Aaron Wilmer, left, and Rasheed Bailey had plenty to smile about after Delaware Valley's 52-42 win vs. Lycoming. Delaware Valley athletics photo

Delaware Valley's starting quarterback and top wide receiver have taken markedly different paths to get to where they are.

In high school, one drew attention from Division I and II schools; the other barely drew Division III looks. In college, one started right away; the other steadily worked his way up the depth chart.

Different roads, same destination. Aaron Wilmer and Rasheed Bailey, both now in their senior years, are balling out. And the undefeated Aggies are rolling.

Wilmer, a 5-10, 195-pound dual-threat quarterback, and Bailey, a 6-2, 205-pound athletic receiver, are both in the middle of career seasons.

Wilmer, a former MAC Rookie of the Year, ranks in top 10 nationally in passing efficiency, points responsible for, total offense, passing touchdowns and passing yards per game. Bailey leads the nation in receiving yards (903), ranks second in receiving yards per game and receiving touchdowns, and in the top 20 in scoring and all-purpose yards.

Delaware Valley is 5-0, including 4-0 in the MAC after its 52-42 win against Lycoming this past Saturday, and is one of just four teams in the country to be averaging at least 50 points per game (50.2).

And Wilmer and Bailey have been right at the center of the success. But it didn't always seem destined to be so.

Both players are from the Philadelphia area -- Wilmer played at George Washington High School, Bailey at Roxborough High School. But it was Wilmer that received Division I college offers, albeit as a position player, not a quarterback.

Bailey played defensive end and tight end, but was largely off the college radar.

"Aaron was a pretty accomplished high school player. He was heavily recruited everywhere," first-year Delaware Valley head coach Duke Greco said. "And 'Sheed was more of a diamond in the rough."

Wilmer, who was one year ahead of Bailey, ultimately accepted a scholarship offer from Division II West Chester to play quarterback. But after redshirting in 2010, he decided to transfer to Delaware Valley.

Wilmer immediately stepped into a starting role for then-offensive coordinator Greco, who compared his penchant for extending plays outside of the pocket to Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Bailey caught only five passes, but the team reached the NCAA playoffs.

Over the next two seasons, Delaware Valley went a combined 15-7 -- good, but not near the streak the four consecutive MAC titles from 2008-2011.

The Aggies have won all five games of their games this season by double digits, including their four conference wins by an average of 19.7 points.

"It's one of the best feelings I've ever felt before in my life," Bailey said. "This team has come a long, long way. A lot of people have doubted us, a lot of people have put us down, but we've just all stuck together."

Bailey, a business and marketing major, is a team captain and, according to Greco, one of the team's most vocal leaders. Wilmer, a sports management major, is a regular game captain and more of a leader by example, Greco said.

Both Wilmer and Bailey said team wins always trump individual accomplishments. But Bailey doesn't deny the pride he feels, having come from an afterthought in high school to a premier college producer.

"It's a chip on my shoulder," Bailey said. "All my hard work, it was nothing but hard work, and my talent started to follow it. I just started transforming into this player that I am today. It's amazing to see how hard I've worked to become who I am today. I can't believe it. It does give me a chip on my shoulder."

Aaron Wilmer started his career at a Division II school in Pennsylvania but transferred to Delaware Valley after his freshman season. Delaware Valley athletics photo

"[The statistics] cross my mind because I came from high school where I didn't really matter," Bailey added. "And now that my name is lit up and it says No. 1 next to it, that's a blessing."

Wilmer and Bailey are two of nearly 30 players on Delaware Valley's team from the Philadelphia area. Many of them work out and practice together over the summer. That extra work, much of which comes against other Division I and Division II players from the area, has carried over into the season.

"We prepare, and that shows on Saturdays," Wilmer said.

Wilmer and Bailey are the standouts, but a team averaging more than 50 points per game can't rely on just two players. Senior running back Chris Smallwood, another Philadelphia-area product, has rushed for 691 yards and 10 touchdowns already, also putting him among the country's leaders.

Both Wilmer and Bailey had nothing but praise for Greco, the man who recruited both of them heavily.

"Duke, he's one of those guys that comes in at 5 a.m. and he doesn't leave until everybody is out of the office," Wilmer said. "He prepares himself and it trickles down throughout the coaching staff and throughout the rest of the team. When your head coach works that hard, you want to work that hard for him."

Wilmer and Bailey have worked hard to reach this point. And they're making the most of it.

Buffalo State hands Ithaca first loss

That Ithaca and St. John Fisher sit tied atop the Empire 8 standings comes as no surprise. That Buffalo State sits with them is.

The Bengals defeated the previously unbeaten Bombers, 38-27, at Butterfield Stadium this past weekend and, in doing so, pulled into a first-place tie.

Dan Serignese passed for 155 yards and three touchdowns in relief of an injured Kyle Hoppy, but the difference in the game was a pair of interception returns for touchdowns by Buffalo State. Will Cheshire picked off Ithaca quarterback Tom Dempsey on the game's opening drive and returned it 76 yards for a score.

