The Game: Johns Hopkins (5-4, 4-2 Centennial) hosts Western Maryland (8-1, 6-0 CC) in the final regular-season game of the year for both teams. Hopkins can claim a share of second place in the Centennial Conference with a victory, while the Green Terror is looking for its fourth straight undefeated season in the league.

The Teams: Johns Hopkins erased a 17-6 halftime deficit to post a come-from-behind, 21-20 win at F&M. Western Maryland clinched its fourth straight outright Centennial title and the accompanying bid to the NCAA playoffs with a 41-21 win over Swarthmore.

The Coaches: Johns Hopkins is coached by Jim Margraff (Johns Hopkins 82), who is in his 11th season as the head coach at Homewood. With the win over F&M last weekend, Margraff tied the school record for most victories by a Hopkins football coach. He now sports a record of 60-46-3 (.564) since arriving at Homewood in 1990. He is currently tied for the all-time record with Dr. Ray Van Orman, won 60 games from 1920-35.

Margraff guided the Blue Jays to a school-record-tying seven wins in 1996, 1997, and 1998 to record the winningest three-year period in school history and boasts the highest winning percentage of any JHU coach who has coached 50 or more games.

In addition to ranking second on the all-time victory list among JHU coaches, Margraff also ranks third on the all-time Centennial Conference (CC games only) victory list (43-31-2) and seventh on the all-time winning percentage list among Centennial coaches (CC games only) (.579).

Tim Keating is now in his eighth season as the architect of the Western Maryland football program. A 1975 graduate of Bethany (WV) College, Keating sports an overall coaching record of 82-45-3, including a sparkling 56-22-3 record in his eight seasons at Western Maryland.

Series Information:

o JHU leads the all-time series, 39-34-5.

o Currently, Western Maryland has won three straight against Hopkins. This is the first time since 1978-80 that WMC has won three straight in the series.

o Since the formation of the Centennial Conference, the Blue Jays are 11-5-1 against the Green Terror.

o JHU and WMC have met every year since 1947 except 1963, when the game was postponed after the assassination of President Kennedy.

Scouting the Green Terror: Western Maryland enters this weeks game against Johns Hopkins looking to secure its fourth straight undeafeated season in the Centennial Conference. The Green Terror have already clinched a fourth straight NCAA playoff bid and the outright Centennial title.

Head coach Tim Keating was faced with the unenviable task of replacing all-time leading quarterback Rob Sermarini at the beginning of the season. No problem there as junior Boo Harris has stepped in and established himself as a leading candidate for Centennial Conference Offensive Player-of-the-Year honors.

Harris ranks third in the league in rushing (95.1 yards per game), has thrown for 1,462 yards and 16 touchdowns against just eight interceptions, and leads the league in total offense (257.6 yards per game).

As if Harris weren't enough to contend with, senior RB Joe Kendorski has rushed for 531 yards and four touchdowns, while junior WR Teron Powell has 37 receptions for 585 yards and five TDs as well.

While the eye-popping offensive numbers always seem to grab more attention, the recent run of success at Western Maryland may not have been possible if it werent for the Green Terror defense, which has ranked among the nations best in the last four years.

Sophomore Haroun Hebron and senior Aaron Bartolian are tied for the team-lead with five sacks each, while junior Jason Wiles leads the team with 52 tackles and 11 tackles for loss. Junior Jason Wingeart is tied for second in the league with 16 pass breakups, including six interceptions. Overall, Western Maryland leads the Centennial in scoring defense (14.3 points per game), ranks second in total defense (283.9 yards per game) and rushing defense (89.9 ypg) and seventh in passing defense (194.0 ypg.).

The Green Terror passing defensive numbers are a bit deceiving as many teams have abandoned the run after falling behind and have picked up token yardage when the game is out of reach.

Captain, My Captain: The Blue Jays selected three captains for the 2000 season. Fifth-year senior DL Greg Gorla (Hamilton Square, NJ/Hamilton East), senior RB Scott Martorana (Long Valley, NJ/W. Morris Central), and junior LB Marc Della Pia (West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell) were selected as team captains at the conclusion of two-a-day practices.

Margraffs Resurrection: Putting head coach Jim Margraffs resurrection of the Johns Hopkins football program in perspective takes only a quick look at the Hopkins record book. Since taking over as the head coach prior to the 1990 season, Margraff has guided JHU to seven winning seasons and 60 wins. The 60 wins are six more than Hopkins accumulated in the previous 16 years combined (1974-89). During that time, Hopkins posted five winning seasons and won 54 games.

