200 Memories Central

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Welcome to the final installment of Lycoming College’s athletics’ celebration of memorable moments, coaches and student-athletes that were released in conjunction with the College’s bicentennial. In this installment, we take a look at what you told us we missed during our listing of the initial 200 moments.

With no more ado, here are some of your favorite moments from Lycoming College’s athletics history:

Penn State Football Games, 1902-03 – When college football was a young game, the schedules for every college and prep school team in the country were, for the most part, bound by geography. As such, in 1902, when the Pennsylvania State College was looking for football games for its 15-year-old program, it looked right at the prep school in nearby Williamsport, Dickinson Seminary. After all, Penn State had played three games in the previous three years in Williamsport, including one in 1901 at the Seminary’s field against Lehigh, a 38-0 Penn State win in front of 1,500 fans. The season-opener for both teams in 1902, the Seminary boys put in a tough fight, but Penn State posted a 26-0 win. The Dickinson Union pointed to the strong play of several players, including the kicking of Bobby Rich and a 35-yard kickoff return by George Grove. The Seminary went on to finish 6-2 overall, including one of the biggest upsets in the program’s early history, a 12-0 win at Mansfield, where no visiting team had won since 1896. The Seminary faced off with Penn State one more time, with the Nittany Lions posting a 60-0 win in 1903.  President James E. Douthat

James Brodmerkel, 1947-51 – One of the first athletic stars at the new College, Jim Brodmerkel earned seven letters (three in basketball, three in tennis and one in baseball) during his four years at Lycoming. Brodmerkel played on the first basketball, tennis and baseball teams after the transition to Lycoming College in 1948. He quickly developed into a star in both basketball and tennis, improving so greatly in tennis that he moved into the top slot in the lineup by his sophomore year. He also partnered with Jack Sowers to win Metropolitan and Western Pennsylvania doubles tournaments in the Pittsburgh area. On the hardwood, Brodmerkel was a welcome complement to Sowers, the first 1,000-point scorer in school history. The forward averaged 15.1 points as a senior while helping the team to a school-best 16-3 record, still the best winning percentage in school history. Still active 60 years after his graduation at the College, Brodmerkel scored a transition layup during the Warriors’ Alumni men’s basketball game in 2011. He was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.  James Brodmerkel

Harry Perretta, 1978 – With each game that he wins at Villanova, Harry Perretta gives the Lycoming College basketball program just bit more fluff in its feathers. Without a doubt, one of the most successful coaches to ever graduate from the College, Perretta has won more than 600 games on the Philadelphia campus in the last 34 years. Surprisingly, though, Perretta’s career on the hardwood at Lycoming College was limited to just one season on the junior varsity squad in 1974-75. An injury ended his career that year, but Perretta spent the next three years learning the coaching trade from Dutch Burch and when he graduated, he stepped into the head coaching job at Villanova University. In the ensuing 34 year, he has led the Wildcats to nine NCAA Tournament appearances, national rankings in the Associated Press poll, Big East regular season and tournament championships in both 1985-86 and 1986-87, the 2003 Big East Tournament title, seven outright and four shared Big 5 titles and fourteen 20-win or better seasons. In addition, one of his players, Shelly Pennefather, was recognized in 1987 as the nation's top women's basketball player, winning the Margaret Wade Trophy and earning Kodak All-America honors. In his first season, he led the 'Cats to a 17-8 record and was a finalist for the AIAW small college coach of the year. During his career, Perretta and the Wildcats have had many highlights, including reaching the Final Four of the AIAW in 1982. In 2011, Perretta won his 600^th career game, posting a 76-47 win over Iona on Nov. 12, 1978, and he finished the season with a 617-392 overall record.  Joe Guistina

Top-ranked defenses, 1975, ’83 – Paced by four First Team All-MAC honorees, including a converted wide receiver in Jim Rich, a pair of tough linemen in Steve Weigel and Mike Prowant and linebacker Randy Parsons, the Lycoming football team turned the corner on eight straight losing seasons in 1975. With a second-year defensive coach, Steve Wiser, the Warriors turned into one of the most ferocious squads in America, as the team pitched two shutouts and held five of its eight opponents to single figures. All season, the defense refused to give an inch, finishing first in the nation by allowing just 133.1 yards per game, leading the team to a 6-2 record. Eight years later, the Warrior defense was back in the spotlight and Wiser, now in his 10^th year as a defensive coach, had a stacked defensive corps that included six All-MAC selections in 1983. This time, while helping the team to a 7-2-1 record, the Warrior defense allowed just 154.5 yards per game and the team pitched four shutouts. The tough-nosed defense has been a staple in the national rankings over the last 40 years, also leading the nation in rushing defense three times (1976, ’82, ’87) and scoring defense once (1999). Steve Wiser

