Full recaps of the first-round action in the Delaware Valley bracket, plus previews and predictions for the second round games, after the jump. For team capsules, see the first round precap.
1 Delaware Valley 62, 8 Norwich 10
at James Work Memorial Stadium, Doylestown PA; attendance 1476
Delaware Valley rolled up over 600 yards of offense, held Norwich to under 200, and really what else needs to be said to explain the result?
Norwich went three-and-out to open, and the Aggies took over at the Norwich 49; two plays later, Aaron Wilmer ran in from 41. On the next drive, Norwich went for it on 4th and 1 from their own 49 and were stopped; this time, the Cadet defense forced DelVal into a three-and-out. Norwich got out of the shadow of their end zone, but were still forced to kick it away. The Aggies started at their own 44 and seven plays later Tyler Neal bulled in from the one. Another Norwich punt led to DelVal driving as the quarter ended with the Aggies up 14-0.
At the Norwich 36, the Aggies went for it on 4th and 15, but Wilmer’s pass fell incomplete. Norwich drove to the DelVal 13, settling for a 30-yard Long Ding field goal. A trade of punts saw the Aggies starting at their own 14; Isaiah Hall ended the drive with a 36-yard run eight plays later. Norwich responded with a quick 8-play 73-yard drive in under two minutes, scoring when Andrew Fulford tossed a 7-yard TD pass to Jeff Hill on the RB option. With only 42 seconds left on the clock, things didn’t look too grim for the Cadets. Alas, 31 seconds later that had all changed; Wilmer hit Neal for a 32-yard score, and the Aggies took a 28-10 lead into the locker room.
The third quarter saw it all fall apart for Norwich, as they punted on all three possessions. The half started with a nearly six-minute DelVal drive which ended with a 1-yard Kyle Schuberth TD run. After Norwich punted, Hall rambled in from 55 out on the second play of that drive. Norwich went three-and-out, and the Aggies struck again; Wilmer found Rodney Blango for a 13-yard score and the third quarter ended with Delaware Valley up 49-10.
Kris Sabourin was intercetped by Ryan McCullough on the second play of the fourth quarter, but Norwich forced the Aggies second-team offense to punt afterward. Norwich went three-and-out; Cory Almasy was then intercepted by Norwich’s Nael Pierre-Louis. Desperate, and facing three-and-out again, Norwich went for it on 4th and 7 from the DelVal 41; Sabourin’s pass fell incomplete. Six plays later, Hall scored again from 19 yards out, and Norwich threw in the towel. On the ensuing drive, backup QB Zach Angelos was sacked and fumbled; the Aggies recovered at the Norwich 36, and on the next play Darren Parrot rambled in for the final score of the game.
Wilmer was 13-24 for 207 yards and 2 TDs, and ran for 78 yards and a score on 10 tries. Hall had 128 yards on 7 carries and three scores. Parrot added 77 yards on 6 touches, and Schuberth had 61 on 15; each had a TD. Rodney Blango led Aggie receivers with 119 yards on 7 catches. For Norwich, Sabourin was only 4-11 for 34 yards and a pick; he led Norwich runners with 92 yards on 11 carries.
My pregame prediction: Delaware Valley 39, Norwich 6. Norwich was more successful at running the ball than I’d expected, but I didn’t expect DelVal to turn into Norwich when running the ball themselves. It’s almost as if it were a statement.
2 Saint Thomas (MN) 48, 7 Saint Scholastica 2
at O’Shaughnessy Stadium, Saint Paul MN; attendance 2350
In a ridiculous blizzard, the Tommies spotted the Saints a safety, then held Saint Scholastica to 73 yards of offense and four first downs (two only by penalty) in a rout.
The game began with a score, as Kyle Whitley fumbled the opening kickoff and recovered it in the end zone, but was unable to escape, giving the Saints two points. The Saints went three-and-out after the free kick, and the Tommies marched downfield, scoring on a 2-yard Colin Tobin run. The Saints drove into Tommie territory next, aided by a face mask penalty, before having to punt. The Tommies were unable to move the ball, and returned the favor; however, on the third play of the next drive Alex Thiry was picked off by Tyler Erstad at the Tommie 29. Again, the Tommies were unable to move, and punted again; then the Saints went three-and-out and the quarter ended with Saint Thomas only up 6-2.
