Sports

DelVal Football Starts MAC Play Saturday

The three-time defending champions of the Middle Atlantic Conference face Lebanon Valley at home in the first MAC game of the year.

After a pair of one-point, non-conference victories, the Delaware Valley College football team will begin Middle Atlantic Conference play on Saturday, Sept. 17 when the three-time defending champion Aggies host 2-0 Lebanon Valley College.

Kickoff at Robert A. Lipinski Field at James Work Memorial Stadium is set for 1:00 p.m.

was selected in the preseason coaches’ poll as the favorite to win the conference again. If the Aggies are crowned champions at the end of the year, it will be just the fifth time that a squad has won four straight titles in the MAC. Widener University captured six in a row from 1977 to 1982, while Franklin & Marshall College won four consecutive crowns from 1971-74. Lycoming College saw two different eras accomplish the feat as the Warriors won four straight from 1989 to 1992 as well as from 1996 to 1999.

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Delaware Valley opened the season with a 10-9, overtime triumph against defending Centennial Conference champion Muhlenberg thanks to a 30-yard touchdown pass (and ensuing extra-point) on a fourth-and-15 play in the extra session. Last week, the Aggies made the six-hour journey across the state to take on a Washington & Jefferson College team that has reached the postseason (NCAA or ECAC) in each of the last eight seasons. The Presidents jumped out to a 19-7 lead before the Aggies rallied for the 20-19 victory in the PAC-MAC Challenge Series.

With eight starters back from a defense that permitted just 13.4 points and 250.3 yards per contest in 2010, that side of the ball figured to be strong again for the Aggies and it has been in the early going. Delaware Valley has allowed an average of 14 points and 204 yards over the two contests and has racked up 10 sacks.

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All-American end Mike Jaskowski (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) saw his first action of the season at Washington & Jefferson and he recorded eight tackles and 1.5 sacks. Jaskowski paced the Aggies with 9.5 sacks last season.

Senior linebackers Ken Fowlkes (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern) and Chris James (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic) pace the squad with 16 and 11 tackles respectively. Fowlkes made six stops last week while James added five tackles, one sack, one interception and one forced fumble in the win.

Juniors Jim DiLisio (Philadelphia, PA/Father Judge) and Terrance Osborne (Willingboro, NJ/Holy Cross) were each first-team all-MAC honorees a season ago and they have 10 and nine tackles respectively in 2011. DiLisio notched five tackles at Washington & Jefferson while Osborne made four stops and also recorded his first interception of the year.

The Aggies offense, which lost nine starters to graduation including a pair of All-Americans (tailback Matt Cook, tackle Mike Long), is averaging 15 points and 348.5 yards per game. They racked up 375 total yards last week, including 245 in the air.

Freshman Aaron Wilmer (Philadelphia, PA/George Washington) won the starting quarterback position in camp and has not disappointed in the first two games. Wilmer, who transferred from Division II West Chester University (he redshirted last season), has completed 32 of 60 passes for 490 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 58 net yards (he has lost another 83 yards on sacks) and one score. He was named to the MAC Honor Roll this week after producing 296 total yards (245 passing, 51 rushing) and two scores (one passing, one rushing).

Wideouts Chris Ruiz (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic) and Rodney Blango (Philadelphia, PA/West Catholic) have seven catches apiece for a combined 173 yards. They each had two receptions at Washington & Jefferson.

Sophomore wideout Lewis Vincent (Bensalem, PA/Bensalem) hauled in a 24-yard scoring pass in last week’s win. He finished the contest with three grabs for 93 yards to up his season totals to five catches for 142 yards and the one touchdown.

The Aggie ground attack is led by sophomore tailback Kyle Schuberth (Darby, PA/Monsignor Bonner) who has carried the ball 28 times for 91 yards and one touchdown. The score came at Washington & Jefferson as he finished with 52 yards on 13 rushes.


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