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It just seems like yesterday that we were
previewing the first week of the season and now we are in the final week of the
regular season. One team is playing for the playoffs and the rest of the teams
are looking to finish on a high note.
Regional Rankings
The playoff picture is starting to become a bit
clearer as we head into the final weekend of the regular season. Some teams seem
like locks for the postseason while others are on the edge and need help in
order to play on November 14th and beyond.
West Liberty is the number one team in the
region for the second week in a row. The Hilltoppers took care of business
against Seton Hill and will close out the regular season with Concord this
Saturday. They have clinched the WVIAC title and appear to be in the playoffs
even with a loss this weekend. A win this weekend for West Liberty should wrap
up a first round bye and a home playoff game for the Hilltoppers on November
21st.
California leapfrogged Shippensburg into second
place and will face the Red Raiders this weekend in the PSAC championship game.
The Vulcans own an eight game winning streak and appear to be peaking at the
right time of the season again. They have played one of the toughest schedules
in the country and are in prime position for a run in the postseason.
The winner of the PSAC championship should earn
a bye in the first round of the playoffs and host a home game on November 21st.
If California wins the game, they might have enough swagger and strength of
schedule to jump into the top spot of the region. But it appears that the loser
of the game would drop no lower than the fifth slot in the region, nearly
guaranteeing them a spot in the postseason.
Bentley had the weekend off but managed to
slide up one slot to fourth in the region. The Falcons are on the cusp of their
first postseason appearance since the 2004 season. They travel to a face a
suddenly hot Stonehill squad this Saturday to wrap up the regular season. A win
by Bentley should get them a home playoff game on November 14th. A loss to
Stonehill doesn't necessary keep them out of the playoffs. The Falcons could
fall as far as eighth in the region which would get them a playoff spot due to
the earned access rule.
Bloomsburg fell to fifth in the region after
they stumbled for the second straight weekend against West Chester. The Huskies
appear to still control their own destiny with a win. They could jump up to the
fourth spot as they own the head to head with California if the Vulcans fall in
the PSAC championship game. They probably would be slotted behind Shippensburg
if the Red Raiders would fall this weekend. Bloomsburg appears to be one of
three PSAC teams headed for the playoffs.
East Stroudsburg jumped from eighth to sixth on
the heels of their 44-3 victory over Millersville. The Warriors play Slippery
Rock this weekend and might be on the outside of the playoff picture. They are
on the bump line right now if earned access rears its ugly head.
Edinboro slipped only one spot to seventh after
they lost to Clarion 30-17 last Saturday. The Fighting Scots will need a lot of
help this weekend along with beating Millersville on the road. They have lost
two of three games down the stretch which might be too much for them to overcome
in their bid to make the playoffs.
Another team that appears to be playing
themselves out of the playoffs is Charleston. They dropped their second straight
game as they fell to Glenville State 14-12. The Golden Eagles were the feel-good
story two weeks ago but will need a lot of help ahead of them in the rankings if
they are going to make the playoffs.
The new team in the rankings this week checks
in at the number nine slot. Clarion has won five games in a row after they
disposed of Edinboro 30-17 over the weekend. The Golden Eagles were just yards
away from an upset of California on September 26th. If they had pulled off that
upset, they would be playing in the PSAC championship game this weekend and be
on the cusp of the playoffs.
The tenth slot in the rankings belongs to
Fayetteville State. The Broncos fell one spot from last week despite a 31-8
victory at Livingstone last Saturday. The win gave them the Western Division
title and a spot in the CIAA championship game against Bowie State. The Bulldogs
were the winner of a three way coin flip to represent the Eastern Division in
the championship game. Fayetteville State defeated Bowie State 30-20 back on
September 12th in Maryland.
It appears that a couple of teams have sewed up
playoff slots but the final rankings are still to be determined based on this
weekend's results. This is not the time of the season for a team to play their
worst game of the season. So if you are a team in position to play beyond this
week, don't leave your fate in the hands of the regional committee. If you do,
we will see you next season.
Honoring a Fallen Hero
The St. Anselm community lost a member of their
alumni last week. Kyle Van De Giesen graduated from St. Anselm in 2002 and more
recently was a captain with the United States Marines in Afghanistan.
Van De Giesen was the quarterback of the Hawks
when they restarted their football program back in 1999. He finished the season
by starting eight of the nine games and throwing for 1,366 yards and 10
touchdowns. He threw for 308 yards in his first start and also completed an 84
yard pass against Pace later that season.
