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| Jalen Snyder-Scipio and Anthony Orlando started elsewhere, but are leading the Greyhounds back to prominence. Photo courtesy Moravian Athletics |
Can you trace your current position in life to one defining moment? One seemingly random chance encounter that forever altered the course of your life’s plans?
Anthony Orlando can. Moravian’s senior defensive back first attended Colgate University. He didn’t feel that the football program was a fit and considered his playing days over. He was attending community college when he ran into a familiar face, and their conversation changed Orlando’s trajectory, as well as that of the Greyhounds football program.
Jalen Snyder-Scipio played one season at Duquesne before transferring to Moravian. He was first attracted to the D-III school’s strong nursing program and was excited to forgo his Division I scholarship to play closer to home.
Both Lehigh Valley natives, Orlando, a defensive back, and Snyder-Scipio, a wide receiver, played against one another in a high school all-star game a few years ago. Shortly after Snyder-Scipio made the decision to transfer to Moravian, Orlando bumped into him at a friend’s house. The two started talking and Snyder-Scipio quickly elevated the conversation to a recruiting pitch. The pair arrived at Moravian together in 2013 and this year the co-captains have led the Greyhounds to a 7-1 start.
“I thought I had called it quits on football before I ran into Jalen,” said Orlando. “It’s an awesome experience now to walk out on the field with him before each game.”
Their head coach can relate. Jeff Pukszyn first attended and played for Kutztown before transferring to Moravian in 1994. He’s been a part of the Greyhound program ever since. He understands that while some transfers may carry baggage, most do not.
“Sometimes when you transfer, there’s nothing wrong,” he said. “It’s just a feeling or a decision. You get a clean slate and a breath of fresh air to start over.”
Now, he uses a recruiting pitch that he learned from his two captains. The angle has helped him reel in more recruits from the fertile football grounds of the Lehigh Valley.
“18-year-olds think that they want to get away from home,” said Pukszyn. “Jalen and Anthony talk to a lot of our visiting recruits. They tell them ‘when you’re far away from home, you can never make it closer. But, when you’re close, you can make home feel far away.’”
It did not take long at all for the transfers to make their presence felt. The Greyhounds posted a third straight 2-8 season in 2013, but the wheels of the turnaround were in motion.
“They earned the immediate respect of their peers,” said Pukszyn of his two captains. “They have great leadership abilities and their intangibles are just phenomenal. They are great students and workaholics.”
Orlando attended Liberty High School in Bethlehem, just a 15-minute walk from Moravian’s campus. Snyder-Scipio attended Allentown Central Catholic, a 15-minute drive from Moravian. After leaving the Lehigh Valley, they returned and realized what a tight-knit football community they could be a part of at Moravian.
“Having guys that come from this area, we know what caliber of player and work ethic they bring,” said Snyder-Scipio. “We all work very well together, set the bar high for each other, and hold each other accountable.”
Another advantage to a roster filled with several local products is that summer workouts are a team effort. Between 20 and 30 Greyhounds players would get together five days a week this past summer. It was no surprise that those summer sessions led to what Pukszyn called the best preseason camp he’s seen as a coach at Moravian.
“It really is a great bonus to have so many guys within about a 45-minute drive,” he said. “It was great that they could spend all that time together this summer.”
The players pushed each other to build on the momentum of last year’s 5-5 season and reach new heights this year. Finally, the last two weeks of the season matter more than they have in a long time at Moravian.
“It’s neat to be playing for something more than just pride,” said Orlando.
Another Lehigh Valley product returned to the area in 2013. Don Clemons played for Muhlenberg before embarking on a coaching career that led to him coaching for 27 years with the Detroit Lions. His son, Corey, was a Moravian quarterback before injuries led him to transfer to the University of Michigan. Clemons still lives in Michigan but returns each fall to coach the Greyhounds linebackers. He enjoys seeing his family—his father, brother, and sister all live nearby—and understands the area’s football strengths.
“If we can own the Valley, it’s a gold mine, I think,” Clemons said. “There’s a lot of good players right here.”
Two of those local products are causing opposing defenses nightmares. Running backs Eli Redmond and Chris Negron have combined for 23 touchdowns this season. Negron has rushed for 1,105 yards, complemented by Redmond’s 435 yards.
“When you can recruit speed, like Chris and Eli, you’ve got a chance,” said Clemons.
Pukszyn has benefitted from having not one, but two NFL veterans on his staff. Orlando’s father, Bo, played 11 years in the NFL and helps coach the defensive backs.
“Coach Clemons is like having another head coach on the field,” said Pukszyn. “Bo is the ultimate teacher. When he talks, guys listen.”
At one point in their lives, Clemons, Pukszyn, Orlando, and Snyder-Scipio all left the Lehigh Valley. Now, all four men are playing important roles in the revitalization of the Moravian football program. If they can win out, the Greyhounds will post the program’s best win total since 1988’s ten-win season. The program has not been to the playoffs since 1993.
So many circumstances had to converge to make this season possible, a thought that is not lost on the Greyhounds’ captains.
“It’s like a butterfly effect,” said Orlando of his run-in with Snyder-Scipio in 2013 at a time when he was no longer a college football player. “I’m here now. It’s definitely surreal.”
Clinchmas could come early
There will be a lot less drama in Week 11 if Johns Hopkins, Washington and Lee, and Huntingdon take care of business in Week 10.
