GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The 2015 regular season ends with the rivalry to end all rivalries as Gettysburg College heads east on Route 30 to visit Franklin & Marshall College at Sponaugle-Williamson Field this Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
 
Since 1890, Gettysburg (6-3, 5-3 CC) and Franklin & Marshall (6-3, 5-3 CC) have tangled for local supremacy on the gridiron. Last fall marked the 100th meeting between the two institutions with the Bullets gaining a one-win advantage in the all-time series at 47-46-7 with a 26-14 victory at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium.
 
"Going into each game against F&M every year, we know it's going to be a dog fight," noted senior cornerback Dan Ciemniecki (Haddonfield, N.J./Haddonfield) "In a rivalry game, you throw out the records. It doesn't matter if you're 9-0 versus 0-9. You always have to expect their best because they realize how much history is behind this game as well. We just have to come out, play our hardest, and hopefully come out with that W."
 
Gettysburg has momentum on its side, both in the series and this season. The Bullets opened rivalry month with a hard-fought 20-17 victory over Dickinson College to claim the Little Brown Bucket. Gettysburg has swept its two local rivals 20 times since 1908, including last fall.
 
"The win over Dickinson was huge," said senior center and co-captain Anthony Juliano (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Catholic). "We won the Bucket and it gives us some good momentum going into our second rivalry game.
 
"Coach stresses every game has a 0-0 record," added Juliano. "What happened last weekend is completely irrelevant to what's going to happen this week. It's going to be a good fight and it always is between us and F&M."
 
Franklin & Marshall has dropped three of its last five since a 4-0 start. The Diplomats were upended last week by No. 8 Johns Hopkins University 45-24.
 
"It's going to be a tough game," said Head Coach Barry Streeter. "It's going to be a game where everybody needs to bring their A games. It's like any other game as far as what needs to be done to win the game, but it's an emotional game that's for sure."

 

For the second consecutive year, the winner of the Gettysburg-F&M game will gain possession of the Lincoln Trophy. The Lincoln Trophy was created by local woodworker and historian Bill Hewitt and is made from two witness trees from the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. One block of wood has been molded into the shape of a stove-pipe hat and sits atop a larger, square block depicting the name of the award and the yearly winners. Additionally, a bullet from the long-ago battle is embedded within the prize.
 
"I think the Lincoln Trophy is really special," said Ciemniecki. "Playing for that trophy adds whole another level to this rivalry."
 
Lancaster has not been a friendly place to play for Gettysburg over the last decade. Since 2003, the Bullets have won just once in six appearances on the Diplomats' home turf. However, playing in Lancaster will be a hometown advantage for at least one of Gettysburg's players.
 
"It's really cool for me to have my last game in Lancaster on top of this great rivalry that we have," said Juliano, who led Lancaster Catholic High School to a pair of state championships. "Ending it where it all started is going to be great. It's something I didn't really think about coming into my career here and for it to ironically happen is just awesome."
 
Gettysburg has already clinched a winning season for the fifth time in six years and the Bullets will try to get to 7-3 for the second time since 2012. The Orange and Blue has won four of the last five meetings with the Blue and White and ending the season with another victory in the series is the ultimate goal.
 
"I'd like to see us finish well," said Streeter. "We've finished well the last couple years. But for this year, finishing well would mean getting this game we have coming up against F&M. I'm confident it will be a heck of a football game."
 
"I think the main things for this Saturday are just to do what we've done all season and take it a play at time," said Juliano. "Make sure everyone executes their role and doesn't worry about the outcome of the game. So just do your job and execute when you need to execute and hopefully come out with a win."
 
OPENING KICKOFF
It's the rivalry of all rivalries as Gettysburg and Franklin & Marshall meet for the 101st time in a series that dates back 125 years.
 
GAME COVERAGE
Saturday's game will feature live stats and live video via Franklin & Marshall. Live stats can be found here: http://www.godiplomats.com/sports/m-footbl/2015-16/boxscores/20151114_aibd.xml; and live video here: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/fandm/.   
 
THE COACHES
Barry Streeter enters his 37th season at the helm of Gettysburg's football program. Streeter is the longest-tenured active coach in Division III and his 189 wins place him seventh among active coaches. Streeter has led Gettysburg to three Centennial Conference championships (1983-85) and he has twice been named CC Coach of the Year. In 1985, he led the Bullets to the only undefeated regular season in school history (9-0-1) and an appearance in the national semifinals.
 