Been There, Done That: Last weeks win over F&M ensured the Blue Jays of at least a .500 record for the eighth time in Jim Margraffs 11 years as head coach. Prior to Margraffs arrival, JHU had posted just seven seasons with a .500 record or better in the previous 17 years.

Last Week: -- Junior place kicker Matt Andrade kicked a 32-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter and sophomore cornerback Mark Robinson came up with the first interception of his career with just over two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to seal a 21-20 victory for Johns Hopkins over host Franklin & Marshall. The win snaps a two-game losing streak for Hopkins, which improves to 5-4, 4-2 in the Centennial Conference, while the Diplomats fall to 0-9, 0-6.

The win was extra special for 11th-year head coach Jim Margraff, who tied the school record for most victories by a Johns Hopkins football coach with the win. Margraff, who now sports an overall record of 60-46-3, ties Ray Van Orman at the top of the victory chart in the history of Hopkins football. Van Orman, who coached at Homewood from 1920-35, amassed a record of 60-64-7.

Andrade's field goal capped an eight-play, 53-yard drive with 3:42 remaining in the fourth quarter, which turned a 20-18 deficit into the 21-20 advantage. The Diplomats got the ball back one more time and drove from their own 34-yard line to the Hopkins 38, before three straight incomplete passes by F&M quarterback David Makson were followed by Robinson's interception at the Blue Jay 24-yard line on a fourth and 10 play.

The Diplomats came out strong in the first half and took a 17-6 lead at the half. Sophomore RB Chad Strothers capped a seven-play, 50-yard drive on F&M's second possession of the game with a one-yard run. After a 24-yard field goal by F&M's Stephen Linebaugh, Hopkins cut a 10-0 deficit to 10-6 when senior Donald Davis scored on a 15-yard run to finish off a 10-play, 85-yard drive. F&M pushed its advantage to 17-6 when Makson scored on a quarterback keeper with 29 seconds remaining in the half.

Hopkins wasted little time cutting into the lead in the third quarter as freshman quarterback George Merrell connected with junior Zach Baylin from 23 yards out to make it 17-12. The Blue Jays took their first lead of the game (18-17) when Merrell hit senior tight end Will Baskett from six yards out to complete a quick, four-play, 15-yard drive. The drive was set up by freshman Ben Stopper's 33-yard punt return. F&M battled back to take a short-lived 20-18 lead on a 26-yard field goal by Linebaugh midway through the fourth quarter, setting the stage for Andrade's late-game heroics.

Johns Hopkins sophomore RB Kevin Johnson rushed for a game-high 143 yards, while Baylin added a team-high five receptions for 67 yards and the one touchdown. Johnson's 143 yards are the second-highest single-game total of his career, while Baylin's five receptions give him 60 this season, which ranks as the fourth-highest single-season total in school history. He is just the second player in school history to catch 60 or more passes in a season. Merrell was 11-of-22 for 100 yards, the two touchdowns, and one interception. The two touchdown passes were the first two of his career.

The Diplomats got 114 yards rushing from freshman Paul Fix, while Makson was 20-of-46 for 247 yards and a pair of interceptions. Sophomore WR Justin Salton was on the receiving end of eight of Makson's passes for a game-high 112 yards receiving.

Baylin Ties JHU Record: Junior WR Zach Baylin (Wilmington, DE/Tatnall) had five receptions for 67 yards and one touchdown against Franklin & Marshall. In the process, he made several more dents in the JHU record books He now has team highs of 60 receptions for 618 yards and 11 touchdowns.

With one games plus an entire season remaining, Baylin already ranks among the all-time leading receivers in school history. Consider:

o Baylins 11 touchdown receptions this season tie the JHU single-season record set by Bill Stromberg in 1978 and matched by Stromberg in 1980. His 11 TD receptions are tied for the third-highest single-season total in Centennial Conference history.

o Baylins 60 receptions this season rank as the fourth-highest single-season total in school history. He is just the second player in school history to catch 60 or more passes in a single-season (Stromberg did it three times).

o Baylin is just the third player in school history to post back-to-back seasons with 50 or more receptions (Bill Stromberg (1980-81) & Joe Richards (1991-92), while his 116 catches in the last two years are the second-highest two-year total in school history (Stromberg/144 receptions in 1980-81).

o With 46 receiving yards against Dickinson, Baylin moved into eighth on the career receiving yardage list at Hopkins with 1,261. He needs just 25 receiving yards to jump all the way to sixth.

o With 60 receptions entering the final game against Western Maryland, Baylin is looking to become the first player since Joe Richards (JHU/1990-91) to lead the Centennial Conference in receptions in back-to-back seasons. He would become just the third player to do this since the league was formed in 1983.

