The Friday Tailgate 10.27

Saturday should be one of the toughest days, weather-wise, for Centennial football teams this season, as heavy rains are anticipated in the Mid-Atlantic region overnight, followed by winds sustained around 25 and gusting even higher ... usually, these conditions favor teams that can run the football ... that's something that Gettysburg excels at, averaging 224.1 yards per game ... of course, Muhlenberg doesn't do such a bad job of defending the run (87.4) ... coaches always want to protect the football, especially on days such as are forecast for tomorrow ... the Bullets lead the Conference in turnover margin (+8), while Johns Hopkins is last at minus-7 ... it's an elimination Saturday in Lancaster and Collegeville, as the winners remain in the championship chase ... McDaniel and Franklin & Marshall meet at Sponaugle-Williamson Field and Johns Hopkins takes on Ursinus at Patterson Field ... Dickinson sports a 4-0 CC record but can only clinch a share of the title today, if the Red Devils knock off Hampden-Sydney combined with a Mule victory over Gettysburg.

Rankings: Dickinson is among those receiving votes in the D3football.com rankings this week. Other Centennial opponents among the top 25 are Hobart (#17) and Union (#22), while Carnegie Mellon and Washington and Lee are also receiving votes. The Red Devils also recevied a vote in the AFCA coaches poll.

NCAA Stats: Gettysburg RB Tom Sturges is fifth in the country in rushing at 142.6 yards per game and sixth in all-purpose yards (176.0) ... Dickinson KR Chris McInerney is second in kickoff return yardage (34.6) and Johns Hopkins PK Ben Scott is fifth in field goals (1.4) and eighth in punting (40.5) ... McDaniel DB Drew Abbamonte is sixth in solo tackles (7.0).

This Date in History: six years ago, Swarthmore RB Ken Clark became the fifth back in Centennial history to rush for 300 yards with 317 on a CC-record 52 attempts against Franklin & Marshall.

Showdown Saturday

Johns Hopkins at Ursinus (Field Hockey)
The final day of the regular season pits the two top teams in the Conference in a showdown to determine the top seed and home field advantage for next weekend's Centennial final four. The eighth-ranked Bears (14-3, 9-0) have won 39 straight Conferennce regular season games ... and have only lost once since joining the Centennial in 2003. That loss - Johns Hopkins (12-5, 8-1) in Collegeville in the 2003 CC semifinals.

Johns Hopkins at Ursinus
McDaniel at Franklin & Marshall (Football)
It's elimination Saturday in the Conference as the two losers will be out of the championship chase, while the winners will remain alive for a shot at a share of the title. The Blue Jays (3-4, 2-2) travel to Collegeville to be Ursinus' (5-2, 1-2) Homecoming opponent. The Green Terror (3-4, 1-2) are the Family Weekend opponent for the Diplomats (2-5, 1-2).

Gettysburg at Dickinson (Men's Soccer)
There are still four teams fighting for the final three spots in next week's Centennial tournament and the annual Route 34 battle between the Bullets (10-5-1, 5-3) and the Red Devils (10-6, 4-4) will go a long way in determining the berths. It is the 65th meeting between the rivals since 1930. The teams have split the last four meetings, but the Devils have not won at home since the formation of the CC (0-7).

Dickinson at Gettysburg
Muhlenberg at Ursinus (Women's Soccer)
There is only one spot remaining for the five-team Centennial tournament that begins next week, but six teams are still fighting for playoff life and position. The Red Devils (8-8, 5-4) need a win at the Battlefield against the Bullets (11-5-1, 7-2), while the Bears (8-5-1, 5-3-1) must have a victory over the Mules (11-5, 6-3) to stay alive. Dickinson has not won at Gettysburg since 1988 (3-0). Ursinus has won three straight from 'Berg since losing the first eight in the series.

Dickinson at Haverford (Volleyball)
Although both teams are already in the five-team Centennial tournament that begins Wednesday night, the winner gets a first-round bye and may determine who the No. 5 seed is when the day is over. The Fords (21-4, 7-2) are ranked third in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region - tops among CC schools. The Red Devils (14-15, 6-3) look to end an eight-game losing streak to the Main Liners.

