Monmouth-Wagner football preview
With game notes highlights from Monmouth's Greg (I love the Philadelphia Eagles) Viscomi and from Wagner SID Todd Vatter and a few comments from yours truly:
Head Coach: Wagner is led by Walt Hamline who holds a 179-88-2 record in his 26th year at the helm of the Seahawk program. Wagner shot out to a 4-0 start this season but has dropped two straight, both NEC bouts, to fall to 4-2 overall and winless in the conference. Hamline is also the Director of Athletics at Wagner.
My comment: Hameline is a real good guy who I know pretty well and is also a Colts Neck resident. I don't envy him making that drive to Staten Island every day. (He must know a short cut to beat the BQE.
Offense: Wagner’s offense puts up an average of 24 points per game, which is second in the NEC. WC’s Matt Abbey has 1,126 yards on the season with a 50.6 completion percentage and has tossed nine touchdowns compared to throwing five interceptions. Converted defensive back Jason Butler paces the Seahawk ground attack with 443 yards on 90 attempts with three touchdowns. Aliga Betts also has been worked in at times, with a pair of scores and 285 yards on 60 touches. Preseason All-Americans Chris Turner and Joe Kinard are a legitimate one-two receiving punch at their widout and tight end positions.
Turner has 425 yards on 28 catches with a league-leading seven TD receptions. Kinard is averaging 12.0 yards per catch with 12 grabs in the five games in which he has seen action.
My comment: Turner is one TD catch from tying Miles Austin at 33 for the NEC record and thus two from breaking it. Can the Hawks defense prevent this?
Defense: The Seahawks boast one of the conference’s top defenses, leading in two team categories, scoring defense and rushing defense. Wagner is holding
opponents to just 10.7 points per game (MU is second in the NEC), and has allowed only 73.8 yards per game on the ground. Junior outside linebacker Bryan Brand paces the Seahawks on defense with 51 total tackles and two forced fumbles. Sophomore Adrian Adderly leads the defensive line with 22 tackles including three for a loss. Defensive end Kevin Maroney’s five sacks on the season to led Wagner, but he will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
My comment: Wagner beat four MAAC teams to start the season. The NEC may not be the Big 10, but the MAAC isn't the NEC.
Special Teams: Kicker Piotr Czech is one of the finest in the NEC, setting a new conference record two weeks ago when he hit a 54 yarder, the second longest
in I-AA history. Czech has hit 75 percent of his kicks his season, including
going 2-3 on kicks over 40 yards. Czech also handles the punting duties, with a 38.2 average and 13 of his 32 kicks landing inside the 20.
My comment: Czech is a Keyport High School graduate who was supposed to go to Duke. When that didn't happen he landed at Wagner. A very good recruit for them.
Monmouth info:
Wide receiver Adam San Miguel needs just 31 receptions to become MU’s all-time leader in career grabs. San Miguel has led the Hawks in receptions
in every game this season and his 47 receptions leads the NEC. He is also second in all of I-AA with 7.8 receptions per game.• Senior defensive back Jamaal McClintock
snagged his first-career interception
against Sacred Heart.
My comment: When is Ron Lauch going to catch his first collegiate pass? (I'm just having some fun here. Ron is a great kid and he's gonna get one (and more) maybe soon.
MU redshirt freshman running back David Sinisi led all backs in last week’s game with 85 yards on 18 carries. Sinisi also picked up his seventh rushing touchdown of the season, giving him eight overall on the year. Sinisi has scored in every MU game so far this season.• After missing his first game since freshman year against SBU, senior safety Matt Hill recorded a team-high seven tackles, six of which were solo against Sacred Heart.
My comment: Sinisi and Ryan Skorupka look like the backs for 2007. Sinsi could be a very productive uip back in the I.
Monmouth back up quarterback Brett Burke came in late in the game last week, completing four out of six passes for 35 yards. Burke is now six-of-nine on the season with 56 yards. • After starting the season only hitting
three out of his first seven field goal attempts, kicker Fred Weingart has been a perfect three for three in his last three games.• MU’s 200 passing ypg is 1st in the Northeast Conference.
My comment: Burke is the heir apparent to Brian Boland who is now 2 TD passes from Dan Sabella's MU school career record of 52.
