Millersville late score upends Assumption football, 31-28; Herbert Woodard rushes for 120 yards, 2 touchdowns
August 28, 2009Millersville 31, Assumption 28
WORCESTER, Mass. --- Junior wide receiver JAMAL SMITH (Camp Hill, PA/Trinity) scored on a three-yard run out of the 'wildcat formation' with 1:25 left as Millersville University rallied to defeat Assumption College, 31-28, in the non-conference football opener for both teams FRIDAY night at the rain-soaked Multi-Sport Stadium.
It was the first meeting between the Greyhounds and the Marauders and the first meeting with any member of the PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference).
The Greyhounds outgained the Marauders, 410-332, but two costly turnovers decided the game late in the fourth period. A fumble forced by sophomore defensive back GARY TILLMAN (Rockville, MD/Richard Montgomery) and subsequent recovery by senior strong safety JULIUS CARTER (Philadelphia, PA/John Bartram) gave Millersville possession at its 48-yard line with 5:32 left. Junior quarterback BILL SHIRK (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville) connected with Smith on a pair of 10-yard receptions to highlight the drive.
An interception by junior defensive tackle CHAD MILLER (Denver, CO/Cocalico) ended the final Greyhounds' drive with 50 seconds left.
The game was highlighted by nearly 750 yards of offense (742), but the two defenses also combined for nine quarterback sacks and nine pass pressures.
For the Greyhounds, senior middle linebacker DUSTIN ZITZMANN (Pinellas Park, FL/Dixie Hollins) (PICTURED RIGHT) led the team with 3-9--12 tackles and 1.5 quarterback sacks (and one pass pressure). Senior cornerback BERNARD SCOTT (Saint Petersburg, FL/Admiral Farragut) ended with 2-5--7 tackles and junior linebacker LUKE KELLIHER (Whitman, MA/Whitman-Hanson) had 3-4--7 tackles. Junior tackle MICHAEL FOLEY (Holden, MA/Saint John's) ended with a pair of sacks. Carter led the Marauders with 6-3--9 tackles.
The Greyhounds moved in front 28-24 with 34 seconds left in the third period as junior running back HERBERT WOODARD (Bridgeton, NJ/Salem) scampered 23 yards on an inside slant to cap a 10-play, 68-yard drive. Woodard rushed 18 times for 120 yards---leading all rushers---and scored two touchdowns.
Woodard opened the scoring in the first period as the Greyhounds drove 84 yards in 11 plays. Junior quarterback JOSH RATACIK (Manchester, NH/Central) completed four-of-five passes for 39 yards and Woodard had 42 yards on five carries to highlight the march. Sophomore CORY KEMPS (Carmel, IN/Carmel) kicked the conversion.
Ratacik completed 14-of-17 passes in the first half for 178 yards and two scores before leaving with a hand injury.
The Marauders came back in the second period to outscore the Greyhounds, 21-14, to move into a 21-21 deadlock at the break.
Senior running back BRUCE LANTZ (Towanda, PA/Towanda) scored a three-yard run to tie the game at 7-7 before Ratacik connected with senior/captain wide receiver DAVID CANNEY (Templeton, MA/Narragansett) on a 59-yard scoring strike. Canney missed all of last season with an injury.
Junior JAMAL SMITH (Camp Hill, PA/Trinity) scored on a 21-yard pass from junior quarterback BILL SHIRK (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville) and junior running back CARDOZA JACKS (Coatesville, PA/Coastesville) rambled 78 yards to give the Marauders a 21-14 advantage.
With 2:10 left in the half, junior tight end ERIC SCHINDLER (Kenilworth, NJ/Brearley) scored on a 14-yard pass from Ratacik to tie the game.
Senior kicker JOHN BANZHOF (Lancaster, PA/J.P. McCaskey) booted a 28-yard field goal to give Millersville the lead again with 6:02 left in the third period before Woodard put the Hounds in front setting the stage for the late Smith heroics.
GREYHOUNDS NOTES: junior running back HERBERT WOODARD (Bridgeton, NJ/Salem) ended with 120 yards on 18 carries (6.7 average), his sixth 100-yard game in his career . . . he now has 1,636 yards for his career as the second-leading rusher in Hounds' intercollegiate history . . . only Hall of Famer Fran DeFalco '95 (2,289 yards) had more . . . his two touchdowns give him 120 career points as he becomes just the third player in Hounds' history with 20 or more behind DeFalco (33) and Eric Mauer '02 (21) . . . he also went over the 2,000-yard mark in all-purpose yardage and now has 2,173 for his career (only the sixth Hound with over 2,000 yards) . . . senior middle linebacker DUSTIN ZITZMANN (Pinellas Park, FL/Dixie Hollins) now has 112-201--313 career tackles . . . he is now fifth on the Hounds' career list behind Paul Moccia '96 (328), Chris Grogan '06 (357), Scott Stephens '93 (387) and Bill Guilfoil '95 (409) . . . he is only the second Greyhound with over 200 assisted tackles (201) behind Grogan (221) . . . senior wide receiver DAVID CANNEY (Templeton, MA/Narragansett) now has 99 career receptions for 1,277 yards in his career in just 22 games (fifth-best in Hounds' history) . . . only Jake Beers '08 (158), Eric Mauer '01 (140) and Joey Fabiano '09 (123) have more . . . junior quarterback JOSH RATACIK (Manchester, NH/Central) completed 14-of-17 passes for an 82.4 percentage, the single-game record for the Greyhounds . . .
NEXT WEEK: the Greyhounds are next in action FRIDAY night at Worcester State College at 7 p.m. It will be the first meeting of the teams as intercollegiate teams and the first since 1984 when the teams played club football . . .