Cross Country Championship Preview

"What once was old is new again."

That quote could sum up the 14th annual Centennial Conference cross country championships, slated for Saturday at Dickinson College. The Haverford College men have won the previous 13 titles and, with a No. 8 national ranking entering the meet, are the prohibitive favorites to extend their streak. The Dickinson College women have a streak of their own, winning the last six championships, while also sporting a No. 8 national ranking.


The men's race starts the day at 11 a.m. on the 8100-meter Carlisle High School course. Haverford has the top three runners in the Conference, according to the CC coaches rankings, led by Don Letts (Climax, MI / Portage Northern). Zach Vaslow (Bethesda, MD / Bethesda-Chevy Chase) and Andrew Lanham (Wooster, OH / Wooster) are 2-3 on the list, while teammates Taylor Burmeister (Concord, MA / Concord-Carlisle), Jamie Jablin (Chambersburg, PA / Chambersburg) and Michael Jablin (Chambersburg, PA / Chambersburg) are also in the top 10. How perennially strong are the Fords? In four of the past six championships, Haverford has scored less than 20 points as a team. The four runners with the best chance to break the Ford stranglehold are Muhlenberg's Lex Mercado (Philadelphia, PA / Penn Charter) and Stephen Rothwell (Harrington Park, NJ / Northern Valley Old Tappan), Swarthmore's Vernon Chaplin (Indian Springs, AL / Indian Springs), and Dickinson's Matt Liebal (Oakdale, CT / Montville). Vaslow and Liebal have the opportunity to become the ninth and 10th runners in Conference history to earn first-team All-Centennial honors (finish in the top seven) three times. The Mules (ranked fourth in the Mideast Region), Red Devils (7th) and Garnet (8th) will be in a heated battle for the No. 2 spot behind the Fords.


The Red Devil women have four runners among the top six contending for the gold medal on the 6K loop. Caitlin Bradley (Fairfield, CT / Fairfield Warde) (pictured) finished second last season and is ranked just ahead of Darcy McDonald (Lititz, PA / Warwick) at the top of the CC coaches chart. Becca Trosch (Towson, MD / Loch Raven) and Laura Straw (Fairport, NY / Fairport) are 4-6. Haverford's women's team is ranked No. 22 nationally and is led by Annick Lamar (Hamilton, NJ / Hamilton North) and Jane Weber (Oak Park, IL / Oak Park River Forest). The Fords have finished second to Dickinson in each of the last six seasons and are ranked 2nd in the Mideast Region behind the Devils. Also keep an eye on Johns Hopkins first-year Laura Paulsen (Lutherville, MD / Bryn Mawr) at the front of the pack, along with Franklin & Marshall's Karen Ziga (Haverford, PA / Haverford), Bryn Mawr's Katie Weng (Paramus, NJ / Saddle River Day), and Swarthmore's Nyika Corbett (Myrtle Point, OR / Myrtle Point). Paulsen has won four of her five races this fall. McDonald (5th), Weber (6th) and Straw (7th), along with Bradley, all earned first-team All-Centennial recognition in 2005.

Championship website
Previous Men's Champions: Haverford (1993-2005).
Previous Women's Champions: Dickinson (1997-98-00-01-02-03-04-05), Haverford (1993-95-96), McDaniel (1999), Gettysburg (1994).

Five-Star Matchups 10.25.06

McDaniel at Johns Hopkins (Volleyball)
This is essentially a first-round playoff match as the Green Terror (16-8, 5-3) and the Blue Jays (13-12, 4-4) meet in Baltimore. A win locks up a tourney berth for McDaniel for the first time since 1998. A Hopkins win gives JHU the tie-breaker advantage over the Terror should the two teams end in a tie. And with only matches against the bottom two teams in the CC remaining, the winner is in the driver's seat. The Green and Gold leads the all-time series, 14-11, but has not defeated the Jays in Goldfarb Gym since 1994 (3-1).

Ursinus at Haverford (Women's Soccer)
It shapes up as a first-round playoff match today on the Main Line as the Bears (8-5, 5-3) and the Fords (5-8-2, 4-4) both need a victory to keep their tourney hopes alive. Haverford holds an 8-1-1 all-time series lead, including two straight victories. Ursinus did gain a tie at Walton Field in 2002 (2-2).