My prediction - I am 2-1 so far, is tomorrow. Feel free to make yours any time.
Head Coach: Wagner is led by Walt Hamline who holds a 179-88-2 record in his 26th year at the helm of the Seahawk program. Wagner shot out to a 4-0 start this season but has dropped two straight, both NEC bouts, to fall to 4-2 overall and winless in the conference. Hamline is also the Director of Athletics at Wagner.
My comment: Hameline is a real good guy who I know pretty well and is also a Colts Neck resident. I don't envy him making that drive to Staten Island every day. (He must know a short cut to beat the BQE.
Offense: Wagner’s offense puts up an average of 24 points per game, which is second in the NEC. WC’s Matt Abbey has 1,126 yards on the season with a 50.6 completion percentage and has tossed nine touchdowns compared to throwing five interceptions. Converted defensive back Jason Butler paces the Seahawk ground attack with 443 yards on 90 attempts with three touchdowns. Aliga Betts also has been worked in at times, with a pair of scores and 285 yards on 60 touches. Preseason All-Americans Chris Turner and Joe Kinard are a legitimate one-two receiving punch at their widout and tight end positions.
Turner has 425 yards on 28 catches with a league-leading seven TD receptions. Kinard is averaging 12.0 yards per catch with 12 grabs in the five games in which he has seen action.
My comment: Turner is one TD catch from tying Miles Austin at 33 for the NEC record and thus two from breaking it. Can the Hawks defense prevent this?
Defense: The Seahawks boast one of the conference’s top defenses, leading in two team categories, scoring defense and rushing defense. Wagner is holding
opponents to just 10.7 points per game (MU is second in the NEC), and has allowed only 73.8 yards per game on the ground. Junior outside linebacker Bryan Brand paces the Seahawks on defense with 51 total tackles and two forced fumbles. Sophomore Adrian Adderly leads the defensive line with 22 tackles including three for a loss. Defensive end Kevin Maroney’s five sacks on the season to led Wagner, but he will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
My comment: Wagner beat four MAAC teams to start the season. The NEC may not be the Big 10, but the MAAC isn't the NEC.
Special Teams: Kicker Piotr Czech is one of the finest in the NEC, setting a new conference record two weeks ago when he hit a 54 yarder, the second longest
in I-AA history. Czech has hit 75 percent of his kicks his season, including
going 2-3 on kicks over 40 yards. Czech also handles the punting duties, with a 38.2 average and 13 of his 32 kicks landing inside the 20.
My comment: Czech is a Keyport High School graduate who was supposed to go to Duke. When that didn't happen he landed at Wagner. A very good recruit for them.
Monmouth info:
Wide receiver Adam San Miguel needs just 31 receptions to become MU’s all-time leader in career grabs. San Miguel has led the Hawks in receptions
in every game this season and his 47 receptions leads the NEC. He is also second in all of I-AA with 7.8 receptions per game.• Senior defensive back Jamaal McClintock
snagged his first-career interception
against Sacred Heart.
My comment: When is Ron Lauch going to catch his first collegiate pass? (I'm just having some fun here. Ron is a great kid and he's gonna get one (and more) maybe soon.
MU redshirt freshman running back David Sinisi led all backs in last week’s game with 85 yards on 18 carries. Sinisi also picked up his seventh rushing touchdown of the season, giving him eight overall on the year. Sinisi has scored in every MU game so far this season.• After missing his first game since freshman year against SBU, senior safety Matt Hill recorded a team-high seven tackles, six of which were solo against Sacred Heart.
My comment: Sinisi and Ryan Skorupka look like the backs for 2007. Sinsi could be a very productive uip back in the I.
Monmouth back up quarterback Brett Burke came in late in the game last week, completing four out of six passes for 35 yards. Burke is now six-of-nine on the season with 56 yards. • After starting the season only hitting
three out of his first seven field goal attempts, kicker Fred Weingart has been a perfect three for three in his last three games.• MU’s 200 passing ypg is 1st in the Northeast Conference.
My comment: Burke is the heir apparent to Brian Boland who is now 2 TD passes from Dan Sabella's MU school career record of 52.
My prediction - I am 2-1 so far, is tomorrow. Feel free to make yours any time.
posted by Tony Graham at 4:55 PM
<< Home