Red Hawks Keep NJAC Hopes Alive, Downing Profs 14-7
The Red Hawks improve to 8-1 overall and 8-0 in the conference. Montclair State faces Kean University on Saturday, November 14 for the NJAC title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. The Profs have a 6-3 record with a 5-3 NJAC mark.
Montclair State quarterback Tom Fischer completed 15 of 25 passes for 188 yards and one touchdown. Wideout Byron Lewin made four receptions for 42 yards. Running back Jeff Bliss ran for 36 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries.
Linebacker Brian Tweer compiled 10 tackles, three tackles for a loss, one sack, one interception and one fumble recovery. Defensive end Chris Merkle made nine tackles, while defensive back Ed Kirschenbaum had eight stops and one fumble recovery. Cornerback Gary Knoeppel contributed with six tackles, one interception and one forced fumble.
For Rowan, quarterback Frank Wilczynski threw for 235 yards and one touchdown with 19 completions in 39 attempts. Superback Ryan Leafey rushed for 72 yards on 16 carries. Wide receiver Vinnie Graff had four catches for 72 yards. Wideout James Kinloch hauled in three balls for 80 yards and one touchdown. Wide receiver Anthony Barone added five grabs for 43 yards.
Linebackers Jerome Gordon and Andrew Yezzi each registered 13 tackles. Gordon forced three fumbles and Yezzi had one interception. Defensive end Matt Hoffman followed with seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and one sack. Linebacker Moe Ghotok forced a fumble and safety Eric Sharkey and defensive end Frank Olexson both had a fumble recovery.
Montclair State went ahead 7-0 at 4:06 in the first quarter. Bliss carried the ball into the end zone from two yards out. Fischer completed three of four pass attempts for 52 yards in the 11 play, 84 yard drive. At 6:46 in the second period, Fischer threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Letizia to put the Red Hawks up 14-0 at the half. Montclair State took over on downs at its own 35-yard line. Fischer hooked up with Letizia on the first play from scrimmage.
Rowan got on the scoreboard at 12:02 in the third quarter. Wilczynski connected with Kinloch on a 57 yard touchdown pass. With 1:17 remaining in the game, Rowan started on its own 20 yard line. The Profs drove down the field to the Montclair State 32 yard line, but the Red Hawks held their ground for the win.
Rowan hosts NJAC opponent The College of New Jersey in its final game of the season on Saturday, November 14 at 1 p.m.
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robah36a Says:
Rowan football program needs a makeover. Coach Acorsi has failed to get Rowan back on the path to the playoffs and championship game. He has failed to recruit players who will help guide this program back to stardom and success. He refuses to accept recruits from “bigger” schools because he thinks it will be unfair to the players who are on the team and who made a commitment to attend Rowan. I think this ideology is wrong and reckless. A player has a right to play at any school he wants to play at, as long as he has the grades and talent. A player may change his opinion about the school he attended and may want to then attend Rowan because Rowan gives him the best opportunity to play football and to acheive academic success. However, because of Coach Acorsi’s policy, this player, unfortunately, will not be allowed to play at Rowan. This is huge mistake. Players transfer from college to college all the time, whether they play a sport or not.
Rowan football has not made the playoffs since 2005, when they reached the semifinals. Since then, Rowan football has not come close to reaching the playoffs. (They just don’t have the talent anymore, not like in the mid to late 90′s.) They had a horrible year in 2007, having a losing record for the first time since the mid 80′s. In 2008, they had a decent record, but they lost to the best teams in the NJAC, Cortland and Montclair St. In order for them to win the NJAC and make the playoffs, they have to beat teams like Cortland and Montclair St. Rowan used to be a team to reckon with, but now, they are a mere shell of themselves. This culture of not winning has to change, in order for Rowan to be taken seriously again.
In order for Rowan to be an elite Football program again, Coach Acorsi will have to relax his “no transfer” policy and recruit better athletes outside of the surrounding counties.
Sincerely,
a former Rowan player who wants to see Rowan Football playing amongst the best teams in the nation.
Posted on November 19th, 2009 at 11:06 AM