Box Score
PITTSFORD, NY – St. John Fisher College shutout Rowan University, 31-0 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III Football Championship Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Growney Stadium.
It is the first time the Cardinals have ever advanced to the national semifinals. St. John Fisher will travel to Mount Union College for the next round on Saturday, December 9 at noon. Mount Union defeated Capital University, 17-14 in the quarterfinals. In the other semifinal game, Wis.-Whitewater plays Wesley College. The two winners meet in the championship, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, on Saturday, December 16 in Salem, VA.
The Cardinals are 12-1 overall. The 12 victories is the school record for wins in a season. The Profs finish the year with a 9-3 mark. This was Rowan’s 13th appearance in the national tournament. Last year, the Profs advanced to the semifinals for the second year in a row.
St. John Fisher outgained Rowan, 335 yards to 120. The Cardinals totaled 175 yards rushing and 160 passing. Quarterback Rob Kramer threw for 160 yards with 13 completions (20 attempts) and three touchdowns. The leading receiver was split end Corey Jackson with three catches for 69 yards and one TD. Flanker Jimmy Smith and tight end Chris Harmon each had one touchdown grab. Tailback Mark Robinson carried the ball 27 times for 98 yards.
The Cardinals’ first touchdown came on a 56 yard punt return by Smith with 2:13 left in the first quarter. Rowan had two fumbles that led to a St. John Fisher TD (13:44) and a field goal (5:04) in the second period. Cornerback Turell Ahmed recovered the Profs’ fumble on the Rowan 41 yard line. The Cardinals only needed seven plays to reach the endzone, the last one was a 12 yard pass from Kramer to Jackson. In the drive, Robinson had 22 yards on four attempts. Linebacker Gene Lang recorded the second fumble recovery that started the drive on the Rowan 23. The Cardinals were fourth and eight when Chris Pierri kicked a 25 yard field goal. St. John Fisher was ahead 17-0 at the half.
“The turnovers early in the game really hurt us,” said Rowan coach Jay Accorsi. “The punt return for the TD set the tone early and we didn’t recover. We had some trouble moving the ball.”
“There is extra pressure to win games at Rowan,” continued Accorsi. “This team fought through games all year long and we are very proud of them. St. John Fisher is one of if not the best teams we saw all year long. They are a very good football team and they did some great things today.”
St. John Fisher had two more touchdowns in the third quarter. Kramer completed touchdown passes to Harmon (15 yards) at 9:43 and Smith (five yards) at 3:39. Harmon’s TD drive took six plays and covered 69 yards. Robinson carried the ball four times for 11 yards and Jackson had a 43 yard reception. The Cardinals’ fourth TD came on their next possession. Jackson contributed with a 14 yard catch and Robinson added 10 yards with three carries. The touchdown drive was seven plays, 33 yards.
Rowan quarterback Mike Orihel (sr. Trenton, NJ/Central Bucks W. (PA)) was held to 89 yards passing, making 16 of 25 attempts. Orihel finished his career with 8,197 yards passing (706 completions, 1174 attempts) and 71 touchdowns. He holds 32 school records.
“Hopefully Keith (Heimerl) and I can move on,” said Orihel. “It was the best four years of my life. It’s very hard.”
Superback Davon Edwards (so. Del Haven, NJ/Middle Twp.) rushed for 45 yards on 13 attempts. Strong safety Kelvin Bellamy (jr. Trenton, NJ/Nottingham) recorded a game high 12 tackles. Linebacker Chris Pinto (so. Barnegat, NJ/Southern Reg.) contributed with 10 stops and linebacker Andrew Yezzi (fr. Franklinville, NJ/Delsea Reg.) followed with nine.
“It is very difficult when you lose,” stated Accorsi. “I told the team that I was proud of them and proud to be their coach. I told them to put it in perspective that they are going to face bigger and better challenges later in life and a football game is not that big.”
The Cardinals’ defense was led by linebacker Josh Gottlieb and Lang with seven tackles apiece. Gottlieb compiled two sacks while Lang had one. Ahmed finished the game with six tackles. Cornerback Steven Stepnick recorded one interception.
“Our guys did a great job in every area of the game,” said St. John Fisher coach Paul Vosburgh. “Our coaches did a great job preparing them. We played together, that is what allowed us to win. It is hard to fathom what this win means. It is great for the program and for the school to reach the final four.”
“We knew coming in that Rowan had a great defense,” Kramer stated. “The line did a great job letting us move the ball.”