Early in the fourth quarter, Mitch Thomas returned another Dempsey pick 26 yards for a score to put Buffalo State up 38-17. From there, they held off the Bombers to pick up their second win in three games against Ithaca since joining the Empire 8 in 2012.

Buffalo State hosts Utica this Saturday and then travels to face St. John Fisher in a crucial game.

Cortland State finally gets a win

It took a month -- and five games -- longer than they hoped, but Cortland State is now in the win column.

The Red Dragons lost their first four games, three by seven points or less. So Saturday's 24-14 win over TCNJ was certainly a welcomed change.

Layton Lassiter and Lou Buschi scored on 5-yard touchdown runs in the first half, and John Grassi connected with Jon Mannix on a key 47-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. And Cortland's defense, led by Andrew Tolosi (10 tackles, fumble recovery), forced four turnovers and allowed a season-low 14 points.

With five games still to go, Cortland is hardly out of the NJAC race. But with losses to Rowan and Morrisville State, the Red Dragons have certainly dug themselves a deep hole to climb out of. Winning its remaining four conference games (Southern Virginia, Kean, Montclair State, William Paterson) is crucial.

Montclair State's Gargiulo ties NCAA record

To say Eric Gargiulo had a career day this past Saturday is an understatement.

Gargiulo tied the Division III record with five interceptions, a mark he now shares with 11 other players that accomplished the feat. The last D-III player to pick off five passes in a single game was Bethel's Ben Matthews back in 2000.

The record-tying performance put Gargiulo in sole possession of the interception lead in the country with seven.

As a team, Montclair State picked off six passes and allowed just 15 points in a 35-15 win against Southern Virginia.

Quick hits

Tyler Fenti passed for 280 yards and two touchdowns, Tony Fusco rushed for two scores, and Sean Preish had a pair of sacks to headline a strong defensive effort in St. John Fisher's 42-13 win against Hartwick. ... Dominique Ellis rushed for 58 yards and three touchdowns, and Trayvon Toney led the defense with 15 tackles in Hobart's 37-7 victory over Springfield. ... Cristian Pena rushed for 122 yards and two TDs, including the tiebreaking score with 49 seconds left in regulation, as Morrisville State knocked off Kean, 37-31. Mustangs quarterback Lemar Johnson accounted for 431 total yards and three TDs as the team improved to 5-1. ... John Dunbar rushed for 75 yards and three touchdowns, including two in the second half, as Salisbury pulled away for a 36-19 win over Utica. Anthony Acevedo caught eight passes for 178 yards and two scores in the loss. ... Brendon Irving rushed for 175 yards and two touchdowns, and Brian Murphy passed for 219 yards and two TDs as Lebanon Valley routed Misericordia, 44-16, for its first win of the season. ... Withler Marcelin rushed for 168 yards and a TD, Bill McCarty tossed a pair of touchdowns, and Kurt Kingett had two of Rowan's three interceptions in a 33-14 win over William Paterson. ... Mike Lefflbine passed for 223 yards and three touchdowns, and James Holley-Grisham intercepted a pair of passes as St. Lawrence defeated RPI, 24-10. ... Chase Venuto passed for 254 yards and three touchdowns, Dan Andrews rushed for 125 yards and a score, and Brockport State's defense allowed just 80 total yards in a 46-0 rout of Frostburg State. ... Danny Tighe rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns, and Malik Gilmore blocked and recovered a punt for a touchdown as Albright scored the game's final 21 points in a 38-20 win over FDU-Florham. ... Sean Murphy returned one of WPI's four interceptions 48 yards for a touchdown in a 23-7 victory against Union.

Top 25: Widener, Delaware Valley move up

MAC contenders Widener and Delaware Valley came in at No. 17 and No. 24, respectively, in this week's D3football.com Top 25 poll.

Widener climbed two spots, while Delaware Valley wasn't among the top 25 last week. Hobart held steady at No. 8 and St. John Fisher slipped one spot to No. 16.

Ithaca, Buffalo State, Salisbury and Rowan all received votes this week.

Looking ahead

No. 16 St. John Fisher (4-1, 3-1) at Utica (4-2, 2-2), 1 p.m., Saturday: St. John Fisher is coming off an impressive bounce-back win. Utica, on the other hand, has lost two straight. The Cardinals will be favored here, but expect the Pioneers to give them a fight at home.

Morrisville State (5-1, 3-0) at Rowan (3-2, 2-0), 2 p.m., Saturday: Morrisville State is in the middle of its best season, but it will get its toughest test against Rowan. The Profs remain one of the top contenders in the NJAC this season.

No. 24 Delaware Valley (5-0, 4-0) at Stevenson (4-1, 3-1), 3 p.m., Saturday: Delaware Valley is rolling. Stevenson is coming off a bye week, which followed its only loss of the season. This figures to be a high-scoring, fun matchup.

Contact me
I'm always happy to hear from you, whether its questions, feedback or story ideas. Please reach out to me by email at andrew.lovell@d3sports.com and follow me on Twitter (@andrew_lovell).