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Gators Look to Rebound at Kenyon
October 11, 2007
Football Game Notes (PDF)
MEADVILLE, Pa. – After having their three-game win streak snapped at the hands of #15 Wabash last weekend, the Allegheny football team (3-2, 1-1 NCAC) looks to rebound on the road at Kenyon (2-3, 1-1 NCAC) on Saturday, October 13.
The Gators, winners of three straight heading into last Saturday’s contest, battled the Little Giants to the wire last Saturday, eventually falling 28-20 to the 15th ranked team in Division III according to the American Football Coaches Association. For the second straight game, sophomore signal-caller T.J. Salopek (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin) was the team’s leading rusher as well as passer, throwing for 105 yards while rushing for 30 yards and a score. Linebacker Mateo Villa (Windsor, Ohio/Middlefield Cardinal) and safety Andy Toner (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) led the defense with 11 tackles apiece, with Toner adding a quarterback sack.
“Our guys were disappointed in the outcome last week,” said Gator head coach Mark Matlak. “We gave an outstanding effort but in the end we lacked execution in certain spots. We have to have a short memory and get back on the horse.”
This week, Salopek (65-of-110/682 yds/4 TDs/3 INT) leads the Gator offense against Kenyon – a team that Allegheny scored 49 points against last season. However, Matlak doesn’t feel that last year’s performance on offense will make a difference during this week’s game.
“We play quality opponents every week and Kenyon is no different. We have to continue to worry about ourselves and what we do. They (Kenyon) score a lot of points and gain a lot of yards. We can’t try to match that type of performance, we have to stick to our own gameplan.”
Salopek will be joined by running backs Rodney Still (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) and Devin Raynor (Bemus Point, N.Y./Maple Grove). Still has a team-high 187 yards and score on the ground while Raynor has totaled 152 yards with three touchdowns. Salopek has looked to a trio of main receivers this season , including Jim Lieb (Carrolltown, Pa./Northern Cambria), Jake Vite (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area), and James Jones (Ellington, N.Y./Falconer Central). Lieb leads the squad with 25 receptions for 237 yards while Vite and Jones have each added a pair of receiving scores.
“We can’t try to outscore them (Kenyon), we need to possess the football and keep their offense off the field,” said Matlak. “Our approach needs to be one play at a time - one possession at a time.”
Defensively, the Gators will once again have a tall task on their hands, facing an offense that averages 489.6 yards of offense per game and scores 38 points per contest. “Kenyon has explosive players and a really good offensive line,” said Matlak. “It was disappointing on defense last week because we lacked execution. Our effort level has been good all year and we need everyone to continue to do their job, not trying to do too much.”
Allegheny is led by its linebackers, Villa, Ross Simcoe (Coudersport, Pa./Coudersport), and Craig Lawrence (Fairview, Pa./Fairview). Villa has a team-high 54 tackles while Simcoe has totaled 48. Lawrence is the team leader in sacks (4.0), tackles for loss (6.5), and fumble recoveries (4). Toner (47 tackles/2.0 sacks) and fellow safety Curt Anderson (Batavia, N.Y./Batavia Notre Dame), who has 33 tackles and an interception, have also been key for the Gator defense.
Kenyon is led by quarterback Rafael Sanchez, who has served as a dual-threat in 2007, passing for 916 yards with nine touchdowns and rushing for a NCAC-high 431 yards and five scores. He is joined by a trio of running backs with at least 250 yards rushing, led by Javier Arbolaez (66 att/321 yds/4 TDs). Carlin Shoemaker (29 rec/418 yds/2 TDs) and Rafael’s brother Mikey Sanchez (12 rec/248 yds/20.7 ypc/4 TDs) have been the quarterback’s top receiving targets this year. The Lords’ defense is paced by linebacker Mike Chase (40 tackles), defensive back Josh Cowgill (2 sacks), and defensive lineman Chris Loggins (2 sacks/4.5 tfl).
The Gators hold a 18-6 advantage in the all-time series, including winning 17 of the last 19 meetings. The Gators won all ten meetings in the 1990 decade, and had won 13 consecutive games before a 34-27 Kenyon win in 2005. Over the last two years, the team not to punt has came out on the wrong end of the scoreboard, as the Gators did not need to punt in the loss in Gambier, while Kenyon’s punter did not reach the field in last season’s 49-38 Allegheny win. Allegheny won the series opener between the teams in 1911, before the Lords rattled off four straight wins from 1941 until 1985.
Kick-off from Gambier, Ohio is set for 2:00 p.m.