Football News

2007 GAME PREVIEW - THE WESLEY GAME

DOYLESTOWN (PA) - The Delaware Valley College football team continues its challenging non-conference schedule on Saturday, September 8 when the Aggies travel to Dover, Delaware to take on seventh-ranked and two-time NCAA Division III semifinalist Wesley College. Kickoff at Wolverine Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

Delaware Valley is 0-1 on the season following a 14-12 loss at Division I-AA Iona College. Following the Wesley game, the Aggies will have an off week before hitting the road again - this time to Maryland and a Salisbury University team that registered a 15-9 victory over the Aggies in Doylestown in last year's ECAC South Atlantic Bowl. The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) portion of the schedule begins on Saturday, September 29 when Delaware Valley hosts King's College for its home opener.

Delaware Valley never led in the Iona contest, gave up 382 yards of total offense, managed just 170 yards of its own and had the ball for just over 24 minutes. Despite the numbers, the Aggies were a blown extra-point and a missed two-point conversion away from the victory.

Sophomore quarterback Mike Isgro (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) has now started the first 12 games of his collegiate career and is coming off a 1,749-yard, 10-touchdown campaign in 2006. He was 15-for-31 for 140 yards and two touchdowns at Iona. The performance moved Isgro already into ninth place on the school's all-time list for both passing yards (1,889) and touchdown passes (12).

Isgro's two favorite targets last Saturday were sophomore Jimmy Smith (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) and senior Joel Foreman (Bernville, PA/Hamburg). Smith hauled in eight passes for 64 yards in his first game with the Aggies. Foreman, who suffered through an injury and illness-plagued 2006 season, opened the new campaign with four grabs for 62 yards, including scores of 21 and 5 yards.

Delaware Valley was without the services of starting tailback Jake Sheffield (Glenolden, PA/Interboro) and the running game managed just 30 yards on 29 attempts at Iona. Sheffield, who is eighth on the school's all-time rushing list with 1,678 yards, is expected back for this week's game. He carried the ball 203 times for 712 yards and seven touchdowns and also caught 30 passes for 184 yards last year.

Defensively, the Aggies held an opponent under 20 points for the 12th straight game, including five straight contests of 15 points or less. The unit produced three sacks and one turnover at Iona.
2006 Don Hansen's Football Gazette honorable mention All-American linebacker John Pursell (Middletown, DE/Middletown) got off to a fast start in '07 as he recorded a game and career-high 15 tackles at Iona. Included in the senior and two-time all-MAC honoree's total were four stops behind the line of scrimmage.

Senior safety Kyle Mancuso (Thorofare, NJ/West Deptford) followed with nine tackles and forced a fumble that was recovered by a teammate for the lone turnover of the game.

Senior defensive end Sean Raftery (Ocean City, NJ/Ocean City) returned to the field for the first time suffering an injury in week eight last season. The 2005 all-conference honoree responded with eight tackles and one sack.

Fellow linemen Greg Rissinger (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks West) and Cesare Natale (Macungie, PA/Emmaus) also recorded sacks against Iona. They each added two tackles, with both of Rissinger's stops coming behind the line of scrimmage.

Junior linebacker Kyle Reuter (Richwood, NJ/Clearview) and sophomore cornerback Charles Squitiere (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic) have moved into the starting lineup after being key reserves last year. They each responded with seven tackles while Reuter also recovered a fumble.

WESLEY COLLEGE

Head coach Mike Drass has not had a losing record in his 14 years at the helm of the Wolverine program. They have made the NCAA Division III playoffs three times, including semifinal appearances in each of the last two seasons. Those two campaigns saw Wesley notch 25 wins in 28 contests.
This year's squad, which features 17 returning starters, was ranked as high as third in the country in preseason polls and is currently seventh in the D3football.com Top 25 poll. The Wolverines opened with an impressive 34-31 victory over a North Carolina Wesleyan squad that was the preseason favorite to win its conference.
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2007 Delaware Valley College Football - The Wesley Game - 9/3/07 - page 4

Junior Jason Schatz led Wesley in receptions (61) last season, but has moved to quarterback this year. His first game behind center saw him complete 12 of 28 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns.

Schatz has a pair of All-Americans to throw to in senior Michael Clarke and junior Larry Beavers. Clarke, who was named to three separate All-American teams after catching 60 passes for a Division III-best 1,304 yards and 16 touchdowns last year, hauled in four passes for 89 yards and two trips to the end zone against North Carolina Wesleyan. Beavers, a preseason All-American, added four receptions for 38 yards and one score and also returned a kickoff 82 yards for another touchdown.

Sophomore tailback Mike Pennewell paced the Wolverine ground attack last week with 96 yards on 12 carries. Senior tailback Alpha Koroma added 61 yards and one touchdown on 11 touches.
Wesley's defense allowed 464 yards (176 rushing, 288 passing), including a pair of 40-plus yard touchdowns to North Carolina Wesleyan last week. However, the unit did force four turnovers in the contest.

Senior All-American Bryan Robinson is the leader of the defensive charge as the end has notched 35.5 sacks in his career, including 13.5 a season ago. He ranked fifth in Division III last year with 30.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Robinson was held to just four tackles and half a sack last week.

Junior linebacker Sean Matthews led Wesley last week with 16 tackles. Fellow linebacker Eston Ennis followed with eight stops. Another player to watch is Chet Turner as the junior cornerback intercepted a pair of passes against North Carolina Wesleyan.