Both teams traded three-and-outs to open the second. The Tommies took over at the Saints’ 49, running 11 plays in almost six minutes before Dakota Tracy scored on a 1-yard keeper. The Saints followed with another three-and-out; this led to an 8-play drive which ended with a Tobin TD run from the 8, and the half expired with the Tommies now up 20-2.
The third quarter was doom for the Saints, as they only picked up two first downs on their three possessions, while Saint Thomas scored on each possession. First was a 15-yard run by Fritz Waldvogel, then Tobin’s third score of the day on a 42-yard jaunt, and finally an Aaron Terell-Bryd 11-yard run. Just into the fourth, Ryan Toney ran in from seven yards out to supply the final score of the game.
For the Saints, the stats were grim. Thiry, who in the regular season had a 73.3% completion percentage and 37 TDs against only one interception, was 9-21 for 59 yards and two picks. Jake Jensen, who’d run for 118 yards per game, was held to 24 yards on 10 carries; Scholastica was held to 14 net yards on the ground. The Tommies, on the other hand, exploded. Tracy was 11-19 for 125 yards. Tobin had 206 yards on the ground and 3 scores in 31 carries. Waldvogel, along with his single carry for 15 yards and a score, caught seven passes for 75 yards.
My pregame prediction: Saint Thomas 49, Saint Scholastica 13. I got the Tommies right, basically; what I didn’t count on was Scholastica being completely shut down offensively. I did note they weren’t going to get the running game untracked, so that’s something…
6 Monmouth (IL) 33, 3 Illinois Wesleyan 27 (3OT)
at Tucci Stadium, Bloomington IL; attendance 2150
There were almost as many points scored in three overtimes as there were in sixty minutes of regulation, but the Scots pulled off the upset after a key defensive stop gave them an opening.
Illinois Wesleyan took the opening kickoff and drove methodically downfield before Rob Gallik found Sean Conley for a six-yard score. Alex Tanney was intercepted on the ensuing drive, but it came to nothing as the Titans were forced to punt. The teams then traded turnovers; Tanney completed a pass to Austin Peterson, but he lost control of the ball and the Titans recovered. Three plays later, however, Gallik was intercepted by Nate Bond at the Monmouth 5, saving a score. The Scots were then able to drive back to midfield before being forced to kick, and the Titans began a drive which ended the first quarter.
On the second play of the second quarter, Conley ran in from the two, and IWU had a 14-0 lead. Monmouth went three-and-out; the Titans went for it on 4th and 5 from the Monmouth 34 but didn’t pick up the first; then Monmouth went three-and-out again. Wesleyan took over at the Monmouth 39 and drove, but had to settle for a 31-yard Tony Angelos field goal to make it 17-0. Another Monmouth punt was followed by another miscue by Gallik, picked off by Jesse Holtsclaw at the Titan 31. Six plays later, Monmouth was on the board thanks to a seven-yard Nick Law run, and the half ended with the score 17-7.
Monmouth opened the second half with a 14-play 74-yard drive, concluding with a 13-yard Tanney pass to Trey Yocum. With the exception of one drive which ended with Gallik being intercepted for a third time, this time by Ryan Flannigan, every possession for the remainder of the third quarter ended in a punt, except the final one: Monmouth took over at their own 42 with 1:40 to go, and had reached the Titan 22 when the quarter ended, trailing 17-14.
Three plays later, Matt Batton hit a 38-yard field goal, and the game was tied. Monmouth forced IWU into a three-and-out, and pulses started racing. The Scots drove deep, but on 1st and 10 at the Titan 11, Brik Wedekind carried for three yards but fumbled; Will Jenkins recovered for the Titans. They were unable to move the ball and were forced to punt from their own 10, however. Monmouth took over on the Titan 37; three plays later it was 4th and 8 on the 35, and Tanney threw complete to Michael Davis. Unfortunately, the spot was a yard short of the sticks, and the ball went over on downs. IWU began driving, and was approaching the Monmouth red zone when Gallik threw his fourth interception of the day to Erik Weber at the 22. Monmouth managed to get back to midfield, but facing 4th and 6 at the 50 with 30 seconds to go, coach Steve Bell elected to punt and play for overtime rather than risk allowing Wesleyan the ball at midfield. The kick was a touchback, and the Titans knelt.
