Getting closer to the answer
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With New Jersey out, we move Delaware Valley up to the No. 2 seed. Although I’m not a part of the NCAA selection committee, the best fit would be to move Salisbury from the South into the No. 3 seed in the East. Move the Centennial champion from the South into the No. 6 seed here and have them play Salisbury in the first round.
Someone else can figure out who to bring into the South.
Barring any losses to the first three seeds this Saturday, here is how I see the bracket.
1. Rowan – Pool A
2. Delaware Valley – Pool A
3. Salisbury – Pool B
4. St. John Fisher or Ithaca – Pool A
5. Hobart – Pool A
6. Centennial champion – Pool A
7. NEFC champion – Pool A
Hobart takes league title in OT
Hobart captured the Liberty League Championship and the accompanying automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a come-from-behind 33-27 win over Union at Boswell Field. Sophomore quarterback Shawn Mizro threw for a career-high 339 yards and a single game record five touchdowns, including the game-winner for the Statesmen.
The Dutchmen (5-3, 5-1 Liberty) had the first possession in overtime, and used six plays to move within inches of pay dirt. Facing fourth and inches on play No. 7, senior tackle Walt Bennett and junior linebacker Tony Clemente stuffed sophomore running back Tom Arciadiacono for no gain to preserve the tie.
"I felt like it was over the line," Arcidiacono said in The Times Union (Albany, N.Y.), "but the ref said it wasn't so that's all that matters."
Two plays later, Mizro connected with senior wide receiver Rick Piñero for a 14-yard TD and the victory.
Hobart (7-1, 6-0) trailed the Dutchmen 27-24 following sophomore wide receiver Ryan Twitchell’s second TD catch of the game at the 14:12 mark of the fourth quarter.
Union had a chance to add to their lead when senior defensive back Brian Griffin intercepted Mizro at the Hobart 26 and returned it to the Hobart 16. Three plays later, Statesmen junior corner back Jamie Anderson picked off sophomore quarterback Tony Marotti at the Hobart 1.
Marotti completed 18 of 29 for 302 yards and four touchdowns, but was intercepted twice. Sophomore wide receiver Steve Angiletta was his primary target, catching eight passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns.
The Dutchmen had a 27-24 lead early in the fourth quarter when Hobart intercepted a deflected pass from quarterback Anthony Marotti at that fateful 1-yard line. Following three incomplete passes, the Statesmen faced fourth and 10 from their own one. Out of punt formation, senior Dan Suozzi ran for 14-yards and a first down.
Suozzi finished the game with nine catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He also broke the Hobart record for consecutive games with at least one reception, raising the mark to 26.
That gutsy call by head coach Mike Cragg launched Hobart on a 16-play, 87-yard drive, capped by senior kicker Eric Ampuja’s 29-yard game-tying field goal.
"It was a great call by them," said Union head coach John Audino in The Times Union. "We just were playing hold up, and our left end gets buried inside. And let's face it; that kid's a hell of an athlete."
Defensively, Hobart junior linebacker Tony Clemente finished with a game-high 14 tackles, including two for a loss, and a forced fumble. Senior end Chris Purtell added 11 stops, including four for a loss.
For the Dutchmen, junior linebacker Kevin Flike posted a team-high nine tackles.
Brockport eliminates New Jersey from Pool C
Senior quarterback Bob Darnley passed for 254 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown to lead Brockport to a 43-0 victory over New Jersey on Saturday at Bob Boozer Field at Special Olympics Stadium.
The Golden Eagles improved to 5-4 with their first shutout since a 49-0 home win over Utica last season. The Lions fell to 6-2. It was the first time the Lions had been shutout since 1996, a span of 86 games.
"We've had a frustrating season," Brockport coach Rocco Salomone said in the (Rochester, N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle. "But today, we put all three phases of the game together."
Darnley led an offense that amassed 515 total yards on 74 plays, and the Golden Eagles rushed for 216 yards against the team ranked fourth in Division III in rushing defense (67.1 avg.). The Lions entered the game No. 16 in total defense (246 yards allowed). The defense held TCNJ to 139 yards, including seven first downs, 47 yards rushing and 92 yards passing. Starting quarterback Jeff Struble was 8 for 19 with four interceptions and 92 yards. He entered the game with just one interception on the season. Junior Gregg Silvestri had 14 carries for 28 yards. Sophomore tight end Mike Bond had five catches for 106 yards and a touchdown for the Golden Eagles.
