LYCOMING COLLEGE HONORS FOOTBALL
TEAM
Announces 2004
Captains
WILLIAMSPORT, PA – Twelve members of the 2003 Lycoming
College football team received special awards, Saturday evening, at
the team’s 28th annual banquet held at the Genetti
Hotel.
Junior quarterback Phil Mann (Mill Hall, Pa.; Central
Mountain) received the Warriors’ highest honor of the evening as
the team’s most valuable player. Mann led Lycoming to a Middle
Atlantic Conference championship and a berth in the NCAA playoffs,
finishing the season with an overall record of 9-2. He threw for a
Warrior single-season record 2,473 yards on 186-of-358 passing,
including 16 touchdowns. He also rushed for 279 yards and nine
touchdowns on 114 carries. Mann posted these impressive numbers
despite playing the final seven games of the season with a bone chip
in the wrist of his throwing arm and the final three games,
including two playoff contests, with a cracked rib. Mann was named
second-team all-conference.
Ricky Lannetti (Sr./Philadelphia, Pa.; Father
Judge) and Sean Hennigar (Sr./Philadelphia, Pa.; Father
Judge) shared the offensive player of the year honors. Lannetti
and Hennigar were high school teammates, roommates at Lycoming,
off-season training partners, and the Warriors’ top receiving duo in
2003. Lannetti caught 70 passes for 955 yards and five touchdowns,
while Hennigar recorded 52 receptions for 528 yards and seven
touchdowns. Lannetti was named first-team all-conference as a wide
receiver and second-team all-conference as a kick returner. Both
players were named to All-America squads – Hennigar was a
second-team selection at tight end by the Division III Sports
Information Directors and Lannetti was a third-team selection at
wide receiver according to D3Football.com.
The offensive lineman of the year award went to senior
Matt Mendola (Dunmore, Pa.; Dunmore). Prior to the 2003
season, Mendola moved from his position at center, where he had
started for two consecutive seasons, to left tackle in order to help
protect the quarterback’s backside. The move proved to be a key to
Lycoming’s success as the Warriors allowed just 23 sacks in 382
passing attempts. Mendola was named first-team all-conference,
second-team All-America by the Football Gazette, third-team
All-America by the Division III Sports Information Directors, and
honorable mention All-America by D3Football.com.
Senior Andy Miller (Emporium, Pa.; Cameron County) was
named the most improved offensive player. Miller stepped into the
role of starting center when Mendola shifted to tackle. Miller not
only protected the quarterback up the middle on passing plays, but
also led the way in run blocking. As a team Lycoming averaged 117.4
yards rushing per game and scored 21 rushing touchdowns in
2003.
On the other side of the ball, senior Tim Schmidt
(Philadelphia, Pa.; Roman Catholic) and junior Brian Kaspick
(Clearfield, Pa.; Clearfield) were named the defensive players
of the year. Schmidt led the Warriors in tackles with 81 total,
including 58 unassisted. He also intercepted two passes, broke-up 12
other pass attempts, forced three fumbles, and recorded a sack.
Kaspick led the secondary with 51 total tackles. He also intercepted
four passes and broke-up a total of nine attempts. Kaspick was named
first-team all-conference and Schmidt was named second-team
all-conference.
Senior Sean McGinley (Croyden, Pa.; Conwell-Egan)
received the defensive lineman of the year award. McGinley moved to
defensive end just prior to the 2003 season after spending his first
three seasons of college ball as a tight end. He went on to finish
the year fourth on the team with 63 total tackles, including an
MAC-high 15 sacks and 24 tackles-for-a-loss. McGinley was named
first-team all-conference, second-team All-America by
D3Football.com and honorable mention All-America by the
Division III Sports Information Directors.
Junior defensive back Nick Pinto (Philadelphia, Pa.;
Archbishop Ryan) was honored as the most improved defensive
player. Pinto was second on the depth chart at strong safety
entering the season, but was thrust into the starting role less than
48 hours before the Warriors’ first contest. Pinto responded by
making seven tackles and intercepting two passes in a 31-21 victory
over King’s College. He went on to total 45 tackles and a team-high
16 pass break-ups, including a team-high five
interceptions.
The special-teams player of the year award was given to
freshman Chris Schrader (Glenolden, Pa.; Monsignor Bonner).
Schrader handled Lycoming’s placekicking responsibilities in 2003.
He successfully converted 32-of-36 extra-point attempts and made
8-of-13 field goal attempts, including a long of 42 yards.
Two special awards were also presented at the banquet. The
David Busey Award is given to the player that excels not only on the
field, but also in the classroom. Senior Dickie Houck (Bethlehem,
Pa.; Bethlehem Catholic) was this year’s recipient of the award.
Houck was a second-team all-conference offensive lineman for the
Warriors. He was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District II
team and the Middle Atlantic Conference Academic Honor
Roll.
The Calistri Award is given to the player that best
exemplifies the ideals of a “team-player”. This year’s winner was
sophomore Luke Sterling (Lehighton, Pa.; Lehighton). Sterling
started the season as Lycoming’s starting outside linebacker, but
throughout the year was often called upon to play defensive end or
even defensive tackle if the team needed. He ended the season as the
squad’s second leading tackler with 74 total stops, including 11
sacks. He also recovered five fumbles during the season and broke up
eight passes, including one interception. Sterling was a first-team
all-conference selection and was named an honorable mention
All-American by the Division III Sports Information
Directors.
Following the presentation of the awards, head coach Frank
Girardi announced the captains for the 2004 season. Quarterback Phil
Mann will captain the offense and Luke Sterling and Brian Kaspick
will lead the defense. Coach Girardi also announced that a
scholarship has been formed in memory of Ricky Lannetti, who passed
away suddenly less than 24 hours before the Warriors’ quarterfinal
playoff game versus Bridgewater College. The scholarship will be
awarded to a student attending Lycoming College who graduated from
Father Judge High School. |