McDaniel at Johns Hopkins; Muhlenberg at Franklin & Marshall (Field Hockey)
Two games that have an impact on the five-team tournament field highlight Wednesday's schedule. The Green Terror (9-7, 6-2) travels down 140 to take on the Blue Jays (11-5, 7-1) in a game that Hopkins needs to keep its hopes alive for the top seed. The Mules (9-6, 4-4) head down 222 to face the Diplomats (4-11, 4-8). The winner has a leg up on the fifth and final playoff berth, while the loser needs help in the Saturday season finales. McDaniel and Muhlenberg are looking to make history today, as neither the Terror nor the Mules have won at Homewood Field or Baker Campus, respectively, since the start of the Conference in 1993 (0-6).

McDaniel at Gettysburg (Men's Soccer)
The Green Terror (8-8, 3-4) heads up 97 to take on the Bullets (9-5-1, 4-3) in a match both teams must have to keep their playoff hopes alive. It promises to be a close match, as three of the last four between the rivals have gone to overtime, including the 2005 CC semifinal in Westminster, won by Gettysburg, 1-0. The Bullets hold the all-time series advantage, 31-25-8.

Soccer Notebook 10.24

It's the final week of regular season play in the Conference and only two of the five playoff berths are secured on both the men's and women's sides. Five teams are alive for three spots in both races with critical matchups on the docket for the week.

Men's Soccer
IN: Johns Hopkins and Franklin & Marshall. Diplomats host Blue Jays on Saturday with top seed and homefield advantage most likely riding on the outcome.
3 LOSSES: Swarthmore and Gettysburg. Garnet has favorable schedule against Ursinus (0-6-1) and Haverford (1-5-1), while Bullets face two teams still in the chase in Dickinson (3-4) and McDaniel (3-4).
3 LOSSES and a TIE: Muhlenberg. Mules have favorable schedule against Fords and Bears.
4 LOSSES: Dickinson and McDaniel. Red Devils need wins over F&M (6-0-1) and Gettysburg (4-3), while Terror needs wins over Hopkins (7-0) and Washington (2-5).

Women's Soccer
IN: Johns Hopkins and Gettysburg. Blue Jays will host "final four" next weekend with game days and times TBA. Bullets are in the tourney but need a win over Dickinson (5-3) to guarantee a first-round bye.
3 LOSSES: Swarthmore, Muhlenberg, Ursinus and Dickinson. Garnet and Mules control destiny, as wins over Haverford (4-4) and Ursinus (5-3), respectively, lock up tourney berths. The Bears meet Haverford (4-4) on Wednesday in what could be an elimination match. The Red Devils face the toughest road with matches against the two teams in the field - Hopkins and Gettysburg.
4 LOSSES: Haverford. The Fords need two wins and some help.

Regional Rankings (courtesy of D3kicks.com)
Using the NCAA Quality of Wins index ... Johns Hopkins (10.8) and Franklin & Marshall (10.462) are second and third, respectively, in the region, behind defending national champion Messiah (11.154). Swarthmore is eighth (9.6), while Muhlenberg is No. 11 (9.385) ... on the women's side, Johns Hopkins is #2 in the Mid-Atlantic region (11.75), trailing only top-ranked Messiah (11.917). Gettysburg is 9th (10.0), while Swarthmore (9.75) and Muhlenberg (9.4) are 12th and 14th, respectively.

Notes
Johns Hopkins GK Danny Coble broke the Centennial record for consecutive minutes played without a goal last week with shutouts against Arcadia and Ursinus. He has not surrendered a goal in 954:20 - the third-longest streak in Division III history, trailing only Drew's Peter Boyer (1,428:00, 2003) and Saint John's Terry Leiendecker (1,110:00, 1982) ... Muhlenberg's 1-0 overtime victory against Gettysburg was the 500th in the history of the men's program, which began in 1943. The Mules have an all-time record of 500-351-71 ... the Mule women have won six straight and reached double digits in wins for the ninth time in 10 seasons ... Swarthmore's women (12-3-1, 6-3) broke the school record for Conference wins in a season and is 3-0-1 in overtime this fall.