John Troxell is wrapping up his 10th season at Franklin & Marshall. Troxell has guided the Diplomats to 54 victories and winning seasons in five of the last seven years. He led the Blue and White to ECAC bowl wins in both 2009 and 2013. Prior to arriving in Lancaster, Troxell served as an assistant coach at Lafayette, Muhlenberg, and Columbia.
 
THE SERIES
The rivalry between Gettysburg and Franklin & Marshall dates back to 1890, the Bullets' first year as a varsity program. The two teams have met 100 times on the gridiron with Gettysburg holding the slimmest of advantages at 47-46-7 thanks to a 26-14 win in the inaugural Lincoln Trophy game last fall. The Bullets have won six of the last nine meetings. The Diplomats hold a 38-28-5 advantage in Lancaster with only one loss on their home turf since 2003.

 

LAST MEETING
Gettysburg capped last season by winning the Lincoln Trophy with a 26-14 victory over Franklin & Marshall at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium. With starting quarterback Zach Miller '15 sidelined with an injury, replacement Sam McDermott '16 (Newtown, Pa./Notre Dame (N.J.)) threw for a touchdown and ran for another score as the Bullets opened a 13-7 advantage in the first quarter. The lead jumped to 20-7 on a 55-yard pick-six by Chris Miller (Manasquan, N.J./Manasquan) to start the second period. Gettysburg held Franklin & Marshall without a score in the second half, while Paul Lowry '16 (Midland Park, N.J./Midland Park) added a short rushing score in the third quarter. Poised near the goal line late in the fourth quarter, the Diplomats failed to cross the barrier as Joe Scaglione '18 (Westfield, N.J./Westfield) had a hand in four consecutive stops. McDermott finished 10-of-18 for 155 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing the ball 25 times for a game-high 106 yards and a score. Fred Pulzello '16 (Glen Rock, N.J./Glen Rock) hauled in two catches for 63 yards. Kodie McNamara '16 (Manasquan, N.J./Manasquan) paced the defense with 15 tackles, while Miller and Scaglione each added nine stops.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Bullets captured the Little Brown Bucket for the third consecutive season with a 20-17 victory over Dickinson at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium last Saturday. Freshman Matt McFadden (Morristown, N.J./Morristown Beard) returned the opening kickoff 36 yards and senior Kyle Wigley (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) polished off the drive with a two-yard run into the end zone. The Red Devils took a 9-6 lead into halftime after picking up a rushing touchdown and field goal in the second quarter. Wigley racked up 34 yards before senior Sam McDermott completed a 16-yard pass to senior Fred Pulzello on the Bullets' opening drive of the second half. Another scoring toss by McDermott to sophomore Ryan Thompson (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) at the start of the fourth quarter boosted the lead to 20-9. After the Red Devils closed to 20-17, Gettysburg recovered the onside kick and McDermott helped seal the win with a 24-yard run for a first down. McDermott finished with 178 yards of total offense, while Wigley picked up 89 yards on 17 carries. Senior linebacker Kodie McNamara posted 13 tackles and a pair of pass break-ups.
 
SCOUTING FRANKLIN & MARSHALL
Franklin & Marshall has dropped three of its last five since a 4-0 start. No. 8 Johns Hopkins racked up 576 yards of total offense in a 45-24 decision last Saturday. After pulling to 14-10 early in the second quarter, the Diplomats were outscored 31-7 over the next 35 minutes. Senior Matt Magarity finished 15-of-27 for 160 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Both of his touchdown throws went to sophomore Logan Lewis, who posted 46 yards receiving and 57 yards rushing. Junior Nathan English recorded a dozen tackles, 1.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery. Magarity has missed three games this fall, but he still leads the team with nine touchdown passes. In addition to Magarity missing time, the Diplomats have been without the services of sophomore tailback Taalib Gerald, who has posted two 100-yard rushing efforts this fall, but has appeared in only one of the last six games. Junior wide receivers Anderw DeStafano and Bobby Keyes have accounted for more than half of the team's receptions this season and have combined for 1,093 yards and seven touchdowns. Special teams has been a strong area as well with a league-leading kickoff return average of 23.6 yards. Sophomore Vincent Moffett leads the conference at 25.9 yards per kick return. The Diplomats pace the CC with nine fumble recoveries by eight different players. Junior Jon Naji leads the team with 6.5 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks.
 