"Right from the beginning, with the
start-up of football after 50 years, Kyle Van De Giesen became the leader of our
program as quarterback of that first team in 1999," said former athletic
director Ed Cannon.
Van De Giesen only played one season for St.
Anselm before he left the team to concentrate on school and his dream of
becoming a Marine pilot.
"The passing of any member of the Saint
Anselm College community causes us pain. But the loss of an alumnus so young and
who sacrificed his life in the service of our country is profoundly
sorrowful," said Father Jonathan DeFelice, O.S.B., president of Saint
Anselm College on his blog.
"He was a fine athlete and a person of
great character, but more significantly a remarkable young man whose love for
football was overshadowed by his sincere and determined commitment to serve in
the military. As one of his teammates put it, 'Kyle was born to be a Marine'.
Our hearts and prayers go out to the Van De Giesen family."
Prior to last Saturday's game against New
Haven, there was a moment of silence to honor Van De Giesen. The field was
painted with a red, white and blue ribbon with his number 12 in the middle of
it. The Hawks are also wearing his initials, KV on their helmets for the
remainder of the season.
Van De Giesen was survived by his wife, Megan
who was expecting their second child, a son. They also have a young daughter and
were stationed in San Diego, CA.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Van De
Giesen family.
Players of the Week
Offense
Jason Washington, RB, Pace
The junior transfer from Iona had a solid day
in Pace's 20-9 victory over AIC last Saturday. Washington rushed the ball 23
times for 110 yards and found the end zone twice in the Setter's first win of
the season. On the first play of the second quarter, Washington took the ball
two yards into the end zone to extend the Setter lead. He also capped off the
scoring late in the fourth quarter with a 13 yard touchdown run. Washington also
grabbed four passes for 21 yards and recovered a fumble for Pace.
For the season, Washington is second in rushing
yards (394) and touchdowns (4) for the Setters. He is also fifth in receptions
with 12 as well as receiving yards (109).
Defense
Jareed Gaines, DB, Stonehill
The freshman defensive back was instrumental in
Stonehill's 22-14 victory over Assumption last Friday night. Gaines led the
Skyhawks with 10 tackles, 9 of them the solo variety. He also had two tackles
for a loss, two quarterback hurries and broke up two passes. With Stonehill
leading 15-14 with 33 seconds to go and Assumption driving for the winning
points, Gaines scooped up an Andrew Kupec fumble and scampered 73 yards to seal
the win for the Skyhawks.
For the season, Gaines is sixth on the team
with 42 tackles. He is also tied for fourth in sacks with two as well as
recording four tackles in the backfield during his freshman campaign.
Week 11 Capsules
Southern Connecticut (5-4, 5-2 NE-10) at St.
Anselm (2-7, 1-6 NE-10)
When: November 7th at 12:00 PM
All-Time Series: Southern Connecticut leads the
series, 7-2-0
My thoughts: Looking for a high scoring affair
with these two prolific offenses.
Southern Connecticut fell last Friday night to
Merrimack by the score of 52-42. It was the final home game for the seniors but
not the way that they wanted to end their careers. The Owls, like most teams
this year, had trouble containing Merrimack quarterback James Suozzo. The
defense will face another dynamic offensive unit this week. They will need to
find a way to contain the St. Anselm offense and punch the ball into the end
zone when they have the opportunity.
St. Anselm has been in position the past two
weeks to win games but has fallen late in the game. They have been moving the
ball with ease against their opponents but a young defense has not been able to
get the necessary stops late in the game. The duo of Michael Pierce and Marc
Wilson continue to add to their school records for offensive production. But the
young defense will be tested this weekend against the big, strong, physical
offensive unit of the Southern Connecticut Owls.
Southern Connecticut has dominated this series
since 2003, putting up some impressive offensive numbers against St. Anselm. But
we will see how far the Hawks have come when they match-up this Saturday. The
Owls are the deeper and more skilled team but don't expect St. Anselm to just
lie down and let them walk all over them.
Prediction: Southern Connecticut 45 St. Anselm
28
Bentley (8-1, 6-1 NE-10) at Stonehill (4-5,
3-4 NE-10)
When: November 7th at 12:00 PM
All-Time Series: Bentley leads the series,
30-8-1
My thoughts: The eyes of the NE-10 will be
watching this game.
Bentley was off last weekend and now turns
their attention to the final regular season game. With a win, the Falcons will
make the playoffs and potentially host a first round game. But before we talk
playoffs, they need to take care of business at Stonehill and finish the season
with just one Division II loss. The Falcons will need to do the same thing that
has gotten them to this point, play solid football. They have the best defense
in the league and their offense will need to move the ball and score when they
have the opportunity. The coaching staff has preached one game at a time and
this weekend is no different.