Five-Star Matchups 10.24.06

Johns Hopkins at Dickinson (Women's Soccer)
The 11th ranked Blue Jays (13-2, 8-0) have locked up the top seed for next week's Centennial tournament and are looking for the first undefeated and untied Conference season since Muhlenberg ran the table in 2001. The Red Devils (8-7, 5-3) are in a six-team battle for one of the final four playoff positions and cannot afford another loss. Hopkins has won three of the last four in the series to take a 7-5-3 advantage.

Gettysburg at Dickinson (Volleyball)
The Bullets (17-8, 8-1) have locked up a first-round bye for next week's Conference tournament. The Red Devils (14-14, 6-2) need a win tonight or against Haverford on Saturday ... or a loss by McDaniel, to sew up their second-ever Centennial tournament berth. Dickinson has not defeated Gettysburg, however, since the 1990 season.

Monday Morning Quarterback 10-23

There are just three games left in the regular season and here is what we know.

* Dickinson can clinch a share of its 9th Centennial championship with a win over either Gettysburg or Ursinus.
* A Gettysburg loss in its final three games gives the Red Devils at least a share of the crown.
* The winners of the Johns Hopkins-Ursinus and Franklin & Marshall-McDaniel games remain alive in the championship chase for another week. The losers are eliminated.
* Muhlenberg is eliminated from title consideration.

The Conference improved to 14-11 in non-CC games when McDaniel defeated Randolph-Macon, 24-14. The 14 wins has already surpassed last season's total of 12 with a minimum of four games remaining ... Dickinson committed its first turnover in four games when it lost a fumble against Franklin & Marshall ... Red Devil QB Matt Torchia has not thrown an interception in 156 attempts - just six shy of the Conference record ... Gettysburg RB Tom Sturges is now 17th on the Centennial career rushing list with 2,597 yards ... Sturges is two yards away from reaching the 1,000-yard mark for the season for the second straight year ... three QBs have surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in passing yardage on the season - Franklin & Marshall's Kyle Turner (1,316), Torchia's (1,161) and Gettysburg's Matt Flynn (1,062) ... Hopkins PK Ben Scott is now tied for 5th all-time in career field goals in Division III with 40 ... two other kickers continue to be perfect on extra point attempts - Dickinson's Pat O'Conner (13) and McDaniel's Jay Leonard (10).

The Friday Tailgate 10.20

We're in the second half of the 2006 season and the championship chase could become much clearer after this weekend's trio of games ... or it could become as muddy as 2004. Dickinson (5-1, 3-0 CC) is in the driver's seat as the only unbeaten left in Conference play. The Red Devils play host to Franklin & Marshall (2-4, 1-1) in the annual "Conestoga Wagon Trophy" game in Carlisle. Since 1963, F&M and Dickinson have played for the traditional trophy, donated by athletic directors J. Schober Barr (F&M) and Dave Eavenson Sr. (Dickinson) to symbolize the friendly gridiron rivalry between the two institutions. The trophy is a hand-carved miniature replica of the wagon that was used to transport the players between the two schools when the rivalry began in the late 1800s. It's the 98th meeting between the schools with Dickinson winning six of the last seven games to close the all-time deficit to 59-35-3 ... Ursinus (5-1, 1-1) travels to Gettysburg (3-3, 1-1) in a game that could eliminate the loser and vault the winner into a possible first-place tie for the CC lead. The Bears, looking to rebound from their first loss of the season, have won seven of the last 10 games with the Bullets. The game could be described as "irresistible force" meets "immovable object," as Gettysburg leads the CC in scoring and total offense, while Ursinus tops the CC in scoring and total defense ... you've heard of ESPN's tagline "Separation Saturday," well, it's "Elimination Saturday" as the loser of the Muhlenberg-Johns Hopkins tilt at Homewood Field is out of the championship chase. The two teams have met every season since 1968 with the Mules taking five of the last seven for a 20-17-1 series advantage ... McDaniel closes out its non-Conference schedule against Randolph-Macon at home in Westminster.