GETTYSBURG OFFENSE
Gettysburg ranks second in the conference in rushing at 236.7 yards per game. The team ranks second in total offense at 430.4 yards per game. Senior tailback Kyle Wigley ranks second in the conference with a career-high 107.9 yards per game and he has scored a career-high seven touchdowns. Senior quarterback Sam McDermott has thrown a school-record 22 touchdowns against just five interceptions this fall. McDermott leads all Centennial signal callers with an average of 59.6 rushing yards per game. Junior wide receiver Jordan Kelso (Cookstown, N.J./Bordentown Regional) ranks third in the conference with six touchdown receptions.   

 

GETTYSBURG DEFENSE
Gettysburg ranks fourth in the conference in rushing defense at 158.6 yards allowed per game. The Bullets rank second in tackles with 80.8 per game and third in interceptions with 12. Senior Kodie McNamara and junior Chris Miller ranks 1-2 in the conference in total tackles. McNamara sits atop the list with 97 tackles and an average of 10.8 stops per game. Miller has totaled 89 tackles and a team-best 8.5 tackles for a loss. Senior Brian Calatozzo (Sewell, N.J./St. Augustine Prep) leads the conference with six interceptions, tied for the most by a Bullet in the last three decades.  
 
GETTYSBURG SPECIAL TEAMS
Senior Robby Fay (New Providence, N.J./New Providence) has placed 16 of his 40 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line and he ranks fifth in the conference in punting at 37.4 yards per kick. Fay has converted 4-of-6 field goals and 25-of-28 extra points. Freshman returner Matt McFadden (Morristown, N.J./Morristown Beard) paces the conference in both kickoff return yards (529) and punt return yards (269).
 
THE LINCOLN FOOTBALL TROPHY
The Lincoln Trophy is more than a wooden carving molded in the shape of a former President's hat. It contains a history that stretches back 150 years. The award was created out of two "witness trees" that stood like sentinels as the Battle of Gettysburg raged in and around the community in July, 1863. Found inside one of the trees used to create the trophy was a bullet from the battle. That relic has been safely sealed within the award, representing a bridge to the past. The Lincoln Trophy, created by local historian and woodworker Bill Hewitt, stands as a prize to be won in the battles that will continue between Gettysburg and Franklin & Marshall on the gridiron.
 
RUSHING RANKS
Senior tailback Kyle Wigley needs 137 yards to become the first 1,000-yard rusher at Gettysburg since Ted Delia '13 in 2011. Wigley has already set personal bests for rushing attempts (158), rushing yards (863), rushing touchdowns (7), receiving yards (151), and all-purpose yards (1,014) this fall. His 107.9 rushing yards per game is the best average since Tom Sturges '08 averaged 142.7 in 2007.   
 
MANASQUAN MAULER
Senior Kodie McNamara is trying to lead the Centennial Conference in tackles for the second time in three seasons. McNamara paced the conference with 119 stops in 2013. He has claimed sole possession of second place on Gettysburg's all-time list with 386 career tackles. Fourteen more tackles would make him just the second Bullet to reach 400 in a career. McNamara ranks third among all active Div. III players in career tackles.   
 
PASSING TD RECORD
Senior Sam McDermott has already set Gettysburg's single-season record for touchdown passes. McDermott has thrown 22 touchdowns this season, topping the previous record of 19 shared by Chris Adams '95 and Matt Flynn '10. He has thrown touchdowns to eight different receivers this fall.

 

ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Senior linebacker Kodie McNamara and junior right tackle Cordell Boggs were each named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 4 First Team. McNamara is a mathematics major with a 3.9 GPA, while Boggs is a biochemistry-molecular biology major with a GPA of 3.79. Both players are now eligible for Academic All-America consideration. Gettysburg has fielded an Academic All-District selection in each of the last five seasons. Larry DelViscio '13 was the program's last Academic All-American in 2011.
 
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
The Bullets have been a common feature in weekly award releases this fall. Seniors Robby Fay (Sept. 13), Sam McDermott (Sept. 13), and Kyle Wigley (Oct. 4) and freshman Matt McFadden (Sept. 27) have all been honored as Centennial Conference Players of the Week. Additionally, McFadden was named to the D3Football.com Team of the Week as a special teams selection on Sept. 29.
 
SERVING THE COUNTRY
Freshman Mike DeLeo (Garden City South, N.Y./Carey) and Zach Cummings (Ijamsville, Md./Urbana) recently took the Oath of Enlistment with the Army. The two first-year players were honored prior to Gettysburg's last game against Dickinson. Additionally, for their scholastic, athletic and leadership potential, the two cadets were awarded U.S. Army Cadet Command four-year scholarships valued at approximately $200,000 each.