Crusader Offensive Line Becomes Just Second Such Group to Earn MAC Honors;
Also Earn Team's Gus Weber/Golden Corral Players of the Week
SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) -- The Susquehanna University starting offensive line is believed to be just the second such group to be honored by the Middle Atlantic Conference in its weekly football awards. The Crusader O-line is on this week's MAC Football Honor Roll as it helped Susquehanna set a modern (since 1983) MAC record for single-game rushing with a school record 455 yards in Saturday's 48-3 romp at winless Lebanon Valley.
The Crusader starting offensive line of senior center Adam Horst (Allentown/ Allentown Central Catholic H.S.), junior guards Anthony DeSantis (Old Forge/Bishop O'Hara H.S.) and Todd Werley (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.), junior tackle Randy Zook (Belleville/Indian Valley H.S.) and sophomore tackles Randy Hayes (Parkland/Parkland H.S.), and senior tight end Brian Papson (Chester Springs/ Downingtown H.S.) controlled the line of scrimmage to lead the Crusader ground efforts Saturday. The group, which averages 6-2, 251 pounds per man, cleared the way as Susquehanna rolled to 27 rushing first downs and six touchdowns while keeping the ball for 40:46 in the rout. The line helped 11 different backs pile up the yardage out of Susquehanna's Delaware Wing-T offensive attack, which leads the MAC in rushing and was ranked 16th in last week's NCAA Division III statistics (now 310.0 yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry).
"We think we have a very good rushing attack and are our line is obviously a big part of that. The numbers speak for themselves how they dominated the line of scrimmage on Saturday," said ninth-year Susquehanna head coach Steve Briggs. "They're a group which goes about their business each week and doesn't get a lot of recognition. This was nice to see."
In addition to the conference honors, members of the offensive line have been chosen as the team's Gus Weber Crusader Players of the Week, sponsored by the Golden Corral Family Restaurant of Shamokin Dam. The group will get a chance to collectively donate the $100 from the Golden Corral to the charity of its choice. Thus far, the Golden Corral has donated $900 to area charities in the name of Crusader Players of the Week over the last two years. Because of that honor, at least one representative from the offensive line will be the guest speaker at this week's Quarterback Club football luncheon on Friday at 12 p.m., in the Shearer Dining Rooms at the University's Degenstein Campus Center.
Now 3-1 overall 3-0 in the MAC and 1-0 in the Commonwealth League, Susquehanna will host league rival Moravian in a 1:30 p.m. game this Saturday, October 17. The game will be Community Day at Susquehanna, with all area civic groups being admitted to the game free of charge if they wear something identifiable with their respective groups.
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