Aggies Face Misericordia University Cougars

Delaware Valley College will look for its fifth win in a row as the four-time defending Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) champion Aggies host first-year program Misericordia University on Saturday, October 20. Kickoff at Robert A. Lipinski Field at James Work Memorial Stadium is set for 1:00 p.m.

           Delaware Valley is having a “Pink Out” for the game and the team is asking for all fans to wear pink at the stadium in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The team is selling pink t-shirts for $15 all week in the college’s bookstore and will have them available for purchase at the stadium on game day. All proceeds will be donated to Breast Cancer Research in the name of Amadeus Hall, a member of the Aggie football team from 2009 to 2011 who passed away this summer. The cause was very important to Hall as he lost both his mother and grandmother to the disease.               

           Delaware Valley improved to 4-2 overall and 4-1 in the MAC with last Saturday’s 38-0 triumph at King’s College. The offense netted a total of 432 yards (241 rushing, 191 passing) while the defense notched its first shutout on the road since a 16-0 blanking at Widener University in 2006.

           Delaware Valley is second in the MAC in scoring with an average of 34 points per contest. The offense is also second in rushing (218.7 avg), passing (242.2 avg) and total yardage (460.8 avg).

           Aaron Wilmer (Philadelphia, PA/George Washington) heads the offensive unit and, last Saturday, the sophomore became just the fourth quarterback in school history to surpass the 4,000-yard passing mark (4,160) in a career. He joined Adam Knoblauch (11,264 yards from 2002 to 2005), Mike Isgro (7,336 yards from 2006 to 2009) and Joey Shenko (5,173 yards from 1996 to 1999) on the exclusive list.

           Wilmer completed 18 of 29 passes for 191 yards and one touchdown while also rushing for 30 yards and a score at King’s. For the season, he is 111-for-179 for 1,431 yards, 13 touchdowns and just four interceptions in the air, as well as 238 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

           The receiving tandem of Chris Ruiz (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic) and Lewis Vincent (Bensalem, PA/Bensalem) has combined for 52 catches for 863 yards and nine trips to the end zone. Ruiz, a senior, has caught 34 passes for 421 yards and five touchdowns, including a five-reception, 67-yard performance last week. That showing moved him into the top 10 on the school’s all-time career list as he has now caught 96 passes over his three-plus years. Vincent made two grabs for 47 yards at King’s to up his season numbers to 18 receptions for 442 yards. The junior has reached paydirt on four occasions this year and 13 in his career (tied for seventh all-time).

           Junior tailback Kyle Schuberth (Darby, PA/Monsignor Bonner) moved up the all-time charts as well as his three rushing touchdowns against King’s gave him 24 for his career and put him in a tie for fourth place. Schuberth finished the game with 86 yards on 21 carries and he earned a spot on the MAC’s Honor Roll. For the season, Schuberth has carried the ball 102 times for 502 yards and nine scores while also catching 19 passes for 105 yards and one touchdown.

           On the defensive side of the ball, Delaware Valley tops all 10 teams in the MAC in both passing (124.5 avg) and total yardage (273.3 avg). The unit is also second in interceptions with nine and third in scoring with an average of 14.2 points allowed per game. Senior safety John Robinson (Mantua, NJ/Clearview) continues to pace a balanced Aggie unit (nine different players have 20 or more tackles) with 38 tackles and two interceptions (29 return yards). He had two stops in the win over King’s.

           Defensive end Dwayne Shaw (Philadelphia, PA/West Catholic) had a big showing at King’s and was named to the MAC Honor Roll for his efforts. He finished the contest with six tackles, two sacks and two pass breakups. For the year, Shaw has 34 tackles (10 for losses) and 4.5 sacks to his credit.

            Junior linebacker John Marcelline (Bensalem, PA/Bensalem) and freshman safety Shaquille Lee (Millville, NJ/Millville) are tied for third on the team in tackles with 29. Marcelline also has a sack on the year while Lee has one interception. The two combined for nine stops last week.

   MISERICORDIA UNIVERSITY

           The Cougars, under head coach Mark Ross, are winless through their first six games (0-5 MAC) of their inaugural season and have been outscored by a 319-44 margin. They have made positive steps as the year has gone on, including two weeks ago when they returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown against Wilkes University for their first lead of the season. Misericordia went on to lose the game, 45-13, and it had a bye last week.

           Of the 72 players listed on the Cougars’ roster for their inaugural season, 52 are freshmen including nine starts on offense. The unit is averaging 7.3 points and 209.8 yards (115.2 avg rushing, 94.7 avg passing) per game. Freshman quarterback Jeff Puckett has completed 65 of 117 passes for 564 yards and four touchdowns. He has also rushed for a score. Two weeks ago against Wilkes, he was 9-for-11 for 63 yards and a touchdown.

           Puckett’s favorite target has been rookie Paul Brace, who has 22 catches for 222 yards on the year. He did record a reception in the Wilkes game. Misericordia’s ground attack is paced by junior tailback Cody Lamoreaux. Lamoreaux has carried the ball 77 times for 293 yards, including a 33-yard effort two Saturdays ago. 

           Defensively, the Cougars are allowing average of 53.2 points and 535.8 yards (329.7 avg rushing, 206.2 avg passing) per contest. They have forced six turnovers with three interceptions and three fumbles. Freshmen safeties Brandon Salazar and Michael Comerford lead the team with 33 tackles apiece while rookie linebacker Hunter Pates is right behind with 31 stops. The trio combined for 27 tackles against Wilkes.