So close, but not close enough.

That summarizes the thoughts of Waynesburg University football coach Rick Shepas as he looks back on the 2007 season.

"We've made big strides in my three years at Waynesburg," said Shepas, who led the Yellow Jackets to their third highest win total in school history. "We have been blessed with a group of kids who are willing to put in the hard work required to become a winner."

Waynesburg posted an 8-3 record and finished second in the Presidents' Athletic Conference with a 5-1 mark.

"I look back at our losses and think how much better our record could have been with a few breaks," said Shepas. "We lost three games by a total of 12 points and two of the losses were in overtime. We were that close to winning the PAC title."

Waynesburg opened the season with seven consecutive victories, then lost three of its last four. The Yellow Jackets first setback was a heartbreaking 22-21 loss to conference champion Washington & Jefferson. Then came a 24-17 overtime loss to Geneva.

"We had our chances in all three losses," said Shepas. "We are five or six plays away from finishing the regular season with an unblemished record. You can't ask for much more than that from a team."

Waynesburg closed the season with a 16-10 overtime loss to Dickinson College in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Southeast Bowl, which was played Nov. 17.

"It was obviously disappointing to end the season on a losing note, but we did accomplish our goal of playing in a postseason game," said Shepas. "We would have preferred a berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs, but we are making progress."

The key to Waynesburg's success was a potent running game and a stingy defense. The season was highlighted by two record-breaking performances. Senior Mike Czerwien led the nation in sacks, while freshman Robert Heller led the country in rushing.

"Those are firsts for Waynesburg," said Shepas. "Czerwien's invitation to the Aztec Bowl is also a first for Waynesburg. He had 54.5 career sacks. You can't replace a player like him."

Czerwien, a North Hills graduate, set a school record and led NCAA Division III with 23 sacks, just one shy of the NCAA all-division record. Czerwien was also named PAC Defensive Player of the Year and voted to the first team all-conference for the fourth consecutive year, two more firsts in Waynesburg history.

Waynesburg's defense ranked among the top 10 teams in Division III in three categories. The Yellow Jackets finished fifth in total defense (225.1 yards per game), eighth in rush defense (68.1 yards per game) and eighth in sacks (3.82 per game).

Heller's performance as a true freshman was even more impressive. A Ringgold High School graduate, he set an NCAA all-division freshman record with 2,176 yards rushing. He ranked No. 1 in Division III with 197.8 yards per game and second in points per game with 14.7. He scored 27 touchdowns and carried the ball 383 times, all Waynesburg records.

"Heller did a fantastic job," said Shepas. "The nice thing is that we have him three more years."

Heller and Czerwien were among seven Waynesburg players voted to the first team All-PAC. The others were: fullback Aaron Davis, defensive end D.J. DeWitt, linebacker Brendon Steele, and safeties Stefon Strothers and Ryan Krull. Steele and Strothers are graduates of Canon-McMillan. Davis is a graduate of Elizabeth Forward. DeWitt is from Connellsville.

Jared Bussard, a sophomore offensive tackle, was voted to the second team.

"We lose 18 seniors to graduation," said Shepas. "Only six were full-time starters. Two others split time with another player."

Waynesburg loses five starters on defense: Czerwien, Steele, Strothers, linebacker Dan Andreassi and cornerback Jacques Newberry.

Tempalski is the only full-time starter graduating on offense. Offensive lineman Dan Vitale and Nick Miller are also seniors.