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Gettysburg College Football

Welcome to my Gettysburg College Football Weblog. I will strive to update this blog regularly with stories about The Bullets gathered from across the Web. Your comments and suggestions are welcomed. Enjoy!

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Location: Lebanon, PA, United States

Born and raised in Lebanon PA. I have a wonderful wife - Diane of over 20 years! She has blessed me with 2 wonderful boys - Nick (Gettysburg College '09) and Kyle (Elizabethtown College '12). We have a black lab named Piper. I've been told I make the best grilled hot wings!

Friday, December 05, 2008

My Son

As we prepare to honor this year’s senior members of the Gettysburg Bullets Football team and cheerleaders, I’d like to thank everyone who accepted my little hobby over the past 4 years. The blog was a labor of love. I’m on the computer all day for work so why not mix in some fun.

My first blog started when my son, Nick McConnell was in high school. Blogging was still fairly new and I thought it would be a cool way to collect the sports stories that were written about his football team. Well, I enjoyed it so much I started the Bullets Blog his freshman year at Gettysburg.

I want to thank you Nick for giving me the pleasure of following your football career -- Pony (8-10 yrs old), Midget (11 & 12 yrs old), Freshman (8th & 9th grade), and Varsity (10th – 12th grade.)

It seems like only yesterday your midget coach was instructing you (the converted 12 year-old lineman) to not run away from would-be tacklers, but to instead run them over. I can still picture you running across the field to run over a skinny little 98 lbs. d-back instead of taking the straight and narrow route to the endzone! 22 TDs later and a 2nd consecutive undefeated midget football season it was time to show the Cedar Crest Falcons what was coming! Coach Klahr (God rest your soul) you created a monster!

The Cedar Crest days were memorable as well. A coaching change your senior year brought with it the vaunted Wing-T offense that produced two 1,000 yard rushers and a 6-4 season. How fitting that you scored a touchdown on your final high school carry! Even though there were many tears after your last high school game we all new there was still more football to be played. (We just didn’t know where your collegiate career was headed at that time.)

After many college visits (from 20 minutes away to 5 hours away) you found a home in Gettysburg. You talked about how comfortable it felt when you first stepped foot on campus. Wow, was that really 4 years ago already? 4 years and 4 letters later you wrapped up your college career just as you did your high school career, with a jaunt into the endzone!

Never forget the memories… some good, some not so good. They are all a part of the growing process and you’ve grown to be a fine young man. You will be a better person for the lessons you’ve learned over the past 4 years. The lives you touch when you are out there in the “real world” will benefit from these lessons as well.

We often tell you how proud we are of you. That pride didn’t end when you took off the pads for the last time. In fact this is only the beginning. We are proud of the person that is within Nick McConnell the student-athlete. We can’t wait to see where your journey takes you.

You have aspirations to become a coach. I said it before and I’ll say it again. Somewhere out there is a group of young athletes that will have the pleasure to play for a coach named Nicholas Patrick McConnell. They don’t know it yet, but they are destined to be the luckiest bunch of football players in the world.

Nick, thanks so much for the memories. We all look forward to the new memories that you have in store for us!

Love ya buddy!

Dad

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Nick McConnell Named to Conference Sportsmanship Team

From the Gettysburg College Website:

Six Student-Athletes Named to CC Sportsmanship Team

LANCASTER, Pa. – The Centennial Conference released its fall 2008 Sportsmanship Team, and it included six Gettysburg College student-athletes. Representing Gettysburg on the team were junior Andy Askins (Bangor, Maine/John Baptist Memorial) of the men’s cross country team, senior Becca Zabel (Frederick, Md./Urbana) of the women’s cross country team, senior defender Jenny McIntyre (Glenmoore, Pa./Coatesville) of the field hockey team, senior tailback Nick McConnell (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) of the football team, sophomore forward Brett Howley (Winchester, Mass./Winchester) of the women’s soccer team, and junior right side hitter Stephanie Rickabaugh (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) of the volleyball team.

Each member institution was permitted to nominate one student-athlete from each fall program who exemplifies the best in sportsmanship. This is the second year of the All-Centennial Sportsmanship Team, which was proposed by the conference’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll

Congratulations to Justin Blass, Nick Duerr and Matt Lessler who were named to the 2008 Centennial Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll.

