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By Dave Rosengrant drosengrant@timesleader.com
Sports Reporter

After last week’s loss to King’s in the Mayor’s Cup game, Wilkes coach Frank Sheptock pulled numbers to try to find out if his team could still qualify for an ECAC bowl game. He thought his team would be on the bubble as to whether or not it would qualify.

Turns out, the Colonels’ bubble did not bust and they will face Franklin & Marshall (8-2) at noon today in the South Atlantic Bowl at Sponaugle-Williamson Field in Lancaster. It will mark the seventh overall appearance for the Colonels (6-4) in an ECAC game and the sixth for Sheptock as a head coach.

“Anytime you lose, Monday is a tough day for the kids to practice,” Sheptock said. “But I pulled them together and congratulated them on a reward for a 10-game season. I’m sure they were down considerably over the weekend, which is to be expected but they’ve been very pleased and we’ve had a very enjoyable week of practice.”

Several good omens have arose for Wilkes recently. And if Sheptock’s team believes in karma, a berth in the NCAA Tournament might not be too far away in the next few years – especially with just 13 seniors on this year’s squad.

Last year, Delaware Valley defeated Kean in the South Atlantic Bowl and Albright knocked off Montclair State in the South Central Bowl. Johns Hopkins also defeated Alfred in an ECAC game in the same region last year. Kean is the only team of those six that did not earn a berth in this year’s NCAA tourney.

Another possible good sign for Wilkes is the last time it played in the South Atlantic game was in 2002 following a 34-7 loss at King’s. The Colonels rebounded to beat the Merchant Marine Academy in the postseason game that year. Three years later, the Colonels were MAC champions for two consecutive seasons. With a strong group of underclassmen, those goals may be realistic.

“Hopefully there can be some d�j� vu there for us,” Sheptock added. “We’ve been feeling good about ourselves and just been trying to relate our previous experience in this game with our current players.”

The Diplomats’ may be tough to handle. Their offense is the epitome of everything that has troubled the Colonels this season. Sophomore tailback John Kaschak averages 4.4 yards per carry with 453 yards on the ground and eight touchdowns. The Colonels have allowed 4.1 yards per rush this season and 174.8 yards per game.

That’s just the start of the spread offense that F&M uses. The Diplomats spread the ball around. Five different players have completed a pass and 12 different players have a reception this season.

Leading the way for the receivers is senior George Eager, who topped the 1,000-yard mark with 1,043 yards and 11 touchdowns on 79 receptions. Sophomore signal caller John Harrison has had a phenomenal season for F&M passing for 2,865 yards and 29 touchdowns this season to go with just nine interceptions.

When teams haven’t run on the Colonels this season, opponents have had success passing. Two of the MAC schools that Wilkes had a problem with during the regular season were Albright and Delaware Valley. Both teams consist of a dynamic offense. Albright QB Tanner Kelly passed for 436 yards and four touchdowns and even ran for 63 yards in a 22-point win over the Colonels.

Sheptock said that the Diplomats are similar to Albright, which qualified for the NCAA Division III Tournament.

“With that spread offense, it’s hard to get a gage on what exactly they are,” Sheptock noted. “Against Johns Hopkins they threw the ball and against Gettysburg, they ran the ball a little more.”

Sheptock added that F&M also uses several trick and finesse plays with reverse passes and receivers lining up in the backfield.

While F&M may be a tough challenge from looking at film, backing down from a challenge is not in the Colonels’ playbook. Sheptock said that the players are excited to be playing another game and want to make the most of the opportunity.

If the team can capitalize today, the sky could be the limit in the near future.

Up Next

ECAC South Atlantic Bowl

Who: Wilkes (6-4) at Franklin & Marshall (8-2)

When: Noon today

Where: Sponaugle-Williamson Field, Lancaster

Series: This is the first meeting between the schools.

ECAC History: Both teams are playing in their seventh ECAC Bowl game. Each team has a 3-3 record in the ECACs. Wilkes’ last appearance in an ECAC game was a 41-19 loss to Washington & Jefferson in 2003. The last time the Diplomats qualified ended in a 27-23 loss to Salisbury in 2005.

Noteworthy: The Colonels and Diplomats have one common opponent this season in Muhlenberg. F&M defeated the Mules, 20-7 while the Colonels pulled out a 14-12 victory.