NCAA Numbers: Gettysburg RB Tom Sturges is fifth in rushing (141.0 ypg) and sixth in all-purpose yards (178.7) ... Dickinson's Chris McInerney is second in kickoff returns (34.6) ... Johns Hopkins' Ben Scott is third in field goals per game (1.5) and eighth in punting (40.8), while McDaniel's Tom Wenrich is 11th in punting (40.0) ... McDaniel's Drew Abbamonte is third in solo (7.5) and seventh in total tackles (12.5) ... Ursinus is ranked fourth in scoring defense (7.3) and ninth in total defense (194.3). Click here for complete statistics.

Five-Star Matchups 10.20.06

Swarthmore at Muhlenberg (Field Hockey)
It's the next-to-last weekend of Conference play and the Garnet (9-5, 4-3 CC) travels to play the Mules (8-6, 3-4) in what amounts to an elimination game. The winner keeps its playoff hopes alive, while the loser is most likely out of the postseason picture. "Berg has won two of the last three meetings but Swarthmore holds a 10-3 series advantage since 1993. The teams are ranked 3-4 in the Conference in scoring offense and 2-3 in goals against average.

Gettysburg at Muhlenberg; McDaniel at Swarthmore (Men's Soccer)
The four teams packed in places 3-6 in the standings square off in a pair of crucial Saturday matchups. The Bullets (9-4-1, 4-2 CC) travel to Allentown to meet the Mules (6-4-2, 2-3-1) in a rematch of the 2005 Centennial final. It is the 52nd meeting between the two teams since 1949 with Muhlenberg winning four of the last five for a 28-18-5 series advantage. The Green Terror (7-7, 3-3) heads to the Philly area to take on the Garnet (9-4-1, 3-3) in a meeting of the two teams that lost in the 2005 CC semis. McDaniel is 5-0-1 against Swarthmore in the last five meetings. The Garnet has not beaten the Terror at home since 1996 (1-0, OT).

Dickinson at Swarthmore; Gettysburg at Haverford (Women's Soccer)
Six Centennial teams have two or three losses and four of them meet in important matches with playoff implications Saturday. The Red Devils (8-7, 5-2) need a win at Clothier Field against the Garnet (11-3-1, 5-3) to keep their hopes of securing the top seed for the tournament alive. The Bullets (10-4-1, 6-2) broke a two-game losing streak with a 3-0 win over F&M on Tuesday. The Orange and Blue is looking to hold off the other challengers for a first-round bye in the upcoming playoffs. The Fords (5-7-2, 4-3) cannot afford another CC loss in their quest to return to the tournament for the third straight season.

Haverford at McDaniel (Volleyball)
The Fords (19-4, 5-2 CC) cross the Mason-Dixon line to take on the Green Terror (16-7, 5-2) in a critical Conference match. The winner keeps alive its hopes for a first-round bye in the upcoming tournament, while the loser most likely faces a first-round match if it makes the tournament. The Fords have won six straight in the series, while the Terror has not defeated Haverford at the Gill Center since 1997 (3-0).

The Friday Tailgate 10.13

We've reached the halfway mark of the college football season but the Centennial Conference schedule is just hitting its stride ... Dickinson and Ursinus - the two unbeaten teams in the CC - take to the road to Westminster and Allentown to take on perennial powers McDaniel and Muhlenberg, respectively ... Gettysburg and Johns Hopkins meet in what could be an elimination game, as each team already has one CC loss ... Franklin & Marshall takes to the road for its final non-CC matchup of the season at Union.

Notes: McDaniel's Brad Baer (2,406) and Dickinson's Matt Torchia (2,400) have combined for over 4,800 yards passing in their careers ... Baer has thrown only four interceptions in 458 career attempts ... it's a battle of 100-win coaches when Gettysburg's Barry Streeter (138) and Hopkins' Jim Margraff (104) meet on Saturday ... the Jays are 62-4 under Margraff when scoring 24 or more points in a game ... the Bullets are surrendering 23.6 per game this season.

NCAA Numbers: Gettysburg RB Tom Sturges is fourth in the country in rushing (147.4) and third in all-purpose yards (192.6) ... McDaniel DB Drew Abbamonte is second in DIII in solo tackles (8.0) and sixth in total stops (13.0) ... teammate Tom Wenrich is 12th and JHU's Ben Scott is 16th in the nation in punting at 40.5 and 39.6 yards per kick, respectively ... Ursinus' Ryan Van Wright is 16th in the country in punt returns (15.0).