Darrin Kenney, 1988-91 – Perhaps the greatest offensive lineman in school history, Darrin Kenney has had one of the most decorated athletic careers in the history of the College. A Southhampton, Pa., native, Kenney was a two-time All-MAC offensive lineman during his career, earning consensus All-American honors his senior year by earning First Team Champion USA and Honorable Mention Don Hansen Football Gazette accolades. He helped lead the 1990 team to the first Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl appearance in school history and helped the team win three MAC titles. After his graduation from Lycoming, Kenney played in the Arena Football League for 11 seasons, seeing time with the Tampa Bay Storm (1993), Albany Firebirds (1994-95), Arizona Rattlers (1997-00) and the San Jose SaberCats (2001-03). He played on three ArenaBowl Champions (1993, ’97, ’02) and every team he played on reached the semifinal round of the playoffs. Kenney has spent six seasons as a coach in the AFL, working with the Philadelphia Soul in 2012, the Alabama Vipers in 2010, the Grand Rapids Rampage in 2008 and the Nashville Kats from 2005-07. He was inducted into the Lycoming College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002. Joe Guistina

Joe Bressi, 1994-00 – When Dutch Burch stepped down as men’s basketball coach after 32 years, director of athletics Frank Girardi stepped a bit outside the box when he hired Bloomsburg’s women’s basketball coach, Joe Bressi. Bressi, though, had proven he can win at every level, coaching Bishop McDevitt High School’s girls’ basketball team to two state titles and leading the Huskies to a 175-47 mark in eight years at the helm. Taking over a program that won just eight games in the two years before his hire, Bressi energized the squad, leading the team to 11 wins in his first year, 1994-95, the last losing season for the Warriors until 2008-09. In his second year with the team, Bressi led the team to a school-record 21 wins and he coached the school’s only All-American, Andy Rutherford. He led the team to the NCAA Tournament and the first of four Middle Atlantic Conference Tournament appearances in his tenure. By the time Bressi left Lycoming to take the job as the director of athletics at Central Dauphin High School, he had compiled an 81-44 record for a school-record .647 winning percentage. He coached three Freedom Conference Players of the Year, two rookies of the year, nine all-conference picks and he earned the conference’s coach of the year award in 1998-99. Bressi was inducted into the Pa. Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999. Karl Dusman

John Verton, 1995-96 – A two-year letterwinner from Lake Ariel, Pa., John Verton left an indelible mark on the Lycoming football program. In 1995, after converting from running back to the defensive side of the ball, the natural athlete turned into a force as a defensive back. While leading the Warriors to an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, Verton notched 47 tackles and picked off three passes, helping him earn Third Team Hewlett-Packard/SID All-American honors. As a senior, he was even better, posting 109 tackles, the seventh-most in school history, and three more interceptions, as he was named the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Touchdown Club’s MAC Defensive Player of the Year award, first-team all-region by Don Hansen’s Football Gazette and second team All-American honors from Hewlett-Packard. The two-time All-MAC first teamer is still tied for the school record with eight forced fumbles in his career. Steve Verton

Michael Downey, 1993-96 – A four-year letterwinner for the Warriors, Michael Downey, a Pottsville, Pa., native, helped the Warriors to two Freedom League titles and two NCAA Tournaments during his career. The offensive lineman earned three First Team All-MAC honors, anchoring the line for much of his career. He also earned two Downtown Wilkes-Barre Touchdown Club MAC Offensive Lineman of the Year awards. As a senior, he was a consensus Preseason All-American, earning the honors from The Sporting News, Griese’s Preseason and Don Hansen’s Football Gazette. After the season, he was named a First Team Don Hansen’s Football Gazette All-American and Second Team Hewlett-Packard/SID All-American. He was inducted into the College’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007. Steve Verton

Steve Verton, 1993-96 – A two-time First Team All-MAC wide reveiver, Steve Verton was a key force on the 1995 and 1996 football teams that qualified for the NCAA Division III Tournament. A three-time Warrior Offensive Player of the Year, he finished his career with 179 receptions for 2,998 yards and 28 touchdowns, setting school marks in each category that stood for five years. He had his best year as a junior, posting 968 yards on 58 catches, becoming the first person in school history to post 900 yards in a season. As a senior, he notched 867 yards on 46 catches and 12 touchdowns, including the first 90-yard touchdown reception in school history against King’s. He was inducted into the College’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005. Steve Verton

Matt Yonkin, 1993-97 – Matt Yonkin couldn’t have come to Lycoming College at a better time for the wrestling program. With Budd Whitehill terminally ill, Roger Crebs had a short period of time to come into Lamade Gym and get his feet wet before having to replace the legend that coached the program for its first 37 years. Recruiting Montoursville’s Matt Yonkin helped make that transition for Crebs quite a bit easier. He finished no lower than second in any of his four years at the MAC Championships, including winning the 190-pound title in 1995 and 1997. Stepping into the everyday lineup as a junior, he went 27-4 with eight pins in 1996. As a senior, he was even better, going 37-5 overall with 10 pins before wrapping up his career by finishing sixth at the NCAA Championships to earn All-American honors. At the time, the 37 wins set a school record that stood for five years and is still tied for the third-most in school history. Overall, Yonkin boasted an 85-17 career record, which ranks 14^th in the school’s career record books. After graduating, Yonkin also served as an assistant with the Warriors for several years before becoming the head coach at Montoursville High School. He was inducted into the College’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005. Steve Verton

