury will next open up its Atlantic Central Football Conference schedule with a road game against SUNY Brockport on Saturday at 1 p.m.
BUILDERS FALL TO DIVISION II FAIRMONT STATE 3-0
NEWPORT NEWS, VA. - Alex Ashley's 34-yard field goal with 8:59 left in the second quarter proved to be the lone score of the day as Division II Fairmont State University defeated Apprentice School 3-0 in front of nearly 2,000 fans at Apprentice Field on Saturday. The win extended Fairmont's winning streak to three games, while this was the first loss in the last five games for Apprentice School.
The Builders were pinned deep in their end of the field for most of the first half and kept under wraps for most of the day by a stingy Falcon defense that held the Builders to 86 yards of total offense. Apprentice School broke Fairmont State's side of the field just once, coming off a blocked punt by senior Tony Scott that fell at the Fairmont 34-yardline.
Fairmont State was paced by Ben Gum who ran 22 times for 85 yards with the majority coming in the fourth quarter when the Falcons ran the ball 12 out of 14 times in a drive that stalled with 16 seconds left at the Builder 22.
"We did not handle their defensive pressure very well," said Apprentice School coach Phil Janaro. "They have a good defense and when you face a team like that you can't make mistakes on offense. Our defense showed a lot of heart and courage against a very good team."
Apprentice School jumps into Atlantic Central Football Conference action on Saturday, September 8 as they host Frostburg State University at 1 pm.
