Championship Rewards
Brandywine's Wichlinski MAC Offensive Player of Year, League MVP,
Three Others First-Team All-Stars, Seven on Second Team
SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) -Senior fullback Matt Wichlinski (Claymont, Del./Brandywine H.S.) has been the best running back in Susquehanna University's 100 seasons of football, and the Middle Atlantic Conference head coaches also believe he is the best back in their conference.
A returning All-American who is both Susquehanna's career rushing and scoring record holder with 3,243 yards and 246 points respectively, Wichlinski is the 1998 MAC Offensive Player of the Year and also the MAC Commonwealth League Most Valuable Player - also repeating as a first-team league All-Star in the process. He will be honored for his MAC special awards by the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Touchdown Club during its annual Melberger Awards' Ceremony on Saturday, December 19, at the Ramada Inn-on-the-Square in Wilkes-Barre.
Joining Wichlinski as league All-Stars are 10 other players who helped Susquehanna win a share of its first Commonwealth League championship, scoring a 28-24 win at co-champion and nationally-ranked Widener last Saturday to finish at 6-3 overall. It was the program's 13th-straight non-losing season.
The three other first-team Crusader All-Stars include senior defensive tackle and co-captain Marty Pinter (Hackettstown, N.J./Warren Hills H.S.), who was also a second-teamer in 1996, and juniors Denny Bowers (Westminster, Md./Westminster H.S.) and Randy Zook (Belleville/Indian Valley H.S.), who started this season at defensive end and offensive tackle respectively. Six players earned second-team honors, led by five seniors in linebacker Harold Fairclough (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.), center Adam Horst (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.), split end and return specialist T.J. Lane (Brandon, Fla./Tampa Jesuit H.S.), placekicker Scott Miles (Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo H.S.) and linebacker Matt Kazmierczak (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills H.S.), as well as a pair of juniors in free safety Mario Cromartie (Smyrna, Del./Smyrna H.S.) and offensive guard Anthony DeSantis (Old Forge/Bishop O'Hara H.S.).
"We were well-represented and I think that is a reflection of the respect the rest of the coaches had for what we accomplished this season," said ninth-year Crusader head coach Steve Briggs. "We accomplished our first goal this season to win a league championship, I believe we were rewarded for our efforts."
Nicknamed "The Claymont Cannonball," the 5-6, 200-pound Wichlinski closed his brilliant career in style, rushing for the most yards this season against a Widener defense ranked number-one nationally against the run (24.3 yards per game coming in) - gaining 113 on 28 carries with a touchdown Saturday. He finished second in the MAC in both rushing and scoring this season - rushing for 1,163 yards on 207 carries for a MAC-best 5.6 per-carry average while scoring 102 points on 17 touchdowns for an 11.3 points per game average. Both totals were the second best single-season marks in Susquehanna history behind his own records from 1997 (1,322 rushing yards, 108 points) and may have been broken had Susquehanna's season-opening game at Alfred not been canceled. He was 17th in scoring and 18th in rushing in the final regular-season NCAA Division III rankings.
For his career, Wichlinski became the first back to post back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons at Susquehanna and now owns school records for rushing yards (3,243), rushing attempts (582), scoring (246 points) - finishing second in all-purpose yardage (3,604), fourth in total offense (3,243) and fifth in per-carry average (5.6). The owner of five of the top 10 rushing performances in school history, Wichlinski finished second in the MAC modern era (since 1983) for career rushing touchdowns (37), and fourth in both rushing yardage, scoring and total TDs. He was also a quad-captain this season.
"Certainly, the people in our program and the coaches in our conference know what Matt has meant to us. I was very pleased that he was a unanimous choice by the other coaches," said Briggs. "He is, without question, one of the best players ever at Susquehanna and I'm so pleased that he's getting acknowledged for all he's done."
Wichlinski is a corporate communications major and the son of Sheila Wichlinski of West Chester, Pa.
The 6-1, 255-pound Pinter has been a three-year starter who had his best season this year, leading a defensive line which helped the Crusaders finish second in the MAC and fifth in Division III against the run (69.7 yards per game). A quad-captain, Pinter topped the D-line in tackles with 47 (25 solo), including 15 for losses of 49 yards with three sacks. He finished his career with 149 tackles (77 solo), including 40 for losses of 135 yards and 14-and-a-half sacks.
Pinter is a history major and the son of Craig Pinter of Hackettstown, and Diane Rowe of Flemington, N.J.
The 6-2, 250-pound Bowers posted the best numbers along the defensive line in his first full season as a starter - topping the team with nine sacks and 20 tackles for 89 yards in losses among his 41 total stops (26 solo). He also had a pass break-up.