This Date in History: Dickinson's Mike Birosak rushed 51 times for 306 yards vs. McDaniel, setting a Centennial single-game record for yards. It is still 7th all-time ... Red Devil Matt Bixler picked off a Brian Van Deusen pass and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown at McDaniel in 1995 ... Muhlenberg's Michael McCabe threw for 360 yards and a touchdown against Johns Hopkins.

Weekly Notebook 10.11

Football
McDaniel's Jay Leonard (Westminster, MD / Westminster) did something that no other Centennial football player has done in the Conference's 24-year history last weekend ... only seven times has a kicker won a Centennial game in the final minute with a field goal - and only three have been over 30 yards - Hopkins' Eli Kabillio (36) in 1985, Muhlenberg's Bob Powers (39) in 1989 and McDaniel's Dung Dinh (32) in 1994 ... Leonard's boot covered 46 yards to defeat Gettysburg, 17-14 ... coincidentally, Leonard's' kick was 17 years to the day of Powers' previous record-setting boot ... Gettysburg RB Tom Sturges (Ridgefield, CT / Ridgefield) is closing in on the top 20 of the career Centennial rushing list ... he currently has 2,336 yards and needs 21 yards to surpass F&M's Scott Stephen '05 for 20th place.

Men's Soccer
Johns Hopkins and Franklin & Marshall continue to be ranked among the NSCAA's top 25 with the Blue Jays coming in at No. 11 and the Diplomats at No. 22 ... Hopkins is also 20th in the D3kicks.com poll ... did you know that Johns Hopkins has never lost a Conference regular-season game at home during an even-numbered year? ... McDaniel's Andrew Cherenzia (Eldersburg, MD / Liberty) was involved in three of the Green Terror's five goals in the 5-0 triumph over Ursinus ... no, he did not score, but assisted on three of the five tallies ... for the third time in 10 years, Elizabethtown's trip to Allentown was an adventure, as lightning cancelled last Wednesday's match ... in 1997, the Blue Jay bus got caught behind an accident on the way to Muhlenberg and arrived more than an hour late for the first night game at Varsity Field ... and the 2000 game was also wiped out by lightning.

Women's Soccer
Johns Hopkins is ranked 11th in this week's NSCAA rankings and 10th in the D3kicks.com poll ... is there a hotter player in the Conference than Dickinson's Lisa Nichols (North Granby, CT / Granby Memorial)? ... she notched a hat trick last night against Juniata, giving her seven goals in her last three matches ... Hopkins set a school record for goals in a half (7) in the 9-0 win over Washington ... Gettysburg's Katie Myers (Randallstown, MD / WSTES) set the school career goal-scoring record with her 44th goal in the 4-0 win over the Shorewomen last Saturday.

Field Hockey
Ursinus has been recommended to host the 2008 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship ... the Bears won their 37th straight regular-season Conference game with a 1-0 triumph over Swarthmore ... the Conference is 3-10 against non-CC ranked opponents ... Ursinus faces a top-10 team this weekend during a trip to Saratoga Springs, N.Y., battling #9 Middlebury.

Volleyball
How balanced is the Centennial Conference? ... last Wednesday, three of the four matches went to five games with two of the matches ending 15-13 and another 16-14 ... and on Saturday, two more went five games, including one that ended 21-19 ... Franklin & Marshall and McDaniel were 2-0 in those matches to remain unbeaten in the CC, while Johns Hopkins was 1-1 ... the Terror's Alice Hardwick (Poolesville, MD / Poolesville) set a program record with 47 digs vs. Muhlenberg ... Gettysburg is teaming up with its Centennial competitors this month with a "Dig for a Cure" ... the Bullets will collect donations, either a flat amount or per dig, with all proceeds going to the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation ... Haverford finished third at the Seven Sisters tournament with freshman Rachel Salvo (La Canada, CA / Flintridge Sacred Heart) earning all-tournament honors ... Johns Hopkins is just two wins shy of the 100 plateau in Centennial matches (98-36) and can reach the century mark against Dickinson and Haverford this week.

