Lebanon Valley (0-2, 0-0 MAC)
vs. Moravian (1-1, 1-1 Centennial)
Saturday, Sept. 18 - 1 p.m. - Arnold Field - The 68th Meeting
Live Stats: GoDutchmen.com
Radio: Flying Dutchmen Radio Network (WMSS 91.1FM and WWSM 1510AM) / WSAN 1470 AM Bethlehem
Webcast: WMSSFM.com / WSAN
LVC Media Notes
Game Day program
Game Day Central
After starting 0-2 following an optimistic offseason, Lebanon Valley will try to kick-start its season with a win over Moravian. The Dutchmen are coming off a late 17-14 loss to Grove City in the PAC-MAC Challenge last week, while the Greyhounds also lost a close one, 13-10, to McDaniel.
Take A Kid To the Game Day
The Moravian game will mark LVC's annual "Take A Kid To The Game Day" with all children 14 and under getting in free. There will be plenty of fun activities, as well as a chance for kids to join the Dutchmen on the field for warm-ups and introductions.
On the Radio
Saturday's game will be simulcast on the Flying Dutchmen Radio Network on Middletown's WMSS 91.1 FM and WWSM 1510 AM in Annville.
John Wilsbach and
Brian Keyser will call the action against Gettysburg. The game will be streamed live and free at
WMSSFM.com and GoDutchmen.com.
Live Stats On the Web
Live stats for every home LVC game will be available on
GoDutchmen.com . New for 2010: mobile live stats, available on any smart phone, will allow fans and media to track the game from anywhere, live on their phone
.
If You Only Know 5 Things...
1. LVC is starting the season 0-2 for the first time since 2005.
2. The Dutchmen have the MAC's #1 rushing offense at 230.5 yards per game, but rank next-to-last in passing at 117 yards per game.
3. Moravian has scored just 11.0 points per game in their first two contests, including a 12-6 win over Susquehanna; the Greyhounds have just two touchdowns in two games.
4. After going +12 on turnovers last year, LVC is -5 in their first two games, including four lost fumbles.
5.
Ben Guiles has ran for 150+ yards in each of his first two games this year, and ranks ninth in the nation in rushing.
Grove City Recap
Grove City's Blaine Miller caught a late go-ahead 33-yard pass to put his team over top Lebanon Valley, 17-14. The Dutchmen fell to 0-2 with another mistake-filled performance, despite a big game by
Ben Guiles, who ran for 158 yards and touchdowns, and caught four passes for 58 yards.
Alex Gilchrist keyed the defense with a team-high eight tackles, including three for a loss with a sack, a fumble recovery, and a batted pass. With two extra points, kicker
Brittany Ryan tied the NCAA record for career points by a female kicker, equalling West Alabama's Tonya Butler with 87 career points. Miller spurred Grove City's offense, scoring both of their touchdowns, and Craig Bicehouse added a 34-yard field goal for the Wolverines (1-1), who were visiting Annville as part of the PAC-MAC Challenge series. Guiles opened the scoring with an 18-yard run in the first quarter before Bicehouse hit from 34, and Grove City took the lead on Miller's 13-yard haul from Clayton Hall in the third quarter. The Dutchmen recaptured the lead when Guiles capped a long drive with a push over the line on the next drive, but the Wolverines took the lead for good when Miller broke loose off a short out to score with 4:12 left in the fourth quarter. LVC couldn't do anything with their final possession, with a personal foul call negating a solid return by
Pete Panichi to push the Dutchmen back to their own 16. It was three-and-out from there as
Kevin Greene punted, and Grove City rode out the final 3:13 of the game. Both sides had trouble holding onto the ball; Grove City lost a Miller fumble on their opening drive to set up LVC's score, and the Dutchmen dropped two of their own, first when Fick bobbled a snap on the Grove City two-yard line that Marcus Chakot grabbed, and then when
Alex Kirchner dropped a pass at midfield to start the third quarter. Like last week, LVC had trouble with penalties, getting hit eight times for 76 yards; Grove City was flagged nine times for 49 yards, including four defensive offsides calls.
Blair Ransom joined Guiles to lead the LVC rushing attack, posting a career game with 77 yards on 15 carries.
Caleb Fick finished 7-for-17 for 85 yards; his counterpart Hall was 17-for-26 for 205 yards, and ran for 72 more.
Grove City Notables
It was Guiles' sixth career 100-yard game and second in a row over 150 ... He ran for 154 yards last week against Gettysburg ... It was also his second 200+ all-purpose yard game (214 vs. Moravian in 2009) ...
Kevin Greene took over punting duties with
Colt Zarilla out for the game and did well, booting six times for a 34.5 average, putting three inside the 20 with two touchbacks ... Clayton Hall was knocked out of the game on a hit by Gilchrist in the second quarter, but returned the next series after Zach Gross filled in ...
Zach Bleiler blocked a 38-yard field goal attempt by Bicehouse at the end of the first half, which
Nick Bowne recovered ... Bleiler finished with seven tackles, two for a loss ... LVC was just 2-of-11 on third down and 1-for-3 on fourth down ... Grove City only had a chance to return one of LVC's six punts, but
Pete Panichi flew in to tackle Butch Kriger for a loss of a yard ... Despite a career-high in yardage, it was the first time in his career that
Blair Ransom played in a game and did not score. He had scored a touchdown in each of his previous seven games.
