South Mountaineer Volume 41, Issue 12

              SouthMountaineer
Volume 12, Issue 12
Lehigh University Athletics Weekly
November 17,1998
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I Season Preview
After sending six grapplers to
nationals last year, five return
for the 1998-99 season. What
was an inexperienced but talented team two years ago has
grown into a well-balanced
team that is in the process of
developing the depth needed to
become a top ten caliber wrestling squad. This process,
complicted just a bit by the new
"NCAA weight rules, takes
time, good coaching, hard work
| and a little luck in avoiding injuries.
Three EIWA champions,
_| sophomore Ryan Bernholz, senior Chris Ayres and senior John Van
Doren, the 1998 Outstanding Wrestler,
are returning.
"We had a good performance at
Easterns," head coach Greg Strobel
said. "At Nationals, we has some tough
draws and some bad breaks. Those
aren't excuses because the great
teams are able to overcome those obstacles."
"This year, we're looking to gain in
the depth department," he said. "With
injuries and other problems, there were
a couple of weights that really cost us
at times. It's time for some of the
younger guys to step up and fill in the
depth chart."
'New NCAA guidelines have added seven
pounds to each class.
125-With the graduation of Mike Sferra,
this is an open weight class for the first
time in four years. Sophomore James
Hamfeldt and some new recruits will alll
compete for the open weight.
133-Freshmen Tim Brosnan, who deferred eligibility last season, is the leading candidate for this spot.
. Ayers
141-Freshman Aaron Paterson is the
likely starter at this weight. Challengers may include Chuck LaMantia and
senior John Desmanais.
149-The 1998 EIWAFreshman-of-the-
Year and member of AWN's All-Freshmen Team, Ryan Bernholz, returns after setting a school record with 35 wins
in his first year. The EIWA champion
will face stiff competition from freshman Chris Vitale.
R. Bernholz
157-ln one of the deepest weights on
the team, senior EIWA Champion
Chris Ayers, a Lehigh record holder
with 39 wins last season, will face challenges from Washington State champion freshman Garrett Knutson or
brother Travis Knutson. Also from Erich
Boettcher, Greg Chirieleison, Dave
Mayland and Bronson Plocus.
165-Junior Travis Doto returns as the
starter, but will be pushed for his job
by junior Art Beaurgard and several
freshmen. His younger challengers include Dave Bautis, Ted Dufresne and
Adriano Solimon.
174-Junior Mark Dufresne will look to
pick up the close wins he just missed
last year. He will be challenged by
wrestlers moving up from 165 and 157.
Lehigh claims league crown
with 49-7 win over Bucknell
Lehigh Head Coach Kevin Higgins and players celebrate Saturday's win.
Palti Ola
Lehigh University's per
sonal nemesis in football,
Bucknell, stood between
Lehigh and a share of the Patriot
League championship — and an
automatic berth in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.
The Bisons, under Tom Gadd,
came into Goodman Stadium
with two consecutive wins over
Lehigh. On Saturday afternoon,
unbeaten Lehigh turned the
Bisons into Interstate 80
roadkill with a 49-7 thrashing.
Instead of the outcome coming down to the final minutes of
the fourth quarter, as many expected, Lehigh wrapped up its
10th victory in the final four minutes of the first quarter with
three quick touchdowns.
Lehigh rolled up a stadium-
record 404 yards rushing - third-
best in school history — and 677
yards in all -- second-best in
school history.
Ron Jean led the way with a
career-best 193 rushing yards
and two touchdowns, and reserve Jamal Burcher added 102
yards.
What a way for Lehigh's 18
seniors to go out in their final
appearance at Goodman.
They are part of the first
Lehigh club to win 10 regular
season games. This team also
can become the first Lehigh
squad to finish the regular season 11-0 if it wins Saturday at
Lafayette.
"This game was real important for the seniors," said junior
quarterback Phil Stambaugh of
Pius X .High School, who again
was marvelous with his 21
completions in 28 attempts for
249 yards. He threw for three
touchdowns, including his team's
first two scores in the opening
quarter.
"Everybody was thinking
about the playoffs, but it was
good this game took on an extra
meaning and that was to win for
the seniors. The playoffs are
down the road."
Lehigh is 5-0 in the league.
Colgate, at 4-1, is the only team
with a chance to tie Lehigh for
the league crown. But even if
that scenario plays out, Lehigh
would represent the league in
the I-AA playoffs because it has
the better overall record.
"It's nice to get in the playoffs," Lehigh coach Kevin
Higgins said, "and, no, I don't
feel cheated (that the game
wasn't closer). We've experienced
a lot of frustration against
Bucknell. They've played well
against us but we had a good
week of preparation, and we
knew we would have to play extremely well to win."
Aside from Stambaugh getting sacked twice in Lehigh's
opening possession, Lehigh was
flawless.
Stambaugh rifled a sidearm
delivery to tight end Bruce
Peltzer for a 10-yard TD to cap
an eight-play, 73-yard drive for
a 7-0 lead with 4:58 left in the
first quarter.
On the kickoff, Nico Carwll
drilled the ball loose from
Bucknell returner Dan Palko
and Phil Pleasant recovered for
Lehigh at the 22. Three plays
later Kody Fedorcha caught a 7-
yard TD toss from Stambaugh.
