THE GAME: Susquehanna will try and tie for its first Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth League championship as it needs to win at league-leader Widener this Saturday in the regular-season finale for both teams. Ranked in every Division III national poll, and listed as “others receiving votes” in the official South Region rankings, Widener has aleady clinched at least a tie for its third title in the six years of the league. Susquehanna has secured its 13th-straight non-losing season, and second-straight winning campaign, but is trying to avoid losing its final three games for the third-straight year. Eighteen Crusader seniors were honored prior to last Saturday’s home finale and will playing in the final games of their collegiate careers this week. This game certainly features a battle of the irresistable force meeting the immovable object when Susque-hanna has the ball. The Crusader Delaware Wing-T attack leads the MAC and was ranked 11th nationally last week in rushing offense (274.4 yards per game) with 30 TDs, while Widener’s blitzing defense is first in the nation and MAC against the run (24.3 yards per game) and has given up just four rushing scores. This game also features an individual rushing battle as 5-2 Widener junior running back Leon Payne leads the MAC in rushing (152.1 yards per game) and scoring (12.7 points per game), while Susquehanna senior fullback Matt Wichlinski (Claymont, Del./Brandywine H.S.) is second in both (131.3 yards and 12.0 points per game). Payne also holds the modern MAC career rushing record with 3,404 yards, with Wichlinski fourth at 3,130. Widener has a 23-9-1 series lead and has won the last four games – with the last three coming in dramatic fashion, including a 35-28 double-overtime win last season in Selinsgrove.
THE COACHES: Ninth-year Susquehanna head coach Steve Briggs is the winningest football coach in school history at 60-31 (.659), but is just 3-5 vs. Widener. Also a Crusader assistant for two years, he began the season ranked 32nd among active D-III coaches in winning percentage. Bill Zwaan is 15-4 (.789) in his second season as head coach at Widener, guiding his team to a 7-3 mark last year. Prior to becoming head coach, Zwaan was Pioneer defensive coordinator for five seasons – serving as head baseball coach from 1993-96. He is also in his second year as Widener’s athletic director.
THE CRUSADER OFFENSE (DELAWARE WING-T): Wichlinski has been held scoreless and below 100 yards rushing in each of the last two games. The 5-6, 200-pound “Claymont Cannonball” still holds school records for career rushing and scoring with the 3,130 yards and 240 points respectively, and became the first back in school history to have back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Presently with 1,050 yards and 96 points, he needs 273 yards and 23 points Saturday to break his own single-season school records in those categories (Records: 1,322 yards and 108 points). While he still trails Payne in the MAC rushing race, he has the conference’s top per-carry average (5.9). Wichlinski rushed for 143 yards and three TDs last year vs. Widener. Six-foot-three, 235-pound sophomore halfback Rashonn Drayton (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.) rushed for 53 yards and caught three passes for 48 yards last Saturday, and is now second on the team in rushing with 422 yards (4.6 avg.), and third in receiving with 10 catches for 150 yards (15.0 avg.). He ranks 10th in the MAC in rushing (52.8 yards per game) and is second on the team in scoring with eight TDs. Senior quad-captain T.J. Lane (Brandon, Fla./Tampa Jesuit H.S.) made his first collegiate start at cornerback last Saturday — coming up with two tackles and a break-up — and also returned four punts for 22 yards while breaking the school career punt return yardage record, now with 680 yards (Old Record: 672, Tyrone Croom, 1993-96). He also had a team best three catches for 53 yards during the game. Lane leads the team in receiving with 21 catches for 298 yards (14.2 avg.) and is seventh in conference punt returns with an 8.3 avg. Sophomore quarterback Andy Berwager (Hanover/South Western H.S.) is fifth in MAC passing efficiency – completing 66 of 138 passes (47.8%) for 1,020 yards with seven TDs and five INTs (119.4 rating). He is ninth in MAC total offense (146.4 yards per game). Senior Ken Eisenhard (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.) is second in career passes (503), and third in completions (233), passing yardage (3,556) and total offense (3,544). He may see time Saturday. Senior center Adam Horst (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.) should be back from an ankle sprain to lead an O-line which averages 6-2, 251 pounds per man.
THE PIONEER OFFENSE (PRO I): Payne made last week’s MAC Honor Roll as he ran for 149 yards and scored twice vs. Del Valley to break both Wichlinski’s MAC single-season touchdown (19) and scoring (114 points) records. He is also one better then Wichlinski for the career rushing TD record with 37. Payne scored on an 80-yard pass and a 35-yard run last year vs. Susquehanna. He runs behind a line averaging 6-2, 269 pounds per man. Senior center Jeff Kuc has been a back-to-back first-team All-Star. Junior quarterback Mike Granato is third in MAC pass efficiency, hitting 120 of 222 passes (54.1%) for 1,626 yards with 13 TDs and 11 picks (125.0 rating). He is fifth in MAC total offense (167.3 yards per game). Senior wideout Trent Everett is fifth in conference receiving with 32 catches for 479 yards (15.0 avg.) and eight TDs.
THE CRUSADER DEFENSE (4-3): Senior linebacker Matt Kazmierczak (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills H.S.) is this week’s Gus Weber Crusader Player of the Week, sponsored by the Golden Corral Restaurant, as he had 13 tackles while the D held Albright to just 22 yards rushing. He is second in tackles this year with 60 (24 solo). Senior tackle Jimmy Morgans (Allentown/Allentown Central Catholic H.S.) had eight stops, with four for losses of seven yards and a sack, while tackle Marty Pinter (Hackettstown, N.J./Warren Hills H.S.) had eight with two for losses of 11 yards and a sack, and end Lee Cohen (Harrisburg/Central Dauphin H.S.) had three for losses of 15 yards and a sack. Pinter tops the line with 47 stops (25 solo), while junior end Denny Bowers (Westminster, Md./Westminster H.S.) has a team best eight sacks and 19 tackles for losses of 83 yards. Senior corner Gabe Schwartz (Trevorton/Lourdes Regional H.S.) had a blocked PAT for two points and an INT. He has three PBUs and an INT this season.
THE PIONEER DEFENSE (MULTIPLE 4-3): The Pioneers blitz most of the game and have 80 sacks as a unit. Six-foot-five, 275-pound senior end Bill Nourse is a returning league All-Star and the leader up front with a school record 18-and-a-half sacks and 19 tackles for 100 yards in losses among his 63 stops (30 solo). He is expected back after missing last week’s game with a sprained ankle. Senior linebacker Jason Raysor is a returning All-American and first-team league All-Star and is second on the team in tackles with 67 (21 solo), including 14 for 58 yards in losses. Junior backer Bill Collins tops the team with 97 stops (29 solo), including 13 for losses of 58 yards. Senior corner Joe Turchi is just 5-8, 155, but he is tied for third in MAC interceptions with five (0.6 per game), scoring a pair of touchdowns. He also has eight break-ups and 32 tackles.
THE CRUSADER KICK SPECIALISTS: Senior Scott Miles (Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo) is still second in MAC kick scoring with 39 points, hitting 3 of 4 FGs with a long of 44. Freshman Ryan Hollis (Mifflin/Juniata H.S.) is third in the MAC and 20th nationally in punting (39.3 avg.).
THE PIONEER KICK SPECIALISTS: Two-time first-team All-Star and senior Jeff Noonan will win the MAC kick scoring race, now with 51 points – including 10 of 14 FGs with a long of 51 yards. Junior Kevin Wyszynski is back as the punter and is fourth in the MAC (38.3 avg.).
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