Wesleyan had the ball first, and eventually scored on a 1-yard run by Conley. The kick was good. Monmouth’s turn saw them facing 2nd and goal from the 15 after a false start; Tanney calmly hit Mike Blodgett for the score, and Batton converted the kick. In the second overtime, Monmouth went first; driving to the five, and facing 4th and 2, Bell elected to have Batton kick rather than going for it. Batton made the 23-yarder, and Wesleyan went to work. The Titans reached the 3, and on fourth down chose to kick; Angeles was accurate from 22, and the game moved to the third overtime.
The first play was a 19-yard completion from Gallik to Cameron Allen, setting up 1st and goal from the 6. Conley ran for two, then Gallik tried to get into the end zone on a keeper. He made it; the ball did not, and Monmouth recovered, now needing only a score to win. Trey Yocum scored from seven yards out and sent Monmouth through to the second round.
It’s a game Gallik would like to have back. He was 21-43 for 280 yards and a TD… but the four interceptions and the critical fumble in overtime will haunt him. Conley had 47 yards on 20 carries to go with his three TDs (2 rushing, 1 receiving), and Joey Driver had 7 catches for 116 yards. The NCAA’s all-division career passing touchdown leader, Alex Tanney, was 32-43 for 336 yards with two TDs and a pick. His favorite target, Mike Blodgett, had 12 catches for 162 yards and a score. Trey Yocum ran for 89 yards on 25 carries, 30 of those yards in the final overtime — all of Monmouth’s yards in the series, thanks to a false start penalty.
My pregame prediction: Monmouth 28, Illinois Wesleyan 24. I wasn’t really there on the score, but I called the upset. Of course, I also said not to expect Monmouth to roll up 500 yards of offense on the Titans… they didn’t. They only had 448. Admittedly, about 75 of that was in overtime, but let’s make this clear: Monmouth ran up yards on a defensive team from a tough conference. Saint Thomas needs to take notice.
5 Saint John Fisher 23, 4 Johns Hopkins 12
at Homewood Field, Baltimore MD; attendance 1501
Eating 13:45 of the first quarter, and picking off five Hewitt Tomlin passes, helped Saint John Fisher record a mild upset in Baltimore on Saturday.
Fisher took the opening kickoff and ground out 16 plays, using up 8:18, before reaching 4th and 4 at the Hopkins 9. Chad Monheim connected on a 26-yarder to give the Cardinals the lead. Hopkins was forced three-and-out, and that would be the only time they laid hands on the ball in the first quarter as Fisher again ground the clock to dust.
Two plays into the second quarter, having used up another 5:35, Monheim again booted one through the uprights, this time from 28, to give Fisher a 6-0 lead. Hopkins responded, chewing clock themselves on a 13-play, 60-yard march which ended when on 4th and goal from the six, Tomlin hit Daniel Wodicka for a score. The PAT was blocked, leaving the game tied. Fisher then went three-and-out, but on the ensuing possession Tomlin was intercepted by Dave Vosburgh, giving Fisher the ball at their own 43. Moving downfield, the Cardinals reached the Hopkins 9; QB Ryan Kramer ran for two yards, but had to leave the game due to a hip injury on the play. His backup, Ahmed Hassanien, hit Ryan Francis for a score on the next play to put Fisher up 13-6. The Bluejays drove to the Fisher 35 the, but Tomlin was picked off again, this time by Wade Kline. Fisher then went three-and-out, but there were only three seconds left on the clock after the punt. Jonathan Rigaud managed to bust a 27-yard run on the final play of the half, but that was less than halfway to the goal line.
