THE GAME: Susquehanna will try and win its second-straight Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth League championship and post its best record since 1992 (9-1), also keeping alive its slim hopes of the MAC overall title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament, in Saturday’s season-finale at Albright. To make that happen, the Crusaders will need to end a four-game losing streak to the Lions, including the last two at Shirk Stadium by a combined score of 82-28 (41-14 avg.). Albright’s recent success has upped its series lead to 21-14-1. Susquehanna was Commonwealth League co-champions with Widener last season, and would tie for the league title again Saturday if both win. But head-to-head competition is being used as the tiebreaker this season and Susquehanna beat Widener, 28-7. If Susquehanna wins the league title, it could still take the MAC crown and the automatic NCAA bid if Lycoming gets upset at FDU-Madison, and King’s beats Wilkes. That would make FDU-Madison Freedom League champion and the MAC champion and the automatic bid are determined by the result of the game between the two league champions. Susquehanna beat FDU-Madison, 20-3. Barring an NCAA Game, 10 Crusader seniors will be playing their final games Saturday, including six starters. Albright will also be starting just six seniors Saturday in a game between two of the MAC’s youngest teams – with each team starting 12 players who are either freshmen or sophomores. Susquehanna is fourth in MAC total defense (302.1 yards/game) – ranking 22nd in Division III against the run (now 95.4 yards/game) and 29th in scoring defense (now 16.9 points/game) last week – and fifth in offense (339.1 yards/game). Albright is seventh in the conference in both areas (305.8 yards/game on offense, 333.0 yards/game on defense).
THE COACHES: Tenth-year head coach Steve Briggs is the winningest coach in Susque-hanna grid history at 67-34 (.604), and is 5-4 (.556) vs. Albright – winning his first five but dropping the last four. He began the year 36th among active D-III coaches in winning percentage. Also an assistant for two years, he has never suffered a losing season at Susquehanna. E.J. Sandusky is in his third season as Albright head coach and is the son of Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. Now 16-13 (552), he was Commonwealth League Co-Coach of the Year in his rookie season as he guided the Lions the the league title and an ECAC Southeast championship.
THE CRUSADER OFFENSE (DELAWARE WING-T): Three senior starters are on offense, with both starting guards Anthony DeSantis (Old Forge/Bishop O’Hara H.S.) and Todd Werley (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.) closing careers on an offensive line which averages 6-1, 260 pounds per man. Senior halfback and tri-captain Jose Delgado (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.) is also a three-year starter who is now ninth in school history in all-purpose yardage with 2,344. The team leader in kickoff returns this season with 18 for an 18.8-yard average, he is second on the team in rushing with 326 yards on 76 carries (4.3 avg.) and three touchdowns, and third in receiving with 22 catches for 184 yards (8.4 avg.) and two scores. Former Allentown Central Catholic all-state teammate and junior halfback Rashonn Drayton leads the team in rushing with 606 yards on 146 carries (4.2 avg.) and five touchdowns, ranking sixth in the MAC (67.3 yards/game). He also has 15 catches for 275 yards (18.3 avg.) and two scores. Freshman quarterback Mike Bowman (Northumberland/Shikellamy H.S.) will try and rebound from a rough outing vs. Lycoming and has now completed 94 of 197 passes (47.7%) for 1,143 yards with nine touchdowns and 12 interceptions to rank 10th in the MAC in both pass efficiency rating (99.3) and total offense (133.0 yards/game). Senior Andy Berwager (Hanover/South Western H.S.) began the season as the returning starter at quarterback and is now a regular split end. Berwager is eighth in career passing efficiency at Susquehanna (111.28) while completing 122 of 249 passes for 1676 yards and 11 touchdowns. Offensive linemen Aaron Aukema (Branchville, N.J./High Point Regional H.S.) and Todd Rombach (Harrisburg/Bishop McDevitt H.S.) are the other two seniors on offense.
