ALBRIGHT HALL OF FAME:
Albright athletics' annual Hall of Fame induction will be held in the Schumo Center following the Pretzel Bowl game. This year's inductees include former football All-Americans George Reagan '62 and Mark Redmond '78, along with men's basketball player Frederick Dietzel III '59 and volleyball star Ronda (Miller) Wounderly '92.
LIONS LAST WEEK:
A final pass from the two yard line sailed just over Daniel McNair's head as the Albright College football team fell 24-18 to third-year program Stevenson University (2-0) on Saturday in Owings Mills, Md.
Sophomore Daniel Sobolewski kicked a school record 51-yard field goal in the defeat. Senior Ty Hughes rushed for 98 yards and a touchdown, while classmate McNair had 107 receiving yards and a score.
The upset loss leads the Lions in desperate need of a victory this week against the contending Aggies if they are to be a factor in the Middle Atlantic Conference championship race.
NATIONAL WEEKLY HONORS:
After a week one victory over Kean University, Albright kicker Daniel Sobolewski (three FGs, 3-3 PATs, 2 touchbacks) was named a BSN National Special Teams Player of the Week, the USA College Football National Special Teams Player of the Week, and was listed on the D3football.com Team of the Week. Safety Drew Peterson (two interceptions) was also named to the D3football.com Team of the Week, and earned honorable mention honors from USA College Football.
This past week, Delaware Valley safety Danny Wynne (17 total tackles in a win over Misericordia) was a BSN National Defensive Player of the Week while also earning an honorable mention Player of the Week nod from USA College Football.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS:
The Lions were well-represented on 2013 Preseason All-American teams, with three players receiving a total of six selections. Senior safety Drew Peterson was a first team USA College Football, second team D3 Senior Classic and third team BSN Preseason All-American. Fifth-year senior Matt Pattison earned second team USA College Football and honorable mention D3 Senior Classic honors, and senior tight end Eric Wade was a fourth team USA College Football selection.
ALBRIGHT WEBCASTS:
Live video streaming will be provided for all home Albright football games, with free online audio of away contests. All home video contests will cost $5.95 for a single game; a three-month all-access pass is available for $19.95. Bob McCool will be the voice of the Lions again this season.
SERIES:
Delaware Valley holds a 29-18 advantage in a series that began in 1963. The Aggies have won the last three meetings, dating back to a 27-3 Albright victory in the 2009 NCAA second round.
HEAD COACHES:
John Marzka is in his seventh season at Albright, while Jim Clements enters his eighth at DVC. Over the past five seasons, these two coaches have combined for five MAC titles and four ECAC championships. Marzka (46-23) led Albright to a share of the MAC title in 2008, while Clements (61-20) was at the helm for four consecutive conference championships (2008-2011). Both Albright and Delaware Valley won ECAC Bowl games in 2008 and 2012.
ALBRIGHT OFFENSE:
Albright totaled 413 yards of offense vs. Stevenson, but 140 of those came within the final six minutes of the contest as the Lions came up empty on their first five drives of the second half.
Senior wide receivers Devron Clark (11 catches, 165 yards) and Daniel McNair (10 catches, 125 yards, TD) have led the passing game, while senior running back Ty Hughes has totaled 188 yards and 3 touchdowns on 45 carries.
ALBRIGHT DEFENSE:
The Albright defense has intercepted four passes in two games while forcing five fumbles (recovering one). The Lions also have six sacks and forced multiple intentional grounding penalties last weekend vs. Stevenson. The defensive unit will look to capture its form from the first half vs. Kean (22 yards of total offense) to keep Albright in the game against the 21st-ranked Aggies.
Cornerback Levi Myers has a team-high 21 tackles, 3.0 hits for loss, one interception and one forced fumble. Defensive end Mark Capetola has 2.5 tackles for loss and forced a safety last weekend, and fellow senior Drew Peterson has intercepted two passes.
ALBRIGHT SPECIAL TEAMS:
Sophomore kicker Daniel Sobolewski (4-5 FGs) has emerged as a threat for the Lions, as he brings arguably the strongest leg in Division III. Albright has not been afraid to try from distance, missing a 48-yarder against Kean before hitting a school record 51-yard attempt last week. Sobolewski has also booted three touchbacks in the first two games this season, and may need to hit a big kick if the Lions are to prevail this weekend.
DELAWARE VALLEY OFFENSE:
Delaware Valley is ranked 21st overall in the D3football.com Top-25 poll, and returns junior All-MAC quarterback Aaron Wilmer. Wilmer has five TDs and just one interception in a pair of victories this season, and has rushed for a score as well. First team All-MAC running back Kyle Schuberth, a first team USA College Football preseason All-American this summer, missed the first two games due to injury but is expected back this week against the Lions.
DELAWARE VALLEY DEFENSE:
Safety Danny Wynne, just a sophomore, totaled 17 tackles and a blocked punt last weekend vs. Misericordia, and has 24 tackles on the season. The Aggies are allowing just 136.0 passing yards per game, but have given up 234.5 rushing YPG.
DELAWARE VALLEY SPECIAL TEAMS:
Junior Brandon Snyder was an honorable mention All-MAC selection last year. His only field goal attempt of the season so far was blocked, but he has made all 11 extra points and kicked four touchbacks.
ECAC SOUTH-EAST CHAMPIONS:
In a crazy first minute of the fourth quarter, Albright erased a 14-point deficit in 14 seconds and went on to win the 2012 ECAC South-East Bowl, 38-34 over Franklin & Marshall.
After F&M punched it in for a 28-14 lead on the opening play of the fourth quarter, junior Daniel McNair took the ensuing kickoff back 88 yards for the touchdown. The Diplomats then fumbled Albright's kickoff on their own four-yard line, where it was recovered by Sean Cunningham on the one. Ty Hughes carried it in on the next play, giving the Lions two touchdowns in 14 seconds (and a combined three touchdowns for the two squads in a 28-second span).
The action was far from over, as F&M's Paul McGann got behind the Lion defense on the next play from scrimmage but was stripped. Cunningham came up with the ball for his second fumble recovery in a span of 18 seconds. Albright quarterback TJ Luddy completed a tough third down pass to Caleb Shilko to the four-yard line, and then snuck it in with 8:33 left to put the Lions ahead 35-28.
Delaware Valley won the South-Atlantic Bowl 24-21 over Muhlenberg, rallying from a four-point halftime deficit.
PILLAR GETS NFL CHANCE:
Albright wide receiver Scott Pillar, a 2012 AFCA Coaches All-American and two-time BSN All-American, signed a rookie free agent contract with the St. Louis Rams after draft weekend this past spring. He completed rookie mini-camp but was released from the 90-man roster before regular camp began.
PRESEASON POLLS:
The Lions received three first-place votes, but still ranked fourth overall, in a tight Middle Atlantic Conference preseason coaches poll. Lycoming garnered four first-place votes and finished at the top of the poll. Albright (65 points) had the second-highest total of first-place votes but finished just behind defending champion Widener (68 points) and Delaware Valley (67 points).
