South Mountaineer Volume 12, Issue 10

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LEHIGH University's IC4A and MAC cross country championship squad. From left—Dan Mitrano, Co-Captain
Bob Detrick, Joseph Franke, John Heil, Co-Captain Ed Carney, Steve Bayer, Tim Steele, Scott Nicholas, Roger
Jackucewicz, Jack Collins,   Manager Bill Stockdale and Coach John Covert, (Story on Page 2)
Published by the Alumni Student Grants Committee, Lehigh University Alumni Association
Vol. 12 - No.10
NOVEMBER   24, 1969
BETHLEHEM, PENNA.
It's Lehigh
/
19
Engineers Jolt
Lafayette 11
Lehigh climaxed its
most successful football season in eight
years Saturday with a
rousing 36-19 triumph
over Lafayette before
16,000 spectators in
Taylor StadiumG It was
the Engineers' highest
point total against the
Leopards since the
1950   squad   won   38-0.
Sophomore halfback Don Di*
orio, who carried the ball 26
times for 166 yards and a pair
of touchdowns, was voted the
game's   Most  Valuable   Player,
He had plenty of help offensively and defensively with the defenders, in particular, turning in
a brilliant afternoon.
Defensive heroes included tackle Bob Fonte who blocked a field
goal try which linebacker Chuck
Lieb returned 69 yards for a
touchdown, halfback Fred Bergdoll who intercepted two passes
and returned one of them 52 yards
for a score, and linebacker Rich
Revta who rambled 17 yards with
an intercepted pass to set up the
winners'    fifth   and   final  tally.
While the defense was coming
up with big plays in key situations the offense kept grinding
away until it piled up 304 yards
on the ground and 36 in the air
for a total of 340. Lafayette made
375, including 226 passing, but
was repeatedly turned back in
clutch spots.
The highly-touted depth of
offensive backs in the Engineer
arsenal never was more apparent. Quarterback Jim Baxter,
the team's seasonal total offense
leader, played only briefly in the
final minute- Fullback Justin
Plummer, a star against Lafayette last year, and regular half-
DON DIORIO, voted MVP of 105th Lehigh-Lafayette football game,
at trophy presentation with Coach Fred Dunlap, left, and James Kas-
ser, president of Arcadiau
back Ron Kovatis were sidelined
because of injuries,
All-conference halfback Jim
Petrillo, hampered most of the
season with a bad knee, moved
into the starting lineup and picked up 44 yards and a touchdown
in 10 carries. Sophomore Jack
Rizzo, playing his third game as
a replacement for Plummer,
gained   43   yards   on  10   tries.
Coach's Comment
"Our squad came up with a
great team effort, offensively
and defensively, and maintained
strong pressure all the way. It's
difficult to single out any player,
or players, when everyone contributes so much. Of course,
Donny Diorio won the Most Valuable Player award and he deserved it. I'm sure one or two
of our other men must've been
high in the voting, too/' . „ •
Fred Dunlap, football.
Lehigh will have an odd distinction against Lafayette next
Fall with two MVP trophy winners in action when the Engineers go to Easton for the 106th
game of football's most - played
rivalry. Diorio, as mentioned
earlier, took last Saturday's
award.   Petrillo   won   in   1968.
Coach Fred Dunlap's club
scored in every quarter against
the Leopards. Lieb's 69-yard
blocked field goal runback gave
the team a 7-0 lead in the first
period, Diorio's 46-yard dash
through right tackle broke a 7-7
tie in the second, Petrillo drove
five yards into the end zone in
the third and Bergdoll's 52-yard
pass interception return was followed by Diorio's second TD,
on a 10-yard run, in the fourth.
Ron Schattenberg kicked four
extra points in four tries and
Gerry Berger, who quarterback-
ed the team, scampered across
for a two-point conversion.   Still
another Lehigh touchdown, on a
5-yard run by Jack Paget, was
nullified by a penalty.
Dunlap's battle plan called for
Berger, whom he calls a fourth
running back, to open the game
and continue unless the Leopards jumped ahead and a catchup effort was needed with Baxter
unlimbering   his   passing   arm.
The visitors never were ahead
and Dunlap stuck with Berger as
Coach's Comment
"We pointed for the IC4A and
Middle Atlantic championship
tournaments all year and winning
them, especially the IC4A event,
really brings our program to its
peak. The IC4A test is the top
meet in the East. All of our runners worked very hard and it's
great to see this kind of effort
rewarded." . . . John Covert,
cross country.
Diorio Voted
Most Valuable
Lehigh   stayed   on   the   ground.
Lafayette threatened to move
out front late in the opening
quarter, driving to the Lehigh 14
where the defense threw the
Leopards back to the 24 and
forced a field goal try by Rick
Nowell. His kick was blocked by
Fonte and recovered by Lieb with
the 195-pound linebacker running
69 yards into the end zone.
The Leopards tied 7-7 after
recovering a fumble on the Lehigh
33. Bob Zimmers gained most of
the yardage and Tom Triolo
plowed the final three yards
through right tackle. Nowell
added the extra point.
Lehigh moved after the ensuing
kickoff, getting to the Leopard 37,
before a pass interception gave
the ball to the Leopards. A 15-
yard penalty helped push
Lafayette back to the 11 where a
quick kick by Zimmers under
heavy pressure went only to the
Lafayette 46.
On first down Diorio burst
through a big hole on the right
side, found room and raced all
the way into the end zone. Lehigh
led 14-7 at the intermission and
Diorio already had picked up 105
yards on the ground.
The Engineers were at their
best early in the third period,
kicking off and then breaking
through to toss Leopard runners
for losses totaling 11 yards and
forcing a punt. They got the ball
at the Lafayette 38 and drove
across the goal line in eight
plays. Rizzo, Diorio and Berger
carried to the five and Petrillo
tallied.
On the extra point attempt
Berger, holding the ball, got a
low pass from center. He darted
left, swept around end and added
two points for a 22-7 advantage.
Lehigh  kicked  off,     forced
(Continued on Page 2)