Mike Kinsey, 1993-97 – Like Matt Yonkin, Mike Kinsey came to Lycoming when the wrestling program was in the midst of its only transitional period in its 56-year history. Also much like Yonkin, the North Huntingdon, Pa., native, made that transition much easier for head coach Roger Crebs. After going 11-9 as a freshman, Kinsey stepped into the starting slot at 158 pounds and stayed there for the next three years, placing at the MAC Championships each year, winning the tournament in 1996, and posting three straight 20-win seasons. As a junior, he was one of three All-Americans for the Warriors, finishing seventh at the NCAA Championships to help the team finish 12^th at the meet. As a senior, he was a part of the only undefeated team in school history, helping the team go 22-0 and win the Budd Whitehill Duals, finishing with a career-high 24 wins and eight pins during the season. Kinsey wrapped up his career with a 79-32 career record, helping him earn induction into the College’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003. Steve Verton

First men’s lacrosse game, 1997 – By the mid-1990s, with President James E. Douthat having recently taken over the leadership role on campus, a plan was launched for the athletic department to add both men’s and women’s lacrosse, one of the fastest growing sports in the nation. After a year as a club team, the men’s lacrosse team was elevated to varsity status under the direction of head coach Gene Peluso in 1997. On March 1, 1997, the Warriors opened the program’s history with a 27-11 loss at Goucher. Eight days later, though, the team posted its first win, a 10-8 victory at Saint Vincent, led by Shawn Rosa, Mike Dowd and Chris Hall, who combined for nine goals and six assists. Although the first men’s lacrosse team struggled, finishing 3-11, two years later the corps of that first team made the school’s first appearance in the MAC Championship game. John Stark

Keith Jenkins, 1995-98 - Jenkins anchored the Lycoming defense during one of the program’s most successful periods. The defensive end from South Williamsport, Pa., helped the Warriors to a 41-6 record in his career and four Freedom League titles and three MAC titles while starting all four seasons. Along the way, the team reached four NCAA Tournaments, including the 1997 national championship game. A two-time First Team All-MAC selection, Jenkins finished his career with 204 career tackles and an astounding 41 sacks, which is third in school history. A ballhawk, Jenkins holds the school record with eight career forced fumbles, including a record four as a junior in 1997, when he also posted 15.5 sacks, helping him earn Hewlett-Packard/SID Honorable Mention All-American honors. As a senior, he started the year as a Street & Smith’s Preseason All-American. He finished with 11 sacks, an incredible 20 tackles for loss and 50 total tackles, helping him pick up more All-American honors, earning third-team honors from Hewlett-Packard and the Don Hansen Football Gazette. He was also a second-team all-region pick. Matt Jenkins
 
Heather Suit, 2005-08 – After a 5-10 season in her first year with the program, Kara Reber knew she needed to revamp the women’s lacrosse team’s attack. She went North and found a future All-American Megan Wallenhorst in Rochester, N.Y., but she also went South and found Heather Suit in Annapolis, Md. Suit played the welcome counterpart to Wallenhorst during her career, starting all four seasons and becoming just the fourth player in school history to finish with 200 career points. Suit, after posting 24 goals and eight assists as a freshman, helped turn the program around as a sophomore, leading the team to the first of two straight 14-4 seasons and finishing with 31 goals, 39 assists and 15 caused turnovers. As a junior, she set a school-record with 40 assists and as a senior, she posted 54 points, including 31 more helpers to finish her career as the only player in school history with 100 dimes. Suit, who was a second-team all-region selection as a senior, had four of the top five single-game assist totals in school history and her 10-assist game against Gwynedd-Mercy on March 18, 2006 is still tied for the eighth-most in Division III history. Laura Seifert

Beating Widener, April 12, 2008 – Few programs have proven a bigger thorn in the side of a Lycoming College athletics team than the Widener men’s lacrosse program. For that matter, just about everyone in the MAC struggled with the Pride, who had won 12 straight league titles. Entering Brian Anken’s second year as head coach, though, the Warriors were developing a new culture, and with a 7-4 record entering the showdown with the first-place Pride, the team was brimming with confidence, even after a 12-11 overtime loss earlier in the week to Messiah. Even with a three-hour trip to Chester, Pa., the Warriors battled with the Pride for the first three quarters, entering the final 15 minutes of the game. Sam Foreman, Ed Williams and Rick DeNenno opened the game up for the Warriors, scoring the first three goals of the final stanza before the Pride closed out the game with two goals in the last 40 seconds to round out the 11-10 win. Kyle Gilfoy made 15 saves in net to earn the win for Lycoming.  John Stark

We hope you enjoyed the 200 Memories retrospective just as much as we enjoyed taking a look back at our storied athletic program. Thank you again for taking the time to share in our rich history!