Hopkins took the second-half kickoff and again encroached on Cardinal territory. Adam Burdick intercepted him at the 18, and Fisher took over on the 25. On the third play of the ensuing drive, Hassanian connected with Ryan Schmidt for a 58-yard play to the Bluejay nine yard line, but Cody Miller fumbled on the next play, giving Hopkins the ball at their own 13. Twelve plays and 87 yards later, Scott Barletta plunged in from the one, but the kick failed, leaving the Bluejays a point behind. Hassanien then calmly directed the Cardinals downfield, including a 42-yard strike to Ryan Francis, before Miller scored on a 2-yard carry to put the Cardinals back up by eight after the PAT. Hopkins again drove, pushing to within the Fisher red zone as the third quarter ended with the Cardinals leading 20-12.
Facing 4th and 6 at the Fisher 11, Jim Margraff elected to go for the end zone. Tomlin’s pass to Nick Fazio fell incomplete, however, and Fisher took over on downs. After a 39-yard pickup on another Hassanien-Francis connection, the advance stalled, and Fisher had to punt; the Bluejays were pinned at their own 12. Mostly on the legs of Rigaud, Hopkins got back out to their own 34; on 4th and 2, they again went for it, and again Tomlin failed to hit his receiver. Fisher’s ensuing drive resulted in a 23-yard field goal from Monheim, and a 23-12 lead. From that point, Hopkins had three more cracks at the Fisher defense; two ended in Tomlin interceptions, and a third ended in yet another failed fourth-down conversion by Tomlin.
It was a horrible day for Tomlin, who still goes down as perhaps the greatest quarterback in Hopkins history. He was 31-52 for 224 yards and a touchdown, but the five picks and three failed fourth-down conversions are things he won’t forget. Rigaud had 137 yards on 17 carries. Scott Cremens caught 10 balls for 89 yards, and Wodicka added 12 for 83. For Fisher, Kramer was 8-12 for 72 yards before having to leave the game; Hassanien was 8-13 for 162 with a TD. Cody Miller had 29 carries for 82 yards and a score. Only two Cardinals caught passes the entire game; Ryan Schmidt caught 11 for 124 yards, while Francis had 110 yards on 5 receptions and a touchdown.
My pregame prediction: Saint John Fisher 29, Johns Hopkins 26. I don’t know that Fisher “throttled back” Hopkins’ passing game as I suggested, but they sure as hell disrupted it. Tomlin had only thrown five picks all season coming into the game. Hassanien performed quite admirably in Kramer’s absence, so much so that I can’t blame Kramer’s injury for Fisher not reaching my projected score.
Next up:
6 Monmouth (IL) (10-1) at 2 Saint Thomas (MN) (11-0)
O’Shaughnessy Stadium, Saint Paul MN, 1pm ET
Video available via Minnesota Sports Network. Audio available via WCCO. Live Stats available via Elastic Stats.
Series: Saint Thomas leads 1-0 (2009 playoffs, 43-21 at Monmouth)
Jon’s Prediction:
Saint Thomas 37, Monmouth 25. This game is going to be closer than a lot of people think. The Tommies’ defense has been excellent, but Alex Tanney’s also a dangerous, dangerous passer with a good team around him. Most of Saint Thomas’s defense is based on their ridiculously potent rushing defense, but their passing defense is weak by comparison. That said, the Tommies are very effective in the red zone, so look for most of Monmouth’s scoring to come on deeper strikes. The real difference in this game is going to be Colin Tobin’s ability to rack up yards on the Monmouth defense, and that’s going to have to be a real concern for the Scots.
5 Saint John Fisher (9-2) at 1 Delaware Valley (11-0)
James Work Memorial Stadium, Doylestown PA, 12pm ET
No internet video feed available. Audio available via WROC and UStream. Live Stats available via Sidearm.
Series: Delaware Valley leads 1-0 (2004 playoffs, 26-20 at Delaware Valley)
Jon’s Prediction:
Delaware Valley 24, Saint John Fisher 20. Yeah, this one’s that close. I took three points away from Fisher simply because I don’t know whether Kramer will be healthy or even back yet; if he’s not, well, Hassanien filled in nicely, so it’s probably not too big a problem. But let’s be really honest here: the Empire 8 is the only league that still has two schools playing football, and there’s a reason. It’s a tragedy that there’s no video feed for this game, because it deserves to be watched.