Ursinus features a lot of local talent
Bears drop heartbreaker to Mules on lastsecond field goal
The Ursinus College Bears dropped their final Centennial Conference home football game of the season, 10-9, to Muhlenberg on Senior Recognition Day Nov. 7 at Patterson Field.
Placekicker Casey Fosbenner booted a 41-yard field goal with three seconds left in regulation time to boost the Mules (7-3 overall, 7-2 CC) to the victory over the Bears (28, 1-7). The victory marked Muhlenberg’s fifth consecutive victory.
The Bears, who have dropped five games in a row, close out the 2015 season on Nov. 14 against Dickinson in Carlisle.
Ursinus senior Eric Boyer kicked three field goals in the loss to Muhlenberg. The kicks covered 25, 34 and 40 yards.
Ursinus junior wide receiver Matt Raymond (Owen J. Roberts) caught five passes for 55 yards with a long reception of 24 yards. Sophomore Cody Richmond (Boyertown) had one catch for 11 yards. Ursinus sophomore quarterback James Emmett completed 14 of 28 aerials for 101 yards.
Defensively, the Bears got another fine outing from senior defensive lineman Steve Ambs (Pottsgrove). Ambs, a 6-foot2, 245-pounder, finished with four solo tackles and two assists for six total tackles. He also had 1.5 sacks for eight yards in losses as well as 1.5 tackles for losses, also for eight yards.
Ursinus junior defensive back Johnnie Cherneskie (St. Pius X, The Hill School) had one solo tackle. Freshman linebacker Kirk Cherneskie (St. Pius X, The Hill School) also had one solo tackle.
Ursinus head coach Peter Gallagher will be completing his 15th season as head coach of the Bears. His associated head coach is Rob Quigley, who is the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.
Assistant coaches include Shane Eachus (defensive coordinator/defensive line), Anthony Caljean (defensive line), Jeff Endy (Class of 2015, Pottstown High graduate), Pat Randolph (wide receivers), Bernie Gavlick (tight end/ kickers/punters), David Lotier (running backs), Travis Ford-Bey (linebackers, Phoenixville, West Chester University) and Bruce Fleming (defensive backs).
Since the Moravian game on Oct. 3, the Bears have had three different signal callers. Emmett has played well while Sal Bello (Phoenixville, Archbishop Carroll) still leads the squad with 1,036 yards passing and five touchdowns on 73-for-143 accuracy,, including setting the school record for passing yards against McDaniel on Sept. 26 in a 33-17 Bears victory. Ursinus started the season with a 17-9 victory in five overtimes at Millersville University on Sept. 3.
Senior Nick Lundholm, who has also seen time at quarterback for the Bears, is the team’s leading receiver with 23 receptions for 275 yards. Junior Tim Rafter leads the team in total tackles with 85 while senior James Roccograndi ranks second with 71.
Ursinus junior running back Corey Kelly (Plymoputh-Whitemarsh) came into the Mules game with 407 yards rushing with six touchdowns and 30 catches for 275 yards and one TD.
Boyer continues his quest to set the school record for points in a season. Boyer now has 224 points. He needs 18 points to catch Shearrod Duncan (242) for the all-time lead in points at Ursinus. Boyer also ranks fourth all-time in Centennial Conference kick scoring.
During the victory over Ursinus, Muhlenberg junior quarterback Nick Palladino became the school’s career leader in passing. Palladino also ranks seventh all-time in conference history with more than 7,000 yards. Palladino also ranks second on the team in rushing with more than 400 yards. He ran for the game’s lone TD against Ursinus.
Ursinus senior defensive back Kyle Adkins came through with a pivotal interception with 4:04 left in regulation time to thwart a Mules drive. Adkins also made five solo tackles, had two sacks for 18 yards in losses and three tackles for losses totaling 23 yards.
Junior defensive back Prince Patterson and senior defensive lineman William Ghaul each made eight tackles, which represented a game-high in hits.
The Ursinus roster includes senior wide receiver Rockne O’Leary (Garnet Valley),junior running back Richard Coia (Pottstown resident, Ridley High School), sophomore 6-3, 220-pound tight end Chase Stine (Collegeville, Spring-Ford), Bello (6-0, 190), senior defensive back Dalton Armenti (King of Prussia, Upper Merion), sophomore defensive back Joseph Schmid (Quakertown, Lansdale Catholic), sophomore defensive back Cody Richmond (Barto, Boyertown Area), the Cherneskies (Pottstown residents), who are sons of former Pottstown High School girls basketball and girls softball coach John Cherneskie Sr.; sophomore defensive lineman Alesander Skyrm (Harleysville, Souderton Area), junior linebacker Peter Carpenter (Downingtown, Downingtown East), junior offensive lineman (right tackle) Francis Grey (6-0, 240) (Paoli, St. Hoseph’s Prep), junior offensive lineman (left tackle) Connor Newlin (61, 250) (Harleysville, Souderton Area), sophomore defensive lineman Anthony Pond (Pottstown, Pottsgrove), freshman offensive lineman Brett Highland (Lafayette Hill, PlymouthWhtiemarsh), sophomore wide receiver Nicholas Brough (Green Lane, Boyertown Area), , Raymond (Pottstown resident), sophomore wide receiver Jequan Mitchell (Bridgeport, Upper Merion), sophomore wide receiver Carmen Fortino (king of Prussia, Upper Merion), sophomore defensive lineman James Gilette (5-10, 250) (East Norriton, Norristown) and Ambs (Pottstown resident).
The Ursinus starters on offense included Stine at tight end. Offensive linemen included freshman Antonio Nakos (6-5, 290), sophomore AJ Dalessandro (6-4, 275, Bensalem), right tackle Fran Grey, sophomore Konstantino Nakos (6-7, 310) and left tackle Newlin. Wide receivers included Lundholm, freshman Asa Manley (Philadelphia, Northeast), Fortino and senior Safi Hasseeb, sophomore fullback Josh Gordon and Kelly with Emmett calling signals,
Defensively, the Bears lined up with Ghaul at defensive end, Jimmy Worrilow at nose tackle, Shawn Hartigan at tackle, Ambs at end, Roccograndi and Rafter at linebacker, Heath Hidlay at strong safety, Adkins at weak safety, Patterson at free safety and Jamie Casseus and Dysean Alexander a cornerback.
Special teams had Boyer as kicker and punter, Rockne O’Leary as holder, Patterson and Manley as punt returners and Patteson and Alexander as kick returners.
The Centennial Conference is led by Johns Hopkins, followed by Moravian, Franklin & Marshall, Muhlenberg, Gettysburg, Dickson, Juniata, Susquehanna, Ursinus and McDaniel in the 10-team loop.