THE LION OFFENSE (MULTIPLE): Returning second-team league All-Star and senior running back Matt Santoro is presently fourth in the MAC in rushing with 622 yards on 183 carries (69.1 yards/game; 3.4 avg.) and six touchdowns. Santoro broke Albright’s school record for career rushing touchdowns with his team’s opening score last week at Delaware Valley – giving him now 28. He also began the season ranked fifth on the school’s career rushing list and now has 2,850 yards. Sophomore quarterback Mike Strack has been the team’s most effective offensive weapon this season, ranking fifth in both MAC passing efficiency (118.6 rating) and total offense (164.8 yards/game) while completing 115 of 223 passes for 1,482 yards with 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He dissected Del Valley last week, completing 15 of 21 passes for 245 yards with three scores. Senior wideout Howard Payton has a team high 389 yards receiving on 22 catches (17.7 avg.), although sophomore slot Jason Scheerer is the team’s leading receiver with 28 catches for 307 yards (11.0 avg.) and a score. The massive Albright front averages 6-2, 282 pounds per man. 1996 Fordham transfer Matt McLaughlin moved to guard after starting at tackle last season and is 6-6, 317.
THE CRUSADER DEFENSE (4-3): Sophomore linebacker Dominick DeSteno (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Bergen Catholic H.S.) is the team’s Gus Weber Crusader Player of the Week, sponsored by the Golden Corral, for the second time this season. DeSteno had a sack and three tackles for 23 yards in losses among his seven stops last Saturday. He now has 49 stops (26 solo) and is second on the team in both sacks (4.5) and tackles for loss (13 for 68). Freshman corner Antonio Nash (Washington, D.C./Spring Brook, Md., H.S.) came up with another interception Saturday to tie the school season record with 10, and leads the MAC while ranking third in D-III in INTs per game (1.1). The All-American candidate also leads the MAC and is 17th nationally in punt return average (13.2 avg.) and has a team high five pass break-ups. Like the offensive line, the D-line also has two senior starters in tri-captain and end Denny Bowers (Westminster, Md./Westminster H.S.) and tackle Casey Goff (New Milford/Montrose H.S.). Also an All-American candidate, Bowers is the leader in both sacks (7) and tackles for loss (15 for 67), collecting 32 tackles (23 solo). He is among the school’s career leaders in sacks (19.5) and tackles for loss (41 for 176). Goff has been playing through back pain all season and is third in tackles for loss this season with 12 for 62 yards in losses among his 25 stops (9 solo). Fellow senior Torrance Cleveland (St. Petersburg, Fla./Dixie Hollins H.S.) leads the team in tackles with 67 (22 solo), including 10 for losses of 16 yards. Senior J.R. Reynolds (the Bronx, N.Y./Amherst, Mass., H.S.) is a reserve end and a valuable player on special teams.
THE LION DEFENSE (4-3): Senior free safety Chris Bullis is a returning second-team league All-Star who has 45 tackles (29 solo) with an interception and three pass break-ups. Fellow senior Pat McGuckin is also a returning starter at cornerback and leads the team back deep with eight break-ups and a pair of interceptions. In the middle, sophomore Tom Fitti returns at linebacker and is the team tackle leader with 75 (46 solo), including eight for losses of 26 yards. Freshman end Jackson Fallon leads the Lions up front with nine sacks, and has 14 tackles for 87 yards in losses. The Lion pass rush came up with six sacks at Del Valley last week.
THE CRUSADER KICKERS: Sophomore punter Ryan Hollis (Mifflin/Juniata H.S.) is fourth in the MAC this season (37.1 avg.), while freshman Andy Nadler (Westport, Conn./Staples H.S.) is seventh in MAC kick scoring with 28 points (22-26 PATs, 2-7 FGs).
THE LION KICKERS: Sophomore kicker George Merrill is second in conference kick scoring with 52 points, going 11 of 15 in FGs with a long of 43, while connecting on 19 of 22 PATs. By contrast, sophomore Toby Ranck doesn’t even make the MAC stats with his 30.7-yard average.
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