Cross Country
Both Haverford squads are ranked in this week's U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll ... the Ford men are first among Mideast Region teams and seventh nationally, while the Haverford women are 22nd ... Dickinson is the top-ranked Centennial women's team, coming in at No. 8 ... Red Devil junior Caitlin Bradley (Fairfield, CT / Fairfield Warde) was the individual winner of the Dickinson Invitational 4K in 14:14.67, with Swarthmore rookie Nyika Corbett (Myrtle Point, OR / Myrtle Point) taking second ... Dickinson's Darcy McDonald (Lititz, PA / Warwick) and Becca Trosch (Towson, MD / Loch Raven) were 1-2 in the 6K ... Johns Hopkins' Laura Paulsen (Lutherville, MD / Bryn Mawr) was the top DIII runner among the 287-participant field, taking ninth in 18:10.95 at the Disney Cross Country Classic in Florida.

Friday Tailgate

Getting you ready for another big weekend of Conference football action ... Dickinson welcomes Muhlenberg to Biddle Field for the 62nd renewal of their rivalry ... the Devils won 11 straight in the series from 1988-98, while the Mules won 13 straight from 1975-87 and currently have a seven-game streak since 1999 ... rushing yards will be tough to come by on Saturday, as Dickinson allows just 48.2 per game (12th nationally) and Muhlenberg surrenders just 71.0 ... Johns Hopkins is the Homecoming opponent for Franklin & Marshall on Saturday ... the Blue Jays will be the Homecoming guest at all three of its October road games ... the Diplomats look for their first win over the Blue Jays since 1996 ... a pair of Blue Jays set individual marks last weekend , as WR Anthony Triplin (Baltimore, MD / Gilman) became the second JHU and third Centennial player to reach the 200-catch mark for a career, and PK Ben Scott (Pittsburgh, PA / Shady Side Academy) booted field goals of 45 and 48 yards to set a Conference career record for three-pointers (35) ... Scott is also 12th nationally in punting average (40.3) ... F&M QB Kyle Turner (Haddonfield, NJ / Haddonfield) leads the CC in passing and total yardage ... Hopkins is 62-4 under coach Jim Margraff when the Jays score 24 or more points ... Gettysburg opens play on the road at McDaniel during Homecoming on the Hill ... the Bullets have not won at Bair Stadium since 1996 ... the Green Terror is 51-21-1 before the alums ... Gettysburg RB Tom Sturges (Ridgefield, CT / Ridgefield) leads the CC in rushing and is 8th nationally with 508 yards, while freshman QB Matt Flynn (Northfield, NJ / Mainland) leads the Centennial in passing efficiency (146.6) ... the Orange and Blue is ranked 14th in DIII in rushing offense (225.5) ... McDaniel DB Drew Abbamonte (Damascus, MD / Damascus) has been a bright spot in a slow start for the Terror as he leads the CC in tackles (46) ... the Conference's lone unbeaten - Ursinus - steps out of Centennial play with a trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (maybe) and Cleveland to take on Case Western Reserve ... the Bears are 4-0 for the first time since 1996 - their last championship season - and just the second time since 1931 ... Ursinus is among the nation's leaders in scoring (3.8) and total (190.0) defense, ranking 3rd and 12th, respectively ... UC is featured in this week's Around the Mid-Atlantic Region feature on D3football.com.

On This Date: October 7, 1983 ... Johns Hopkins QB Mark Campbell threw for 361 yards and two TDs in a 19-17 win at home vs. Ursinus. Campbell tossed a 10-yard scoring pass to John Tucker as time expired for the winning points ... October 7, 1989 ... McDaniel (then Western Maryland) RB Eric Frees broke loose for the second-longest TD run in Conference history - a 95-yarder in a wild 37-35 loss to Randolph-Macon. Frees had 212 yards on the day. Also on that day, Muhlenberg's Bob Powers booted a 39-yard field goal with :04 remaining to lift the Mules past Swarthmore, 9-6 ... October 7, 1995 ... Franklin & Marshall QB Beau Eckert threw for 392 yards - the 7th best single-game total in CC history - and three TDs in a 28-21 loss to Dickinson.