To be nominated for the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll, a student must meet the following criteria: (a) participates in at least 50 percent of contests, matches or meets, or in the Conference varsity championship in cross country; (b) a sophomore or higher in class standing; (c) cumulative GPA of 3.40 or higher.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Centennial Conference Weekly Release

Congratulations to Nick McConnell, Joe Delaney, and Josh Huson for being named to this week's Centennial Conference Honor Roll for their contributions in Satuday's win over F&M! You can read this and other conference news in this week's Centennial Conference Weekly Release.

Five Bullets Named All-Centennial Conference

From the Gettysburg College Website:

Five Bullets Named All-Centennial Conference

Josh Jerrold captured First Team All-CC honors

All-Centennial Conference Team

LANCASTER, Pa. – Five members of the Gettysburg College football team have been named to the All-Centennial Conference Team, the conference office announced Monday.

Senior defensive end Josh Jerrold (Yardley, Pa./East Pennsbury) was the Bullets’ lone first-team member while four offensive players gained all-conference status after helping the Bullets lead the league in total offense (438.2 ypg) for the third year in a row.

Jerrold was named all-conference for the second straight season after attaining second-team status a year ago. He enjoyed an outstanding senior campaign, racking up 9.5 sacks and 15.0 tackles for loss. He currently leads the Centennial Conference and is tied for 18th in Division III in sacks and is second in the conference and is tied for 43rd in the nation in tackles for loss. His 15.0 tackles for loss were second in school history and his 9.5 sacks were fifth-most by a Bullet in one season. Jerrold also led the team and is second among the conference leaders with four forced fumbles and is tied for sixth on the team with 44 tackles. In one of his top performances of the season, he made 2.5 sacks and forced three fumbles in a 38-7 win over Ursinus.

For his career, Jerrold finished tied for third in school history in sacks (19.5) and fourth in tackles for loss (32.5).

Representing the offense on the All-CC Second Team were sophomore tailback Jamel Mutunga (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air), senior tackle Sam Walthall (Uniondale, N.Y./Woodlands), and senior guard Lou Mastrini (Washington, D.C./Blue Ridge School [Va.]) while senior tight end David Rodriguez (Fort Belvoir, Va./Bishop Ireton) garnered honorable mention accolades.

In his first year as a starter, Mutunga, who was named all-conference for the first time in his career, led the Bullets in rushing with 800 yards and seven touchdowns. He also caught 14 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown. He averaged 5.0 yards per carry and closed the season with a bang, rushing for a career-high 144 yards and a pair of TDs in a 54-21 win over Franklin & Marshall in the Bullets season finale.

Walthall and Mastrini blocked for an explosive offense that not only leads the conference and ranks 23rd nationally in total offense but also ranks first in the Centennial in pass offense (222.0 ypg), second in scoring offense (32.9 ppg), and third in rushing offense (216.2 ypg). Against Franklin & Marshall, they helped the Bullets post their highest scoring total in seven years and their highest rushing output (434 yards) in nine years. Walthall was a first-time all-conference pick while Mastrini picked up his second straight All-CC honor. He was an honorable mention selection last season.

Rodriguez made a successful transition from defensive back to tight end to earn all-conference recognition for the first time in his career. He made nine catches for 193 yards and caught a pair of touchdown passes, including a 63-yarder on Gettysburg’s first play from scrimmage against Ursinus.

Gettysburg won five of its final six games of the season to finish 5-5 and 5-3 in the Centennial Conference.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Sunday News and Notes

From The Hanover Evening Sun:

Gettysburg conquers heavy rain, F&M to finish at .500
By CORY MULL Evening Sun Sports Writer
Article Launched: 11/16/2008 04:03:26 AM EST

When the cloud cover unleashed something the Bullets had never seen before on a football field, the Gettysburg College men's team wiped their faces, buckled their helmets and said, "Is that the best you got, Zeus?"

The Bullets ended their season on Saturday at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium with one of the most impressive wins in school history - playing through what can aptly be described as a monsoon - as it beat Franklin & Marshall, 54-21, to end the season at 5-5 after it had started with four straight losses.

