Susquehanna Dominates All-Liberty League Football Team

CANTON, N.Y. -- Susquehanna University captured four of the Liberty League's five major yearly football awards and placed nine players on the all-Liberty first team, as announced on Nov. 17.

Susquehanna's senior running back Dave Paveletz (Warrior Run, Pa./Hanover Area), junior placekicker/punter Bobby Eppleman (Chester Springs, Pa./Great Valley) and freshman defensive back Jalon Scott (Albany, N.Y./Albany HS) are the league's Offensive Player, Special Teams Player and Rookie of the Year, respectively, while Head Coach Steve Briggs leads the Coaching Staff of the Year. Both Scott and the coaches are unanimous selections.

In addition, five Susquehanna players earned all-league honorable-mention awards, including Eppleman, a first-team placekicker and honorable-mention punter this year. He has earned honors at both positions for the second straight year.

Joining Paveletz, Eppleman and Scott on the all-Liberty first team are SU's sophomore quarterback Rich Palazzi (Newfoundland, Pa./Wallenpaupack), senior split end J.J. Moran (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville), senior offensive lineman Drew Champney (Victor, N.Y./Victor), junior offensive lineman Ryan Schumann (Fair Haven, N.J./Rumson-Fair Haven Regional), senior defensive end Pete Johnsen (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley) and senior linebacker Erich Majors (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg).

Five Crusaders earned all-league honorable mention, including Eppleman, junior offensive lineman James Rogers (Harker Heights, Texas/Harker Heights), junior defensive back Braden Klingler (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area), senior defensive lineman Marc McDonough (Kingston, Pa./Bishop Hoban) and sophomore linebacker Mitch Phillips (Millersburg, Pa./Millersburg Area).

Paveletz, a team captain, leads the Liberty and ranks in the top 10 in NCAA Division III in both rushing yards (1,347) and rushing yards per game (134.7). He owns the Susquehanna career-rushing-yards (4,664) and career-rushing-TD records (47). He broke the career TD record this season, while also setting a new SU single-season rushing-yards mark. He has made 19 catches this year as  well for 151 yards and a TD. The Liberty honored him as an Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 7, Oct. 12 and Oct. 19, while D3football.com placed him on its National Team of the Week for games played from Oct. 11-17. This is Paveletz's third straight year as an all-Liberty first-teamer.

Eppleman, a 2009 preseason and 2008 postseason D3football.com All-America punter, had the best placekicking season of his career in 2009. He leads all Liberty placekickers in both points-after-touchdowns (31-for-32) and total points (52) this year. He has made seven of 11 field goals--including a Nicholas A. Lopardo-stadium record 44-yarder--and three of his kickoffs have gone for touchbacks. He has averaged 33.3 yards per punt this year (with a long of 53). Twenty-five of his 42 punts have been fair-caught and/or landed inside an opponents' 20-yard line, while only one has gone for a touchback. The Liberty honored him as a Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 7, Sept. 14, Sept. 28 and Nov. 16. He was an all-Liberty first-team punter and second-team placekicker in 2008 after earning honorable mention as a placekicker the year before.

Despite playing most of the season with a cast on his right hand, Scott leads the Liberty in interceptions (six) and Susquehanna in pass breakups (eight) and passes defended (14). The 14 passes defended also rank second in the league. He has made 59 tackles this year (39 solo), including one for a loss of six yards. The Liberty honored him as a Rookie of the Week on Sept. 28, Oct. 12 and Nov. 2, while D3football.com placed him on its National Team of the Week an impressive four times.

Palazzi ranks second in school single-season history with a Liberty League-leading 19 TD passes this year. He also leads the Liberty in passing yards per game (190.0) and passer rating (163.54). He has completed 110 of 180 passes to just three interceptions for 1,520 yards this year despite missing two games with a shoulder injury. The Liberty honored him as an Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 9.

Moran leads the Liberty in receptions this season with 47 and ranks second in receiving yards with 613. The 613 yards leads Susquehanna. He is tied for the league lead in TD catches with seven.

A 6-foot-3, 280-pound starting left tackle, Champney, a team captain, has helped the Susquehanna offense rank second in the Liberty this year in both points per game (25.4) and rushing yards per game (168.1). He has protected the blind-side of all three of the Crusaders' right-handed quarterbacks in 2009 and helped clear a path for the record-setting Paveletz. This is Champney's third straight all-Liberty award and second straight first-team honor. D3football.com tabbed him as an all-East Region player last year.

A 6-foot-1, 275-pound starting center and long snapper, Schumann has also protected the SU quarterbacks and helped paved the way for the Crusaders ground game. Schumann also helped set the table for Eppleman's award-winning season.

Johnsen, a team captain, leads Susquehanna in both tackles for a loss this year (16) and yards lost on those tackles (63). He also leads SU and ranks second in the Liberty in sacks (9.5). He is tied for the team-high with two forced fumbles. He has registered 46 total tackles this year, including 38 solo stops.

Majors, another captain, has been the team's hardest hitter. He leads the Crusaders in total tackles (72) and solo tackles (49) and is tied for the team lead with a blocked kick. He has forced a fumble and broken up three passes this year. The Liberty honored him as a Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 16.

Rogers, a 6-foot, 305-pound starting right tackle, has bookended the SU offensive line all year with Champney. He too has helped the Susquehanna offense to an impressive season.

Klingler has made 33 tackles this year, including 26 of the solo variety and three for losses totaling 14 yards. He has made three interceptions and returned them for a total of 61 yards, broken up six other passes and recovered a fumble. D3football.com placed him on its National Team of the Week for games played from Oct. 11-17.

McDonough has made 38 tackles this year (23 solo), including seven sacks and 11 tackles for losses totaling 53 yards. He has forced two fumbles this year to tie for the team-high and recovered another.

Phillips leads the Liberty this year in interception-return yards (103) and is tied for the Susquehanna lead in fumble recoveries (two) and blocked kicks (one). He has made 54 tackles this year (35 solo), including four for losses totaling seven yards. He has also broken up a pass. He landed on the all-Liberty second team a year ago.

Briggs and his staff of Nate Milne (Offensive Coordinator/OL), Brad Fordyce (Defensive Coordinator/LB), Bob Pittello '51 (OL), Dan Alderson (DB), Jack Lydic (QB), Scott Knapp (RB), Kyle Ream (SE), Rob Campbell '09 (TE), Satyen Bhakta (DL), John Salvatore '08 (LB), Dan Mehleisen (DB) and student assistant Jarrid Myers '10 have led Susquehanna to its first, last and only Liberty championship. The team defeated host Union College, 28-17, on Nov. 14 for a share of the league title and the league's automatic invitation to the Division III championships. This year marks the Crusaders' first appearance in the NCAA playoffs since 1991, while the team's eight wins are its most in one season since 1992.

This is Briggs' second yearly coaching award at SU. He was chosen as the Middle Atlantic Commonwealth Conference Coach of the Year in 1999 after leading the Crusaders to a MAC Commonwealth championship.

SU plays at nationally ranked No. 17 Delaware Valley College in the first round of the national tournament on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 12 p.m.