More information: check out our Gameday website.

Soccer Notebook 10.4

The Centennial Conference men's soccer teams continue to impress the NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region pollsters, as CC teams are ranked 2-3-4-5 (Johns Hopkins, Franklin & Marshall, Gettysburg, Muhlenberg) in this week's listing ...the Blue Jays are ranked 13th nationally, while the Diplomats make their first appearance in recent memory at No. 22 ... Hopkins extended its home Conference regular-season win streak to 50 with wins over Gettysburg and Dickinson ... only F&M (1993) and Haverford (1995) have won at Homewood in the regular season ... Matt McCall (Phoenixville, PA / Bishop Shanahan) scored his first career hat trick as Franklin & Marshall won at Lycoming, 4-1 ... in the "better late than never" department, Billy Dalton (Sparta, NJ / Sparta) scored with five seconds remaining as Muhlenberg edged McDaniel, 1-0 ... Gettysburg is 8-0 on the year when scoring at least two goals and 0-2 when scoring one or less.

On the women's side ... Johns Hopkins is ranked third in the Mid-Atlantic region and 9th and 11th, respectively, in the D3kicks.com and NSCAA national polls ... Gettysburg is also in the regional rankings at No. 4 ... Katie Myers (Randallstown, MD / WSTES) tied the school career goal-scoring record (43) with her second tally in the 2-1 win vs. Elizabethtown ... she is deadlocked with Kristen Hull '95 for the top spot and is tied for sixth on the all-time CC list with F&M's Sarah Preiss '00 ... also appearing in a national ranking is Swarthmore, who comes in at No. 21 in the D3kicks.com national computerized rankings ... Johns Hopkins is No. 10 and Gettysburg No. 25 in this list which takes into account the NCAA quality-of-wins index ... McDaniel GK Michelle Mullen (Pasadena, MD / Chesapeake) registered her 20th career shutout in the 2-0 blanking of Dickinson ... Cabrini was seeing double in its 4-3 loss to Muhlenberg, as twins Kimberly and Kasey Hacker (Greenville, DE / Archmere Academy) both scored for the Mules.

GAMES TO WATCH: Saturday - Franklin & Marshall men at Gettysburg; Muhlenberg men at Swarthmore; Swarthmore women at Johns Hopkins.

Monday Morning Quarterback 10-2

The Conference schedule began last Saturday with two surprising occurances and the fans beating the coaches ... Ursinus is 4-0 for just the second time in 75 years following a 20-0 shutout of McDaniel ... QB Ted Wallingford (Equinunk, PA / Honesdale) threw for a career-high 220 yards and ran for a touchdown, while DB DeVohn Butler (Swedesboro, NJ / Saint Augustine Prep) took one handoff as a RB and scampered 68 yards for a score ... the Bears were 4-0 in 1996 - their last championship season - and also in 1931 ... defense is getting it done for UC, as the Bears are ranked among the nation's leaders in scoring (3.8) and total defense (190.0), along with pass efficiency defense (85.7) ... the Green Terror was blanked for the second time this season ... that has not happened since 1987 ... it was the "Poll Bowl" in Baltimore as Dickinson defeated Johns Hopkins, 21-13 ... the Red Devils were the choice of the fans in the online www.centennial.org poll, while the Blue Jays were the unanimous choice of the coaches and SIDs ... the Dickinson defense is permitting just 46.8 yards rushing per game and has a CC-best 20 sacks ... three QBs went over the 200-yard mark last Saturday, doubling the Conference's season total ... Johns Hopkins WR Anthony Triplin (Baltimore, MD / Gilman) became the second Blue Jay and third Centennial receiver to amass 200 career receptions ... he joins Hall of Famer Bill Stromberg "82 on the JHU list and F&M's Justin Salton '03 and Dale Amos '90 on the CC charts ... Hopkins, McDaniel and Muhlenberg have yet to score on their opening drives in 2006 ... only the Mules and Franklin & Marshall have kept all four opposing teams off the board on their first drives of the game ... Consistency? ... the chances that F&M gains approximately 319 yards vs. Hopkins this Saturday is pretty high ... the Diplomats' game total in their 2-2 start -- 310, 317, 329, 320.