Bucknell's offense went three-
and-out. Lehigh's offense then
one-and -out, but it was because
Jean, a junior tailback, jetted 69
yards for a touchdown. Jean
started around the left end and
cut back against the pursuit.
With Jean's speed, no Bison was
going to catch him. It was 21-0
with 1:14 to play in the first
quarter.
And this was against a
Bucknell defense that was
ranked sixth in the country
against the run (93 ypg) and held
Holy Cross to minus-27 yards on
the ground last week.
"They built momentum and
we didn't respond," Gadd said.
Jean also scored on a 2-yard
run that finished off a 57-yard
march set up by the first of two
interceptions by Matt Andrews
of Catasauqua.
Jean had shared time at
tailback with senior Brian Baker
but he got the start Saturday
because Baker is out with a foot
injury.
Jean easily could have rushed
for more than 200 yards but he
went to the bench for good with
the rest of the first-team offense
after Brett Snyder's 8-yard TD
made it 42-0 with 2:45 left in the
third quarter.
"Last year, I'd be real nervous
whenever I went into the game,"
said Jean, who is from Florida
but was born in the Bahamas.
"Coach Higgins told me to be relaxed and loose. Whenever I
make a mistake, I try to stay
relaxed and loose."
Lehigh was relaxed and loose.
Senior defensive end Nick
Martucci of Pius X, who made his
43rd consecutive start, said
that's been the key to the club's
perfect season.
"As seniors, we said before
the season that we had to make
playing football more fun,"
Martucci said. "Our attitude
wasn't right last year. If we're
going to be here, it has to be fun.
That's why we should be playing
football."
It's worked for 10 games so
far. No reason to expect anything different at Lafayette in
six days.
-Corky Blake, Express-Times
Lehigh    21    7   14   7-49
Bucknell 0    0     0   0-7
L-Peltzer 10 pass from Stambaugh
(Taaffe kick)
L-Fedorcha 7 pass from Stambaugh
(Taaffe Kkck)
L-Jean 69 run (Taaffe kick)
L-Jean 3 run (Taaffe kick)
L-B. Snyder 4 pass from Stambaugh
(Taaffe kick)
L-B. Snyder 8 run (Taaffe kick)
B-Marrow 1 run (Coleman kick)
L-Burcher 42 run (Taaffe kick)
Team Statistics
Lehigh Bucknell
First downs
31
11
Rushes-yards
55-408
24-109
Yards passing
269
87
Fumbles-lost
0-0
2-1
Punts-Average
1-39
6-38
Penalities-yards
6-63
1-5
Sacks by loss
0-0
2-15
Posession time
37:04
22:56
Friday
Women's Basketball
Lehigh 48
Belarussia 77
Men's Basketball (1-0)
Lehigh 73
Vermont 60
Saturday
K»l
Football (10-0.
Lehigh
Bucknell
5-0)
49
7
Cross Country
The men's and women'sl
teams team competed in the I
NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional |
Championships in Annapolis,
MD. The men's squad finished I
in 15th place out of 25 teams I
and the women in 13th place
out of 23 teams.On the men's side,
Princeton finished first and on the
women's side, Villanova took first.
Men's Swim/Dive(2-0,1-0)
Lehigh 158
Colgate 73
Women's Swim/Dive (2-0. 1-0)
Lehigh 155
Colgate 66
Volleyball (20-14.4-2)
Lehigh 0
George Mason        3
Tuesday, November 17-
Wrestle-Offs, 7:30 pm
Wednesday, November 18-B
Women's    Basketball   vs.
Princeton, 7 pm
Thursday, November 19-
Men's Basketball atYale, 7:301
pm
Friday, November 20-
Wrestling vs. Bucknell, 7:30 pm |
Men's and Women's Swimming/Diving at Lafayette, 7 pm |
Saturday, November 21-
Football at Lafayette, 12:30 pm |
Volleyball at Bucknell (Patriot League
Championships), 4 pm
Sunday, November 22-
Volleyball at Bucknell (Patriot League
Championships), 2 pm
Women's Basketball at American, 2 pm
184-Senior All-American John Van
Doren returns after winning the EIWA
Season Preview (cont.)
184-Senior All-American
John Van Doren returns after
winning the EIWA title and being named the Outstanding
Wrestler for the 1998 championships. The 1997AII-
American had his second
straight 30-win sesaon.
Sophomore Samir Mahmoud
will challenge.
197-Sophomore Glauco Lolli-
Ghetti returns, but will have to
take on Clarion transfer Rob .
Rohn to remain a starter,
Rohn was a state champion
from Nazareth High School.
Erik Drange, who missed the
second half of last season
with a knee injury, could appear in
January or may compete at 184 depending on his status. James Moore,
a freshmen football player from Execter
High School, may be a factor.
L«L*1
Hwt-The other senior bookend lest to
graduation, two-time All-American Bill
Closson, leaves some big shoes to fill.
Two-time New Jersey state Champion
Shawn Laughlin is the leader at this
point in replacing Closson. Laughlin
went unbeaten in his final two ye«rs of
high school competition.