Johnson Nets Second-Highest Rushing Total: Sophomore RB Kevin Johnson (Baltimore, MD/City) enjoyed his finest outing of the season against F&M as he rushed 24 times for 143 yards in the 21-20 victory. Johnson has two career 100-yard games and both have come at the expense of the Diplomats. Last season, he rushed for a career-high 177 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-33 come-from-behind victory. Johnson ranks second on the team in rushing this season with 72 carries for 346 yards and one touchdown.

Putting Your Lightfoot Forward: Sophomore RB Harrell Lightfoot (Mitchellville, MD/Largo) rushed eight times for 35 yards and had one reception for nine yards against F&M. Lightfoot ranks third on the team in rushing (190 yards) and fourth in receptions with 10 for 151 yards on the year.

Merrell Picks Up First Career Victory: Freshman QB George Merrell (Bloomsburg, PA/Central Columbia) picked up a victory in his first career start for the Blue Jays in the win over F&M. Merrell was 11-of-22 for 100 yards and two touchdowns against one interception against the Diplomats. The two touchdown passes were the first two of his career. In three games (he played briefly in a 42-6 win over Kings Point early in the year), Merrell is 22-of-47 for 278 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He has also rushed for 72 yards and two touchdowns.

The Iron Five: Through nine games, the Blue Jays have used the same starting five offensive linemen eight times. Until the win over Gettysburg on September 29, the group of senior guard Jason Wolcott (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Hills), senior tackle Craig Miller (Greensburg, PA/Greensburg Salem), sophomore guard Brian Williams (Katy, TX/Strake Jesuit) sophomore center Kevin Kostibos (Florham Park, NJ/Hanover Park), and freshman tackle Zach Kail (Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair) had started the first three games together. In fact, the unit was in on all 126 offensive plays the Blue Jays ran in the first two games and handled most of the first three quarters of action against Kings Point.

Sophomore Leif Glynn (Crofton, NY/Crofton-Harmon) got the start against Gettysburg in place of Miller, who had missed some practice time during the week due to an injury. Miller did play in the game against Gettysburg and has started the five games since the JHU-Gettysburg on September 29.

The offensive line has helped JHU develop one of the more balanced offensive attacks in the Centennial Conference. The Blue Jays enter this weeks game against Western Maryland ranked fourth in the league in scoring offense (27.8), passing offense (211.6), and total offense (365.2), and fifth in rushing offense (153.7).

Stopper Garners Centennial Honors: Freshman RB Ben Stopper (Reinholds, PA/Conrad Weiser) was named to the Centennial Conference Honor Roll for his efforts in the win over F&M last Saturday. Stopper returned four punts for 108 yards against the Diplomats and now has eight punt returns for 143 yards (17.9 per return) on the year. His career-best 52-yard return gave the Blue Jays the ball at the F&M 12-yard line, while his 33-yard return gave JHU the ball at the F&M 15.

Baker Excels: Entering the 2000 season, receivers other than junior Zach Baylin had accumulated a total of two receptions combined. Enter junior WR John Baker (Media, PA/Penncrest), who has done an admirable job as Hopkins number two receiver. On the year, Baker ranks second on the team in receptions (27) and third in receiving yards (340). He had three receptions for 18 yards against F&M and setup JHUs game-winning field goal in the final five minutes with a reception that gave JHU the ball at the F&M 15 yard line.

Della Looking to Make it Two Straight: Junior LB Marc Della Pia (West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell) is looking to make it two straight seasons of leading the Blue Jays in tackles. He currently has a team-high 58 stops on the year, including 30 solos and 4.5 for losses. Against F&M, Della Pia had four tackles to his credit, including one for a loss.

Little Keeping Pace: Sophomore LB Mike Little (Red Bank, NJ/Middletown South) continues to rank second on the team in tackles with 57 after he posted six against F&M. Little ranks second on the team in tackles for loss with eight.

Ivers Posts Career-High: Sophomore DB Nolan Ivers (Holmdel. NJ/Holmdel) was named to the Centennial Conference Honor Roll after posting a career-high 14 tackles in the win over F&M. Among the 14 were 10 solos stops, while he added a pair of pass breakups as well. Ivers currently ranks third on the team in tackles (56) and first in solo stops (38).

