Complete Ithaca Game Notes (PDF) | Live Audio | Live Stats

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Ithaca College enters Saturday’s game firing on all cylinders, having averaged more than 30 points per game in its opening three wins, but it will have to slow down a Lycoming College team that scored 40 points for the first time since Nov. 1, 2008 in its last outing, a 40-10 win over Westminster. So, with the offenses of both teams clicking, it sets up to be one of the most intriguing matchups in Division III this week, as the Warriors and Bombers meet at David Person Field for a 1:30 p.m. matchup to highlight Family Weekend.

The Warriors are led by senior Josh Kleinfelter, who ran for 209 yards and two touchdowns at Westminster, to earn D3Football.com Team of the Week honors.

Warrior Notes
• Between the two programs, Ithaca and Lycoming have appeared in 28 Division III tournaments and nine national title games.
• The Warriors are both second in the MAC in scoring offense (28.5) and scoring defense (17.0).
• Senior Josh Kleinfelter leads the MAC in rushing, averaging 150.0 yards per game.
• Senior #T.J. Chiarolanza# leads MAC kickers in scoring, averaging 7.5 points per game.
• Junior defensive back Ray Bierbach leads the MAC in passes defended, averaging 3.0 per game, and is tied for the league lead at 1.0 interception per game.
• Senior Ryan Wagaman needs 42 yards to pass Dave Bodmer (1988-91, 1,513) and move into the top five in school history in career receiving yards.

Scouting Lycoming
Offense: Multiple/Pro-Style
After their first two games, the Warriors have an interesting balance, as senior running back Josh Kleinfelter has run for 300 yards and sophomore quarterback Zach Klinger has passed for 303.

The Warriors’ offense fired on all cylinders against Westminster, rolling up 40 points, as Klinger passed for two touchdowns in the first half and Kleinfelter ran for two in the second. Freshman Caleb Shertzer also added a rushing touchdown late in the fourth.

A quartet of seniors head the team’s receiving corps, as Ryan Wagaman leads the team with seven catches for 99 yards and a touchdown. Josh Dixon, a slot receiver, has made five catches for 55 yards and Mark Ryan has caught four passes, including a touchdown. Tight end Nick Reese also has three catches.

Defense: 4-3
The Warriors’ signature hard-edged defense is once again currently among the best in the MAC, sitting second with an average of 17.0 points allowed per game.

The defense also seems to get better as the game goes along, allowing only seven points in the second half during the first two games.

The secondary has starred early this season, with senior Chuck Bellitto leading the team with 19 tackles and 2.5 for a loss. He also has one interception for a touchdown. Sophomore Matt Talerico has 15 tackles and four pass breakups and senior Ryan Fenningham has 10 tackles, two for a loss and a fumble recovery. Junior Ray Bierbach also has nine tackles and two interceptions. On the line, junior Anthony Marascio has posted 12 tachles and two sacks and sophomore Roger Jayne has added nine tackles and one for a loss.

Scouting Ithaca
Offense: Pro-Style Split-Back
Senior quarterback Rob Zappia threw a career-high four touchdown passes in Ithaca’s 30-7 win over Widener on Sept. 18. Zappia also posted personal-best totals of 23 completions and 252 passing yards. He threw touchdown passes of four and three yards to senior wide receiver Dan Ruffrage and competed third-quarter scoring passes to a pair of tight ends: five yards to senior Matt Crandall and 17 yards to freshman Evan Bull.

Zappia has been impressive early this season, completing 62.5 percent of his passes for 671 yards and five touchdowns in just three games.

Clay Ardoin and Dan Ruggiero have split time in the backfield, with Ardoin leading the team with 137 yards and two touchdowns and Ruggiero adding 123 yards and a touchdown.

Defense: 4-3
The Bombers defense has been solid in its first three wins, allowing just 10 points through its first three games. Against Widener, the Bombers forced six three-and-out possessions and added a fumble recovery in the win.

The secondary has picked five passes during the season, including one returned for a 66-yard touchdown by Mike Conti, who leads the team with two.  Will Carter has added 17 tackles, one interception and two tackles for a loss.

The front has also been solid, with  Skylar Schlenker leading the team with three sacks, and Eric Toporoff adding two sacks and five tackles for a loss. Toporoff also leads the team with 21 tackles. Joe Gilfedder has added five tackles for a loss, as the team has combined to make 30 tackles behind the line of scrimmage this season.

Kleiny’s Kind
After racking up his second career 200-yard game, senior running back Josh Kleinfelter became the first Lycoming College player to earn D3Football.com Team of the Week honors since punter Tim Eskridge ’06 earned mention during week eight of the 2005 season. Kleinfelter rushed for 209 yards on 33 carries in a 40-10 win over Westminster (Pa.) on Sept. 11, posting 170 yards and two touchdowns in the second half alone to earn the honor. Kleinfelter posted two 30-yard runs. With 2,753 yards, Kleinfelter is just 115 away from the second spot in school history, currently held by Tim Deasey (1998-01).

Hitman Honors
Senior Chuck Bellitto picked up his second career MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors after week two. The safety had a huge game against Westminster, posting 11 tackles to lead all defensive players in Lycoming’s 40-10 win on Sept. 11. Bellitto added 1.5 tackles for a loss and two pass breakups. Bellitto is the first Lycoming defensive player to win the weekly award since Jim Daley won it after the 2008 season finale.

Leaving His Mark
It may have been just a 20-yard reception, but Lycoming’s second touchdown against Westminster, but for senior Mark Ryan, the route to that reception was a lot longer. In 2008, he was on target to be one of the Warriors’ top receivers, catching 18 passes for 162 yards in the first four games, but a leg injury suffered at Widener took him from the field for more than a year and a half. Through the first two games, Ryan is third on the team with four receptions for 42 yards.

Reese’s Piece
Senior Mike Reese, who entered Lycoming as a quarterback in 2007, has seen his share of adversity during his time with the program. While his brother, Nick, starred as an All-MAC defensive back before graduating in 2008, Mike moved from QB to fullback to H-back as a junior, where he seems to have found his niche. At Rowan, he caught three passes for 50 yards, more than double his previous career total, and added his first career touchdown.

Warriors fourth in preseason poll
The Warriors were predicted to finish fourth in the 2010 MAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, released Aug. 21 by the conference office. The Warriors, who were selected with Wilkes to finish in a tie for fourth, were placed behind conference favorite Delaware Valley, who won its fourth MAC title in the past six years in 2009, Lebanon Valley and Albright.