"I didn't imagine 54 (points)," Bullets head coach Barry Streeter said. "I dreamed about it. I didn't imagine it. They're really good. They have a good defense. But we were on today. Our kids ran the ball. We blocked hard. Matt Flynn managed the game really well. I never imagined this."
The Bullets accrued 517 yards of total offense against the Diplomats (4-6), the Centennial Conference's top scoring defense entering the game, giving up 14.1 points per game, and had two 100-yard rushers.

Sophomore Jamel Mutunga had 148 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Senior Nick McConnell had 183 yards rushing and two touchdowns. His last carry went for 44 yards and set in motion one of his goals entering the season.

"The last carry of my high school career was for a touchdown," McConnell said. "My goal coming into my senior year was to have my last carry as a touchdown. So going out like that is pretty unbelievable."

Kicker Josh Huson, No. 4 in career kick scoring entering the game, moved up to No. 2 by the final whistle. With seven extra points, he had 204 points on the season and was only three shy of the record held by Brent Sandrock of McDaniel from 1997-2000.

The 434 total yards of rushing the Bullets amassed was the most since 2002. The 54 points Gettysburg scored was the most its totaled against F&M since 1905 and it was the most points the Diplomats had given up since 2002.

Most of the points came in waves, despite horrendous field conditions.

"We kept thinking that it was going to be an occasional shower," Streeter said. "But then the wind was crazy. We were able to score a couple touchdowns. When (the Diplomats) got it in their face was when it really started coming hard."

Quarterback Matt Flynn, who was 7-for-9 for 72 yards and a touchdown, said he could hardly see five yards past his helmet.

"A few points there you couldn't see very well," Flynn said. "The balls were slippery, so we just mixed the run game in and we did a great job of doing that. It worked well for us."

The turning point came early in the second quarter, with Gettysburg clinging to a 14-7 lead. It had just forced F&M to turnover on downs after the Diplomats had driven 44 yards on 11 plays.

From their own 16, the Bullets picked up action right as the rained reached its climax and visibility was at an all-time low. The Bullets called their zone play before Mutunga broked through the parting seas and scampered his way toward an 85-yard touchdown run.

The Bullets added a touchdown before the break and three more in the final two quarters.

"At the beginning of the season we went out in the first four games and lost," McConnell said.

"Nobody put their heads down. We just kept fighting. We didn't want to go out with a losing season. We just kept working hard, practicing and I think once we got over that hump we showed ourselves that we could do it.

Contact Cory Mull at cmull@eveningsun.com.


Saturday, November 15, 2008

Bullets Run Wild on F&M, Top Dips 54-21 in Monsoon

From the Gettysburg College Website:

Bullets Run Wild on F&M, Top Dips 54-21 in Monsoon

Nick McConnell piled up a career-high 181 rushing yards and two TDs against F&M

Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Gettysburg rushed for 299 of its 434 yards in the first half and the Bullets closed their 2008 season with a bang, running away with a 54-21 Centennial Conference victory over Franklin & Marshall College Saturday afternoon on Senior Day at a drenched Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium.

After starting 0-4, the Bullets (5-5, 5-3 CC) won five of their final six games, the team’s best six-game stretch since the 1994 squad won six in a row, while finishing with at least a .500 record for the third straight season. Franklin & Marshall (4-6, 3-5 CC) lost its second straight game to end the year.

Gettysburg had two players go over 100 yards rushing in the first half alone, when the Bullets outscored the Diplomats 33-7 in a furious driving rain. Senior tailback Nick McConnell (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) ran for 111 of his career-high 181 yards in the opening half while sophomore tailback Jamel Mutunga (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) posted 123 of his career-high 144 yards over the opening 30 minutes. The two finished with two rushing touchdowns apiece. It was the first time since last season’s 41-10 win at Johns Hopkins that the Bullets finished with a pair of 100-yard rushers, when Tom Sturges ’08 had 148 and junior quarterback Matt Flynn (Northfield, N.J./Mainland Regional) had 119.

Sophomore wing Charles Curcio (Hammonton, N.J./St. Joseph’s) added 67 yards rushing and a touchdown on just three carries while junior wings Ricky Manigat (Baldwin, N.Y./Balwin) and Michael McInerney (Habrouck Heights, N.J./St. Joseph Regional) rushed for one touchdown apiece.

The Bullets scored 40 points more than F&M's Centennial Conference-leading scoring defense average (14.1) entering the game.