Ryan Goes For NCAA Scoring Mark
Senior K
Brittany Ryan, already the unofficial NCAA all-divisions leader for PATs by a female player, tied Tonya Butler's (West Alabama) record of 87 career points with her two PATs last week against Grove City. Ryan would break the record against Moravian with an extra point or field goal. In LVC history, Ryan is five PATs short of the program record in that category (has 72, record is 76), and seven shy of PAT attempts (has 84, record is 90). She set LVC single-season marks in both PATs made (33) and attempted (40) last year. Ryan has 87 points (72 PATs, 5 FGs) in her career.
Guiles Among National Leaders
Two weeks into the season, junior RB
Ben Guiles is already making some noise as he ranks ninth in the nation in rushing. Guiles is averaging 154 yards per game and 6.7 yards per carry;
Turnovers Costly Again
The storyline against Gettysburg was LVC's five turnovers, which led to half of the Bullets' scoring in the game; against Grove City, giveaways proved costly once again as LVC dropped two key fumbles. The costliest was
Caleb Fick's drop at the Grove City three-yardline that stopped a golden chance to LVC to score.
Big Blocks
In his first career game against Gettysburg, freshman
Doug Lester did something most players only dream of in their careers. As Gettysburg punted in their own territory to end their first possession of the second quarter, the big 6'5” tight end came around the end virtually unchallenged and got an arm on Brian Betley's punt. The ball fortuitously went careening out of bounds at the one yard-line, setting up
Blair Ransom's touchdown; had it gone out of bounds a yard further, in the end zone, LVC would have gotten just a safety out of the play. As it stood, Lester officially ended up with a block and a 23-yard punt return. Last week, against Grove City, it was
Zach Bleiler's turn, as he blocked a field goal at the end of the first half that
Nick Bowne pounced on to end the threat.
Senior Citizens
LVC returns an experienced line-up for 2010, and it shows in the two-deep. Of the expected starters for the Gettysburg game, 17 (9 offense, 8 defense) are seniors. The entire secondary is seniors, both starters and back-ups, along with all five starting offensive linemen.
Scouting Moravian
The Greyhounds are 1-1 after getting through two tight games, with a 12-6 opening win over Susquehanna and a 13-10 loss to McDaniel last week. Moravian has struggled to score, and has just 235 yards of total offense per game under freshman quarterback Phil Gardner. However, the Moravian defense has been excellent, allowing just 11 points and 167.5 yards of total offense per game.
Offensively, Gardner was named the starting quarterback after a competition in camp, and he has
completed 27 of 48 passes for 285 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. His longest completion this season is a 45-yard touchdown pass against McDaniel. Gardner has run for 15 yards on 18 carries. On the ground, Rocco Del Priore has run for 92 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries while Joe Tegan has 76 yards on 21 attempts. Seven different receivers have a catch, led by Shawn Sylvainus' eight catches for 106 yards.
On defense, Allen Petros leads the Moravian line with 11 tackles, including three for loss, Seth Payne has nine stops with one for loss. Senior linebacker Philip Bortz leads the Greyhounds with 13 tackles (three for a loss) and a pass break-up while sophomore linebacker Jake Hildebrand has 12 tackles with two for loss and an interception.
Last Year vs. Moravian
Lebanon Valley moved to 3-0 for the first time since 1979 as it handled Moravian, 32-3. The Dutchmen didn't have a problem without starting tailback
Charlie Parker '10, racking up 221 yards on the ground, including 135 yards and a score by
Ben Guiles and two touchdowns from fullback
Bryan Lynch '10. More importantly, LVC avoided the second-half letdowns it had produced in its previous two victories, holding Moravian without a touchdown and limiting the Greyhounds (1-2) to just 132 yards of total offense, including 14 yards rushing on 25 carries.
Caleb Fick (15-of-19) and
Colt Zarilla (3-of-5) combined for 277 yards in the air. Steve Panasuk was sacked three times by the Dutchmen, going 12-of-23 for 118 yards.
Cory Homer caused and recovered a fumble while pressuring Panasuk on Moravian's first drive, setting LVC up in Moravian territory for the opening score.
Series History
Today's game is the 68th meeting all-time ... LVC leads the series 35-31-1, but Moravian has won eight of the last ten ... This will be the 26th consecutive year they have met, dating back to 1985 ... Last year, LVC won 32-3 for their most lopsided victory over the Greyhounds since 1951 ... It was also LVC's first win in Bethlehem since 1999 ... Head Coach
Jim Monos is 4-13 against the Greyhounds ... The first meeting in the series was Oct. 19, 1901, an 11-5 Moravian victory ... LVC is 1-4 on Sept. 18, with only last win being the infamous “Hurricane Bowl” 3-0 win at Widener in 2004 that was played in the remnants of Hurricane Ivan ... LVC is 6-4 against the Centennial Conference since several MAC members, including Moravian, split away to join the CC in 2007.
Next Time Out
LVC will enjoy a bye next week before heading to #8 Delaware Valley on Oct. 2.