The Blue Jays can seal their fifth straight outright Centennial Conference championship with a win over Franklin and Marshall on Saturday. No. 11 Johns Hopkins cruised past Ursinus 49-13 behind another dominating defensive performance. The Blue Jays totaled four sacks, three fumble recoveries, and three interceptions. Brandon Cherry rushed for 89 yards and a score and Stuart Walters added two rushing scores and a 56-yard touchdown reception. The Blue Jays can tie Dickinson's Centennial record of seven straight conference championships with a win.
In 2009, W&L won just two ODAC games, then followed that season by running the table to shock the conference. Last year, the Generals won just two ODAC games, but are again on track to win the ODAC with a perfect conference record. No. 17 Washington and Lee faced a big road test at Emory and Henry. The Generals passed the test by rushing for 508 yards. Max Garrett led W&L’s defense with 16 tackles and the Generals held E&H to 1-4 on fourth down tries. The Wasps had no answer for the Generals’ rushing attack which averaged 6.8 yards per attempt. Walker Brand, Marshall Hollerith, and Connor Chess each rushed for over 100 yards. After last year ended in a four-way tie atop the ODAC, W&L just needs a win in either of its final two games, against Catholic or at Shenandoah, to clinch the conference’s automatic bid.
Huntingdon took care of business at Greensboro winning 40-20. The Hawks rushed for 282 yards and three touchdowns, led by Vic Jerald’s 104 yard effort. Jake Green had five tackles, forced and recovered a fumble, and intercepted a pass to lead the defense. That victory sets up what is essentially a winner-take-all match against Maryville on Saturday. Huntingdon enters the game 5-0 in conference play, while Maryville is 4-1. If the Hawks win, they’re in the playoffs for the first time since 2009.
Staying alive
Marvyille needed a furious fourth quarter rally to remain in contention for the USA South title. LaGrange took a 28-14 lead into the fourth quarter behind three touchdown passes from Connor Blair. But, Deshjion Whitlock and Mario Williams led the Scots back on top with a 24-point fourth quarter. After Whitlock’s third touchdown run of the game tied the score at 31 with under three minutes to play, the Scots defense stepped up. Blair’s pass was intercepted by Gabe Johnson and three plays later Evan Pittenger connected with Williams for a 50-yard go-ahead score with 39 seconds to play. Micah Smith intercepted Blair’s final pass attempt and Maryville survived to set up this week’s conference showdown with Huntingdon.
Hampden-Sydney, like Guilford, remained 4-1 in ODAC play, just one game behind W&L. The Tigers defense held Bridgewater to just 188 yards of total offense. The effort was led by Sid Henry, who notched a team-high ten tackles and one of H-SC’s three interceptions. The Tigers and Quakers meet this Saturday with their conference and postseason hopes on the line.
Moravian jumped out to a big early lead thanks to big special teams plays and held on for a 35-32 win over Gettysburg. The Greyhounds remain one game back of Johns Hopkins in the Centennial. Ed Delia blocked punts on Gettysburg’s first two possessions to set up short fields and Moravian’s offense took advantage, scoring touchdowns on its first two drives. After the Bullets cut the deficit to three, Moravian marched 76 yards in nearly seven minutes, turning the ball over on down at the Gettysburg 11 with just 49 seconds to play. Sam McDermott passed for four touchdowns for Gettysburg, but was sacked on the final two snaps of the game. Chris Negron led Moravian with 139 rushing yards, but needed 37 carries to get there. Mike hayes completed 23 of 30 passes for 241 yards and three scores.
Wanna see some points?
There were some huge offensive performances on Saturday, none bigger than Matt Pawlowski’s.
The Guilford quarterback set an ODAC record with 611 passing yards. He also passed for seven touchdowns. Pawlowski totaled 648 offensive yards, the fifth-most ever in a D-III game. The Quakers needed every one of them to hold off Catholic, 52-49. Guilford wide receiver Adam Smith also had a record-breaking day. He caught 12 passes for 142 yards and three scores. He now has 44 career touchdown receptions, breaking Nick Bublavi’s decade-old ODAC record.
Catholic quarterback T.J. Tutone nearly kept pace with Pawlowski, putting up 394 passing and 453 total yards. He passed for five touchdowns and rushed for another. Lucas Morley hauled in 11 passes for 98 yards and two scores, and Billy Smith caught the other three scoring throws. Tutone leads the conference in passing yards and completions, while Pawlowski is the leader in touchdown passes.
Three Battling Bishops players set records in N.C. Wesleyan’s 56-51 win over Averett. Quarterback Dustin Midgett passed for a school-record 449 yards and his four touchdown passes gave him the new school mark with 45 for his career. His favorite target, Malik Adams, set a single-game record with 220 receiving yards and his three touchdowns gave him a new single-season record with 12 receiving touchdowns. Adrian Minondo joined his teammates in the record books by rushing for 278 yards and four touchdowns.
The Cougars also put up big numbers, led by Travis Jones’s 325 all-purpose yards which included an 83-yard kickoff return for a score. Terrance Owens caught three passes, all touchdowns, for 137 yards. Kelly Hall passed for 340 yards and six scores in the loss.
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Do you know about any upcoming milestones, big games, or new names in the Mid-Atlantic? Please share them with me. If you have suggestions for next week's column, please reach out to me on Twitter at @adamturer or via email at adam.turer@d3sports.com.