Gettysburg’s 434 rushing yards marked the team’s highest output since their 458-yard performance in a 59-28 win at St. Lawrence on Oct. 30, 1999. It was the team’s first 50-point game since its 52-7 win over Lebanon Valley in 2003 and was the team’s highest-scoring game since their 61-6 victory at Averett in 2001. The Bullets ran up their second-highest scoring total ever against F&M, second only to the team’s 72-0 win in 1905.

Flynn attempted just nine passes for Gettysburg but set a pair of school records. He broke the school’s career passing yardage record, upping the mark to 5,207, and surpassed the single-season passing yards record, which now stands at 2,126. Dennis Flaherty ’01 held both previous records. Flynn also set school records for career total offense and career touchdown passes earlier this season. He finished 7-for-9 for 72 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 26 yards.

Flynn helped Gettysburg break the single-season team record for passing yards, as the Bullets finished with 2,220.

Senior kicker Josh Huson (McLean, Va./McLean) was 6-for-7 on extra-point attempts and finished his career with 204 points, which ranks second on both the Gettysburg and Centennial Conference charts for kick scoring.

Jeff Hogan came on in the second half to throw for 201 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 15-of-24 passing for F&M while George Eager caught five passes for 64 yards and a TD. Ryan Murray led F&M on the ground, carrying the ball 10 times for 74 yards.

Freshman safety Joe Delaney (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional) had nine tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception for Gettysburg.

Despite the extremely wet conditions, the Bullets did not commit a turnover for the first time this season.

After receiving the opening kickoff, the Bullets needed just five plays to move 66 yards before scoring on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Flynn to sophomore Brian Betley (Mt. Laurel, N.J./Lenape). McConnell got things started, breaking off a 33-yard run to the F&M-21. Three plays later, Flynn hit Betley one yard shy of the end zone, and Betley drug a defender into the end zone as the Bullets took a 7-0 lead just 1:37 into the game.

A steady rain at kickoff turned into a furious, driving downpour minutes into the game, and the Diplomats tied it up on their second possession when backup quarterback Mark Mellinger came on to score on a 5-yard keeper up the middle, capping a 5-play, 37-yard drive.

The Bullets took the lead for good when they scored on their ensuing drive. Mutunga gave his team a first-and-goal at the Diplomat-1 after breaking free for a 32-yard run, and he took it up the middle on the next play. Huson came on to knock through the extra point, giving the Orange and Blue a 14-7 lead with 2:29 left in the first quarter.

F&M threatened to tie the game after driving 45 yards to the Bullet-15, but that’s where the drive stalled and Gettysburg took over on downs. On the very next play, Mutunga broke through the line of scrimmage and out-sprinted the defense up the middle for an 85-yard touchdown run with 11:27 remaining in the opening half. It was a career-long run for Mutunga, the team’s longest play from scrimmage this season, and Gettysburg’s longest rush since Dusty Green’s 85-yarder against Hampden-Sydney in 2006. The Bullets failed to get off an extra-point attempt following a bad snap as Gettysburg increased its advantage to 20-7.

With the rain coming down in torrents, the Bullets continued to roll on their next two possessions. After holding F&M to punt, Curcio took a pitchout left and raced down the sideline for a 30-yard touchdown run as the Bullets went ahead 27-7 with 7:48 on the clock.

Gettysburg forced the first turnover of the game when Delaney stripped the ball from Mellinger on the ensuing possession, and senior linebacker Dean Staley (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) fell on it at the Bullet-47. Gettysburg then went to the ground for a 10-play, 53-yard touchdown drive, running the ball on every play. McConnell took the handoff seven times while eating up 35 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown run to make it a 33-7 game at the half.

After receiving the second-half kickoff, F&M turned it over on its third play from scrimmage, when Delaney came down with a tipped pass and returned it four yards to the Gettysburg-49. However, the Bullets were unable to capitalize after Huson’s 43-yard, line-drive field goal attempt fell short.

With the rain letting up slightly, the Diplomats turned it over on downs on its next drive, and Gettysburg responded with a 10-play, 71-yard touchdown drive. The Bullets kept the chains moving when senior tight end David Rodriguez (Fort Belvoir, Va./Bishop Ireton) hit freshman punter Rob Pennella (Martinsville, N.J./Bridgewater Raritan) with an 11-yard, first-down pass to the Gettysburg-48 on a fake punt. Six plays later, McInerney took it on from 1 yard out as the Bullets lead swelled to 40-7.