SUNY Brockport was led by junior linebacker Chris Beh, who had eight tackles and an interception, one of the five Brockport defensive interceptions on the day. TCNJ’s was led by senior defensive lineman Justin Mannick, had eight tackles and three for losses, and senior lineman Joe Ward, who also had eight tackles.
The Golden Eagles had a 3-0 lead after the first quarter, as Adam Lanctot made a 23-yard field goal to cap a 13-play, 67-yard drive in 5:53. With 4:58 gone in the second quarter, Lanctot once again made a 22-yard field goal, to complete a nine-play, 75-yard drive that consumed 4:08 for a 6-0 Brockport lead. At 3rd-and-2 from the TCNJ-49, Brian Wise broke free for a 49-yard touchdown run on the third play of a 57-yard drive in 1:22. The point after failed. Brockport took over with 5:57 left in the first half at the Golden Eagle-14, and on the fifth play of the drive, Darnley took off for a career-best 66-yard scoring run, eclipsing his 2001 run of 61 yards in his freshman season. The point after failed and the Golden Eagles took a 19-0 lead into the half.
Lanctot nailed his third field goal of the day, a 23-yarder, at 11:30 of the third to finish a five-play, 6-yard drive in 1:47. Brockport started the drive after punter Joe Bergondo attempted to run for the first down after he did not handle the snap at the TCNJ 12. On the first play of New Jersey's next drive, linebacker John Walther intercepted a Struble pass at the TCNJ 34. Five plays later, Wise caught a 5-yard touchdown from Darnley and after the PAT it was 29-0 Brockport with 8:44 remaining in the third.
Brockport's next score also came on a key turnover for the defense. Mark Ferry intercepted a Struble pass at the Brockport 49, and on the first play of the drive, Dan Lopez ran for 50 yards and was caught at the TCNJ-1. Jon Brown took it in on the next play and Brockport had a 36-0 lead.
The only scoring of the fourth came when Bond caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from Darnley with 9:24 left to play. It capped a three-play, 64-yard drive in 1:32.
Ithaca keeps slim playoff hopes alive
Junior quarterback Josh Felicetti threw for a pair of touchdowns as the 24th-ranked Ithaca Bombers (7-2, 6-1 Empire 8) clinched at least a tie for their third consecutive Empire 8 championship with a 24-0 win over the Alfred Saxons (7-2, 4-2 Empire 8). Ithaca can win the outright conference title and the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs if Alfred beats St. John Fisher next Saturday.
Felicetti completed 21 of 29 passes for 202 yards against a Saxon defense that entered the game with Division III’s top-ranked pass defense (70.7 efficiency rating). He threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Vince Dargush in the second quarter to open the scoring and completed a 7-yard scoring pass to senior fullback Jamie Free in the third quarter.
Ithaca’s defense held the Saxons to 11 first downs and 197 yards of total offense. The Bombers sealed the shutout — their second in a row against Alfred — by forcing three turnovers in the fourth quarter. Junior linebacker Chris Medici recovered a fumble forced by senior defensive end Nick Thayer, junior linebacker Dustin Ross recovered a fumble forced by sophomore free safety Charlie Stephens and senior cornerback Matt Tosh intercepted a pass.
The Saxons’ best chance to score came on their opening possession; after driving to the Bomber 10, freshman Chris Reynolds attempted a 27-yard field goal that was blocked by senior Andy Ackerman. On six of their ensuing 12 possessions the Saxons were held to 10 yards or less.
Senior wide receiver Jeff Welch caught three passes, raising his career total to 100 (he’s the fourth Bomber to reach that mark) and scored Ithaca’s final touchdown on a 35-yard run on an end-around. Welch has now caught three touchdown passes this season, rushed for one and thrown a touchdown pass.
Sophomore Brett Kitenplon kicked a 21-yard field goal and added extra points after all three Bomber touchdowns.
Free led Ithaca’s receivers with six catches — tying a career high — for 50 yards. Dargush caught five passes for 51 yards. Junior wide receiver Justin Esposito caught five passes for 72 yards.
Sophomore Alex Baez led Ithaca’s rushers, picking up 74 yards on a career-best 24 carries. Sophomore Jamie Donovan gained 36 yards to raise his season total to 854 yards – the program’s eighth-best single-season total.
Sophomore tailback Chaz Bruce of Alfred led all rushers with 109 yards. Senior quarterback Ron Duliba was held to 117 passing yards, completing 17 of 38 attempts.
