Football News

2007 GAME PREVIEW - THE KING'S GAME

DOYLESTOWN (PA) - After one of the most challenging non-conference schedules in program history, the Delaware Valley College football team will finally get to play in front of its home crowd and open Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) play against King's College on Saturday, September 29. Kickoff at Robert A. Lipinski Field at James Work Memorial Stadium is slated for 1:00 p.m.

With it being the Aggies' home opener, it will also be Hall of Fame Day as Amy Follweiler Sleboda '93 (field hockey) and Jason Stackhouse '00 (baseball) will be inducted at halftime. Recently retired Delaware Valley College President Dr. Thomas C. Leamer will receive the Fan Appreciation Award while seniors Moira Donohue and Kirstyn Ruhling will receive Hall of Fame Scholarship Awards. On top of all of that, it will also be Family Weekend on campus.

The eight MAC schools will compete against each other over the next seven weeks with the conference champion earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III playoffs. All eight played three non-conference games over the previous four weeks and they went a combined 6-18. In fact, three of the top four teams in the conference preseason coaches' poll (Wilkes, Delaware Valley, King's) went winless while the other (Widener) went just 1-2.

Delaware Valley's non-conference slate was all on the road with games at Division I-AA Iona College and a pair of nationally-ranked Division III teams in No. 7 Wesley College and No. 18 Salisbury University. The Aggies dropped the first two with 14-12 and 24-21 setbacks then suffered a 36-16 loss at Salisbury last week.

In the Salisbury game, Delaware Valley held a 14-10 lead in the third quarter and was one yard away from another touchdown, but a controversial fumble led to a momentum swing that saw the undefeated Sea Gulls score 26 of the next 28 points.

The Aggie offense had their most productive day of the season as they racked up 297 yards, including 181 in the air. They are now averaging 16.3 points and 209.7 yards per game.

Heading the unit is sophomore quarterback Mike Isgro (Galloway, NJ/Absegami), who has completed 44 of 88 passes for 390 yards and five touchdowns. He was 21-for-48 for 181 yards and two scores, but also threw three interceptions at Salisbury. Isgro became just the ninth quarterback in school history to surpass the 2,000-yard mark for a career (2,139) and he also moved into seventh place on the all-time list with 15 touchdown passes.

Senior wideout Joel Foreman (Bernville, PA/Hamburg) is Isgro's top target as he has caught 11 passes for 165 yards and four touchdowns. He grabbed five passes for 75 yards, including a 24-yard scoring toss, at Salisbury.

Sophomore Jimmy Smith (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) also has 11 receptions on the season for 92 yards and one score. The touchdown came in the third quarter to give Delaware Valley the 14-10 lead at Salisbury. He finished the afternoon with three catches for 28 yards.

Senior tailback Jake Sheffield (Glenolden, PA/Interboro) missed the Iona game and saw limited action at Wesley due to an injury. He started at Salisbury and carried the ball nine times for 28 yards while hauling in four passes for 19 yards. Sheffield, who is the Aggies' eighth all-time leading rusher with 1,696 yards, had a day to remember at King's last year as he carried the ball a school record-tying 44 times for 176 yards and the only touchdown in a 10-0 win.

Freshman Matt Cook (Selinsgrove, PA/Selinsgrove) has seen the majority of the carries at tailback as he has had 42 rushes for 179 yards and two trips to the end zone. He netted 70 yards on 12 attempts last week.

Defensively, the Aggies are allowing an average of 24.7 points and 356.3 yards per game. They limited Salisbury to 143 yards and racked up six sacks in the first half, before the Sea Gulls' triple-option attack got the best of them in the second stanza.

2006 Don Hansen's Football Gazette honorable mention All-American linebacker John Pursell (Middletown, DE/Middletown) is off to a great start this season as he is second in the conference in tackles with 38. Nine of Pursell's stops have come behind the line of scrimmage and he also has 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble to his credit. Pursell notched seven tackles and one sack at Salisbury.

Fellow linebacker Zach McCann (Royersford, PA/St. Pius X) had a standout showing at Salisbury as the junior recorded nine tackles, 2.5 sacks and two blocked extra-point attempts (one that was returned the distance by a teammate for two points). McCann is fourth on the team in tackles with 20 while his 2.5 sacks ties him for the team lead.

Junior end Greg Rissinger (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks West) also has 2.5 sacks on the year, including 1.5 at Salisbury. Rissinger added six tackles in the loss to up his season total to 10.

Senior safety Kyle Mancuso (Thorofare, NJ/West Deptford) notched eight tackles, including seven solo stops in the Salisbury game. He is second on the squad with 22 tackles and he also has a forced fumble to his credit.

KING'S COLLEGE

Like Delaware Valley, head coach Rich Mannello and his Monarchs are also 0-3 after losses to No. 5 St. John Fisher College 49-7), No. 26 Ithaca College (29-16) and Hampden-Sydney College (35-33). They had a bye week on Saturday, giving them two weeks to prepare for the Aggies.

Offensively, King's is averaging 18.7 points and 365.7 yards per game. Unlike most of their teams in the past, the Monarchs are averaging more yards in the air (268.7 avg) than on the ground (97.0 avg).

Senior Jeff Searfass is the team's signal-caller and he has completed 67 of 115 passes for 806 yards and two touchdowns. However, Searfass has also been intercepted seven times. He completed a school-record 26 passes in 39 attempts for 267 yards against Hampden-Sydney.

Freshman wideout Rick Ritter and senior tight end Chris Maloney lead the team with 18 and 12 catches respectively. Ritter has 164 yards to his credit, including 43 on seven receptions two weeks ago. Maloney has a team-best 172 yards and one touchdown.

The King's ground attack is led by junior tailback Jeramia Jones, who has netted 175 yards and two scores on 45 carries. Both touchdowns came against Hampden-Sydney as Jones finished that day with 113 yards on 21 carries.

The Monarch defensive unit was put to the test in the opening three games and allowed an average of 34.7 points and 382 yards per game.

Senior Tore Alaimo has returned successfully after missing the '06 campaign with an injury. The linebacker has a team-best 32 tackles, including one behind the line of scrimmage for a three-yard loss.

Fellow linebackers Matt Rhodes and Matt Little follows with 25 and 23 tackles respectively while safeties Shane McNamara and Justin Zlotek have 19 stops apiece. McNamara and Zlotek share the team lead in interceptions with two apiece.

Another player to watch is junior end Tom Tulaney as he leads the MAC and has all five of his team's sacks this season.