F&M cut the gap to 47-21 with 10:50 left in the game after Hogan sandwiched a pair of touchdown passes – a 19-yarder to Alan Williams and an 8-yarder to Eager – around a 3-yard TD run from Manigat.

McConnell set the final score on the first play of the ensuing drive. After the Bullets recovered an onside kick, he burst down the left sideline and dodged several defenders en route to a 44-yard touchdown run.

Staley and sophomore cornerback Tairi Mobley (Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown) each tied their career-high tackle total, with Staley making 11 stops and Mobley dealing 10 hits. Senior linebacker Terence Hartigan (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) also notched 10 tackles while senior defensive end Josh Jerrold (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury East) had four tackles and a sack to finish his career tied for third on Gettysburg’s career sack list with 19.5 and fourth in tackles for loss with 32.5.

Zach Romash led F&M with 11 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, while James Gregory had 10 stops and 2.0 for loss.

From the F&M Website:

Bullets Shoot Down Diplomats
Nov 15, 2008

Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. -- After watching Ryan Murray run all over its defense in last year's meeting, the Gettysburg Bullets returned the favor, running to a 54-21 win over Franklin & Marshall in Centennial Conference (CC) football on Saturday. The Bullets (5-5, 5-3 CC) rolled up 299 yards of rushing on 25 carries in the first half and 434 yards in the game. Three of the first half touches ended in the Diplomats' (4-6, 3-5 CC) end zone, giving the Bullets an insurmountable 33-7 lead at the half.

Jamel Mutunga and Nick McConnell each rushed for well over 100 yards and two touchdowns. Mutunga rushed for 123 yards and a pair of scores in the first half. He broke off a 34-yard run down to the Diplomats' one-yard line and plunged in on the next play. His next touch came on first down of the Bullets' next possession. He split the Diplomats' defense to go 86-yards for the score that broke F&M's back.

Nick McConnell had rushed for 111 yards on 13 carries in the first half before finally finding the end zone with 28 ticks in the second quarter. He finished the game with 181 yards on 17 rushes. Charles Curcio rushed for an additional 68 yards from the win, scoring one touchdown and setting up another. His score came on a 30-yard run.

Gettysburg outgained F&M 517-396, and went five-for-five in the red zone.

The Bullets marched 66 yards on five plays to score on their opening possession. F&M answered on its second possession, a five-play, 37-yard drive finished by Mark Mellinger's second rushing touchdown of the season making it 7-7. It was all Gettysburg from there.

Ryan Murray led F&M's offense with 74 yards on 10 carries. George Eager caught five passes for 64 yards and a second half touchdown. It was the second of Jeff Hogan's two touchdown passes in the second half. He had hit Alan Williams for the first touchdown on both ends of the equation from 19-yards out late in the third quarter.

The Diplomats close the 2007 season at 4-6, with a 3-5 mark in league play.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Friday News and Notes

The following was taken from The Centennial Conference Friday Tailgate:

Franklin & Marshall at Gettysburg
Video: Yes. Audio: godiplomats.com. Live Stats: Yes.

It's the 94th renewal of the second-oldest series in the Conference between the Diplomats and the Bullets ... F&M holds a slim 44-42-7 all-time edge, winning five of the last six meetings ... Diplomat QB John Harrison's 14 TD passes on the season ties a Centennial single-season mark for freshmen ... WR Jarrell Diggs snared a 55-yard scoring pass vs. Hopkins for his fifth touchdown of the season, along with two passing scores ... RB John Kaschak leads all Centennial rookies with 564 rushing yards ... the Diplomats have lost just two fumbles this season ... Gettysburg won its fourth game in its last five starts with a 38-9 win at McDaniel, spoiling the Terror's Homecoming Weekend ... QB Matt Flynn went over the 2,000 passing-yard mark for the season (2,054) ... PK Josh Huson's 47-yard field goal vs. McDaniel was his third kick of 40 or more yards in his career and was a yard shy of his own school-record boot ... a victory would give would Gettysburg its third straight non-losing campaign for the first time since 1993-94-95 ... a win would give Franklin & Marshall just its second non-losing campaign since 1996.