Oct. 4, 2008

Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - The fifth-ranked Muhlenberg football team jumped out to a 28-10 lead and held off a furious fourth-quarter rally by host Johns Hopkins as the Mules posted a 28-23 victory at Homewood Field Saturday afternoon. In a game that featured more than 900 yards of offense, three 100-yard receivers and two 100-yard rushers, it was a late interception that sealed the win for the Mules, who won their 15th straight regular season game and improve to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the Centennial Conference. Johns Hopkins, which rolled up 511 yards of total offense against the Centennial's third-ranked defense, slips to 3-2 overall and 1-2 in the Centennial.

Muhlenberg turned a 10-7 deficit early in the second quarter into a 21-10 halftime lead as senior Eric Santagato (Ringwood, NJ/Lakewood) fired a 15-yard touchdown pass to Joe Caporoso (Ringwood, NJ/Lakewood) to cap a nine-play, 68-yard drive with with 7:37 remaining in the first half to make it 14-10. After the Muhlenberg defense forced a quick three-and-out, Santagato directed a methodical 13-play, 88-yard drive that he polished off with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Bushong (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Catholic) with just 43 seconds remaining in the first half. The Mules converted all three of third-down opportunities on the drive.

Muhlenberg took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove to the Johns Hopkins two-yard line, but the Blue Jays sniffed out a fake field goal and stopped Erik Snyder (Phoenixville, PA/Phoenixville) for a loss of one yard to stay within striking distance. The Blue Jays then moved from their own three-yard line to the Muhlenberg 12 before Brandon Doyle (New Providence, NJ/New Providence) intercepted a Hewitt Tomlin (Jackson, TN/Trinity Christian) pass in the end zone and returned it to the 23-yard line. Eight plays later Sanatago threw his third and final touchdown pass of the game as he found Phil Cresta (Aston, PA/Sun Valley) behind the defense with a 34-yard touchdown pass to make it 28-10.

The Blue Jays, who would turn the ball over inside Muhlenberg territory again on their next possession late in the third quarter, began their rally early in the fourth quarter as head coach Jim Margraff pulled out a trick play of his own. Faced with a second-and-seven from their own 19, Tomlin handed off to Andrew Kase (Wyomissing, PA/Wyomissing), who pitched the ball back to Tomlin. Tomlin then found freshman wide receiver Sam Wernick (Dallas, TX/Dallas Jesuit) a step behind the Muhlenberg secondary and Wernick caught the pass in stride and out-raced a defender to the end zone for an 81-yard touchdown reception - the fourth-longest pass play in school history.

The Blue Jay defense then came up with a stop on Muhlenberg's ensuing possession - a Santagato pass from knocked away by junior Colin Wixted (Lafayette Hill, PA/St. Joe's Prep) on fourth-and one from the Blue Jay 23-yard line - and Hopkins took over with 8:59 remaining.

Tomlin proceeded to complete 6-of-8 passes on the drive, including a 23-yard pass to sophomore Tucker Michels (Allendale, NJ/Northern Highlands) that moved the ball into Muhlenberg territory, and Kase took care of the final 12 yards as he raced untouched into the end zone to cap a 10-play, 77-yard drive that sliced the deficit to 28-23. Tomlin's two-point pass attempt to Wernick was incomplete.

Muhlenberg lost 14 yards on its next possession and the Blue Jays took over at the their own 39 with just under four minutes remaining, but Tomlin's pass to Dan Crowley (Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) was intercepted by Doyle and the Mules were able to run out the final 2:48 to seal their second straight win over the Blue Jays.

The fireworks started early as the Blue Jays took the opening drive and moved deep into Muhlenberg territory before a Matt Rathbun (Boonton, NJ/Boonton) interception ended the drive and set the Mules up inside Blue Jay territory. Santagato and the Muhlenberg offense needed just two minutes to go 35 yards in four plays with Santagato racing in from 12 yards out to make it 7-0 just over five minutes into the game.

A 37-yard Alex Lachman (Livingston, NJ/Livingston) field goal sliced the deficit to 7-3 at the end of the first quarter and the Blue Jays took their only lead of the game early in the second. After a David Mazzola (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown) punt pinned the Blue Jays at their own five-yard line, Tomlin hooked up with Wernick on a 91-yard touchdown pass to make it 10-7 with 11:20 remaining in the first half. The 91-yard pass play is the third-longest in school history.

Wernick's touchdown reception was followed shortly after by Santagato's touchdown pass to Caporoso that would give the Mules the lead for good, although the victory wasn't sealed until Doyle's second interception.

Santagato was an efficient 13-of-25 for 203 yards with the three touchdown passes and he added 49 yards rushing and the one score. Cresta was Santagato's favorite target as he had seven receptions for 133 yards and the one score. Scott Gavin (Taylor, PA/Riverside) paced the Muhlenberg defense with 10 tackles, while Doyle added seven tackles to go along with his two interceptions.

Tomlin was 22-of-38 for a career-high 387 yards with the two touchdowns and four interceptions. The 387 yards is the second-highest single-game total in school history, the most ever by a Blue Jay freshman and the most ever by a freshman in the history of the Centennial Conference. His 377 yards of total offense is also a Johns Hokins and Centennial Conference record for a freshman.

Wernick had five receptions for a career-high 205 yards and the two touchdowns. His 205 yards are the fourth-highest single-game total in school history, the most second-most ever by a JHU freshman and the first 200-yard receiving game by a Johns Hopkins player since Joe Richards set a JHU record with 296 receiving yards against Georgetown in 1991. Wernick's 205 receiving yards are also a Centennial Conference record for a freshman.

Michels had career-highs of 10 receptions for 108 yards and sophomore Mike Mahon (Oceanport, NJ/Shore Regional) had a team-high 10 tackles and two pass breakups for the Blue Jays.

Lost in the shuffle of the passing exploits by Santagato and Tomlin was the matchup between Kase and Muhlenberg's John DeLuca (Sayville, NY/Sayville), who entered the game as the Centennial Conference's top two rushers. Kase finished with 128 yards and the one touchdown, while DeLuca gained 143 yards on 34 carries. It was Kase's third straight 100-yard rushing game and he moved into eighth place on JHU's career rushing list with 1,898 yards. He also now stands alone in second place with 11 career 100-yard rushing games.

Johns Hopkins will return to action next Friday night when the Blue Jays host Dickinson. The Red Devils defeated Moravian, 16-7, earlier today. Muhlenberg will host Juniata next Saturday.

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