Box Score
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Larry Cappetto
threw for 315 yards and four touchdowns as Denison exploded
for 28 points in an 11-minute span of the second half to defeat
Gettysburg 35-23 in non-conference football action on Saturday.
Sophomore wideout Zack Brent
was Cappetto’s favorite target on the afternoon, hauling in
11 passes for 116 yards and three scores as the Big Red (2-1)
won the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Brian
Bishoff’s 28-yard fumble return for a touchdown late
in the third quarter started the Denison rally that turned
a two-point deficit into a 35-9 lead with 6:17 remaining.
Phil Bouwhuis paced the
Big Red rushing attack with 20 carries for 93 yards while
Joey Thees hauled in Cappetto’s fourth touchdown
toss, an 18-yarder that capped the turnaround.
Bullet senior Mike Schwalb (Bernardsville,
NJ/Pingry) carried 28 times for 105 yards after being
shifted to the starting tailback role. Spencer Davidson
(Dumont, NJ/Dumont), Bryan Wheatly (Lancaster,
PA/Manheim Twp.) and Brian McKeon (Belle Harbor,
NY/Xavier) caught touchdown passes for Gettysburg
(0-4), which rolled up a season-high 376 total yards.
Sophomore quarterback Mike Szczesny
(Carteret, NJ/Carteret) completed 16 of 31 passes
for 159 yards and one touchdown in his first collegiate start.
Classmate Mark Campo (Arendtsville, PA/Biglerville)
went 9-for-13 for 86 yards and two touchdowns while leading
the Bullets on a pair of fourth-quarter scoring drives.
For all of Denison’s 452 yards of total
offense, it was a defensive play that turned the Big Red’s
fortunes.
With Gettysburg leading 9-7 late in the
third quarter, Matt Cammarata forced a Schwalb
fumble at the Bullet 29 and Bishoff carried the pigskin untouched
into the end zone to put Denison ahead to stay.
The Big Red forced Gettysburg three-and-out
on its next possession before Cappetto used a pair of big
passes to move his squad 69 yards on eight plays for a 21-9
lead. Cappetto found Mike Kushner on a 32-yard
pass to the Gettysburg 27 and hit Brent on a 23-yard touchdown
toss three plays later to cap the drive.
Back on the field following a Bullet
fumble on the ensuing kickoff return, Cappetto and Brent teamed
up on another 23-yard scoring strike to make it 28-9 with
11:45 left.
Derek Fry’s 41-yard interception
return set up an 18-yard touchdown pass from Cappetto to Thees,
capping the rally with 6:17 remaining.
Campo marched Gettysburg on scoring drives
of 65 and 64 yards to pull the Bullets within 35-23, finding
Wheatly and McKeon for his first two collegiate touchdown
passes.
Following a scoreless first quarter,
Gettysburg took a 3-0 lead on a 23-yard field goal by Grant
Acker (Howell, NJ/Peddie).
Despite being pinned at its own 3 by
Bullet punter Tom Pettit (Blue Bell, PA/Wissahickon),
the Big Red marched 97 yards on 13 plays to take a 7-3 lead.
Cappetto hit Kushner for 32 yards and Matt Petersen
for 23 before Brent hauled in his first touchdown reception
of the day from four yards out.
Operating the Bullets’ two-minute drill,
Szczesny marched the home team 68 yards on seven plays, capped
by Davidson’s acrobatic three-yard touchdown reception that
made it 9-7 at the half.
After Brent’s 11-catch day, Kushner finished
with four receptions for 74 yards. Tim Koprowski
led Denison with nine tackles, including seven solo stops.
Derek Landi (Vineland, NJ/Vineland
South) matched Wheatly’s team high with seven receptions
for 65 yards. Dan Hogdahl (Riverdale, NJ/Pompton Lakes)
led Gettysburg with a career-high 13 tackles. Jon Weller
(Berwyn, PA/Conestoga) and Ryan McGarry (Cliffside
Park, NJ/Cliffside Park) added six tackles and one
interception apiece.
Following an off week, the Bullets open
their 2004 Centennial Conference schedule on Saturday, Oct.
9 at McDaniel. Game time is 1 p.m.
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