Nelson Makes Successful Switch: Freshman Jonas Nelson (East Berlin, PA/Spring Grove) spent his first eight weeks with the Johns Hopkins football team as a reserve wide receiver, appearing in each of the first six games with one start. However, after the Blue Jay secondary was depleted due to injuries, Nelson made the move to the secondary and has started the last two games at strong safety. Nelson made an immediate impact as he posted a team-high 10 tackles, including six solos, against Dickinson and added six tackles in the win over F&M.

Hellmold Anchors DL: Junior Erich Hellmold (Sayville, NY/Sayville) garnered Second Team All-Centennial honors last season as he finished fifth on the team (and tops among defensive linemen) in tackles with 36. After a six-tackle effort last week against F&M, Hellmold now ranks fourth on the team with 39 tackles and has team-highs of 11 tackles for losses and six sacks.

Smolyn Among CC Leaders: Freshman punter Chris Smolyn (Randolph, NJ/Lenape Valley) continues to rank among the better punters in the Centennial Conference. On the year, Smolyn ranks fourth in the league in punting as he is averaging 35.7 yards on his 37 punts and 10 of the 37 have been downed inside the opponents 20-yard line. He nailed a career-long 64-yard punt against F&M and twice pinned the Diplomats inside their 20-yard line.

Smith Excels: Freshman DL Paul Smith (Lafayette, NJ/Sparta) enjoyed another solid outing as he was in on four tackles, including three solos, two for losses, and one sack, in the win over F&M. He has played in all nine games with three starts and has 18 tackles, 5.5 tackles for losses, and three sacks to his credit. His 18 tackles are the most of any freshman on the team, while his three sacks rank second on the team.

Quarterly Report: Hopkins holds a scoring advantage in every quarter this season except the third. The Blue Jays have outscored the opposition in the first (43-39), second (82-54), and fourth quarters (74-38), while the opposition holds a 61-51 advantage in the third quarter. Not coincidentally, the opposition has had the ball an average of two minutes and 31 seconds more than Hopkins in the third quarter.

A Passing Fancy: As a team, Johns Hopkins has thrown 19 touchdown passes this season, just three shy of the JHU single-season record of 20 set in 1998. Of the 19 throw this season, junior Rob Heleniak throw 17 before being lost for the season against Bridgewater, while freshman George Merrell has thrown two.

Scoring Mark: The 250 points the Blue Jays have scored this season already rank as the fourth-highest single-season total in school history. The Blue Jays need to score 15 or more points this week against Western Maryland to move up to third The school-record for points scored in a season is 306 in 1968, while the 1998 team ranks second with 288 points scored. The third-highest total of 264 points was scored in 1997.

Moore, Williams Named to Centennial Academic Honor Roll: Senior WR Wes Moore (Bronx, NY/Valley Forge Military Academy) and sophomore OL Brian Williams (Katy, TX/Katy) have been named to the 2000 Centennial Conference Football Academic Honor Roll. To be named to the Centennial Football Academic Honor Roll, a student must be a sophomore, junior, or senior; a starter or significant reserve; and carry at least a 3.40 cumulative grade point average. Williams has started all nine games at guard and has helped the Blue Jay offense average over 27 points and 360 yards of total offense per game. Moore has played in seven games this season and ranks fifth on the team with eight receptions for 202 yards (25.2 yards per reception) and two touchdowns. Williams is majoring in biology/pre-med., while Moore is an international relations major.

Home Sweet Home: JHU is 3-1 at home this season and has outscored the opposition, 151-69 at Homewood Field.

More Home Sweet Home: Since the beginning of the 1996 season, Hopkins is 18-6 at home and won 10 straight at Homewood from 1996-97.

Team Notes of Interest: Johns Hopkins is an impressive 37-3 (.925) under Margraff when scoring 24 or more points...currently, the Blue Jays have won 25 of their last 26 when scoring 24 or more...prior to the 37-24 loss against Bridgewater last season, the Blue Jays had won 20 straight games when scoring 24 or more points with the last loss a 27-24 setback against Gettysburg in 1994...at the same time, Hopkins is 40-8-2 (.820) when holding the opposition to 14 points or less since Margraff arrived for the 1990 season and last lost a game when holding the opposition to 14 points or less on October 31, 1997, when Dickinson prevailed, 13-7 in triple overtime.

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