The hottest team in the league right now is
Stonehill. They have had two thrilling victories in a row and are closing in on
a .500 record for the season. The Skyhawks used a late fumble return to seal an
upset victory over Assumption last Friday night. They will be fired up to play
Bentley in their Senior Day and show the rest of the league what they are made
of. The Stonehill offense put together a couple of scoring drives to beat
Assumption but it was the defense that won the game. They held the explosive
Greyhound offense to 325 yards of offense and just 14 points. The defense will
need to duplicate that performance this weekend against Bentley.
This is one of the toughest rivalries in the
league and the Falcons have their destiny in their own hands. A win will get
them into the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Expect a close game with
Bentley taking control of the game late and punching a ticket to the playoffs.
Prediction: Bentley 27 Stonehill 21
Ohio Dominican (6-2 NAIA) at New Haven (5-4,
4-4 NE-10)
When: November 7th at 12:00 PM
All-Time Series: First meeting ever.
My thoughts: These two teams will be making a
mark in their leagues for years to come.
Ohio Dominican is a transitional Division II
team who is playing their second game of the season against a NE-10 opponent.
They fell to Bentley 14-13 in their first game of the season. They have
rebounded nicely as they are 6-2 after defeated Urbana University 21-12 last
Saturday afternoon. They are also ranked in the top 25 for NAIA teams in the
country. They also own victories over WVIAC member Seton Hill and independent
St. Joseph's College of Indiana.
New Haven finished their first season in the
NE-10 with an exciting come from behind victory at St. Anselm last Saturday. The
Chargers finish their first league campaign with a 4-4 record and are looking to
finish the season with an overall winning record. Coach Peter Rossomando has to
be pleased with the progress of his young squad. New Haven will be a force to be
reckoned with in the league for years to come and it will not be too long until
they are a force in Super Region One.
The Chargers will finish the season on a
winning note.
Prediction: New Haven 24 Ohio Dominican 14
Assumption (5-4, 4-3 NE-10) at AIC (5-4, 3-4
NE-10)
When: November 7th at 1:00 PM
All-Time Series: AIC leads the series, 11-1-0
My thoughts: The loser of the game will be .500
for the season.
Assumption has dropped their last two games by
a total of 12 points. They were in position to win both games but not able to
seal the deal. But that should not damper a great turnaround season for the
Greyhounds. They have improved greatly this year after the return of Coach Cory
Bailey. Assumption has played solid football on both sides of the ball and has
had one of the better offenses in the league this year.
AIC looked like a solid team in the first three
weeks of the season but has fallen upon tough times down the stretch. The team
is struggling and needs this game to finish at .500 in the league. They didn't
play a great game in their loss at Pace last weekend but still has a chance to
finish the season on a high note. Coach Art Wilkins said that the bulls'-eye was
on their back in the beginning of the season and he was right. Teams have
stepped up their play against defending league champs and used that game to
motivate them.
This game can either be a high scoring affair
or a defensive struggle. Both teams have the capability of playing either way.
As a fan, we are hoping for lots of points to be scored and both teams marching
the ball up and down the field.
Prediction: Assumption 35 AIC 31
Pace (1-8, 1-6 NE-10) at Merrimack (6-3, 5-2
NE-10)
When: November 7th at 1:00 PM
All-Time Series: Merrimack leads the series,
8-0-0
My thoughts: Another game in which both teams
are looking to finish on a positive note.
Pace snapped a 12 game losing streak last
Saturday over AIC. The Setters used their Senior Day as a nice backdrop to grab
their first win of the season. Jason Washington carried the offensive load for
the Setters as he scored twice and rushed for 110 yards. Greg Brain set the tone
early as he picked off a pass and returned it for a touchdown. It has not been
the season that the Pace football team had hoped for as they have struggled on
both sides of the ball. Last weekend was the type of game that they hoped to
play week in and week out.
Merrimack is one of the few teams that have a
history of playing well at Southern Connecticut and last Friday night was no
different. They put up 52 points and won their sixth game of the season.
Quarterback James Suozzo played his usual game as he mixed the run and pass into
the offense. The Warriors are looking to finish the season strong as they were
on the cusp on playing past this weekend.
Merrimack will finish off the season on a high
note and take care of business against Pace.
Prediction: Merrimack 42 Pace 13
Any thoughts, questions or disagreements,
please email Paul.
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