Ross led Ithaca with nine tackles, including three for loss. Freshman strong safety Ryan Terlecki collected eight tackles to post a career high. Senior defensive tackle Alex Shafiro was in on two of Ithaca’s six sacks and broke up a pass.
Alfred’s defense was led by sophomore strong safety Aaron Meyers, who collected 13 tackles. Junior linebacker Brenton Brady had 12 tackles, including four for loss.
Notes
Mizro led the Statesmen to the Liberty League Championship with a career-day in a 33-27 overtime win against Union. The first-year starter completed 22 of 40 for a career-high 339 yards and a Hobart-record five touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime. In addition to his single game record for passing TDs, he also eclisped the Hobart season record (22 in 10 games in 2002) with his 23rd scoring pass of the year. His 339 passing yards are the third highest game total in Hobart history.
In a 28-14 Liberty League win at Rochester, RPI linebacker Jimmy Motzkin led all tacklers with 13 stops, including ten unassisted. He had 5½ tackles for lost yards (24), a 10-yard sack and a pass breakup.
Kean’s A.J. Roque earns NJAC Offensive Rookie honors for the fourth time this season after extending his school-record season passing total in the Cougars' 21-10 loss to Western Connecticut. He completed 22 of 37 passes for 302 yards and one touchdown in the game to extend his school-record single-season passing total to 1,929 yards with one game remaining. With his performance, he now owns four-of-the-five top passing yardage games in school history. Roque currently ranks third in the NJAC in passing yards with an average of 210.6 per game.
Defensive back Mark Evans earns NJAC Defensive honors after helping the Western Connecticut earn a 21-10 NJAC road victory at Kean in their season finale. He collected five total tackles, including one tackle for a loss in the win. He also recorded a forced fumble, an interception, and two pass deflections in the contest.
Senior wide receiver Jeff Welch scored on a 35-yard end-around run for his first career rushing touchdown for Ithaca. He also became the fourth Bomber in history to reach 100 career receptions.
Junior linebacker Dustin Ross led Ithaca with nine tackles as the 24th-ranked Bombers shut out Alfred for the second year in a row. He recorded three tackles for loss, recovered a fumble to set up a touchdown, and was in on one of six Ithaca sacks.
Darnley was 16-of-30 passing for 254 yards and two touchdowns in Brockport's 43-0 win. He also ran nine times for 125 yards and one touchdown accounting for 379 yards of total offense.
Newport News linebacker Fred Canady ended his collegiate career with a 16-tackle performance in Saturday's 14-13 loss at Maryville (Tenn.). He had three tackles for loss and made a key fourth down stop on the Apprentice 22 after Maryville opened the second half with an onside kick.
Games of the Week
No. 12 St. John Fisher (8-1) at Alfred (7-2), 1 p.m., Alfred, N.Y.: If Alfred can beat St. John Fisher, Ithaca grabs the E8 title and the Pool A bid. St. John Fisher can share the E8 with Ithaca and but takes Pool A with a win. St. John Fisher would earn the Pool A by virtue of 45-38 double overtime win over the Bombers on Sept. 25.
Ithaca (7-2) at Cortland (5-3), 12 p.m., Cortland, N.Y.: This is the 46th time that Cortland and Ithaca are playing for the Cortaca Jug. The game (averaging 10,166 fans for the past seven years) is recognized as one of the top rivalries nationally in Division III, at one time drawing the label "Biggest Little Game in the Nation" from Sports Illustrated. Lately the games have been close and Cortland has won the last two games (16-12 in 2002 and 16-15 in 2003). Flip a coin, should be another good one.
Union (5-3) at RPI (5-3), 1 p.m., Troy, N.Y.: It is the 102 meeting between the Dutchman and the Engineers. It is the oldest college rivalry in the State of New York. The entrance of &&Kings Point&&, Coast Guard, and Worcester Polytech caused a rearranging of the schedule leaving Union with back-to-back away games in Troy (2003 & 2004). Since 1996, the home team has won the Dutchman Shoes Trophy. RPI took it back from Union in 2003 winning 33-7. The Engineers are home again in 2004, can they keep the home win streak intact two years in a row?
No. 9 Rowan (7-2) at Montclair State (4-3), 1 p.m., Montclair, N.J.: Last year Montclair State ruined the Profs chances of a Pool B bid winning 21-20. Montclair was the preseason NJAC favorite but lost three conference games and is currently in fourth place. Rowan will most likely get the No. 1 seed in the region with a win. Can Montclair trip up Rowan for the second year in a row?