GAME NOTES - NEC FRONT ROW - GAMEDAY CENTRAL

SFU AUDIO BROADCAST - LIVE STATS

LORETTO, Pa. (Nov. 15, 2012) –The Saint Francis University football team hosts Sacred Heart Saturday at DeGol Field, at noon, in the regular season finale for both teams.
 
JUST THE FACTS
Saint Francis Red Flash (4-6, 3-4 NEC) vs.
Sacred Heart (1-6, 2-8 NEC)
Where: DeGol Field, Loretto, Pa.
When: Saturday | Noon
ALL-TIME: Sacred Heart leads 9-6
LAST TIME: SFU 45, Sacred Heart 60
 
BROADCAST INFO:
Web stream – NEC Front Row.com
Audio Stream – Red Zone Media.com
BROADCASTERS:
Dr. Patrick Farabaugh and Jay Roberts
 
SETTING THE STAGE
Saint Francis looks to finish its season on a high note Saturday as the Flash take on Sacred Heart. The Flash are coming off their first ever road win against Monmouth while the Pioneers fell to Robert Morris on a late touchdown. SFU brings in the fourth ranked scoring offense in the NEC. The Flash have an excellent turnover margin on the season and rank tied for second with a plus four mark. Saint Francis also boasts the top rush offense in the league averaging 225.6 yards a game on the ground. Sacred Heart comes in struggling on offense ranking last in the league in both scoring offense and total offense. Sacred Heart does boast the second ranked total defense in the league. The Pioneers defense also has created the most turnovers in the league turning their opposing offenses over 20 times. Sacred Heart also holds the fourth ranked rushing defense allowing just 156.6 yards a game on the ground and holding teams to just a 3.6 yard average per carry. The Pioneers boast the top ranked pass rush in the NEC with a total of 32 sacks on the season, 13 more than any other team in the league.
 
John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) leads the Red Flash offense and enters Saturday's game ranking eighth in the league in rushing and seventh in the league in passing yards per game. The senior signal caller sits fifth in the league in total offense. Mike Dennis (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) picked off his third pass of the season against Monmouth and now ranks tied for the lead in the NEC in interceptions. Keion Wade (East Orange, N.J./East Orange) ranks third in the conference in touchdowns with 12 on the season and currently averages 7.2 points a game. Josh Thiel (Leesburg, Va./Heritage) continues to be one of the top kickers in the Northeast Conference and is currently 8-for-9 on field goals this season, including a school record long 50-yarder against CCSU.
 
Keshaudas Spence ranks ninth in the Northeast Conference in rushing averaging 68.5 yards a contest. Tim Little started the season at quarterback for the Pioneers but the he has not started the last two games as SHU has turned to sophomore Luke Wischowski. Greg Moore sits atop the SHU two-deep at the running back position with 373 yards on the season for a 3.3-yard average. Rock Tate ranks as the leading receiver for the Pioneers averaging 40.2 yards a game and on the season holding 402 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Justin Sexton leads the SHU defense with 104 tackles and also has five sacks, three fumble recoveries and three interceptions.
 
The all-time series between the two schools is tight with Sacred Heart leading with a 9-6 record. The two teams have played every season since 1998. The last six meetings between the two schools have been split 3-3. The Flash controlled the series at DeGol Field in recent years with wins in three of the last four games played in Loretto. Last season in Fairfield, the Pioneers and the Red Flash racked up a combined 105 points including an NCAA record 74 second-half points.
 
NUMBERS TO KNOW
1 – Saturday's game is the last of the season for both Saint Francis and Sacred Heart.
 
3 – Mike Dennis (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) enters the 2012 regular season finale with three interceptions on the season including a 58 yard interception return for touchdown.
 
4 – In three career games against Sacred Heart John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) has four rushing touchdowns.
 
4 (bonus) – After a slow start to the season Dane Domonkos (Windber, Pa./Bishop McCort) has stepped up in the last four games. In his last four contests the junior wide out has 194 receiving yards and 182 kickoff return yards.  
 
5 – Last season senior Jeff Wasilewski (Ebensburg, Pa. / Central Cambria) posted five catches against Sacred Heart for a career-best 122 yards.
 
11 – Saint Francis has intercepted 11 passes this season. Two of those have been by Bishop Neal (Clairton, Pa./Clairton) and he stands as the only non-secondary player for SFU to intercept a pass this season.
 
15 – Grant Price (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) and pinned teams inside their own 20-yard line 15 times this season and holds a 40.3-yards per punt average.
 
74 – The Red Flash have scored 74 fourth quarter points this season while only allowing 56.
 
204 –Kelly in three career-games against Sacred Heart averages 204 yards a game passing with four-career touchdowns passes and just two interceptions.  The senior needs 207 yards passing to hit the 1,500-yard mark for the season.
 
SENIOR DAY
Today will be last game for several seniors in the Red Flash program and with a win the seniors could leave with the most wins of any SFU class in Division I history.
 
SENIORS
AJ Alexander – Altoona, Pa.
Trent Baker (Palmyra, Pa./Palmrya) – Palmyra, Pa.
Dan Conley (Burgettstown, Pa./Burgettstown) – Burgettstown, Pa.
Tyler Davidson (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria) – Ebensburg, Pa.
Taylor Holby (Nanty-Glo, Pa./Blacklick Valley) – Nanty-Glo, Pa.
William Houston (Easton, Pa./Wyoming Seminary Prep) – Easton, Pa.
John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) – Frederick, Md.
Ryan Laduke – Greenbug, Pa.
Timmy Myers (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria) – Ebensburg, Pa.
Kevin Parker (Monessen, Pa./Monessen) – Monessen, Pa.
Paul Print (Olmstead Twp., Ohio/Olmsted Falls) – North Olmstead, Ohio
Ryan Revtai (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) – Oakdale, Pa.
Josh Thiel (Leesburg, Va./Heritage) – Leesbug, Va.
Jake Smith (Galena, Ohio / St. Francis DeSales) – Galena, Ohio
Keion Wade (East Orange, N.J./East Orange), East Orange, N.J.
Jeff Wasilewski (Ebensburg, Pa. / Central Cambria) – Ebensburg, Pa.
 
#FEAR THE THIEL
Josh Thiel (Leesburg, Va./Heritage) continued his excellent senior season last week against Monmouth with his eighth consecutive field goal make, five touchbacks on kickoffs and kicked and recovered an on-side kick. The Leesburg, Va. native missed his last field goal of the Monmouth game but he still has connected on 8-for-9 field goals this season.
 
AWARDS AND HONORS
The Red Flash football picked up several awards and honors this past week including three honors from the College Football Performance Awards including National Kickoff Returner of the Week for Dane Domonkos (Windber, Pa./Bishop McCort). John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) earned National Honorable Mention Quarterback of the Week accolades. Bishop Neal (Clairton, Pa./Clairton) earned National Honorable Mention Linebacker honors. Domonkos also picked up Northeast Conference Special Teams Player of the Week. Anthony Abeid (Youngstown, Ohio/Youngstown Christian) picked up his second Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week Award as well.
 
THANK YOU FANS
The Saint Francis University football team would like to thank all the fans for their support this season.