Also a first-team Commonwealth League All-Star as a designated hitter last spring in baseball, Bowers is a mathematics major and the son of Dennis and Pamela Bowers of Westminster.
"Both Marty and Denny were impact players for us, with Marty doing it for the last several years and Denny this season in his first year as a starter. We had a great defensive line this season and they were a big part of it. We're obviously very pleased for them," said Briggs.
The 6-4, 250-pound Zook was also in his first season as a starter at offensive tackle and became the best performer on a group which led the MAC and finished 16th in Division III in rushing offense (254.4 yards per game), finishing second in the MAC in total offense (401.2 yards per game). The O-line became just the second group to be collectively recognized by the MAC in its weekly awards this season as it made the MAC Honor Roll after leading the team to a modern MAC record 455 yards rushing vs. Lebanon Valley on October 10. Like Wichlinski, Zook was a unanimous selection by the other league coaches.
"Randy's really come into his own over the last two years. He was consistently our best offensive lineman this year and rewarded for his efforts with the unanimous selection," said Briggs.
He is a public relations major and the son of Raymond and Joann Zook of Belleville.
The 5-10, 215-pound Fairclough was a first-team league All-Star last season, and a second-teamer as a sophomore. He led the team in tackles for a second-straight year, posting 72 (40 solo), including seven for losses of 17 yards and a sack. He also had an interception, three pass break-ups, and a fumble recovery and return for a touchdown. A three-year starter and quad-captain, Fairclough finishes with 257 career stops (123 solo), including 31 for losses of 82 yards.
He is a public relations major and the son of Gloria Avendano and Charles Fairclough, both of Allentown.
Horst is the other former Allentown Central Catholic High School standout to repeat as a league All-Star, also earning second-team honors last season. The 6-3, 265-pounder was a four-year starter on the offensive line - breaking in at tackle before moving to center the past three seasons. He was a steady performer on a group which led the MAC and finished 16th in Division III in rushing offense (254.4 yards per game), finishing second in the MAC in total offense (401.2 yards per game). He was part of the O-line which made the MAC Honor Roll following the record 455 yards rushing at Lebanon Valley on October 10.
A biology major, Horst is the son of Jeff and Dorie Horst of Allentown.
Like Horst, the 5-11, 225-pound Kazmierczak was steady in his first full season as a starting linebacker. He finished third on the team in tackles with 63 (26 solo), including seven for losses of 15 yards. He also had three interceptions and two pass break-ups. The team's Gus Weber Crusader Player of the Week, sponsored by the Golden Corral Restaurant, vs. Albright while posting 13 tackles (two solo), Kazmierczak was a four-year letterwinner who finished with 109 career stops (46 solo).
He is a political science major and the brother of former Crusader MAC All-Star cornerback Karl Kazmierczak. Both are the sons of Lawrence and Sally Kazmierczak.
The 5-8, 170-pound Lane also repeated as a league All-Star, making the first-team as a return specialist last season and the second-team as a receiver. A quad-captain, he broke the Susquehanna record for career punt return yardage this season, finishing with 680 yards. He is also third in career returns with 66, ranking fifth in average at 10.3, fifth in career receiving yardage (1,259), and sixth in receptions (84).
This season, he led the team in both receiving and punt returns - catching 21 passes for 298 yards (14.2 avg.) and returning 23 punts for 192 yards (8.3 avg.). He was seventh in MAC punt return average this season.
A sociology/psychology major, Lane is the son of JoAnne Lane of Brandon.
A three-year starter, the 5-9, 155-pound Miles had his best season in 1998, going 3 for 4 in field goals with his season-best 44-yarder serving as the game-winner in the 17-16 win over Moravian. He finished second in MAC kick scoring, also converting 34 of 40 extra points for 43 total points.
For his career, Miles hit on 13 of 27 FGs with a long of 47 yards, also booting 86 of 104 PATs for 125 points.
He is an art history major and the son of John and Marianne Miles of Wyckoff.
The 6-0, 190-pound Cromartie was the best player in the Crusader secondary this season during his first year as a starter at free safety. He led the D-backs in tackles with 65 (39 solo) and also had three interceptions and two pass break-ups.
He is a public relations major and the son of Nettie Cromartie of Smyrna.
A two-year starter, the 6-2, 265-pound DeSantis was the top guard on the Crusader O-line, helping the Crusaders lead the MAC and finish 16th in Division III in rushing offense (254.4 yards per game), finishing second in the MAC in total offense (401.2 yards per game). He also joined his teammates on the MAC Honor Roll following the 455 yards rushing vs. Lebanon Valley October 10.
DeSantis is a business major and son of Sid and Michelle DeSantis of Old Forge.
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